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"Boom!!"
A loud explosion rang out from the battlefield, dust flying everywhere. Everyone stared tensely at the center of the arena, holding their breath as they waited in silence for the result to be revealed.
"Rooaarr…"
Suddenly, a low growl came from within the smoke. Charizard's battered figure emerged from the haze. As it stepped out, it raised its head and glanced up at Lance standing on the command platform.
Then, with a surprisingly human-like expression, it curled the corners of its mouth into a faint smile and gave a thumbs-up gesture—signaling victory.
The next moment, its eyes closed, and its powerful body slumped forward and collapsed, kicking up another cloud of dust.
"Charizard!"
Lance's expression changed the moment Charizard fell. He rushed over immediately and knelt by its side to check on its injuries.
By now, the smoke had cleared from the battlefield. At the center was a large crater, and inside it lay Nidoking, eyes swirling, clearly knocked out and unable to continue battling.
"Nidoking and Charizard are both unable to battle!"
The referee quickly assessed the situation before announcing the decision.
Liam walked over to Nidoking's side and gently patted its head. "You did great—taking down two opponents like that. You really are amazing. Rest up now."
Though Kingdra was technically still battle-ready, its paralysis had rendered it virtually harmless. Liam was more than satisfied with Nidoking's performance.
After giving him a word of comfort, he retrieved Nidoking into his PokeBall.
Lance had also returned his Charizard. Both trainers returned to their positions on the platform, fresh PokeBalls ready in hand.
"Both sides are ready! The battle continues!"
"You're up next! Go, Arcanine!"
"Crush the opponent! Gyarados!"
Two beams of white light shot out simultaneously. Arcanine's large, powerful frame landed on the field in front of Liam, letting out a proud howl as the wind gently swept across the arena.
"Awoo~~~~~"
Meanwhile, Gyarados appeared in the pool at the center of the battlefield, its face twisted into a savage snarl. It let out a furious roar in the direction of both Liam and Arcanine.
"Ah, a familiar face, huh? Arcanine, be careful—this Gyarados isn't the same as the one we knew before. Stay sharp."
The moment Liam saw the Gyarados in the water, he thought of the one kept at Professor Oak's lab. But no matter how he looked at it, the one in front of him was many times stronger. It was clearly a formidable foe.
"Gyarados! Use Hydro Pump!"
Lance's expression remained serious even after seeing that Arcanine was Liam's next pick. He raised his hand and gave his command.
"Roooaaar!!"
At his command, Gyarados—its jaws already gaping wide—let out a deep roar. A spiraling jet of water shot toward Arcanine with terrifying speed.
"Dodge it, Arcanine! Use Extreme Speed!"
Liam responded just as quickly. As soon as he saw the attack coming, he shouted his order.
"Woof!"
Instead of retreating, Arcanine charged straight toward the incoming Hydro Cannon. At the last possible moment, just as the blast was about to hit, its body flickered and vanished from beneath the water beam, reappearing a short distance away. It dashed toward Gyarados at high speed, paws pounding the ground.
"Arcanine! Use Flamethrower!"
"Woof!"
Arcanine opened its jaws wide and unleashed a roaring column of flames—a probing attack meant to test the opponent. In moments, the fire engulfed Gyarados, who was floating above the pool, setting the water's surface ablaze.
"Gyarados! Enough playing around—use Hurricane!"
"Roar!!"
As Lance barked his command, a roar erupted from the fire. A fierce gust blew through the arena, instantly snuffing out the flames. Gyarados emerged from the firestorm completely unharmed. It snarled again and unleashed a raging wind toward Arcanine.
"Arcanine! Counter with Heat Wave!"
Another fierce gust of wind erupted—this time swirling with searing heat. Arcanine surrounded itself in a red-hot vortex, which clashed violently with Gyarados's Hurricane.
The arena was swept into chaos—sand and debris flying in all directions as wild currents collided.
For a moment, the two attacks were locked in a stalemate—until Gyarados's Hurricane began to overpower Arcanine's Heat Wave, pushing it back.
"Arcanine! Use Sunny Day!"
"Woof!"
A red light radiated from Arcanine's body and shot into the sky. Sunlight intensified over the arena, beaming down with scorching intensity.
With the weather now in Arcanine's favor, its Heat Wave surged with renewed strength, pushing back Gyarados's Hurricane and slamming hard into its body.
"Roar!!"
Thud!
Caught off-guard by the sudden counterattack, Gyarados let out a cry of pain as it was blown backward, crashing hard into the edge of the pool.
"Gyarados! Don't let your guard down! Use Dragon Dance to boost your strength!"
Lance's voice rang out urgently.
"Roar!"
Gyarados hauled itself back up—battered, but not seriously injured. As Lance's words registered, Gyarados's body began to glow with bluish-purple energy. Its long form twisted in strange rhythms, and its aura surged—growing stronger.
"Arcanine! Use Solar Beam!"
With Sunny Day active, Solar Beam required no charging time. Arcanine opened its jaws, its entire body glowing as it absorbed sunlight. A golden orb formed at its mouth and was instantly fired—a thick beam of golden light hurtled toward Gyarados.
"Gyarados! Use Hyper Beam!"
Almost without hesitation, Gyarados responded to Lance's command. It also fired a golden beam—but rather than intercepting Arcanine's attack, it launched its own Hyper Beam directly at Arcanine.
The two beams passed each other in midair, neither blocking the other, each flying toward its target.
"What?! Arcanine, watch out!!"
Liam's eyes widened as he realized Lance's tactic—Gyarados was gambling on a trade of blows. Arcanine's stamina wasn't the best to begin with. Liam called out in alarm, but it was already too late.
Boom! Boom!
Two massive explosions rocked the battlefield. Thick plumes of black smoke rose—one in front of Liam, the other over the pool.
As the smoke cleared, the first thing revealed was Arcanine, collapsed and unconscious.
In the pool, Gyarados emerged—its body scorched and blackened in places, but still barely standing.
"Arcanine is unable to battle! Gyarados wins!"
"Well done, Gyarados!"
Lance beamed with pride and called out to his Pokémon.
"Roar!!"
Gyarados summoned the strength to let out a triumphant roar.
"Come back, Arcanine… that was my mistake. Get some rest."
Liam murmured to the PokeBall, returning Arcanine before clipping it back to his belt. He then pulled out another PokeBall and looked across the field at Gyarados, who was now visibly worn out. He frowned slightly and called out to Lance.
"You're not switching out your Gyarados? Solar Beam should've done a lot of damage. Are you really going to keep using it?"
Lance chuckled and replied, "Of course! I know my Gyarados better than anyone. If I pulled it out before it's beaten, it'd be furious with me. So I'll let it keep fighting."
"In that case, don't blame me for what happens next. Go! Weavile!"
Without another word, Liam tossed out his next PokeBall. A flash of light revealed Weavile, arms crossed, stepping confidently onto the battlefield.