"Garchomp, get ready for battle!"
"Gaaar!"
With a mighty dragon's roar, a Garchomp larger than Cynthia's emerged onto the battlefield. A noticeable notch was missing from one of its dorsal fins.
"Garrr..."
The moment it appeared, Garchomp could sense the lingering bloodlust radiating from its opponent. That residual killing intent stirred something deep within—it responded in kind, its eyes flashing red as its aura grew increasingly ferocious.
"Aaahh—"
Cynthia's Garchomp narrowed its eyes at the challenger, a flicker of unease in its heart. Instinctively, it heightened its own killing intent, locking onto the opposing Garchomp.
"Huff... Huff..."
Driven by this clash of primal instincts, the challenger began panting heavily before the battle had even started. Its eyes turned bloodshot, and the crimson aura surrounding it became even denser.
In mere moments, it had entered a state of Bloodline Awakening—without even using Dragon Dance or Outrage.
What made this mode so special?
It functioned as a passive Outrage—every attack would be imbued with Dragon-type energy and all of its stats received a significant boost!
"Dragon Rush!"
"Gaaar!"
At Paul's command, his Garchomp unleashed an overwhelming wave of killing intent, locking onto Cynthia's Garchomp. Its sheer ferocity was now on par with its opponent.
In the next instant, it charged forward like a raging dragon!
"We'll use Dragon Rush too!"
Cynthia remained composed as she gave her order.
Her Garchomp, already prepared, surged forward cloaked in an even stronger blue energy, meeting the opposing Dragon Rush head-on.
"Boom!"
The collision sent shockwaves through the battlefield. Paul's Garchomp held out for a brief moment before its draconic aura was shattered. Taking Cynthia's Garchomp's full-force attack, it was sent flying across the field.
Though it managed to struggle to its feet after the impact, its body felt weak—only its heart still burned with endless rage.
"Dragon Claw!"
Fueled by fury, Garchomp's claws gleamed emerald green, transforming into scythe-like weapons as it slashed toward Cynthia's Pokémon.
"We'll use Dragon Claw too."
Cynthia's Garchomp flared its wings, unleashing a green light as it executed its own Dragon Claw in a unique fashion. The two dragons clashed once more.
"Boom!"
The impact reverberated through the arena. Paul's Garchomp's attack was blocked, its momentum has broken. It was sent flying yet again, crashing to the ground—and unable to continue battling.
"Hahaha! That's it? I thought Paul's Garchomp was supposed to be powerful!"
"Being bigger doesn't mean stronger. Strength is what truly matters."
"Just a paper tiger—Cynthia's Garchomp is still the strongest!"
The spectators had initially been startled by Paul's larger-than-normal Garchomp, but after its defeat, they wasted no time in mocking it mercilessly.
"Not bad. Return now."
Paul wasn't angry as he recalled his Garchomp. Instead, a small smile played on his lips.
To the crowd, he had lost—and quite badly at that. But they didn't realize just how much his Garchomp had improved from this battle.
In fact, this fight had saved it months of training in mastering its Bloodline Awakening Mode.
"Froslass, get ready for battle!"
"Eeno~"
Drifting out of its Poké Ball, Froslass hovered ominously over the field.
"Snow Warning!"
At its trainer's command, Froslass called forth a snowstorm, vanishing into the swirling flurry with Snow Cloak.
However, no matter how it concealed itself, Garchomp still had its eyes locked onto it.
This was the power of experience and keen observation.
Not until Froslass combined its Illusions with Double Team did Garchomp finally lose track of its true form.
"Fake Tears, Scary Face, Baby-Doll Eyes!"
From the blizzard came eerie wails, sending chills down the spines of those who heard them.
A group of Froslass copies floated around Garchomp, their spectral faces shifting in an unsettling mix of horror and childlike innocence—seemingly pleading for mercy.
Fake Tears sharply lowered Garchomp's Special Defense!
Scary Face drastically reduced its Speed!
Baby-Doll Eyes significantly weakened its Attack!
This was Paul's newly developed Phantom Tactics—combining illusions with stat-reducing moves to debilitate opponents before striking with overwhelming force.
Garchomp's body felt sluggish, its power was drained yet it remained unfazed. Instead, it started moving in a rhythmic dance.
It was Dragon Dance!
Thanks to its high mastery of the move, it managed to maintain some of its Speed and Attack boosts despite the debuffs. However, its Special Defense had still been reduced by four stages.
"Will-O-Wisp!"
Suddenly, dozens of ghostly blue flames flickered into existence floating toward Garchomp. Real or fake, they were impossible to tell apart.
If it couldn't distinguish them—then it would simply disperse them all at once!
"Use Sandstorm!"
In an instant, a whirling vortex of sand erupted around Garchomp, blowing away the snowfall and forming a protective barrier that eradicated all the approaching flames.
As the last ember faded, Garchomp smirked. Controlling the sandstorm, it directed the raging winds at the Froslass copies—forcing its true form to reveal itself while dealing some damage.
"Blizzard!"
Paul gave his next command.
A furious snowstorm erupted around Froslass, swirling toward Garchomp with relentless force.
"Dragon Rush!"
Garchomp surged with energy, the Dragon-type aura around it, shielding it from the freezing winds before it launched itself at Froslass.
With no way to evade, Froslass chose not to. Instead, it continued unleashing Blizzard, hoping to chip away at Garchomp's stamina.
Just as Dragon Rush was about to land, a sinister purple glow radiated from Froslass' body.
Even Paul smirked—his trap had been sprung.
"Boom!"
"What?!"
Garchomp slammed into Froslass with full force, sending it hurtling through the air.
But to Paul's shock, Froslass didn't faint. It trembled in the air but remained standing.
"Eeno?"
Even Froslass was confused. It had already accepted its fate, so why was it still conscious?
It had been holding a Focus Sash, but the Sandstorm should have nullified that advantage.
Before Paul or Froslass could figure it out, Garchomp didn't hesitate. Its Dragon Claw slashed through the air, delivering the finishing blow and dispersing the sandstorm—returning the field to calm.
"From the moment you chose Froslass, Garchomp was already prepared for Destiny Bond."
Cynthia smiled knowingly.
A Champion doesn't win easily. Any skilled trainer worth their title would anticipate Destiny Bond and plan accordingly.
Unlike in the anime—where a Pokémon could simply rush forward and take down its opponent in a suicide move—real battles were much more calculated.
The proper way was to weaken the opponent first, wait out Destiny Bond, then land the finishing blow. That was the true strategy.
Paul sighed, recalling Froslass with a thoughtful look.
"I see… Well then, return."
Adjusting his mindset, Paul pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it into the field.
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