"I've made up my mind—Hariyama, you're up first!"
Greta was the first to call out her choice.
The battle arena was on the smaller side, its limited space naturally hindered faster Pokémon, subtly favoring those that relied on sheer power. Hariyama, known for its brute strength, stepped forward to take control of the field.
With heavy steps and overwhelming presence, the Arm Thrust Pokémon entered the arena, each of its enormous palms poised for impact.
"Garchomp, prepare for battle."
Paul, as expected, made his move without hesitation.
"Vireee~!"
Go get him! Don't embarrass me, got it? Beat him down!
Electivire gave Garchomp a toothy grin and a firm smack on the shoulder, his way of cheering him on.
"Gaaar~"
Garchomp nodded subtly, then leapt in front of Paul with practiced precision.
"Battle, begin!"
The referee's announcement had barely finished when Garchomp's expression changed in an instant. The easygoing smirk disappeared, replaced by a cold, razor-edged killing intent. A crimson aura shimmered around his frame as his draconic pressure surged outward like a tidal wave.
Bloodline—Awakened.
"Go."
With Paul's calm command, Garchomp, already locked onto Hariyama as his target, surged forward in a flash of blue light.
Outrage. Dragon Rush.
Two fearsome Dragon-type moves, seamlessly fused into one deadly charge.
"Focus Punch!"
Hariyama, the stronger of the two in raw physical power showed no fear. With both massive fists clenched tightly, it met Garchomp head-on.
BOOM!
A split-second collision rocked the arena—their bodies crashed together with explosive force.
Two powerhouses. One instant impact. A deadlock of strength and will.
While Hariyama was deniably stronger in base stats, Garchomp's combination of multi-layered techniques and enhanced synergy was anything but inferior—if anything, he was beginning to push back.
Seeing her Pokémon losing ground, Greta shouted, "Adjust your stance! Force Push!"
"Hariii~!"
Hariyama suddenly pulled back, breaking the deadlock. Then, with both hands striking rhythmically in alternating thrusts, he shoved against Garchomp's momentum, managing to block and deflect most of the assault.
"Dragon Dance! Follow up with Dragon Claw!"
Realizing its attacks were failing to inflict effective damage, Garchomp didn't foolishly press the offensive. Instead, it used the force of Hariyama's shove to vault into the air with a graceful aerial spin. While airborne, Garchomp activated Dragon Dance, amplifying both its speed and power in one fluid motion.
"Gaaaar!" it roared.
As the boost completed, Garchomp swung both arms forward. Twin emerald blades of energy formed—Dragon Claw, and it dived toward its target in a vicious cross-slash aimed straight at Hariyama.
The moment Garchomp broke contact to ascend and boost, Hariyama began using Bulk Up to enhance its own attack and defense. But it was evident—Hariyama wasn't nearly as fast or fluid in execution as its opponent.
By the time Garchomp lunged back down with blinding speed, Hariyama had only just finished powering up.
In such a high-pressure moment, Hariyama had no hope of dodging. All it could do was raise its massive iron palms in front of its body to block.
WHAM!
The Dragon Claws struck true, carving two sharp glowing slashes across Hariyama's forearms.
"Keep going!"
Before Hariyama could even reset its stance, Garchomp's Dragon Claws came slashing down again—wild, relentless, and punishing. Forced into a defensive stance, Hariyama could only guard as the onslaught continued.
"Foresight!"
Suddenly, a sharp glint flashed through Hariyama's eyes.
With impeccable timing, it let its arms fall open, narrowly weaving its bulky frame to the side in an unexpectedly nimble dodge. In the same motion, it thrust out one palm in a surprise counterstrike.
Against most opponents, the sneak attack would've landed cleanly, but Garchomp was not a beginner. Battle-hardened and instinctively adaptive, it reacted instantly.
Just as Hariyama's palm closed in, Garchomp tucked in its arm and swung up its rugged wings, shielding itself just in time.
The two Pokémon collided.
Garchomp was momentarily surprised, the force behind Hariyama's palm wasn't as strong as expected.
But then…
"Focus Punch!"
The moment those two words left Greta's lips, a surge of stored power exploded from Hariyama's palm, blasting Garchomp backward with tremendous force.
"Giga Impact!"
Seizing the opening, Hariyama ignored the pain in its injured arms and charged forward with everything it had.
"Dragon Pulse!"
Even as it was sent flying, Garchomp's jaws parted mid-air, unleashing a concentrated burst of draconic energy that struck Hariyama dead-on.
The attack left visible damage, but it wasn't enough to stop the incoming charge.
"Dodge it!"
The block didn't succeed, but Garchomp was no brute. The moment it hit the ground, it launched upward with a powerful leap, its wings slicing through the air as it shot five meters high in an instant, narrowly evading Hariyama's crushing Heavy Slam.
Midair, Garchomp quickly adjusted its posture and slashed twice in succession with Dragon Claw.
The sheer momentum from Hariyama's Heavy Slam coupled with the force of the Dragon Claws, left the Fighting-type momentarily off balance—toppling face-first onto the ground with its broad back fully exposed to Garchomp.
"Go." Paul commanded calmly.
"Gaaar!"
From above, Garchomp's eyes flared blood-red with killing intent, locking onto its opponent. Green light blazed from its claws as it dove, surging downward in a single lethal swoop.
Dragon Rush, Dragon Claw, and Outrage—all fused into one devastating assault!
"Hariyama, Aura Sphere—now!"
Even in that desperate instant, the elite-trained Hariyama displayed terrifying power and agility. With a sudden twist, it flipped onto its back and raised both glowing fists imbued with blinding white energy, and hurled the Aura Sphere upward in defiance, meeting Garchomp head-on.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted. Smoke and shockwaves engulfed the battlefield, swallowing both Pokémon in a storm of chaos.
Before the dust could even settle, a grey-blue blur burst from the smoke, backflipping out of the cloud in a fluid arc.
Had this been any ordinary opponent, Garchomp would have already claimed victory. But facing a Hariyama honed to Elite Four standards, even it had to exert more effort.
Without hesitation, Paul issued his next command with razor focus:
"Draco Meteor—now!"
"Gaaaar!"
But this time, Garchomp didn't fire the Draco Meteor as a massive barrage like it normally would. Instead, it gathered energy and converted it into a swarm of glowing projectiles, each one a condensed meteor that floated in formation around its body.
Then, with lethal precision, it hurled the dense meteor swarm directly at Hariyama's location.
Though this method reduced the attack's spread, the meteors themselves fell more densely, and packed a far greater punch.
The storm of meteors tore through the lingering smoke, scattering it before erupting into a second blast of destruction.
And yet Garchomp didn't charge in for a follow-up. Instead, it remained at a distance, eyes locked onto the smoke-filled crater—its bloodlust and intimidation intensifying with every breath.
If stares could kill, Hariyama would've already turned to dust and bones.
The silence didn't last long. As the smoke cleared, it revealed Hariyama—motionless and sprawled on the battlefield.
"Hariyama is unable to battle! Garchomp wins the match!"
The referee raised his flag and declared the result.
"Whew…"
Although Garchomp had won the first match, Electivire—watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but shake its head.
Winning was expected. But in Electivire's eyes, he felt that Garchomp's performance was not particularly good.
With just a slight shift in approach, it could've crushed the opponent effortlessly.
(To be continued...)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to access the advance 80 chapters, please visit: patreon.com / PMadz_23