Vertress City. The Championship Arena.
On the battlefield, Alder was displaying a vigor that belied his age. He roared with the passion of a teenager.
"Volcarona! Fiery Dance!"
"Volcarona!"
The Sun Pokémon fluttered its wings. The red, petal-like tentacles surrounding its face shook, scattering glowing scales.
With a flap of its six wings, the scales ignited. A sea of flames swept across the battlefield, manipulated by Volcarona into scorching waves that crashed toward Espeon.
Facing the wall of fire, Sabrina issued a silent command.
(Espeon. Psyshock.)
"Eee!"
Espeon cried out, gathering invisible spiritual power.
She condensed the energy into tangible blades of force, launching a counterattack through the flames.
BOOM!
The attacks collided and passed through each other, hitting their targets.
Espeon was forced back, her fur singed by the lingering flames. The high temperature drained her stamina rapidly.
However, her Psyshock, boosted by the Psychic Terrain she had set up earlier, dealt decent damage to Volcarona.
Suddenly, a faint white light shone from Volcarona's body.
It was the secondary effect of Fiery Dance. While attacking, Volcarona's Special Attack rose by one stage.
Seeing the momentum shift, Alder pressed the attack.
"Volcarona! Use Leech Life!"
Volcarona swooped down. Its fangs glowed as it bit into Espeon, draining her energy to restore its own health.
Sabrina remained expressionless. She made her final move for this round.
(Espeon. Future Sight.)
"Eee-speon!"
Espeon looked up at the sky. Her eyes glowed, and she wrote a command into the fabric of time itself.
High in the air, a mass of Psychic energy began to gather, forming a delayed 'sun' of pure mental force. It wouldn't strike immediately, but it was locked on.
Alder, experienced as he was, knew he couldn't let that attack resolve while Espeon was still standing.
"Volcarona! Finish it! Bug Buzz!"
"Ommm!!"
Volcarona vibrated its wings violently.
A piercing, destructive sound wave blasted toward Espeon.
"Eee!"
Espeon screamed in pain. The Bug-type move was super-effective against her Psychic typing.
Already weakened by the fire, she couldn't withstand the sonic assault.
Espeon collapsed, falling back to the edge of the battlefield.
However, as she fell, the 'sun' overhead finished charging.
BOOM!
The Future Sight attack activated.
A condensed beam of white psychic energy shot down from the void, wrapping Volcarona in a crushing embrace.
With the boost from the Psychic Terrain, the delayed attack was devastating.
Even though Volcarona resisted Psychic moves due to its typing, the sheer power of the attack stripped away more than half of its stamina.
"Espeon is unable to battle!" the referee announced, raising a flag.
"The winner of the first round is Alder!"
The audience erupted in applause for the fierce exchange.
Sam and the two women watched silently.
"Volcarona... what a Pokémon," Sam murmured.
Alder's Volcarona had left a deep impression on Sam.
Volcarona is the definition of a "late bloomer."
In terms of growth, it is even slower than some Pseudo-Legendary Dragon types.
To get a Volcarona, a trainer must raise a Larvesta, a Pokémon with mediocre strength, all the way to Level 59. The leveling process is grueling and painful.
But once Larvesta evolves into Volcarona, its ability undergoes a qualitative leap.
Although its Base Stat Total is only 550 (lower than the 600 of a Pseudo-Legendary), its stat distribution is perfect.
Its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed are all outstanding.
Most importantly, it learns Quiver Dance, arguably the best boosting move in existence.
It raises Speed, Sp. Atk, and Sp.
Def simultaneously. Combined with Fiery Dance and Roost, it sits at the apex of the standard Pokémon power pyramid.
"Volcarona is strong," Sam whispered, analyzing the situation.
"But Alder has a weakness."
"Although Sabrina lost the first round, she won a tactical victory. Espeon transformed the entire field into a Psychic Terrain. This provides a massive advantage for the Pokémon she sends out next."
"Furthermore," Sam pointed to the panting moth in the field.
"That Future Sight did heavy damage. Alder's Volcarona is tired. It will likely be defeated early in the second round."
"Once Volcarona falls... Alder will be in for a hard fight."
Diantha nodded frequently at Sam's words.
She knew the history. Since his starter Pokémon passed away years ago, Alder's heart hadn't been fully in battling.
He hadn't trained a new team in a long time. His roster was static and well-known.
His remaining aces were Conkeldurr, Bouffalant, Braviary, Escavalier, and Druddigon.
While strong, none of them possessed the terrifying sweeping potential of Volcarona.
Once the moth was gone, Alder's defeat would be visible on the horizon.
Cynthia didn't speak.
She just looked at Sabrina down on the field.
Unknowingly, Cynthia clenched her fist.
She wasn't watching the battle strategy; she was watching the woman who was fighting so desperately to reach Sam's level.
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