A few days later, the Veilstone Arena thundered with noise. Every seat was taken. This time, the crowd was even larger than when Paul had battled Tobias.
The reason was simple:
Today, the rising star Lucas was challenging Paul in a dual-title match—a Champion Challenge combined with a World Coronation Series ranking battle.
Unlike the private duel against Tobias, this was fully official.
The stadium had been booked out long before the event. Spectators had come not only from across Sinnoh, but from around the world.
Every eye fixed on the stage, waiting for the battle to begin.
Suddenly, the broadcast system crackled to life. The commentator's voice filled the air:
"Welcome everyone, to Veilstone Arena! By now, I'm sure you all know who today's competitors are!"
"First—he is a former Contest Champion, dazzling audiences with beauty and style. He later conquered the Battle Frontier, swept through the Sinnoh Elite Four, and even dethroned former Champion Cynthia. And he did all this in less than two years!"
Spotlights swept across the stadium. From the challengers' tunnel, Lucas walked calmly onto the field.
Once he took his place, the commentator's voice rose again:
"And his opponent—through sheer power, he has dominated every stage. He conquered the Battle Frontier, became Champion with ease, and stands as the youngest Champion in Sinnoh's history. He is our pride—Paul!"
An even brighter light blazed down. A cold-eyed boy with violet hair stepped out of the opposite tunnel, his stride calm yet unyielding, until he stood face-to-face with Lucas.
"This time—are you ready?"
Paul drew a Poké Ball slowly, his eyes fixed on his old rival.
"This time, I'll give it everything I have."
Lucas answered with firm resolve.
"The competitors are in place. The battle will now begin. I will announce the rules."
The referee stepped forward:
"This will be a six-on-six battle. Both trainers may switch Pokémon at will. Victory is declared when one side's team is completely unable to battle. This match counts both as a Champion Challenge and as a World Coronation Series ranking battle."
"Trainers—send out your Pokémon!"
As Champion, Paul sent his Pokémon first.
"Froslass, prepare to fight!"
"Eeno~"
With an elegant cry, the Snow Witch Pokémon drifted down onto the field, her spectral form sending a chill through the crowd.
"There it is—Froslass enters the battlefield! As Paul's Champion Pokémon, Froslass may not be his strongest in raw power, but its elusive body and illusionary tricks have driven countless opponents to despair. Many never locate its true form until the moment they're defeated!"
"Facing such a troublesome opponent, what will Lucas choose?"
The announcer's voice rang out, but Lucas only smiled with confidence.
This time, he hadn't built a team to counter Paul's entire lineup. Instead, he'd prepared specifically for Froslass.
Without hesitation, Lucas hurled a Poké Ball:
"Go, Clefable!"
With a burst of light, the pink Fairy Pokémon appeared, swaying its stubby arms like a giant doll.
"Clefable?! Lucas chose Clefable! Could this be part of a larger strategy?"
"Battle begin!"
The referee's signal had barely fallen before Lucas shouted:
"Clefable, use Gravity!"
He knew better than to trust Froslass' floating stillness. Its true body could be anywhere, preparing to unleash its ghostly trickery.
If you can't find the enemy—hit the whole field.
And if the field is too vast—then bring them down to earth!
"Clefaa~!"
Purple energy glowed from Clefable's hands. Instantly, the arena's gravity intensified, slamming downward. Froslass, once floating weightlessly, was yanked to the ground.
"Return. Go—Infernape!"
Even as the Gravity field settled, Lucas recalled Clefable and sent out his first partner, his starter Pokémon.
"Infernape, use Earthquake and Eruption!"
"Raaaah!!"
The noble Flame Pokémon slammed a fist into the ground. The arena quaked violently. The battlefield split like a spiderweb as torrents of explosive fire roared upward, engulfing the field in searing flames.
Fire raged, unrelenting.
Paul's response came cold and swift:
"Protect."
Though grounded, Froslass raised her arms, erecting a shimmering shield that held firm against the devastation.
The attack did not land. But Lucas smiled anyway, pointing sharply to the side.
"Eleven o'clock! Flare Blitz!"
"Raaaah!!"
Without a pause, Infernape cloaked itself in blazing fire, streaking forward like a comet straight at Froslass' revealed position.
