"Poliwrath, let's go!"
Without hesitation, Bruno hurled his second Poké Ball onto the battlefield.
Bringing a Water-type like Poliwrath to a remote and barren place like Mt. Hideway wasn't a bad idea at the very least, it guaranteed that he wouldn't die of thirst.
Moreover, Mt. Hideway with its rugged rocky terrain, also served as excellent training grounds for Poliwrath.
"Wraaa~!"
Poliwrath landed in front of him, raising its glove-like fists staring at Paul with unwavering determination.
"Full power. Dragon Rush."
The moment the round began, Paul issued his command without hesitation.
"Gaaar!"
With a dragon's roar, Garchomp soared skyward like a mighty dragon surveying the world.
The overwhelming aura distorted the air around it, and a murderous pressure tinged the sky a blood-red hue. Power concentrated in its jaws as Garchomp dove headfirst toward Poliwrath below.
Having previously boosted its power with Dragon Dance, Garchomp's sequence of actions appeared complex but was executed in mere moments.
But Bruno, fully aware of Garchomp's capabilities, was already prepared and laughed heartily:
"Good! Belly Drum, then Ice Punch!"
"Wraaa!"
Poliwrath's eyes narrowed as its body gleamed with a white light, its face contorting in pain. Sacrificing half its stamina, it maximized its physical attack to the limit.
Just as Poliwrath completed its boost, Garchomp had already reached its target, attempting to devour Poliwrath whole with its gaping jaws.
BOOM!
An explosive impact followed immediately. Before the smoke could even billow out, the mighty dragon was blasted apart midair—Garchomp's body shot backward like a cannonball and slammed into a cliff wall, instantly frozen into a solid ice sculpture.
Poliwrath meanwhile, only bore a few relatively minor wounds.
"Return and rest."
Paul withdrew Garchomp with a flash of red light, his mind briefly reflecting:
As expected of Kanto's Elite Four, such overwhelming strength.
Even with Garchomp powered up by multiple boosts and Swords Dance, the mighty dragon was still demolished by a single punch from Poliwrath. It was enough to leave anyone deeply impressed.
It wasn't that Poliwrath was stronger than Machamp in sustained battle—in a war of attrition, several Poliwraths would fall to Machamp—but when it came to explosive power?
The sheer attack boost granted by Belly Drum was simply absurd.
There was no comparison.
Of course, Garchomp's defeat had been well within Paul's calculations.
"Electivire, stand by for battle!"
Paul immediately sent out his ace: Electivire.
In internal sparring, Electivire occasionally struggled against Garchomp—that was understandable.
But in external matches?
Against non-Ground-types on Garchomp's level, Electivire could handle multiple opponents with ease. And now, with its Thunder abilities massively enhanced, facing a Water-type like Poliwrath was even more advantageous.
Naturally, Paul wasn't concerned that Bruno might switch Pokémon.
With Poliwrath having already sacrificed half its stamina for Belly Drum, switching out now would mean it could no longer perform Belly Drum again later. And without Belly Drum, any of Paul's remaining Pokémon could potentially finish Poliwrath off.
It was a calculated trap: either gamble everything or switch and forfeit the advantage.
Bruno understood this well. Without hesitation, he declared:
"Let's finish this in one breath, Poliwrath!"
"Wraaa!"
Poliwrath clenched its fists tightly, unflinching as it locked eyes with Electivire. Its aura condensed, ready to unleash its full power at any moment and deliver a one-shot knockout.
Type advantage? So what?
If it landed just two hits, it could still take down Electivire.
Even against the mightiest of Thunder, Poliwrath was confident—one good punch could shatter it!
"Viree~"
('Little frog, I'm in a good mood today. Why don't you just surrender? Spare yourself a good beating.')
Electivire casually rubbed its fists together, smirking as it approached, full of playful mockery and ease.
Poliwrath said nothing. Fury burned in its eyes as its fists clenched even tighter.
"Thunder."
Paul's voice was calm.
Electivire raised both arms, releasing a terrifying surge of golden lightning that surged toward Poliwrath like a massive tidal wave.
"What the heck…?"
