The battlefield trembled under the aftermath of the final collision.
Scizor's steel fist, glowing with concentrated tallic energy from Bullet Punch, had struck directly against Tyranitar's forehead. The impact rang like iron crashing into a mountain.
CLANG!!!
For a brief second, Tyranitar's flaming jaws from Fire Fang continued to burn fiercely against Scizor's armor. Sparks and embers scattered violently across the sandstorm.
Then—
Tyranitar's massive head snapped backward.
Its enormous body lost balance.
BOOM!!!
The Rock Armor Pokémon crashed heavily onto the battlefield, sending dust and sand flying into the air.
"RA… Raaah…"
Tyranitar tried to rise.
Its claws dug into the cracked ground.
But the accumulated damage from Lunge, Brick Break, Bullet Punch, and the earlier Dark Pulse recoil had already pushed it beyond its limits.
Its body trembled.
Then it collapsed completely.
The sandstorm gradually weakened as Tyranitar lost consciousness.
The referee's flag ca down.
"Tyranitar is unable to battle! Scizor wins!"
A heavy silence lingered in the arena.
Thorton stared at the fallen Tyranitar.
Its defensive capabilities under Sand Stream were formidable—its Special Defense especially enhanced by the storm. Yet even under such favorable conditions, it had been decisively overwheld.
"This Scizor…" Thorton thought to himself. "Its offensive precision and timing are exceptional."
He understood sothing clearly now.
Gary's Scizor wasn't simply strong.
It was refined.
Every move had been executed with efficiency. No wasted motion. No hesitation.
If Tyranitar had possessed a broader movepool—perhaps stronger Fire-type coverage—it might have stood a better chance. But the reality of battle left no room for regret.
Thorton still had three Pokémon remaining.
The battle was not over.
He retrieved Tyranitar calmly.
"Infernape, I'm counting on you!"
The Poké Ball burst open.
"Chaaaaaar!!!"
Infernape landed lightly, flas flaring brightly from its head. Its agile body radiated explosive power. As a Fire/Fighting-type Pokémon, it possessed excellent resistance against both Steel and Bug types.
Stealth Rock activated the mont it entered the battlefield.
Sharp stones struck Infernape's body.
"Chaa!!"
It winced in pain, but quickly steadied itself.
Gary narrowed his eyes.
He did not allow Scizor to remain in a disadvantageous matchup.
"Return."
Scizor vanished in red light.
"Arcanine, you're up."
"Awooooooo!!!"
Arcanine reappeared majestically.
The mont it landed, its Intimidate Ability activated again, sending a wave of oppressive pressure toward Infernape.
Infernape's physical Attack was lowered.
Its posture stiffened slightly.
"Mach Punch!" Thorton commanded instantly.
"Extre Speed!" Gary responded without delay.
Both Pokémon burst forward simultaneously.
Infernape's fist glowed with intense white light as Mach Punch propelled it forward with priority speed.
But Arcanine's body blurred.
WHOOSH!!!
Extre Speed erupted like a sonic missile.
BOOM!!!
The two collided in the center of the battlefield.
The difference in raw power was imdiately evident.
Infernape was blasted backward nearly ten ters, sliding across the ground.
"Chaaaah!"
It gritted its teeth and flipped mid-air, barely regaining balance.
Gary didn't pause.
"Flare Blitz!"
Arcanine roared.
"ROOOOOOAR!!!"
Its entire body ignited in raging flas. The fire intensified rapidly, shifting from orange to blazing cyan.
The temperature soared.
2,000 degrees Celsius.
The heat distorted the air violently.
Thorton's expression hardened.
"Flare Blitz as well!"
Infernape's head fla expanded outward, engulfing its body in fierce blue fire.
"Chaaaaaar!!!"
It launched forward like a blazing cot.
Two infernos clashed head-on.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Flas devoured flas.
The battlefield beca a sea of fire.
For several seconds, neither side yielded.
