Paul was never the type to sit still and wait for defeat.
If there was even the slightest chance to turn the situation around, he would seize it—no matter how reckless the method.
"ROOOAR!!"
Instead of continuing with Hurricane, Gyarados slammed its massive tail into the ground repeatedly. Each strike sent waves of water and debris flying outward, creating a chaotic barrier that disrupted Weavile's approach. Though the attack did not directly hit Weavile, it effectively blocked its advance and bought Gyarados precious time.
Gary's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Weavile, use Swords Dance again, then Ice Shard."
"Wea—vile!"
Weavile crossed its claws and spun in a violent, predatory dance. Dark and icy energy surged around its body, doubling its already terrifying physical power. The temperature dropped sharply as cold wind gathered around its mouth.
With a sharp cry, Weavile exhaled.
Shards of ice rapidly condensed in midair. This time, they were not the small, razor-like fragments from before, but massive chunks—each one nearly the size of a gym ball.
They shot forward in a dense barrage.
Seeing the storm of ice flying toward him, Paul's expression finally changed. Sweat formed on his forehead.
"Damn it…"
"Gyarados, Aqua Tail!"
Gyarados swung its tail wildly, smashing one Ice Shard after another. Water energy wrapped around the tail like a whip, shattering the first few projectiles.
But there were too many.
The first Ice Shard broke.
The second cracked.
The third and fourth slammed into Gyarados's body directly.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The massive Pokémon was driven straight down from the air and crashed heavily onto the battlefield.
"Finish it," Gary said calmly. "End this."
"Wea—vile!!"
Weavile dashed forward in a black blur. Dark energy surged over its claws, stretching outward and forming a blade nearly a meter long.
Gyarados was still trapped in confusion. Its vision swam. Its muscles refused to respond properly.
It had no chance to defend.
Weavile's strike flashed.
SLASH!!
The dark blade cut cleanly across Gyarados's body.
BOOM!!
The massive Water-type Pokémon collapsed again. This time, it did not move.
Reggie raised his hand.
"Gyarados has lost its ability to battle. Weavile wins!"
A clear victory.
Gary had taken this battle seriously. Though it looked easy on the surface, the result stemmed from precise move selection and superior tactical control.
In truth, Gyarados's defeat was not because it was weak—but because its moveset was too narrow.
If Paul's Gyarados had known Stone Edge, the battle would have been far more dangerous for Weavile. Rock-type coverage would have threatened Weavile heavily and forced Gary into a defensive position.
Paul recalled Gyarados in silence.
At the same time, Gary also raised his Poké Ball.
"Come back, Weavile. You did well. Rest."
Paul frowned.
"Weavile used Swords Dance twice," he said. "If you withdraw it now, the stat boost disappears. Why would you do that?"
"This is just a sparring match," Gary replied calmly. "I want to test my other Pokémon too. There's no need to push Weavile to the limit."
Paul stared at him.
"You don't care about winning and losing?"
"There's no need to obsess over it in a private battle," Gary said lightly. "What matters is winning when it truly counts."
Paul fell silent.
He was the kind of Trainer who pushed Pokémon ruthlessly in pursuit of victory. Hearing Gary speak so casually about the outcome felt… unsettling.
"…Then let's continue," Paul said coldly. "Go—Nidoking."
He threw his Poké Ball forward.
A purple, heavily built Pokémon landed with a thunderous impact, its horn gleaming and poison spikes lining its back.
Nidoking.
[LV50 Nidoking | Ground / Poison]
Gary's eyes narrowed slightly.
Level 50…
Paul must have caught it during his travels in Kanto.
"Your turn, Garchomp."
Gary released his second Pokémon.
[LV51 Garchomp | Dragon / Ground]
Garchomp roared as it appeared, wings flexing as it fixed its gaze on Nidoking.
"Nidoking, Ice Punch!" Paul ordered immediately.
Nidoking charged forward, its fist coated in freezing energy.
But its speed was nothing compared to Weavile's—and not even close to Garchomp's.
"Earthquake."
"Garchomp!"
Garchomp slammed its claws into the ground.
The battlefield shook violently as seismic waves spread outward.
Nidoking reacted fast. Despite its bulky body, its reflexes were sharp. Drawing on its Ground-type instincts, it sensed the vibration before the shockwave fully arrived and leaped forward, slamming both hands down toward Garchomp with water-like energy covering its palms.
Gary's voice rang out instantly:
"Take off."
Garchomp leapt into the air, escaping the ground tremor entirely and causing Nidoking's attack to miss.
"Dragon Pulse."
Garchomp opened its mouth and fired a spiraling beam of blue energy downward.
BOOM!!
Nidoking was struck squarely and sent skidding backward.
But it endured.
Paul's Nidoking was tough.
"Toxic!" Paul shouted.
Nidoking spewed clouds of poisonous powder upward.
"Fire Blast!"
Flames erupted from Garchomp's mouth. The fire incinerated the poison midair and crashed into Nidoking again.
BOOM!!
Nidoking groaned in pain.
In theory, Toxic never missed in standard battles—but reality was different. Poison powder could be burned, blown away, or disrupted. Paul's method of using airborne poison made it vulnerable to counters.
Reggie clenched his fists.
Paul is being completely outplayed…
The Pokémon levels were similar, yet Gary controlled the flow of battle effortlessly.
"Stone Edge!" Gary suddenly commanded.
Jagged pillars of rock formed in the air around Garchomp and shot toward Nidoking like spears.
"Dig!" Paul yelled.
Nidoking slammed into the ground and vanished underground.
But this choice was fatal.
Gary's eyes flashed.
"Earthquake."
Paul's pupils shrank.
"Get out—now!"
Too late.
The moment Nidoking tunneled deeper, Garchomp slammed both claws into the battlefield.
The earth ruptured violently. Cracks spread outward, the arena shaking like it was about to collapse.
Nidoking burst out of the ground just before the shockwave hit—but it still took heavy damage.
Gary looked at Nidoking's battered body and judged the situation.
Time to end it.
"Dragon Claw."
Garchomp lunged forward.
"Ice Punch!" Paul countered.
Both Pokémon rushed toward each other.
Garchomp's claw glowed blue.
Nidoking's fist glowed white.
They clashed head-on.
BANG!!
But Nidoking subtly shifted its punch sideways, deflecting the Dragon Claw just enough for both attacks to land.
CRACK!!
Dragon Claw slammed into Nidoking's head.
Ice Punch struck Garchomp's chest.
"Nido—king!!"
"GARCHOMP!!"
Both Pokémon cried out.
They were forced backward by the impact.
Nidoking stumbled two steps… and collapsed.
Garchomp slid back several meters but remained standing, breathing heavily.
Ice-type damage had hurt it badly.
Garchomp lowered its head, panting.