Want to read upto chapter 45 you know where.
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"Regular Trainer battles," Brock began, leaning back with his arms folded, "don't just end when you knock out your opponent's Pokémon."
"Technically, you also win if you can force their Pokémon out of bounds."
Ash blinked, still reeling from what just happened.
"Wait, really? That's a legit win?"
Brock nodded. "Yeah. It's a rule built into most regulated battlefields."
He gestured toward the steel-framed dome that made up Canalave Gym's arena.
"The main reason is to counterbalance Flying-types. If a Flying Pokémon keeps soaring above the battlefield, Ground-types or melee-focused Pokémon can't hit back. So, forcing an opponent off the field is considered a clean victory."
Ash's eyes lit up, gears turning in his head.
"Then… if I challenge a Gym and can't beat their Pokémon head-on, maybe I can throw them out of bounds like Brother Sam did!"
Brock didn't even hesitate.
"Don't."
Ash flinched. "Eh?"
Brock sighed and adjusted his sleeves.
"You think Rival Pokémon will just let you grab them and toss them like that?"
"Lucario made it look easy because it's incredibly well-trained—and ridiculously strong."
"Don't get me wrong. Sam's strategy was brilliant, but that execution? That takes power, timing, and precision most Trainers don't have."
He pointed back toward the field.
"Lucario weighs around 60 kilograms."
"Magnezone weighs almost 180."
"That's a threefold difference in weight class."
"For Lucario to throw it out of the ring, mid-move, with that level of force and control… that's champion-tier strength."
Ash scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.
"So… maybe not something I can just mimic, huh?"
"Exactly," Brock deadpanned.
Even Dawn, who wasn't into battle strategy, nodded sagely beside her Piplup.
"You'd probably throw your back out before you threw a Magnezone out."
…
Back on the battlefield, Byron didn't look shaken by the loss of his first Pokémon.
In fact, he looked… thrilled.
With practiced ease, he recalled Magnezone into its Poké Ball, clipping it back to his belt with a metallic click.
"Sam," Byron called out, his voice calm but edged with steel.
"I admit—I underestimated your strength."
"I thought you were just a scholar."
"But your command, your timing—flawless."
"You're a true Trainer."
Sam offered a small bow.
"You flatter me, Gym Leader Byron."
"But I believe we're not done yet?"
Byron's eyes glinted.
"Not even close."
He pulled out his second Poké Ball and pressed the release.
"Steelix! Let's dig in!"
The ball snapped open with a burst of scarlet light.
A colossal shape surged from the flash, casting a shadow over the field as its segmented body slammed against the ground with a thunderous rumble.
"STEEEELIX!!"
Ash gawked.
"Whoa…"
Even Lucario narrowed its eyes.
Steelix loomed tall, its iron hide gleaming beneath the gym lights.
Its jaws ground together, its tail coiled like a giant iron serpent.
A new system panel blinked into Sam's vision.
[Pokémon: Steelix]
[Gender: Male]
[Attribute: Steel, Ground]
[Ability: Rock Head (Prevents recoil damage from self-harming moves)]
[Level: 55 (Elite Mid-Tier)]
[Potential: Elite Peak]
[Skills: Thunder Fang, Protect, Ice Fang, Crunch, Rock Throw, Earthquake, Autotomize, Sand Tomb]
[Genetic Skill: Dragon Tail]
[Condition: Excellent]
[Remarks: Originally a low-potential Pokémon, Steelix was raised with unwavering dedication and meticulous training. Through persistent effort and overcoming its natural limits, it evolved into one of the strongest Steelix documented in elite battles.]
The massive Steelix stretched across the battlefield like an iron-clad serpent.
At over ten meters long, it looked less like a Pokémon and more like a living fragment of the Great Wall of Oreburgh itself—unyielding, ancient, and powerful.
Lucario, by comparison, was diminutive.
A warrior in the shadow of a titan.
But there was no fear in his eyes. Only resolve.
"Steelix!" Byron's voice echoed with command.
"Use Earthquake!"
Learning from his mistake in the previous round, Byron didn't waste time.
Steelix lowered its body, pressing its massive coils into the ground to channel power.
"ROARRR!!"
The iron giant slammed its tail against the terrain.
BOOM—!
Cracks splintered across the battlefield like spiderwebs.
Tremors rippled through the floor, and chunks of debris burst skyward.
The very ground groaned under the sheer force of the attack.
Energy surged beneath Lucario's feet as the Earthquake took hold.
From the stands, Ash braced himself.
"Oh no—Earthquake's super effective against Steel-types!"
Brock tensed. "This could be dangerous…"
But Sam was calm. His eyes never left the battlefield.
"Luca," he said quietly, "use Meteor Mash—on the ground."
"Luka!"
Lucario responded without hesitation.
Aura flared around its fist, bright and sharp like starlight.
The gleaming sphere of steel energy condensed into a massive fist-shaped aura.
"LUKARIO!!"
He leapt high and slammed his glowing fist straight into the battlefield.
BOOM!!
An explosion of gravel erupted into the air, as though a small bomb had gone off.
The soft, loosened earth from Steelix's Earthquake magnified the impact.
A rain of shattered stones filled the battlefield.
Ash and the others raised their arms to shield their eyes.
"What's happening?! I can't see!"
Dawn squinted through the dust.
"Did… did Lucario block the Earthquake?"
Brock's eyes widened. "No—he redirected it! He turned the soft ground into a smokescreen."
"Smart…"
In the confusion, Sam's voice cut through the dust like a whisper on steel.
"Luca. Quick Attack. Close the distance."
"Lu-ka!"
Lucario's figure vanished into the storm of debris, reduced to a blur of motion.
He darted between falling stones, using them as cover.
The field was silent, only the sound of crumbling earth and falling gravel.
Byron narrowed his eyes.
"Tch… I can't track him."
"Steelix!" he barked.
"Use Protect!"
Steelix roared. Its iron body pulsed with energy, and a shimmering white dome of light wrapped around it like a barrier.
A perfect defense. Temporarily impenetrable.
"Just in case," Brock muttered.
"He can't see where the attack's coming from. That's a good move."
But Sam simply raised a finger.
"Brick Break."
The command was quiet.
Deadly.
From behind Steelix—out of its blind spot—Lucario emerged in a silent burst of motion.
His right hand glowed with harsh, white energy.
Not a fist—this time, it was shaped like a blade.
A martial artist's strike. Precision over power.
With a sharp cry, Lucario lunged forward and slashed downward in a clean arc.
"LUKA—!"
The Brick Break slammed into the base of Steelix's segmented body, right at its seventh link.
A pressure point.
It's a weak spot.
CLANG—!!
Metal screeched against energy.
Sparks flew.
Then—
A low, guttural growl tore from Steelix's throat.
"ROOOOOAAARR—!"
The titan reeled, the impact reverberating through its entire body.
The glimmering Protect shield shattered like glass under a hammer.
And with a final echoing crash—
BOOM!!
Steelix collapsed onto the battlefield with a seismic thud, kicking up dust that rolled out like a wave.
Ash's jaw dropped.
Brock stood, stunned.
Dawn blinked.
"He dropped it… with one hit?"
The referee, composed but clearly shocked, stepped onto the field and examined Steelix's condition.
After a moment, he raised his flag.
"Steelix is unable to battle. The second round goes to Challenger Sam!"