Then—
Sothing shocking happened.
The flas surrounding Infernape began to thin.
They were being drawn inward—
Absorbed.
Arcanine's body shone brilliantly as the fire energy from Infernape's Flare Blitz was consud.
Its own flas surged higher.
"What?! Flash Fire?!" Thorton exclaid.
"But earlier—Intimidate activated!"
Arcanine's body burned even brighter.
With the amplified power of Flash Fire, its Flare Blitz completely overwheld Infernape.
BOOM!!!
Infernape was hurled backward violently.
It crashed onto the battlefield, smoke rising from its body.
Arcanine landed, panting slightly.
Flare Blitz recoil caused visible strain—but it remained dominant.
Gary gave no opening.
"Extre Speed!"
WHOOSH!!!
Arcanine shot forward again.
Before Infernape could recover—
BANG!!!
Extre Speed struck cleanly.
Infernape was launched out of the arena boundary, smashing into the outer wall.
It slid down slowly.
Its eyes dimd.
"Infernape is unable to battle! Arcanine wins!"
Thorton stood frozen.
He had clearly felt it.
The power of Extre Speed had increased beyond its previous output.
Flash Fire normally boosts Fire-type moves only.
But the montum and aura surrounding Arcanine suggested a broader enhancent.
He recalled Infernape.
Then he looked directly at Gary.
"Gary… does your Arcanine have Intimidate or Flash Fire?"
Gary gave a small smile.
"It has both."
Silence.
Thorton blinked.
"A dual Ability…?"
Rare.
Extrely rare.
In over a decade of raising Pokémon, he had encountered only rumors of such cases.
And yet Gary possessed one.
"Thank you for answering."
He exhaled slowly.
"Ursaring, your turn!"
A Poké Ball opened.
"URSAARRR!!!"
Ursaring stepped onto the battlefield with a heavy roar. Its muscular fra radiated raw physical power.
Stealth Rock struck again, cutting into its body slightly.
Gary chose not to switch this ti.
Flash Fire was active.
It would be wasteful to lose that boost.
"Flathrower!"
Arcanine opened its jaws.
"Awoooooo!!!"
A massive torrent of fire erupted across the field.
The flas spread wide, covering nearly the entire battlefield.
Thorton reacted imdiately.
"High Horsepower! Charge through!"
Golden Ground-type energy wrapped around Ursaring's body.
"URSAARRR!!!"
It charged forward fearlessly into the sea of flas.
But the heat was overwhelming.
The golden aura began to flicker.
The Earth-type energy coating its body started burning away under the intense temperature.
Step by step, Ursaring pushed forward.
But its fur began to scorch.
Its movent slowed.
Realizing the miscalculation, Thorton changed tactics.
"Earthquake!"
"URSAARRR!!!"
Ursaring slamd both paws into the ground.
BOOM!!!
The battlefield shook violently.
Cracks spread outward.
Arcanine attempted to leap away—
But the shockwave caught it mid-movent.
"Roooaaaar!"
It was thrown backward, suffering heavy damage.
Gary narrowed his eyes.
"Fla Wheel!"
Arcanine's body ignited again, spinning forward in a blazing vortex.
"High Horsepower!" Thorton shouted.
This ti, neither side could dodge.
Both Pokémon charged directly at each other.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Fire and ground energy collided violently.
The explosion echoed through the arena.
When the smoke cleared—
Ursaring was visibly more injured.
Flash Fire's boost still gave Arcanine superior offensive pressure.
Ursaring staggered.
Then suddenly—
"URSAARRRR!!!"
Its eyes widened.
Bloodshot veins spread across its pupils.
A crimson aura erupted from its body.
Gary's expression shifted.
"Guts…"
Ursaring had been burned by the intense flas earlier.
The burn triggered its Guts Ability.
Instead of weakening it, the burn now boosted its Attack power dramatically.
The crimson aura pulsed fiercely around Ursaring.
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