"Boom!!"
Blastoise held on for only a moment before collapsing, its eyes spinning into swirls as it fell unconscious.
"Blastoise!" Jasmine gasped in shock, staring uncertainly at the Jolteon standing across the field.
What was going on?
Just now, it had still been an Eevee—so how had it suddenly turned into a Jolteon?
"I don't get it."
Shaking her head, Jasmine recalled Blastoise and threw out her third Poké Ball. "Go, Forretress!"
Forretress emerged with a metallic clang, its round, cocoon-like body glinting under the arena lights. It had no limbs, but was skilled in high-speed spinning and hard-hitting tackles.
Forretress was a Bug and Steel-type Pokémon, with a heavy body and an armor-like shell. Its defense and offense were both formidable, though its natural speed was low—something it compensated for with Rapid Spin. All in all, it was a high-offense, high-defense, surprisingly nimble Pokémon.
But—
Due to its typing, it had a crippling four-times weakness to Fire-type moves. Against an opponent of equal level, it stood little chance against flames.
Jasmine's Forretress, compared to her earlier Blastoise, was much weaker—only at the Lord-tier peak.
It was clear then that Blastoise had been one of her trump cards. To lose it so suddenly left her smoldering with frustration…
"Jolteon, use Thunderbolt!" This time, Yozora gave the first order.
Bolts of lightning tore through the air.
"Forretress, use Rapid Spin to deflect it!" Jasmine commanded quickly.
With a buzzing roar, Forretress spun violently, its shell turning into a whirling, violet-gray top. The Thunderbolt struck but was flung away harmlessly, unable to pierce its metallic defense.
Jasmine allowed herself a satisfied smile. "Just like that, Forretress! Keep spinning and charge straight at Jolteon!"
"Heh-heh!" Forretress screeched as it barreled forward, spinning at high speed.
But Jolteon, with its incredible agility, was far beyond its reach.
"Dodge, then use Flamethrower," Yozora said coolly.
With a graceful leap, Jolteon evaded Forretress' spinning rush—and then, under Jasmine and Kosha's stunned gazes, it transformed into Flareon.
The moment Forretress' attack missed, it stopped spinning—and was blasted point-blank by a roaring column of crimson fire.
"Gyaahh!" Forretress shrieked in agony as its steel shell turned black, charred by the searing flames. It crashed to the ground, unable to move.
"Forretress is unable to battle! The victor is… Flareon!" Kosha announced, raising the red victory flag.
That made three losses for Jasmine. She was now down to her last three Pokémon.
But Jasmine wasn't concerned about Forretress' defeat. What truly shocked her—what she couldn't tear her eyes from—was the fact that Jolteon had turned into Flareon.
"Yozora… that Flareon… what in the world is going on?" she demanded.
"Mm…"
Yozora nodded, not bothering to hide the truth. "My Eevee used a Tri-Color Evolution Stone."
"Tri-Color Evolution Stone?" Jasmine repeated, frowning in confusion.
Then her eyes flickered with sudden realization. She had never seen such an item, nor even heard of it—but from the name alone, combined with what she was witnessing, she could piece together its meaning.
"That's right," Yozora confirmed. "My Eevee can freely transform between Eevee, Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon."
"All four forms? At will?" Jasmine was utterly dumbfounded. That was completely broken!
Would the League even allow such a monster to compete in official battles?
The answer, of course, was yes.
The League only restricted special items like Mega Stones. Trainers were free to use whatever Pokémon they possessed.
Even if someone wanted to send a llama into battle, the League wouldn't care.
…
As the match dragged on, the effects of Sunny Day and Electric Terrain gradually faded.
"Go, Skarmory!" Jasmine threw out her fourth Poké Ball.
"Skarmory, use Autotomize to lighten yourself, then Wing Attack!"
The Steel bird's armor gleamed as its body grew lighter, speed skyrocketing. It dove with a gale, wings extended like blades, aiming straight for Flareon.
"Shing!"
But Yozora's Pokémon flashed with light again—Flareon shifting back into Jolteon. With a swift blur, it dodged the strike with ease.
Jasmine's face darkened.
Each of the three evolutions—Jolteon, Flareon, and Vaporeon—had their own strengths.
Jolteon was by far the fastest.
Flareon hit the hardest.
Vaporeon was the bulkiest, with superior endurance.
In Jolteon form, its speed was nearly double that of Flareon's. No wonder it slipped past Skarmory's blade-like wings.
"Damn it… if it can freely switch between all four, that means it has Jolteon's speed, Flareon's power, and Vaporeon's defense—on top of incredible coverage…" Jasmine's eyes burned with envy. If only she had such an Eevee…
"Flamethrower!" Yozora ordered again.
Jolteon became Flareon once more, spewing flames into the sky.
Skarmory tried to dodge, wings whirling—but Flareon's relentless fire eventually connected.
With a piercing metallic shriek, Skarmory was engulfed in flames, its steel body seared with heavy burns.
Steel was weak to Fire, and Flareon's raw offensive might was overwhelming. Just one hit nearly brought Skarmory down.
