"Draaah~!"
With a guttural roar, Drapion appeared on the field, its fierce and sinister eyes locking tightly onto Dragonite, who was surrounded by the telltale glint of Stealth Rock.
"Fwoooh~!"
The newly-sent-out Dragonite reacted instantly to both Drapion's intense gaze and the Stealth Rock floating near its body. As if by instinct, it unleashed a Thunderbolt, sweeping across the field.
In a flash, the incoming Stealth Rock was shattered into dust by the electric surge, and smoke burst into the air.
But just as the smoke appeared, it was pierced by a flurry of Pin Missiles, flying erratically but accurately toward Dragonite at the center.
"Agility!"
"Fwoooh~!"
A veteran of countless battles, Dragonite easily sensed the threat and took off with a burst of speed, dodging all the incoming attacks.
However, to its surprise, the Pin Missiles began homing in again mid-flight, adjusting their course to chase it down.
"Dragon Rush!"
Unfazed, Dragonite turned and fired a massive fireball from its mouth, exploding the missiles midair.
After dealing with the barrage, Dragonite noticed something odd—Drapion hadn't moved at all. It stood still, tapping its armored body with its tail pincers, boosting its power through Pressure Point techniques.
Drake, Dragonite's Trainer, also took note of this and immediately gave a new command.
"Agility, then Extreme Speed!"
"Fwoooh~!"
With a draconic cry, Dragonite's chubby body vanished in a flash, becoming a white streak in the sky as it dive-bombed toward Drapion.
"Ice Fang!"
"Draaah~!"
As if in answer to Paul, Drapion roared and lunged upward to meet Dragonite head-on, all three of its claws swiping at once.
Knowing it couldn't outpace Dragonite, Drapion had been boosting its Attack from the start instead of Speed. Now empowered, it had the strength to clash head-to-head!
"BOOM!!"
With a deafening impact, the two Pokémon collided so quickly that even the audience couldn't catch Dragonite's movement.
Drapion was sent flying across the ground, skidding back over ten meters before stopping.
Speed equals power. With Extreme Speed enhanced by Agility, Dragonite's force was immense—far more than Drapion could handle directly.
Fortunately, Drapion hadn't taken too much damage. Regaining its posture, it launched another round of Pin Missiles and Hyper Beam.
"Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush!"
Dragonite soared out of range, its body spinning midair as it transformed into a savage dragon wreathed in deadly aura, charging downward.
Paul, sensing what was coming, gave a mental command:
"Dig!"
Theoretically, once locked on by Dragonite's killing intent, Drapion shouldn't be able to move, let alone dodge.
But Drapion, long used to being locked on by the likes of Garchomp, ignored the pressure. It bent its body and instantly disappeared underground.
Dragonite, lacking Ground-type moves, shifted slightly and instead slammed into the ground near the tunnel.
"BOOM!"
As the Dragon Rush landed, the arena shook as if struck by an earthquake.
The ground cracked, and Drapion burst from the earth not far from Dragonite.
But Drapion wasn't rattled. Its tail continued to strike pressure points, claws sharpening, and it let out a vicious roar—a dark-colored soundwave surged toward Dragonite's back.
"Hydro Pump!"
Dragonite turned and unleashed a blast wider than a water barrel, smashing through the Hyper Beam and continuing straight toward Drapion.
"Pin Missile!"
Unshaken, Drapion raised its pincers and launched wave after wave of Pin Missiles. Thanks to its enhanced power, the attacks managed to intercept the Hydro Pump.
"Dragon Claw!"
Just as the last missile cleared, Drapion sensed imminent danger and swung its frost-covered claws in another direction.
"BANG!"
Dragonite, having predicted the attack trajectory, struck with both Dragon Claws at once, clashing with Drapion's claws.
This time, Drapion held its ground. The earlier clash had left it outmatched, but now it blocked Dragonite's attack with effort using all three claws.
"Toxic."
Paul's calm command echoed in Drapion's mind.
A cruel grin formed on Drapion's face. Purple poison mist rose around them, enveloping both it and Dragonite.
"Fwoooh~!"
The fierce and adorable Dragonite began to falter. The moment the poison entered its system, it felt its whole body weaken. With a burst of strength, it shoved Drapion away and followed up with a Dragon Pulse.
"Dig."
The moment it touched the ground, Drapion dug once more, vanishing underground just in time to avoid the Dragon Pulse.
"Dragon Dance, Dragon Claw!"
Resisting the pain of the poison, Dragonite dove toward the earth, both claws glowing green with power.
"BANG!"
As the Dragon Claws struck the ground, another tremor echoed throughout the field.
Simultaneously, Drapion burst upward, firing more Pin Missiles and a Hyper Beam toward Dragonite.
"Hurricane!"
Dragonite shifted tactics, flapping its wings to summon a raging wind. The Hurricane shredded the soundwave, but was itself torn apart by the Pin Missiles which then rained down on Dragonite.