Even Bruno hadn't expected Electivire's electric output to be this overwhelming, but he quickly responded:
"Shatter the lightning! Dynamic Punch!"
The ground beneath Poliwrath cracked open as it launched itself like a cannonball. With both fists raised high, it dove into the electric tide, punching through the waves of lightning and charging directly toward Electivire.
"Viree~"
But Electivire merely chuckled, activating a green protective barrier—Protect which perfectly blocked Poliwrath's furious assault.
With a burst of energy, the barrier repelled Poliwrath several steps back. Electivire closed the distance instantly and unleashed a rapid barrage of Plasma Fists.
In mere moments, it landed dozens of strikes, forcing Poliwrath onto the defensive.
However, thanks to its intense training sessions sparring against Machamp, Poliwrath had long mastered powerful defensive parries. Electivire's attacks, though fierce, inflicted little actual damage.
"Earth Power!"
"Wraaa!"
Poliwrath swiftly adjusted its stance, firmly planted its foot and channeled its strength into its fists. With a mighty swing, its fists clashed directly with Electivire's.
BOOM!
The impact sent Electivire flying like a shooting star.
But Electivire had prepared for this. With a surge of electricity, it generated a magnetic field that altered its flight path, allowing it to stabilize midair.
"Viree~"
Having charged up and activated Motivation three times, Electivire grinned widely. Its body surged with electricity, lightning arcs dancing wildly around it like a god of thunder descending from the heavens.
"Lightning Cage."
Paul's voice remained calm.
"Vireee~"
('Prepare for judgment, little frog!')
Countless bolts of massive lightning thicker than Electivire's arms, exploded from its body, instantly enveloping the entire battlefield.
The converging bolts formed a massive electric prison, trapping Poliwrath at its center.
Without access to Dig or Protect, Poliwrath immediately attempted to break through by force, aiming to shatter the cage and take Electivire down in one final charge.
But Poliwrath underestimated Electivire's current power.
By game mechanics, this Lightning Cage was outputting a staggering 600 power:
Whereas Poliwrath's fully powered Dynamic Punch under Belly Drum reached only 480 power.
The result was clear.
Poliwrath's all-out assault barely broke through a few layers before the overwhelming electricity forced it back into the prison, enduring a relentless lightning onslaught.
"Poliwrath, use Rock Tomb!"
"Wraaa!"
Poliwrath immediately summoned large rocks to shield itself from the searing currents.
Bruno and Poliwrath both believed that Electivire couldn't sustain this high output for long. If they could hold out, they'd find a window to escape.
But this only made Electivire grin even wider.
With the fusion of the Zap plate and Electrum Crystal, its electrical capacity was now monstrous.
Constantly charging and stacking Motivation boosts, it had fully mastered a terrifying feedback loop.
Poliwrath wasn't enduring, it was slowly being cooked.
"Vireee~"
Electivire wasn't in a hurry. Instead, it carefully concentrated the Lightning Cage further, focusing its power. The intensified lightning exploded Poliwrath's rocky shield, leaving Poliwrath fully exposed.
Barely two seconds of direct contact with the raw current, Poliwrath collapsed. Though not technically knocked out, it was hanging on by a thread.
"Vireee~"
Seeing its opponent down, Electivire casually ceased the attack.
It zoomed over, squatted down in front of Poliwrath, and gently patted its head with mock concern—a display of respecting the elderly and cherishing the young.
('Little frog, with strength like this, how do you expect to fight me, huh?')
"!!!"
Already at the brink of defeat and humiliated, Poliwrath mustered the last of its strength, eyes blazing, and swung one final desperate punch.
WHACK!
Before the punch landed, Electivire's open palm struck first, slapping Poliwrath's face and sending it flying into the cliff wall where it finally lost the ability to battle.
This… was cruelty wrapped in politeness.
"Vireee~~!"
Having secured victory, Electivire froze for a moment then burst into mad howls, wildly shaking its arms and body, releasing the frustration that had built up inside.
No matter the reason, being beaten earlier by a subordinate had dealt Electivire a serious blow. The pressure had weighed heavily on its heart like a dark cloud.
But now, after that spectacular brawl, most of that burden had been lifted.
