"Now's the time! Go, Sandshrew, nine o'clock direction!"
Seeing the perfect moment, Ethan Black didn't hesitate and gave the order to Sandshrew.
"Here it comes! Electabuzz, use Thunder Punch and unleash all your electric power!"
Electric Beast, watching Sandshrew rolling at full speed, had already given up on dodging. He knew that even with Quick Attack, Electabuzz probably couldn't avoid a Rollout that had already reached maximum speed.
That's why, from the start, he had ordered Electabuzz to gather all its Electric-type energy, ready to release it in a head-on clash.
"Raaah!"
Electabuzz, sensing the deadly threat closing in, roared fiercely. All its electric energy gathered in its hands.
Although the move it was about to use was Thunder Punch, it spread both hands and took a solid stance to receive the attack. Its hands were wrapped in electricity, like wearing gloves made of lightning.
BOOM!
In the next instant, both Pokémon collided violently in the center of the field. A massive crash shook the place. Rock-type and Electric-type energies clashed relentlessly, triggering multiple consecutive explosions.
Ethan Black was stunned. In theory, Sandshrew, being a Ground-type, should be immune to Electric-type moves. But at that moment, Electabuzz managed to stop Rollout by using the conflict of energies between the two types—something that shouldn't have been possible.
However, Sandshrew had pushed Rollout to its very limit, with the extra momentum from Defense Curl. It had reached its greatest possible power by then.
That's why, after a few seconds of struggling, Electabuzz's body began to tilt backward, and the electricity surrounding its hands started to destabilize.
"Don't give up! Electabuzz, use Thunderbolt!"
Electric Beast shouted urgently, his eyes filled with anxiety.
"RAAAHH...!"
Electabuzz wasn't willing to yield either. It roared furiously, and instantly its whole body was wrapped in lightning, which it channeled into its hands and discharged with all its might.
BOOM!
With the full outburst of Thunderbolt, the clash between Rock and Electric energies reached a critical point, causing a massive explosion that filled the entire field with a thick cloud of smoke.
BOOM!
Even after that, two more impact sounds rang out, but with the dense smoke, no one could see what was happening.
"Is there a winner already?"
"Who came out on top in the end?"
The commentator, watching the scene, shouted excitedly, intensifying the tension among the crowd. Many people stood on tiptoe, trying to catch a glimpse through the haze.
After about 30 seconds, the smoke finally began to clear. The first thing revealed was the battlefield, wrecked and shattered... then both Pokémon, collapsed on opposite sides of the arena.
"Both Pokémon knocked out at the same time?"
The commentator shouted in surprise.
However, the referee didn't announce the result right away. Even if both went down together, there was still a countdown: if one managed to stand before the count of 10, that one would be declared the winner.
But when the count reached 10, neither Pokémon stood up, so the referee finally gave the verdict:
"The battle is over! The result is... a draw!"
"But even so, since the leader's Pokémon fainted, that means...!"
"The challenger has successfully cleared the challenge!"
As soon as the commentator finished, a huge cheer erupted throughout the venue.
After all, very few challengers managed to win each day. And this had been a classic case of the weak defeating the strong! Especially that final clash—it was so shocking that every spectator was left thrilled. Even remembering the moment, their hearts kept racing.
However, Ethan Black wasn't in the mood to enjoy the applause of the crowd. As soon as the battle ended, he returned Sandshrew to its Poké Ball: his partner was seriously injured and needed treatment immediately.
Luckily, the club's rules were clear: any challenger who won had the right to free treatment at the Pokémon Center affiliated with the club.
So, after retrieving Sandshrew, Ethan Black hurried alongside Electric Beast, who was also carrying his severely injured Electabuzz.
Apparently, the Pokémon Center was right next to the club—a very thoughtful setup for emergencies like this.
As soon as they arrived, the staff was already waiting. Once Ethan Black and Electric Beast handed over their Poké Balls, the staff rushed off with them down a green corridor reserved for emergency treatment.
Watching Sandshrew being taken away for treatment, Ethan Black finally sighed in relief and began looking around.
Perhaps because the Pokémon world had emerged from the mysterious "Secret Kingdom," the Pokémon Center's design was very similar to the one he knew, and even the nurse on duty looked just like the classic Nurse Joy, accompanied by a Chansey.
"Kid, you've trained your Sandshrew really well. This time I was the one who got careless!" At that moment, Electric Beast came over and spoke to Ethan Black.
"I just got lucky this time. If it hadn't been an Electric-type Pokémon, and not a particularly fast one, I wouldn't have won." Ethan Black replied humbly.
However, his eyes gleamed: deep down, he wasn't as calm as he appeared. He had carefully chosen that moment to challenge, knowing Sandshrew was immune to Electric-type moves... but he had never expected the energy clash to cause such an explosion, one that injured Sandshrew so badly.
That taught him that in the real world, type immunity wasn't always absolute. In the anime, for example, Paul had once used Thunderbolt on a rock to cause indirect damage—something similar to what had just happened here.
"You're really good. Anytime you want, we can battle again!" Electric Beast nodded respectfully, patted Ethan Black on the shoulder, and headed back to the club.
At the same time, a club staff member approached Ethan Black to deliver his reward: the 100 Pokédollars entry fee and the 1,000 Pokédollars for completing the challenge successfully.
Watching Electric Beast and the staff member leave, Ethan Black stayed behind, patiently waiting for Sandshrew's treatment to finish. Despite his victory, he didn't feel arrogant or overconfident at all.
After all, in this world, Pokémon civilization had only existed for 23 years, and Pokémon had only started integrating into the daily lives of ordinary people in the last 3 years.
That's why most trainers were still in a stage of learning and experimentation.
People like Electric Beast were also in that stage, though with some economic or family backing, which let them progress faster than the rest.
But influential families and large corporations had probably already been in contact with Pokémon earlier on, and might even have taken part in exploring the Secret Kingdom. Catching up with them wouldn't be easy.
"The Secret Kingdom...?"
"If I get the chance, I want to go in and see it with my own eyes too..."
Ethan Black murmured to himself, his gaze filled with determination. But for now, he knew well that he didn't yet have the strength to try.
(End of Chapter)