"Extreme Speed, then Head Smash!"
Dragonite shot into the sky and immediately reversed into a meteor-like dive.
"Pin Missile!"
Drapion stood its ground, launching even more Pin Missiles. A dark light shimmered on its tail.
Dragonite dodged most of the missiles with Extreme Speed; the rest barely scratched it.
Yet Drapion showed no fear. Its icy pincers gleamed as it readied for a last stand.
Finally, Dragonite fell like a meteor!
"Evade!"
Following its inner instinct, Drapion lunged forward and curled downward, allowing Dragonite to narrowly miss.
"BOOM!"
Before the stunned crowd, Dragonite slammed straight into one of Drapion's leftover tunnels, crashing like an air-to-ground missile, engulfed in smoke and debris.
"Draaah~!"
Not giving Dragonite any chance to recover, Drapion spewed toxic sludge into the crater, then dove in its three claws spinning.
Ice Fang and Night Slash activated simultaneously!
Disoriented, Dragonite had barely recovered before being struck by Drapion's venom.
Still, it didn't yield. Acting on battle instinct, it slashed out with Dragon Claws.
"BANG!"
Green claws met ice-blue pincers in the smoke. The two Pokémon clashed again.
But this time, Dragonite lacked the speed advantage to power through. Drapion's full-powered strikes pushed it back.
Just then, Outrage ignited within Dragonite, fueled by its anger and pain.
"Fwooh!?"
Yet to its horror, Drapion wasn't finished.
Its pincers locked onto Dragon Claws, and a dark slash of energy streaked through the mist—a critical Night Slash!
"Fwoooh~!!"
Dragonite cried out in agony, the pain overwhelming.
"Draaah~!"
Seizing the moment, Drapion moved in and bit down hard on Dragonite's neck with Ice Fang!
Super effective!
As if disaster struck repeatedly, Dragonite lost control.
Drapion, like a seasoned predator, delivered the final blow.
All three claws and its fangs landed Ice Fang together.
Super effective!
Critical hit!
Frost spread across Dragonite's body, freezing its horrified expression.
The smoke cleared.
A frozen Dragonite statue stood mid-field. Drapion was nearby, casually sharpening its pincers.
"Dragonite is unable to battle! Drapion wins! With all six of Supreme Trainer Drake's Pokémon defeated, the winner of this match is the challenger—Paul!"
The crowd was stunned.
"Wait, Dragonite lost? He didn't even knock out one of Paul's Pokémon?!"
"Paul only used four Pokémon to beat Drake?! And one of those only fainted due to Destiny Bond?!"
"Is this real? Is this even fair?!"
"Paul for Champion-tier! Who's with me?!"
"Maybe not Champion-tier yet, he hasn't beaten the Elite Four in 3v3 or full battles. But under-Champion tier? Absolutely!"
"..."
Amid the excited chatter, the host announced:
"At last, another Trainer has defeated Drake and claimed the Winner's Cup of the Orange League!"
"Let's give a roaring round of applause to the challenger—Paul!"
CLAP CLAP CLAP!
Thunderous applause erupted.
"You all did well." Paul said softly as he entered the field, gently patting Drapion's armored hide.
"Draaah~!"
Drapion grinned widely, no trace of the cold predator it was just moments ago.
"Eeno~"
Froslass, floating serenely beside Paul, also smiled behind her sleeve.
"Congratulations, Paul. This is your honor."
Soon, Drake approached, holding the Winner's Cup trophy.
"Thanks." Paul accepted it, eyes scanning the trophy. He lifted it slightly, and a hint of smile on his face.
After the award ceremony, Paul was brought to the Orange League Hall of Champions for photo ops and official registration.
Yet when Pokémon like Torterra and Ninetales were released, they looked a bit confused.
Weren't they told the opponent would be strong?
Didn't they prepare to show off their strength?
How did they end up in a photo shoot instead?
Wait... A Champion-tier Dragonite couldn't even beat Drapion?
Pfft... Worthless dragon!
The Champion Hall registration was simple: release Pokémon, hold the trophy, take pictures, then record information. From that moment on, Paul's victory was permanently etched in the Orange League and the online record.
"Though it might be abrupt, by tradition I must ask—Paul, would you like to take my place as the Supreme Trainer of the Orange League?"
Once everything was done, Drake asked with a smile.
"No."
Paul's answer was as direct as always.
Taking Drake's title might bring prestige and authority, but it also came with restrictions and burdens, Paul found tiresome. To him, honors were trivial.
"Still as decisive as ever. My Dragonite and I will keep training. Next time we battle, we won't lose so easily."
Drake clutched the Poké Ball around his neck, speaking with resolve.
"Looking forward to it."
The victorious Paul, said no more. He nodded and turned to leave.
Quiet in arrival, quiet in departure—as if no worldly thing could shake his heart.
Only Paul knew how long the road ahead would still be.
Let this battle end for now.
(End of Chapter)
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