"Icy Wind!"
Froslass' eyes flashed. Spinning rings of ghostly energy spiraled outward to block Infernape's charge.
In an instant, fire and shadow collided.
"BOOM!!"
The explosion hurled both Pokémon apart. Neither side had gained the upper hand.
But the momentum shifted in the next heartbeat.
"Taunt!"
"Raaaaah!!"
Landing lightly, Infernape smirked, beckoning mockingly. Psychic ripples spread across the battlefield. Froslass' eyes burned with fury, her mind thrown into disarray. Non-damaging moves slipped from memory.
"Perfect! Infernape, Fire Spin!"
Lucas grinned. With Taunt disabling Froslass' trickery, the ghost's signature strategy was shut down.
If Fire Spin hit, Froslass couldn't be switched out—her defeat would be inevitable.
And with Taunt, even Destiny Bond was off the table.
"Raaaah!!"
Infernape unleashed a spiraling inferno, trapping Froslass in its blazing vortex. Heat scorched her spectral body without mercy.
The plan worked flawlessly. Infernape finally had room to breathe.
But Lucas knew better than to slow down. Against Paul, hesitation was fatal.
"End it—Eruption!"
Infernape gathered fire in its throat and unleashed it in a concentrated torrent, flames blasting straight toward the trapped Froslass.
At last, Paul spoke again:
"Anger… is also power. Psychic."
"BANG!!"
The Fire Spin detonated outward as a lance of psychic energy shot from within, clashing with Infernape's flames.
"BOOM!!"
The battlefield shook as another explosion erupted in the center.
"No way—she blocked it?!"
Lucas' eyes widened.
In his memory, Paul's Froslass had always been his weakest Pokémon in raw force—winning battles only through debuffs, illusions, and draining tactics.
But now… it was standing toe-to-toe with his Infernape?
As the smoke cleared, Lucas froze. Froslass' once-clear eyes now blazed crimson, glowing with an unfamiliar light.
One glance, and Lucas knew the name of this power: Rage.
"Psychic, again!"
Paul wasted no time.
Froslass raised both hands, unleashing tangible psychic force that surged toward Infernape.
Weary from his relentless offense, Infernape's body faltered. The warning bells in his mind came too late—he was caught, his body seized by crushing psychic power.
It's super effective!
"Fire Blast!"
Agony racked Infernape's body under the crushing psychic force, but the voice of his Trainer rang clear. He roared and opened his mouth, unleashing a searing, fiery Fire Blast.
"Psychic!"
Paul commanded again. Froslass seized the Fire Blast with her spectral power and wrenched its trajectory away, the flames detonating harmlessly elsewhere.
But the effort cost her dearly. The moment the psychic grip weakened, Infernape broke free. He dove underground with Dig, tunneling forward to close the gap.
Before the Fire Blast even struck the ground, he erupted from behind Froslass in a blazing charge—
"Flare Blitz!"
"Eeno—!"
Sensing danger, Froslass spun midair, transforming her psychic energy into a howling storm. The sudden Psychic storm seized Infernape, hurling him across the battlefield.
The gap widened again.
Lucas clenched his fists, his voice rising above the storm.
"Infernape! This isn't your limit—unleash it!"
'Anger itself is power. But what about… Blaze?'
Within the raging psychic storm, Infernape's wounded pride ignited. Flames burst from his battered body, turning the storm crimson.
"Raaaaah!!"
With a primal roar, he tore the storm apart, his body engulfed in blue fire. He lunged one final time toward Froslass.
"Psychic, again!" Paul commanded coldly.
"Eeno—!!"
Eyes burning red, Froslass screamed like a banshee. Every ounce of her psychic fury crashed into Infernape head-on.
"BOOM!"
The clash split the sky. A towering mushroom cloud erupted at the battlefield's center.
The entire arena held its breath, hearts hammering in their throats.
When the smoke finally cleared, both Infernape and Froslass lay charred and unmoving.
"Infernape and Froslass are unable to battle! Both Trainers, send out your next Pokémon!"
The referee's voice rang across the silent stadium.
