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"Paras!"
Leaping onto Lapras's back, Paras raised its sharp claws and drove them hard into Lapras's neck. As Lapras cried out in pain, a surge of vibrant green energy erupted—this energy rapidly drained Lapras's stamina and transferred it back to Paras, replenishing its strength.
"Uuuugh…"
Paras's Giga Drain was incredibly powerful, and combined with its type advantage, Lapras couldn't hold on for long. After enduring for only a moment, Lapras let out a low wail and finally collapsed to the ground.
"Lapras!"
"That's enough, Paras—come back for now."
The moment Lapras hit the ground, Delia rushed over, her face full of worry. At the same time, Ginko immediately halted Paras's attack and recalled it to his side.
"Uuugh…"
Once Paras stopped and hopped back beside Ginko, Lapras slowly opened her eyes as Delia cradled her head. Seeing Delia's concerned expression, Lapras looked visibly downcast and let out a gloomy growl.
"Hehe… You did incredibly well, Lapras. That was your first real battle, and you took down two opponents! That's amazing! You should be proud. Now go back and rest—you've earned it."
Delia smiled, gently stroking Lapras's head to comfort her. Then, with a quiet whisper, she took out her PokeBall and returned Lapras.
"Lapras is unable to battle. My Paras is the winner of this round," Ginko announced with confidence. "Let's continue—I'm really looking forward to your third Pokémon."
"Mm! This next match is super important! And I'm definitely not losing! If we're fighting a bug… then of course it has to be a Fire type!"
Delia returned to her side of the battlefield with renewed determination. She turned and gave Ginko a firm nod before pulling out another PokeBall and throwing it with focus.
"Cyndaa~ Cyndaquill!"
With a flash of light, her Cyndaquil, round and fiery, landed on the grassy field and let out an adorable cry.
"Oh-ho! So you've got a Cyndaquil too? That's gonna be trouble… This is a serious type disadvantage. This isn't going to be easy…"
Ginko frowned the moment he saw the Fire-type. Fire held a huge edge over Bug- and Grass-types like Paras. He knew he couldn't drag the battle out—he had to end it quickly.
"Paras! All-out attack! End it fast! Don't give it a chance to breathe—Agility! Then chain into Slash!"
"Paras!"
Responding instantly, Paras let out a growl and vanished from view. Using Agility for a second time, Paras's speed—normally not very impressive—reached a shocking level. Before anyone could blink, it had already closed in on Cyndaquil. Its claws glowed with white light as it slashed downward like lightning.
"Cynda!!"
Caught completely off guard, Cyndaquil was struck hard by both claws and sent flying. It rolled a few times across the ground, gathering dust and bits of grass along the way.
"Cynda! Cynda!!"
Recoiling from the sneak attack, Cyndaquil got back to its feet—face filled with fury. It roared in rage, and fierce flames burst from the dots on its back. It was clearly pissed off now.
"You jerk, old man! You totally went for a cheap shot when I wasn't looking! That's unforgivable! Cyndaquil! Ember! Burn that bug!"
"Cynda!!"
Even Delia was caught off guard by Paras's sudden speed and attack. Her cheeks puffed up with anger as she scolded Ginko loudly, then shouted her command.
"Cynda~~!"
Fueled by anger, Cyndaquil's fire power surged dramatically. Opening its mouth wide, it launched massive fireballs—each the size of dinner plates—raining them down in a storm toward Paras.
"Evade them all with speed! Don't stop! Keep charging—use Slash again!"
Ginko's voice boomed as he kept his cool. He wasn't backing down. Paras had to keep pressing the offensive.
"Paras! Paras!"
Paras, moving with incredible agility, darted across the field. Its little legs moved at shocking speed as it narrowly dodged ember after ember, weaving flawlessly through the flaming barrage.
"So fast! Wait—! I've got it! Now, Cyndaquil! Extrasensory! Disrupt it!"
"Cynda!"
Still spewing flames, Cyndaquil perked up at Delia's command. Its usually sleepy eyes snapped open just slightly, and a flash of purple light shimmered within.
Suddenly, a pulse of mysterious energy radiated from Cyndaquil and struck Paras mid-dodge. A purple glow flared across Paras's body—and it was as if it had hit a wall. It crumpled with a thud and fell flat to the ground.
The next second—BOOM!—the fireballs landed and engulfed the downed Paras in a roaring blaze.
"What the—?! What just happened?! Paras!!"
Ginko was completely shocked by the sudden reversal. Watching Paras being swallowed by fire, his brows tightened and he shouted urgently.
"Paras!!"
Just as he shouted, a dark silhouette burst from the flames. It was Paras, charred black, limping its way toward Ginko.
"P-Paras?!"
Even Ginko was stunned. The soot-covered Paras looked almost unrecognizable.
"Paras!!"
It let out a firm cry in response, confirming its identity.
"...Can you still fight, Paras?"
Ginko asked, uncertain, staring at the scorched and battered Pokémon in front of him.
"Paras!"
In response, Paras raised one claw high and waved it with force. Then, without hesitation, it spun around. Its claws glowed once more with the energy of Slash. Its tiny legs began moving again—charging toward Cyndaquil.
Seeing Paras still refusing to give up, Ginko opened his mouth slightly… but no words came out.
"You still want to fight? Then let's do it again! Cyndaquil! Ember, full blast!"
"Cynda!"
As Paras dashed in again, Delia didn't hesitate. She issued her command, and Cyndaquil responded instantly—flames erupting even more fiercely from its back. Larger fireballs than before shot forth like a meteor shower.
"Paras!!"
Undeterred, Paras darted forward once more, gracefully weaving through the burning rain, inching closer and closer to Cyndaquil.
"Cynda!"
But just as it drew near, that mysterious purple shimmer returned—Extrasensory activated again. Paras let out a pained grunt and collapsed. The next moment, the fireballs rained down on it once more, engulfing it in flames.
"That's enough! Come out, Ariados! Use Hyper Voice!"
At that moment, Ginko, who had remained silent, suddenly roared.
With a flash of light, a massive Ariados appeared beside him. It bared its twin fangs and opened its mouth wide. A thunderous Hyper Voice erupted, shaking the entire field.
The blaze that had engulfed Paras was instantly snuffed out, and Cyndaquil, who had been launching fireballs non-stop without any intention of stopping, was blasted backward with a shriek.
It was clear—the power of that voice was absolutely monstrous.