Paul and Bruno: "..."
Everyone present fell into a brief silence, watching Electivire's inexplicable outburst.
Bruno quietly recalled his Poliwrath. He simply couldn't understand: how could a Pokémon with… let's say, less-than-stellar mental clarity, have been trained to reach such overwhelming strength?
Or maybe… true geniuses are always a little unhinged?
Regardless, the battle wasn't over. Even if his odds of winning had dropped significantly, Bruno had no intention of backing down.
"Hitmonlee, it's your turn!"
He threw out his final Poké Ball.
A fully brown-bodied Pokémon emerged, with spring-like beige-colored sections on its arms and legs. The force of its first kick even created a sonic boom, a testament to its terrifying power.
Even Paul had to admit: this Hitmonlee was undeniably stronger overall than Bruno's Machamp and Poliwrath.
Unfortunately…
"Vireee~"
Electivire shook its head with a sigh.
It acknowledged Hitmonlee's strength. Had they faced each other earlier, the outcome might've been uncertain.
But thanks to the intense battle against Poliwrath, Electivire was now practically at peak condition—fully charged, both physically and mentally.
"Shawa~"
Hitmonlee examined the battlefield, quickly gauging its opponent's state—but fear? That was out of the question.
As one of Bruno's trump cards, it had faced off against even Legendary Pokémon without flinching. There was no reason to fear an ordinary Pokémon now.
"Fake Out!"
The moment the battle resumed, Hitmonlee clapped its hands together. A wave of compressed sound shot toward Electivire at blinding speed.
But Electivire couldn't even be bothered to dodge. A simple Protect enveloped its body, easily deflecting the strike.
After all, Bruno was a master of Fighting-types. Every one of his Pokémon possessed close-combat skills that could match Electivire blow for blow. To avoid unnecessary risks and incident, Paul had already abandoned the idea of engaging Hitmonlee at close range.
If you're weaker, fight desperately up close. If you're stronger, crush them from afar.
"Thunder."
As Paul gave the command, lightning surged around Electivire once again. Serpentine bolts danced wildly before slamming down toward Hitmonlee in a wide-area bombardment.
Unless Hitmonlee knew Dig or Detect, this attack was inescapable!
"High Jump Kick!"
Yet, rather than retreating, Hitmonlee sprang forward, its spring-loaded legs launching it like a coiled spring, both legs glowing with white energy as it shot into the lightning barrage.
With sheer physical might, Hitmonlee shattered part of the incoming Thunder—but it couldn't destroy all of it.
Soon, the relentless electric surge overwhelmed it completely.
"Vi… ree?!"
Electivire had already begun lowering its guard, expecting to bask in victory when suddenly, a dark figure pushed through the storm of lightning, charging straight at it!
It was Hitmonlee, miraculously still standing after being engulfed by Thunder!
Clearly, it had used Endure to survive the onslaught!
"Reversal!"
Bruno shouted. Hitmonlee, following the command perfectly, unleashed its counterattack.
Tapping into its remaining strength, Hitmonlee surged forward like a dying flame bursting into one final blaze, driving its leg toward Electivire with everything it had left.
But at that crucial moment, Paul's calm voice rang out.
"Protect."
BOOM!
A green barrier instantly materialized before Electivire, effortlessly blocking Hitmonlee's desperate strike.
"Viree~"
Inside the shimmering shield, Electivire grinned, eyes full of amusement. With a burst of power, it expanded the shield slightly, forcing Hitmonlee back a few steps then, in a flash of golden light, it closed the distance, right arm raised—
Brick Break!
Smash!
Hitmonlee froze mid-motion. Its eyes glazed over, body going limp as it collapsed onto the battlefield, unable to battle any longer.
Hitmonlee is unable to battle. Electivire wins!
Bruno is defeated. Paul is the winner!
"Vireee~"
Electivire shrugged and strutted back toward Paul with exaggerated, almost smug movements, grinning and winking as it went.
Sure, maybe its opponent was a bit unlucky but running into an Electivire that happened to be fully powered up whether it was a bad decision, underestimating the situation, or something else entirely, a loss was still a loss.
It was the winner!
(To be continued...)
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