"I've trained specifically to beat you, Paul."
"Pika~!"
"Roar~!"
Ash clenched his fist with determination, and the group of Pokémon behind him let out energetic cries in response.
"It helps… but not much."
Paul cast a brief glance at Ash's Pokémon as they practiced their moves, offering his curt evaluation.
To counter the effects of Gravity, just like Paul's Electivire had done in the past, Ash's flying-type Pokémon were now training under weighted conditions—with the assistance of Pokémon from Gary's team.
There was some effect… but it wasn't significant.
After all, it had taken Paul's Electivire an enormous amount of time and effort to adapt to Gravity. No matter how capable Ash and his Pokémon were, they couldn't master such a feat in a short time.
"No matter what, I will defeat you!"
Ash didn't let Paul's dismissive tone shake him. He spoke with confidence.
"If you're ready, then let's begin."
Paul, having already updated and organized his team using his Rotom Phone, wasted no time.
"Let's go!"
Ash and his team ran across the field and took position opposite Paul.
"In that case, I'll serve as the referee."
Gary said, having just arrived at the scene.
"This will be a full 6-on-6 battle. The match ends when all Pokémon on one side are unable to continue. Switching is allowed during the battle."
"Trainers, send out your first Pokémon!"
Ash scanned his teammates, then turned his gaze toward the Snorlax lounging on the ground.
"Just like we planned—Snorlax, you're up first!"
"Snooorr~!"
The usually laid-back Snorlax slowly stood and lumbered to the field. The innocence in its eyes shifted into fierce determination—it was ready to battle.
"Ursaluna, battle ready."
Paul responded as he tossed his Poké Ball.
"Ursaah~!"
An Ursaluna even larger than Snorlax, landed with a heavy thud. A powerful pressure emanated from its body—overwhelming from the moment it appeared.
"The battle begins! Ash makes the first move!"
"Snorlax, use Hyper Beam!
"Snorrr!"
Snorlax gathered intense energy in its mouth, then blasted a devastating Hyper Beam across the battlefield.
"Hammer Arm!
"Ursaaah!"
Flames erupted around Ursaluna's massive frame as it suddenly entered a burned state, then charged forward swinging a massive arm straight into the beam.
BOOM!
The moment its claw met the beam, the Hyper Beam was forcefully knocked off-course with a loud explosion—the trajectory completely redirected.
"Ice Punch!"
Just as Hammer Arm ended and Ursaluna was preparing its next strike, it suddenly realized that Snorlax had not been affected by the move's recoil at all. Instead, Snorlax was already charging forward in heavy, ground-shaking strides, fist glowing with an icy blue light as it threw a chilling Ice Punch straight at Ursaluna's face.
Not one to back down, Ursaluna braced itself with Endure and surged forward to meet the attack head-on.
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, the two sturdy Pokémon collided.
But the clash barely lasted a second—Snorlax was knocked backward from the impact, stumbling several steps before collapsing onto the ground.
"Hammer Arm!"
Seizing the opening, Ursaluna lunged forward, raising both massive arms high and bringing them down toward the grounded Snorlax with crushing force.
"Dodge it—now!"
At the critical moment, Ash shouting from the sidelines and gave a timely command. Incredibly, Snorlax twisted its bulky body and rolled sideways with surprising agility, narrowly evading the blow.
"Snorrr~"
But before it could regain its footing, the ground beneath it trembled violently. A powerful Earthquake surged through the arena, striking Snorlax and making it frown in pain from the heavy damage.
"High Horsepower!"
Ursaluna didn't let up. Taking advantage of the situation, it launched itself forward, its glowing body smashing down toward Snorlax, who had little time or space left to escape.
"Protect!"
At the last possible second, Snorlax crossed its arms over its chest. A faint shield of energy shimmered into existence—just enough to block Ursaluna's strike and bounce the massive beast a few meters back.
"Hammer Arm!"
As soon as it landed, Ursaluna lunged again, arms raised to strike.
"Move, now!"
Ash's voice rang out again. With a swift twist of its heavy body, the nimble Snorlax dodged the attack once more.
At the same time, cold mist began to swirl around its fist—Ice Punch—as it struck back at Ursaluna.
WHAM!
"Ursaah~"
Ursaluna wasn't the fastest, but its burst strength was undeniable. Just before the Ice Punch could land, it countered with a powerful Hammer Arm, meeting the icy fist mid-air and knocking it aside.
"Snorr~!"
"Urr—sah!"
Right then, Snorlax caught a flash of red in Ursaluna's eyes—a savage gleam, like a predator who had just trapped its prey.
The next thing Snorlax knew, searing pain erupted from its gut. At some point, Ursaluna's giant claw had slammed directly into its belly.
It's super effective!
"Snorr—!"
With a cry of pain, Snorlax was sent flying.
"Aura Sphere!"
With both claws raised, Ursaluna condensed a glowing Aura Sphere between them and launched it forward. The attack struck Snorlax cleanly before it could even hit the ground, dealing significant damage.
Combined with previous hits, that one strike was enough. Snorlax collapsed to the ground, motionless.
"Snorlax is unable to battle. Ursaluna wins!"
Gary Oak declared from the sidelines.
"Return, Snorlax. You did great out there."
Ash called Snorlax back into its Poké Ball with a reassuring tone.
From outside the battlefield, several Pokémon watching the match wore expressions of shock.
After all, Snorlax was known for its immense strength—its bulky frame hiding a surprising agility, and its unique analysis allowing it to shrug off the recoil from powerful moves like Hyper Beam.
Under normal circumstances, Snorlax could overpower several opposing Pokémon in a single battle.
But this time… it was defeated so quickly by this bear?
"Gengar, I choose you!"
Looking over his team, Ash made his decision for the next round.
Against a Normal/Ground-type like Ursaluna, the airborne Gengar would have a distinct advantage.
"Genggar! Genggar?"
The large, mischievous Gengar bounced onto the field with a wide grin, casting an impish look at Ursaluna.
But the next moment, its face turned blank with confusion.
"Return."
To everyone's surprise, Paul withdrew Ursaluna without hesitation, showing no intention of letting it battle Gengar.
"Metagross, prepare for battle!"
Paul tossed another Poké Ball forward.
"Grrroooo!"
The metallic form of Metagross landed with a heavy thud, gleaming in silver and blue.
"Metagross, huh? Alright, Gengar—let's go with it!"
Ash blinked at the switch, hesitating briefly before choosing not to swap out.
True, Metagross' Steel typing completely neutralized Gengar's Poison-type attacks and even gave it a type advantage, but his Gengar wasn't particularly reliant on Poison moves anyway.
"Shadow Ball!"
"Geng~gar!"
Gengar cackled as it hurled several Shadow Balls through the air, their eerie paths weaving unpredictably as they homed in on Metagross.
"Psychic!"
Before they could land, the orbs froze midair—suspended by Metagross' mental power. In an instant, they reversed course and hurtled back toward Gengar.
"Then we'll use Psychic too!"
Ash called out without missing a beat.
Gengar's eyes lit up with a deep blue glow. The returning Shadow Balls froze again, suspended in midair between the two Pokémon as their psychic forces clashed invisibly, each trying to wrest control from the other.
The two Pokémon locked eyes across the battlefield, pouring more and more power into their attacks. Finally, with a "boom", the Shadow Ball caught between them buckled under the pressure and detonated first, unleashing a burst of ghostly energy and a cloud of smoke that rolled across the arena.
(End of Chapter)
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