"Venusaur, hold on!!"
Red clenched his fists tightly, shouting encouragement to his partner.
Venusaur's four vines whipped forward, binding Garchomp's limbs. One had already been shredded apart by Garchomp's claws, but the other three still wrapped tightly around its powerful frame. Even so, under the Dragon's violent thrashing, Venusaur's heavy body was being dragged across the broken ground, claws screeching against the ruined arena floor. Its expression twisted painfully, straining with everything it had.
The difference in raw strength and power between Venusaur and Garchomp was enormous!
Still, obeying its Trainer's command, Venusaur fought desperately, anchoring Garchomp's movement, trying to stop it from building momentum. Because here, in this demolished battlefield, if Garchomp was allowed to run freely—none of Red's Pokémon would be able to keep up with its speed.
With Venusaur holding the line, Poliwrath leapt high into the air, fists glowing icy blue, descending like a hammer toward the Dragon.
"Ice Punch!!"
Even though Red knew Ice-type moves wouldn't deal devastating damage against Logan's Dragon, instinct still drove him to reach for it—because every Trainer's natural instinct when facing a Dragon… is to fight with Ice.
BANG!
The blow landed with a dull, heavy crack. Garchomp grunted as its scales dented inward, a layer of frost creeping across its hide. And yet… the Dragon's grin widened, jagged teeth glinting. Its expression said everything: That hurt a little, but that's all.
"Damn it… how is this Garchomp so strong?!"
Red's heart clenched. Even when its greatest type weakness didn't apply here, Poliwrath's punch should have landed hard. But against this monster, it might as well have been a mosquito bite. Garchomp's hide was iron, its power immeasurable.
The overwhelming gap in strength left Red at a loss—uncertain what he could possibly do next.
"Dragon Breath!!"
"Poliwrath, dodge—quickly!!"
The command came fast, and Poliwrath reacted instantly. But at such close range, there was no escaping. Garchomp's jaws opened wide, unleashing a torrent of searing draconic energy. It wasn't fire—but a raw, blazing Dragon-type attack.
At the last moment, Poliwrath crossed its arms in front of its chest, taking the blast head-on. It staggered, burned, but not fatally hit. Behind it, Venusaur's vines finally reached their limit, snapping one after another under the strain.
"Jolteon—Discharge!!"
Electricity ripped through the air, erupting from the rubble, spreading in a wide arc of crackling thunder straight toward Poliwrath.
"Pikachu—Electro Web!!"
"Pikaaa!!"
At the last instant, Pikachu fired out a magnetic surge, pulling the electricity aside, redirecting the worst of the blast. Poliwrath collapsed, panting, but avoided being annihilated like Snorlax before it.
"It's not over yet, Red! Garchomp—Dragon Tail!!"
Logan's booming laugh shook the battlefield. Now fully free of Venusaur's restraint, Garchomp roared and lunged forward, tail glowing as it swept with devastating force, aiming to crush both Poliwrath and Pikachu in a single strike.
But Pikachu—battle-hardened and small—leapt clear in a blur of Quick Attack speed without needing a command. Poliwrath, however, had no chance to dodge. Gritting its teeth, it braced in a fighter's stance, muscles bulging, and met the Dragon's massive tail head-on.
CRASH!!
The impact thundered like an earthquake. Poliwrath's arms locked around the tail, veins bursting as blood trickled down its muscles. The ground beneath its feet shattered, breaking under the transferred force. But somehow… barely… it held.
Then suddenly—
A swirl of pink wind spiraled down from above. A strange breeze filled with falling, glimmering petals descended like a storm.
Logan's eyes narrowed. His smirk widened. He didn't even need to command. Garchomp instantly understood and abandoned Poliwrath, springing back with eerie agility, escaping the attack's range.
"Missed your ambush, huh!"
Red panted heavily, drenched in sweat. Even though Trainers weren't fighting physically, the relentless pace of the battle left him mentally and emotionally drained.
"That was Petal Blizzard… a rare move," Logan said calmly, voice carrying across the arena. "If I hadn't trained against it with Erika, you might've fooled me into thinking it was just Razor Leaf."
On the spectator's bench, Erika herself sat with serene composure, her hands folded gracefully in her lap. At Logan's words, she allowed herself a small, proud smile.
As a Grass-type expert, Erika had shown Logan every trick, every move, every possible Grass-type tactic during training. And that experience now paid off—Venusaur's attacks could barely scratch Logan's armor, reduced to mere support.
The crowd, who had been holding their breath, finally exhaled as the battle paused for a heartbeat. Sweat was wiped from brows; nerves eased slightly.
"That was incredible! Absolutely breathtaking! Logan and Red have given us a true masterpiece of a battle here in the Indigo Plateau Finals!"
"But things look grim for Red. Snorlax is nearly down, Poliwrath is badly injured, and both Pikachu and Venusaur are carrying damage. Unless he has a hidden ace, this match may be lost!"
"Meanwhile, Logan's Garchomp is still fighting like an untouchable monster. Even facing three Pokémon at once, it stands nearly unscathed. This is why it's called a national treasure of Sinnoh!"
"And let's not forget Logan's Eevee—capable of infinitely evolving and devolving at will! What we once thought was just fanfiction has now been proven real. Researchers around the world will be dying to uncover the mystery behind this miraculous Pokémon!"
The commentators' voices sent ripples of awe and chatter through the stadium. First Logan's defeat of Green with the three Legendary Birds had shocked the world. Now his Eevee—something beyond all imagination—had left the world speechless.
Red used the brief lull to steady himself, regaining breath. At the commentators' words, he only gave a strained smile. A hidden ace? Against Logan? Even if he had one, could it really be enough?
Now, at last, he truly understood Logan's words—absolute strength.
Red had always relied on tactical brilliance, sharp instincts, and daring strategies to pull off victories. But all of those depended on one thing—his Pokémon being close enough in strength to execute them. Against an opponent whose power was overwhelming… genius strategies became shackles.
In the end, a Trainer's true pursuit wasn't clever tricks—it was pure, unshakable, overwhelming strength. Strategy was only a supplement. A final touch, not the foundation. Red realized he had been building backwards.
It wasn't too late for him to learn this truth, to grow from it. But in this battle—it was already too late.
Even if he sacrificed several Pokémon, could he bring down this one Garchomp? And Logan's arsenal wasn't just Garchomp.
Still—no matter how hopeless, Red clenched his fists tighter. This fight wasn't over. Not yet.
His eyes burned with determination.
Logan smiled knowingly. Hands in his pockets, he called out across the ruined arena.
"I can see it in your eyes, Red… this battle is reaching its end."
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