"What a strategy from Lucas!" The commentator exclaimed. "He neutralized Froslass' greatest strengths and traded evenly with Infernape. But Paul still has far stronger Pokémon waiting. How will Lucas respond?"
Both Trainers recalled their Pokémon, their gazes locked.
Paul's lips curled faintly. "Let's see how you handle this."
He tossed his next Poké Ball.
"Ninetales, to the field."
"Wooo!"
The Fox Pokémon emerged with elegance, tails flowing like silk. She padded gracefully across the arena, settling into a poised stance with a sly smile.
"Ninetales…" Lucas muttered, narrowing his eyes. He remembered her well—immense firepower, strong psychic ability, deadly close combat, even mastery of Gravity. A true all-rounder.
"Go—Darkrai!"
From Lucas' Poké Ball, shadows coalesced. The Pitch-Black Pokémon descended silently upon the battlefield. This was the Darkrai Lucas had captured near Pastoria City and trained to formidable strength.
"Darkrai, Haze!"
Darkrai spread his arms wide. A thick black fog poured across the arena, shrouding everything in darkness.
"Trying to sneak attack?" Paul's voice was ice. He didn't hesitate.
"Go all out—Heat Wave!"
"Woooo!"
Ninetales cried out, activating both her Anger and Flash Fire abilities simultaneously. Flames surged over her body. She exhaled a storm of fire, scattering the black haze and sweeping across the field.
"Rock Slide!"
Darkrai conjured boulders and hurled them forward, but they detonated midair, consumed by the blazing winds.
Forced back, Darkrai barely raised a shimmering Protect barrier, bracing against the inferno.
But Ninetales never relented. She focused her Heat Wave, condensing it into a direct stream aimed at Darkrai's shield.
"Disable!"
Trapped under relentless fire, Darkrai gambled everything. A pulse of mysterious power shot forth, binding Ninetales mid-attack.
"Wo…?"
For a moment, her body froze. By the time she moved again, her Heat Wave was sealed away.
But Ninetales was unfazed. With dazzling speed, she vanished and reappeared before Darkrai, her nine tails striking from all directions.
"Iron Tail!"
The strike cut through an illusion. Darkrai's body shattered into smoke, merely one of dozens.
"Dark Void!"
From every direction, Darkrai shadows hurled spheres of nightmarish energy.
"Will-O-Wisp Aura!"
Unshaken, Ninetales spun psychic force into a halo of spectral flames. The barrier whirled around her, devouring every Dark Void that touched it.
"Gravity!"
Paul's voice cut sharp. Instantly, Ninetales warped the field. Darkrai and all his illusions were slammed to the ground, pinned to the earth.
"Sunny Day. Move to the corner."
Rather than attack immediately, Ninetales darted to the edge of the arena. Above, the sun flared brighter, scorching heat radiating down.
Darkrai fired back with Rock Slide and Dark Pulse, but every attack shattered against Ninetales' ghostly flame aura. By the time the shield cracked, she had reached her corner.
Lucas' eyes widened. He recognized this setup, it was the same tactical trap he had sprung earlier.
"Full-field—Flamethrower!"
"Wooo!!"
Ninetales unleashed a sweeping torrent of fire, blanketing every inch of the battlefield.
Powered by Rage, Flash Fire, Sunny Day, solar energy, and psychic amplification, her Flamethrower now eclipsed even Infernape's desperate Blaze.
In a heartbeat, the arena became a sea of flames.
All Darkrai's illusions vanished. Only the true Darkrai, shielded by Protect, remained. His barrier quivered, warping under the inferno.
"Disable!"
Caught in the firestorm, Lucas had no choice. Darkrai forced out another Disable, sealing Ninetales' Flamethrower just before collapsing from the blaze.
But Paul was already a step ahead.
"Overheat!"
"Woooo!"
Ninetales opened her jaws wide. A superheated column of fire, far stronger than before, engulfed Darkrai completely.
When the flames subsided, Darkrai lay blackened on the ground, unconscious.
"Darkrai is unable to battle!"
The referee raised his flag.
Lucas exhaled sharply, sweat dripping from his brow.
Paul remained impassive, as if this was merely expected.
The crowd roared.
The Champion's Ninetales had just crushed a Darkrai!
And the battle was only halfway over.
(To be continued...)
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