Charmeleon desperately tried to escape the oncoming Ice Beam, but no matter how hard it struggled, it couldn't move even half a step. Despair filled its eyes.
The freezing beam struck Charmeleon's feet, and frost rapidly spread upward. In the blink of an eye, its entire body was sealed in ice, turning it into a lifeless ice sculpture.
"It's over," Lorelei said with a gentle smile.
Sam rubbed his temples, forcing himself to calm down.
The reputation of the Elite Four member was well deserved. The pressure Lorelei exuded was overwhelming, and it had caused Sam to fail to perform at his best.
Although Charmeleon had not officially lost its ability to battle, Sam was already prepared to concede. The flames on Charmeleon's tail were growing weaker by the second—if the freezing continued, the fire might extinguish entirely, putting it in real danger.
"I…"
Just as Sam was about to surrender, something unexpected happened.
Rage.
After being defeated by powerful opponents one after another, Charmeleon's pride could no longer bear the weight. The last loss to Golem could be blamed on type disadvantage—but this time, there were no excuses. It was simply weaker.
How could a proud dragon accept its own weakness?
The flame on its tail suddenly erupted, melting the ice encasing its body. Charmeleon broke free, threw its head back, and roared toward the sky as white light began to surge from its body.
"Stop, Charmeleon."
Sam's voice rang out from behind it—calm, steady, like a soothing spring washing away its fury.
Sam knew exactly what Charmeleon was trying to do.
It was attempting to force an evolution in order to turn the tide of battle.
How could Sam allow that? Sacrificing long-term potential for a temporary surge in strength was, in his eyes, the foolishest choice a Trainer could make.
This was the true test of a Trainer's authority.
In the anime, Charmeleon had been forced to evolve because Ash couldn't stop it. But Sam halted the process with just a single sentence. That was the difference between Trainers.
Unable to sustain the forced evolution, Charmeleon collapsed to the ground the moment it stopped resisting.
"Come back, Charmeleon," Sam said softly. "You did very well. Leave the rest to the others."
He was genuinely satisfied with Charmeleon's performance. This loss wasn't the Pokémon's fault—it was his own failure as a Trainer.
Lorelei watched everything quietly, then nodded in approval.
In her eyes, Sam had already passed her test.
Choosing not to consume a Pokémon's potential for the sake of victory—that was the kind of Trainer she wanted. She would never entrust her beloved Pokémon to someone who only chased power and ignored their partners' futures.
What impressed her even more was Sam's authority. Calming a Pokémon on the verge of losing control with a single command was something ordinary Trainers simply couldn't do.
Although she had already decided to entrust the young Lapras to Sam, Lorelei had no intention of ending the battle.
She was a Trainer too.
And once a battle began, it had to be won.
That was the romance of Trainers.
"Come out, Venusaur."
Sam released Venusaur with a solemn expression.
As a Grass/Poison-type, Venusaur was at a clear disadvantage against Smoochum, an Ice/Psychic-type. Under normal circumstances, Sam would never make this choice—but he had no other option.
"Oh? Venusaur," Lorelei said, adjusting her glasses. "I thought you'd bring out Scyther."
As expected, Lorelei knew him well. She was fully aware of the Pokémon Sam had at his disposal.
"Trump card versus trump card," Sam replied calmly. "As long as I still have room to fight, I won't reveal mine—and neither have you, Ms. Lorelei."
He had no intention of exposing Scyther too early. Scyther was his true path to victory, and revealing its abilities now would only allow Lorelei to analyze and counter it.
One should never underestimate the intelligence of an Elite Four member.
Rather than that, Sam chose to gamble.
He believed in Venusaur.
Even with an absolute type disadvantage, he trusted that Venusaur would prevail.
"Venusaur, Solar Beam!"
Sam unleashed his decisive move the moment the battle resumed. Smoochum was not Venusaur's real opponent—it had to be taken down immediately.
"Recklessness will cost you dearly," Lorelei said, raising her arm. "Smoochum, Ice Beam—full power!"
This was a simple clash of faith.
Sam believed Venusaur could endure the assault long enough to unleash Solar Beam.
Lorelei believed the charging time alone would be enough for Smoochum to decide the battle.
The freezing beam slammed into Venusaur's body again and again—but it didn't flinch. Silently, it continued gathering energy.
"Push harder—don't hold back, Smoochum!" Lorelei's voice sharpened.
She hadn't expected Venusaur's endurance to be this terrifying. Despite the relentless Ice Beam, it remained unmoved.
How was this possible?
There was no doubt about the power of Ice Beam—it had overwhelmed even Charmeleon. The reason Venusaur could withstand it wasn't just defense, but something deeper.
Willpower.
Venusaur was never the most dazzling among Sam's Pokémon.
Its potential couldn't compare to Charmeleon or Scyther.
Its combat strength fell short of monsters like Tyranitar and Gengar.
But it had its own strengths.
Calmness. Reliability. Unyielding resolve.
It was quiet—but absolutely trustworthy.
The flower on its back began to glow brighter and brighter. Warmth spread across its body.
"Vena… saur."
Solar Beam.
Blazing sunlight tore through Smoochum's attack and struck it head-on.
"Come back, Smoochum," Lorelei said calmly.
She had underestimated Venusaur. Resisting Ice Beam and successfully releasing Solar Beam—this Pokémon was extraordinary.
"But this ends here," she continued. "Can your Venusaur go any further?"
"Come out, Cloyster."
---
[Pokémon]: Cloyster
[Type]: Water / Ice
[Strength]: Gym-level Beginner
[Potential]: Elite
Cloyster.
The Water/Ice typing meant Venusaur wouldn't suffer an overwhelming disadvantage, and their overall strength was comparable.
However, Venusaur had already consumed a massive amount of energy fighting Smoochum.
The real battle… was only beginning.
---------------Author---------------
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