"Hydreigon, Dragon Pulse!"
Derick's fighting style was direct and decisive, like that of a fearless warrior. From the very start, he chose to unleash a powerful offensive move.
The three ferocious heads of Hydreigon glowed with dazzling purple light.
In the next instant, a massive purple shockwave erupted from its mouths, tearing through the air as it surged straight toward Jynx.
"Hehe~" Minako chuckled softly. "So that's the kind of Trainer you are, little brother?"
"But attacking head-on like that won't win you any girls' favor~"
The Dragon Pulse closed in, and then, in the next moment, Jynx twisted its body with astonishing grace, sliding aside as if dancing.
The purple energy blast roared past, missing its target entirely.
Derick's pupils shrank.
'How did it dodge that?!'
Then he noticed something.
The ground beneath Jynx's feet, was ice.
In an instant, Derick understood.
Jynx had used its Ice-type energy to freeze the battlefield beneath it, turning the ground into a smooth ice sheet. Using that slick surface as leverage, it had glided aside with nimble, fluid movements, evading the Dragon Pulse completely.
Before Derick could issue a follow-up command, Minako's tone shifted sharply.
"Enough playing around," she said coldly.
"Jynx, teach this rude brat a lesson."
"Use Lovely Kiss!"
As Jynx moved, frost spread further across the ground. It raised its full lips, striking a dramatic pose.
Then clusters of pink, lip-shaped energy shot forward through the air.
"Hydreigon, dodge, now!" Derick shouted.
Hydreigon flapped its wings frantically, trying to evade.
But one of the glowing lips struck it squarely in the face.
At first glance, there was no visible damage.
But something was wrong.
Hydreigon's movements slowed unnaturally. Its three massive heads began to droop.
One yawned.
Then another.
And finally, with a heavy thud, Hydreigon collapsed onto the battlefield, falling sound asleep before the eyes of countless spectators.
"It's down, fast asleep!" someone shouted from the stands.
"Hydreigon!" Derick called out urgently.
He immediately realized that Lovely Kiss functioned similarly to a powerful sleep-inducing move.
But no matter how loudly he shouted, Hydreigon was completely immersed in its dream, unable to respond.
Minako smiled faintly.
"That's enough, little brother. We still need to move on."
"Jynx, finish it."
"Blizzard!"
A violent current of air erupted around Jynx. Its long golden hair whipped wildly as overwhelming Ice-type energy surged outward.
In that moment, Jynx looked like a witch commanding a frozen storm.
A terrifying blizzard swept across the battlefield, carrying shards of ice, pebbles, and freezing snow. The raging Ice-type energy slammed mercilessly into Hydreigon's massive body.
Hydreigon finally stirred.
But it was already too late.
The blizzard engulfed it completely.
Though it struggled to rise, its body trembled violently before collapsing once more, utterly unable to continue.
The referee rushed forward, checked Hydreigon's condition, then raised the flag.
"Hydreigon has lost the ability to battle!"
"The first round goes to Contestant Minako!"
The stands erupted into thunderous cheers.
Derick's expression darkened.
"No," he muttered. "I can't let myself be shaken by the opponent's words again."
He clenched his fist.
"Lucario," Derick said firmly. "I'm counting on you next."
Lucario stepped forward calmly, eyes sharp and focused.
It took its place on the battlefield, facing Jynx directly.
With a sharp whistle, the second battle officially began.
"Jynx, give it everything you've got!" Minako shouted.
"Jyn~!"
A powerful surge of Ice-type energy erupted from Jynx once more.
The frost beneath its feet spread rapidly in all directions.
And in the blink of an eye, the entire arena was transformed into a frozen battlefield.
Like a dancer gliding across the stage, Jynx circled Lucario with nimble footwork, skating effortlessly over the frozen ground. Its movements were fluid and synchronized, constantly shifting position as it searched for the right moment to disrupt Lucario's rhythm and judgment.
"Jynx, Lovely Kiss!" Minako ordered, clearly intending to repeat the same tactic.
But Derick had already learned his lesson.
He wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.
The moment he saw the pink, lip-shaped energy fly from Jynx's crimson lips, Derick spoke calmly:
"Lucario, Aura Sphere."
Lucario brought its palms together. A dense sphere of blue Aura rapidly formed between its hands before being launched forward at high speed.
Boom!
The Aura Sphere collided head-on with Lovely Kiss in midair, triggering a violent explosion of energy that scattered light and frost in every direction.
"Hm?" Minako raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You figured out a counter already?"
But the battle wasn't over yet.
Using the icy terrain beneath its feet, Jynx continued to slide and evade. Lucario fired several precise Aura-based attacks, but each one was narrowly dodged as Jynx glided away with elegant movements.
"Jynx, Blizzard!" Minako shouted, planning to overwhelm the field with a large-scale attack.
But Derick didn't give her the chance.
"Lucario, Stomp!"
Lucario slammed its foot down.
Crack!
The frozen battlefield shattered instantly. Ice splintered outward in all directions, destroying the slick surface Jynx relied on and forcibly interrupting the buildup of Blizzard.
"How?!" Minako exclaimed in shock.
Derick's eyes sharpened.
"Now, it's our turn."
"Lucario, Quick Attack!"
Lucario's body blurred into a streak of white light.
In an instant, it crossed the distance and struck Jynx with a sharp blow to the wrist, sending it staggering backward.
"Jynx, keep your distance!" Minako called urgently.
Derick didn't let up.
"Don't give it a chance, Force Palm!"
Lucario pressed forward relentlessly. Silver-white Fighting-type energy wrapped around its fists as blows rained down like bullets, each strike heavy and precise.
Jynx cried out as it was knocked back, its body flung through the air.
"Jynx! Get up!" Minako shouted in alarm.
But Derick was already one step ahead.
"Lucario, Quick Attack!"
Flash!
Before Jynx could even regain its footing, Lucario closed the distance once more.
Derick's voice was calm and decisive.
"Finish it."
"Close Combat!"
Lucario's aura exploded outward.
Abandoning all defense, it poured every ounce of power into its fists and launched a ferocious, all-out assault.
Boom!!
The impact echoed across the arena.
Jynx was sent flying like a broken puppet, crashing hard onto the battlefield and sliding to a stop.
The referee rushed forward, checked its condition, then raised the flag.
"Jynx is unable to battle!"
"Victory goes to Contestant Derick!"
The arena erupted.
Derick stood silently, breathing steady, his expression composed.
This was the culmination of a year of brutal training with Fighting-type Pokémon.
Overwhelming speed, relentless pressure, no room to breathe.
A battle style designed to crush the opponent before they could react.
...
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