"Skarmory, regroup and use Air Slash!" Jasmine urged.
"Graaah!"
The armored bird croaked, dragging its battered body through the air. It spread its wings, sending two crescent blades of white wind slicing toward Flareon.
But it was already too slow.
"Dodge and counter with Thunderbolt!" Yozora commanded.
Flareon flashed back into Jolteon, its speed allowing it to blitz clear of the attack. Lightning burst from its body, slamming into Skarmory.
"Gaaakkk!!" The metallic bird screeched in agony as electricity wracked its frame.
Its body went limp, crashing heavily to the ground in a plume of dust.
When the haze cleared, Skarmory lay motionless.
"Skarmory is unable to battle! The winner is Jolteon!" Kosha shouted, waving the red flag again.
Four of Jasmine's Pokémon—Magnetone, Blastoise, Forretress, and Skarmory—had already fallen. Only two remained.
"What a monster… an Eevee that swept three of mine in a row…" Jasmine muttered, her face pale as she stared at the yawning Jolteon across the field.
And it wasn't just a sweep.
It hadn't taken a single scratch in the process. Its stamina was untouched—it hadn't even gotten serious yet. The fact that it could yawn mid-battle said it all.
"Please, I'm counting on you—go, Steelix!" Jasmine hurled her fifth Poké Ball.
A thunderous roar shook the arena as Steelix emerged, massive body gleaming like living iron. Its monstrous form towered above all, face twisted into a fearsome snarl.
The evolved form of Onix, Steelix was larger, harder, and far more destructive.
Not only could it smash with its iron tail and body, it also wielded powerful biting moves—Fire Fang, Ice Fang, Thunder Fang, and Crunch among them.
[Steelix (Steel/Ground) – Gym Leader Peak]
Unlike the others, this was clearly Jasmine's ace. Its level surpassed even Yozora's Eevee evolutions.
"Flamethrower!" Yozora commanded instantly.
Onix had resisted Fire, but Steelix's new Steel typing made it vulnerable.
Flareon spat a torrent of red-hot fire, the sheer heat enough to scorch the air itself.
Jasmine paled. "Steelix, Sandstorm—now!"
Steelix whipped its titanic body around, stirring up a violent storm. Flames lashed against the swirling sands, only to be deflected away.
The storm grew larger and larger until the whole battlefield was engulfed.
Visibility dimmed, and razor winds howled. Only Rock, Ground, and Steel-types could endure unharmed. Everything else would be worn down, bit by bit.
Then—Steelix vanished.
In its place, a yawning hole gaped open in the ground.
Dig.
Or rather, Sandstorm and Dig combined—a seamless combo.
"Tch."
Yozora narrowed his eyes. "Flareon, rush the hole—use Flamethrower inside!"
Jasmine's eyes widened.
Flareon dashed forward, belching fire straight into the tunnel.
Moments later, Steelix erupted from another hole—its tail ablaze, roaring in pain.
"Steelix, Tackle attack!" Jasmine snapped.
"Flareon, Double Team!" Yozora countered.
Flareon split into five—then ten—then twenty copies, surrounding Steelix. The massive serpent stopped cold, confused by the swarm of illusions.
"Flareon, keep that formation—Flamethrower, all together!"
"Fwoooosh!!"
Twenty Flareons unleashed fire at once, a blazing inferno converging on Steelix.
But then—
The sandstorm raged again, whipping up a vicious gale. The clones were obliterated instantly, their flames snuffed out.
Even Flareon itself staggered, battered by the storm.
"Steelix, Sandstorm again!" Jasmine commanded.
The iron serpent spun fiercely, its storm deflecting yet another Flamethrower. The weather deepened, set to last even longer.
And then it tunneled underground once more.
Now, with three holes scattered across the arena, Yozora's strategy of targeting them seemed useless.
"Flareon—stay calm," he ordered.
Flareon couldn't track Steelix underground… but Yozora could. With their bond, Flareon could fight guided by his will.
It nodded, but the raging sandstorm struck again, pelting it with stinging winds. Its patience frayed, anger flaring.
"Now! Steelix, Iron Tail!" Jasmine saw her chance.
Steelix burst from behind, its massive tail glowing white as it slammed toward Flareon.
The sudden blow landed clean.
"Bam!" Flareon was hurled across the field, body scorched and battered.
Its offense was fearsome, but its defenses frail. One hit left it gravely injured.
"Finish it—Tackle, now!" Jasmine shouted again.
Steelix lowered its head and lunged like a collapsing mountain.
Flareon snarled, eyes blazing with fury.
Yozora sighed, helpless. It was too angry to calm down now. "If you want to fight head-on, then do it. Flareon—Flamethrower, full power!"
"ROOOAARRR!"
An ocean of fire erupted from Flareon's jaws, smashing into Steelix's face.
The iron serpent writhed in agony, its once-unyielding eyes flickering with pain and fear.
"Hold firm, Steelix! Push through with Tackle!" Jasmine cried desperately.
…
…
(End of Chapter)