"Staraptor, let's go!"
Seeing that Aggron was barely hanging on with a sliver of HP, Barry decisively sent out his fastest Pokémon—Staraptor.
"Staaaar!"
A powerful Staraptor soared across the skies, wings slicing the wind with imposing speed.
"Quick Atta—"
Before Barry could even finish calling out the move, Paul silently recalled his Aggron into its Poké Ball.
"You've done well."
He calmly spoke to the Poké Ball in his hand, then tossed out another.
"Metagross, prepare for battle!"
"Clear the path!"
"Grroo~!"
The silver-bodied Metagross emerged onto the battlefield. The "X" on its face immediately glowed ominously—an eerie red light flashed across Staraptor's body.
Staraptor has been trapped! It can't escape or be switched out!
"That light... No way—"
A grim realization struck Barry, and he shouted:
"Staraptor, Brave Bird!"
"Staaaaar!!"
Letting out a sharp cry, Staraptor's entire body ignited in mystical flames. It tucked in its wings and dive-bombed at max speed, plummeting like a fearless arrow toward Metagross, ready to unleash its most powerful move.
"Block it."
Metagross stood still, unmoving. A green shimmering barrier materialized around its body—Protect.
BAM!
Staraptor crashed head-on into the barrier. Not only did it fail to break through, but it was also violently repelled backward.
"Gravity!"
Metagross didn't go on the offensive. Instead, it unleashed a strange gravitational field right where it stood.
As the move Gravity took effect, a crushing force slammed into Staraptor, dragging it to the ground—where hidden Spikes exploded around it.
It took massive damage!
"Return."
Still showing no desire to chase down his opponent, Paul recalled Metagross and threw out another Poké Ball.
"Electivire, Electromagnetic Levitation!"
"Staraptor, Close Combat!"
"Viree~!"
As soon as Electivire appeared on the field, it obeyed Paul's command and activated Electromagnetic Levitation, suspending itself mid-air and avoiding the Toxic Spikes.
"Staar!"
In the next instant, Staraptor lunged forward, unleashing a flurry of strikes—beak, wings, and claws all attacking simultaneously.
"Viree!"
Electivire immediately countered with Ice Punch, the two clashed in a heated exchange of raw strength and speed.
"Grab it!"
The moment Paul gave the command, Electivire's twin tails whipped around and lashed Staraptor, coiling around it tightly.
From there, Electivire didn't wait for further instructions—it moved on its own.
With one tail holding Staraptor, it delivered a brutal Ice Punch to its chest. At the same time, electric current surged through the coiled tail—
It's super effective!
A few seconds later, the electricity faded. Staraptor, overwhelmed by pain and unable to continue, collapsed to the ground as Electivire released its grip.
"Viree~"
Electivire grinned and glanced at Barry with a mocking smirk—
Hey kid, your Pokémon just isn't cutting it, huh?
"Staraptor is unable to battle. Electivire wins!"
The referee declared.
"Staraptor, return… You did your best."
Gritting his teeth, Barry recalled his fallen Pokemon. He glared at the levitating Electivire—smiling, unaffected by Gravity—as suspicion nibbled him.
Seriously? How is it that under Gravity, my Staraptor can't even stay airborne, but your Electivire floats around like it's nothing?
Unfortunately, the match wasn't over. Complaints meant nothing now—they couldn't change reality.
Barry had no choice but to send out another Pokémon.
"Snorlax, I choose you!"
"Snor—laaax!"
The massive Snorlax hit the battlefield with a ground-shaking thud—and immediately took damage from the hidden Spikes.
"Brick Break!"
Before Snorlax could even steady itself, a golden blur flashed in front of its face. On instinct, it countered with a Hammer Arm—
BOOM!
The clash between fists shook the entire arena.
But within seconds, it was clear who had the upper hand—Snorlax's arm was forced back, and Brick Break cleaved straight through its defense, landing a direct hit on Snorlax's head.
"Snor!"
Snorlax let out a cry of pain as its massive body toppled backward from the impact.
Electivire didn't let up. Seizing the momentum, it closed the distance once more and brought down another brutal Brick Break squarely onto Snorlax's head.
In that instant, Snorlax's vision went black. A wave of dizziness hit as consciousness began to slip away.
Not taking any chances, Electivire followed up with a Thunder Punch, its fist crackling with electricity as it struck again—sending the heavyweight Pokémon flying through the air.
BOOM!
Snorlax's enormous body hit the ground with a series of earth-shaking rolls before coming to a stop—lying on the ground, losing the ability to fight.
"Snorlax is unable to battle! Electivire wins!"
The referee raised a flag and declared the result.
"Well done, Snorlax. Come back." said Barry, recalling his Pokémon with a look of solemn disappointment.
He had hoped Snorlax could hold out longer—at least until the effects of Gravity wore off.
But it had gone down a little too quickly. The heavy field still pulsed with intensified gravity.
Barry took a deep breath and threw his next Poké Ball in a last-ditch effort.
"Heracross, I'm counting on you!"
"Heraa—!"
