🎄 Christmas Special Discount 🎄
From December 23 to December 25, there will be a public 50% discount on the following tiers:
Intermediate Trainers, Advanced Trainers, Elite Trainers, Elite Four Trainers, Champion Trainers, and Legendary Trainers.
🎆 New Year Discount 🎆
There will also be a 50% discount, but it won't be public. On December 31, the discount code will be published inside the chapters, so stay tuned 👀✨
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Boom, boom, boom!
Arcanine's body was completely engulfed in flames as it sped across the field, crashing again and again into Sandslash, who had used the move Rollout.
Arcanine's agility allowed it to launch attack after attack, relentlessly ramming Sandslash and giving it no chance to accumulate energy.
Moreover, with every fiery charge, Arcanine's speed increased, as did its attack power, to the point of matching the ever-growing strength of the move Rollout.
Boom, boom, boom!
The sound of impacts rang out without pause across the field; from time to time, shockwaves from the clashing energies exploded, leaving deep cracks in the ground.
In the blink of an eye, the battle had entered its fiercest stage, like a raging storm. The freshmen watching could barely keep up with their eyes.
"What's with that Sandslash?"
"Its strength is way too incredible—even Patrick Mills's star Arcanine can't bring it down!"
"But... doesn't it look like Sandslash is already at a disadvantage?"
"Not necessarily. Rollout gets stronger the longer it keeps rolling..."
After the brief initial shock, the freshmen began whispering among themselves, their opinions divided.
On the battlefield—
Arcanine, wreathed in flames, could feel Sandslash's Rollout growing stronger without end, yet the effects of its Flame Wheel move were not giving ground.
With every clash, Arcanine's flames weakened for an instant, but in the very next moment they burst forth even more intensely, fiercer than before.
The flames flowed ever denser over its body, concealing a terrifying energy within, as if on the verge of bursting at any moment.
"If Rollout can keep building power with every spin... then why not my Arcanine?"
Patrick Mills, hearing the chatter from the stands, slowly smiled and looked at Ethan Black with a provocative expression.
"Could it be the ability Flash Fire?" Ethan Black thought, glancing at Patrick Mills and then at the Arcanine, whose flames were burning brighter and brighter.
The ability Flash Fire allows a Pokémon to absorb Fire-type moves it is hit with, boosting the power of its own Fire-type moves.
In the games, this ability only activates when struck by the opponent's Fire-type moves, but in real life it was much more versatile.
Some Pokémon, through training, could activate it voluntarily, even absorbing their own flames to increase the power of their Fire-type moves.
And that Arcanine was clearly one of them: repeatedly colliding with Flame Wheel against Sandslash, it was activating Flash Fire again and again, building energy to boost its attacks.
"Looks like Patrick's planning to max out Flame Wheel's power and end this battle in a single strike..." Ethan Black thought, narrowing his eyes as the flames grew.
"Sandslash, stop using Rollout and use Rapid Spin!" Ethan Black ordered.
"Sha sha sha!"
Sandslash hesitated for a moment, but trusting Ethan Black, it broke off from Rollout and spun its body to shift direction, turning its forward rolling into a lateral spin.
It immediately abandoned Rollout and switched to Rapid Spin, whirling at high speed in place, releasing the residual Rock-type energy still around it, emanating a powerful wave of force.
"Now's the time, Arcanine—use Flare Blitz!" Patrick Mills commanded upon seeing the shift in tactics.
"Awooo!"
Arcanine paused for a split second, let out a roar, and concentrated its flames to the maximum, erupting into a blazing explosion of heat that engulfed its whole body, like a miniature sun. The ground beneath its paws scorched black instantly.
A scorching wave of heat spread in all directions; the freshmen instinctively retreated, leaving a wide empty circle around the field.
Boom!
In an instant, Arcanine shot forward like a rocket, leaving a blazing trail of fire like a comet's tail as it charged at Sandslash. The flames swallowed everything, burying its opponent.
In the stands—
The freshmen saw the sea of fire devour Sandslash's figure like a tiny boat in a storm, their faces filled with disbelief.
That attack was so powerful that even the main Pokémon of advanced trainers would hardly take it head-on.
"Sandslash got swallowed by the flames..."
"Maybe it's reduced to ashes!"
Awe and doubt seized everyone.
But then—
"SSSHHAAAA!"
A thunderous roar echoed, and a light of Rock-type energy burst within the fire, forcing the flames violently backward.
From within the dispersing fire emerged a figure cloaked in a metallic silver shine, spinning rapidly as it smashed straight through the fiery wave.
Boom!
At the moment the fire was split apart, the still-burning Arcanine collided head-on with the spinning Sandslash. The impact shook the entire field, the two locked in a struggle.
It all happened in an instant: the Flare Blitz at maximum power, the wall of fire being torn apart, and the direct clash.
The spectators finally reacted, their faces full of shock and disbelief: such a powerful Fire-type attack hadn't been able to bring Sandslash down—it had stopped it head-on.
"What move was that? Could it have been Protect?"
"No, learning Protect isn't something just anyone can do."
"The Rock-type energy we saw was the residue from Rollout, and the move now... if I'm not mistaken, it's Gyro Ball. But not just any Gyro Ball—it looks like a combination of Rapid Spin and Gyro Ball."
The professors, watching intently, began discussing after a brief silence.
(End of Chapter)