The moment Heracross emerged from its Poké Ball, it was slammed downward by the crushing force of Gravity. No matter how much it struggled, without proper training, it couldn't even get off the ground.
But luck, for once, seemed to be on Heracross' side. Just before it hit the floor, Gravity faded away—allowing it to lift off and avoid the Spikes scattered across the battlefield.
Yet when it raised its head, all it saw was Electivire, grinning mockingly.
Electivire had already used three boosts from its Ability, Motor Drive, plus it had snuck in a Charge, powering itself up even further. Meanwhile, Heracross hadn't even entered the field at full strength.
How could Electivire not be amused?
"Thunder!"
Paul gave the command.
"Viree—!"
In Heracross' stunned gaze, Electivire's body erupted in lightning that lit up most of the arena. Crackling bolts surged across the field, converging on its new target.
"Heracross, push through—charge in!"
Cornered, Heracross gambled everything. It flew straight into the electric storm. The lightning engulfed it in an instant—but it didn't stop moving.
Midair, amid a sea of sparks, it kept forcing its way forward, narrowing the gap between it and Electivire.
20 meters... 10 meters... 5—!
"Reversal!!"
At Barry's shout, Heracross' body glowed red with a fighting spirit. The energy shattered the lightning around it, and it drove its horn forward in a final desperate charge.
"Thunder Punch!"
Electivire didn't flinch. Wearing a wide grin, it raised its fist and met the charge with another electrified blow.
BOOM!
The two Pokémon collided with a massive crash.
In a split second, Heracross was flung backward.
It hit the ground hard. Even without a follow-up, its exhausted body collapsed onto the Spikes, sealing its defeat.
"Heracross is unable to battle! Electivire wins!"
"Since all of Trainer Barry's Pokémon were unable to continue, the victory goes to Paul!"
The referee's voice echoed through the arena.
"…Thank you, Heracross. Come back."
Barry stood in silence for two seconds, forcing a smile as he recalled his fallen partner.
"You've gotten better—much sharper than before."
Paul gave a slight nod, clearly pleased with Electivire's performance.
Whether flying under Gravity, boosting with Motor Drive, or syncing its tempo through Charge, Electivire had shown real growth.
At this point, even against Torterra, Electivire had a solid chance of winning—as long as the battle didn't drag on.
"Viree~"
Electivire grinned with pride and gave a thumbs-up, puffing out its chest.
That's right—this champ's unstoppable!
"Take a break."
Paul gave the faintest smile and returned Electivire to its Poké Ball. He gave the referee a respectful bow and turned to leave the stage.
On his way out, he didn't see Lucas or Dawn, who were scheduled for the next match. But oddly enough, it was Barry who had already made it outside and was waiting for him.
"Paul, your Pokémon are seriously strong! I didn't stand a chance!"
"...But still—why would someone as strong as you use such disgusting tactics...?"
Barry was clearly flustered by Paul's strategy of having his Hisuian Samurott repeatedly use Ceaseless Edge three times in a row—laying down layer upon layer of entry hazards.
If only he'd known the move had that kind of effect... or if he'd realized Paul's plan earlier... he wouldn't have lost so badly.
"Every single battle demands our full effort. That's how we show respect to our opponent."
Paul replied calmly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He might not always use the strongest Pokémon, but he never treated a match lightly.
Each of his team choices was made with a specific purpose in mind—targeted and deliberate.
Barry froze for a second at Paul's words. Then, he suddenly burst out laughing.
"My opponent? Hahaha! Paul, you finally admitted it—I'm your opponent now!"
"That's right, that's right! If it's a real opponent, then of course you've gotta go all-out!"
"Go get 'em, Paul! I believe in you! You're strong enough to beat both Lucas and that Darkrai-using trainer, no doubt about it!"
In the blink of an eye, Barry had gone full fanboy, practically planting a victory flag for Paul on the spot.
As for his childhood friend and bro-for-life, Lucas?
...Sorry, totally rooting for the other guy!
"You did pretty well in your match too." Paul added with a nod, before turning and walking away—leaving Barry basking in the glow of his idol's praise, looking every bit like a teenage boy who just got complimented by his favorite superstar.
Unlike Barry, who ran off excitedly to the spectator stands to catch the next match, Paul preferred silence. He sat alone at a high vantage point in the stands, leaning against the railing as he quietly observed the battlefield.
Lucas' opponent was... decent in terms of power, but their strategy? Honestly, not even on Barry's level.
So, with Lucas' keen mind and calculated counters, he breezed through the match with ease.
The moment the battle ended, the big screen lit up with the faces of all the semifinalists for the next draw.
Paul.
Lucas.
Tobias.
And an unknown trainer whose name hadn't been revealed yet.
Their portraits flipped like trading cards, shuffling and rotating until the final matchups were determined.
Paul's face settled across from—Lucas.
As if sensing something, Lucas instinctively looked up—and locked eyes with Paul.
"...Interesting."
Paul narrowed his gaze at the field before quietly turning to leave.
Paul vs. Minghui.
The semifinals are about to begin.
(To be continued...)
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