"It's over, Arcanine, use Extreme Speed once more!"
Flannery pressed her advantage.
He couldn't just keep taking hits passively!
Ariel's mind raced. Since he couldn't dodge, he had to meet force with force! He would trade damage for an opportunity to attack!
"Weavile, prepare Ice Punch!"
Arcanine's figure vanished from its spot again, turning into a rushing bolt of lightning.
This time, Weavile didn't try to dodge. It poured all its strength into its right claw, the sharp blades glinting with a forest-white, cold light.
Just as Arcanine was about to collide with it, Ariel's roar echoed through the arena.
"Now!"
Relying on its battle instincts honed through a thousand trials, Weavile forcibly twisted its body the moment before impact, swinging out the Ice Punch it had been charging!
Screech!
Orange lightning and white claw-light crossed paths.
Arcanine's Extreme Speed slammed solidly into Weavile's flank, sending it staggering.
But Weavile's sharp claws also left a deep, bone-exposing wound on Arcanine! Blood instantly stained that patch of golden fur red.
"Awoo!"
Arcanine let out a pained cry, its speed dropping sharply. It stopped at the other end of the field, looking back at Weavile warily, its eyes filled with a trace of dread.
Trading blow for blow!
Flannery's expression finally changed. She hadn't expected Ariel to be so decisive, breaking the suppression of Extreme Speed in such a near-tragic way.
Even Moore, sitting in the judge's seat, couldn't help but sit up straight.
This kid named Ariel had remarkable battle intuition and decision-making skills. This level of calmness was not like a fledgling young Trainer at all.
"Interesting..."
Moore muttered to himself, the interest in his cloudy eyes growing stronger.
"Arcanine, don't give it a chance to breathe! Flare Blitz!" Flannery's voice rose several notches, carrying a hint of urgency.
She couldn't let the opponent control the rhythm any longer!
Arcanine roared, its entire body erupting in raging flames, turning into a massive fireball as it charged fiercely toward Weavile!
The power of Flare Blitz was far beyond Extreme Speed, but it also caused recoil damage to the user.
Flannery intended to settle the match with one blow!
Looking at that fireball sweeping forward with heatwaves and an aura of destruction, Ariel instead grew calm.
He knew Weavile absolutely couldn't take this hit.
But this was also the final chance.
"Weavile,"
Ariel's voice reached its ears clearly,
"Use your strongest Night Slash!"
Weavile took a deep breath. Evil, dark-purple energy began to gather frantically on its claws. Its gaze became incredibly focused, as if the entire world had vanished, leaving only the approaching fireball.
Just as the Flare Blitz was about to consume it, Weavile moved.
It didn't retreat; instead, it took a step forward, pressing its body extremely low, almost flat against the ground.
Boom—!
The burning fireball whistled past just above its head. The searing heat instantly singed the black fur on its back, sending up a burnt smell.
And in that split second, Weavile completed its pass with the opponent!
Its body twisted like a spring, and its claws, which had gathered all its strength and Dark-type energy, stabbed upward with pinpoint precision into Arcanine's abdomen—the weakest point of its defense exposed by its forward charge!
Splat!
The sound of blades entering flesh was clearly audible.
Arcanine's momentum came to a dead stop. It let out a scream of extreme agony as the flames on its body instantly extinguished. It crashed heavily to the ground, the wound on its belly deep enough to see bone as blood gushed out.
Weavile had also exhausted its last ounce of strength. After completing this shocking strike, its body swayed, and it fell to one knee, panting heavily. The skin scorched by the high temperature hissed.
The entire Gym fell into a dead silence.
Flannery stared blankly at the two injured Pokémon on the field, her mouth slightly open, unable to say a word.
The speed and power she took pride in had been dismantled so cleanly by her opponent in a way she had never even imagined.
Ariel walked quickly to Weavile's side and took out a Poké Ball.
"Come back, Weavile."
A red light flashed, withdrawing the tottering Weavile.
Ariel held the slightly warm Poké Ball and said softly, "You did an outstanding job."
This battle had burned through everything.
"Arcanine is unable to battle!"
Old man Moore's voice broke the silence. The way he looked at Ariel had changed from initial scrutiny to pure admiration.
Fighting against a type disadvantage, fighting while injured, and managing to take down an Arcanine whose strength exceeded its own.
The willpower of this Weavile and the commanding ability of this young man were both top-tier!
Flannery silently recalled Arcanine. She lowered her head, hiding her expression.
A moment later, she looked up, the sense of defeat in her eyes swept away, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.
"I underestimated you."
Flannery's voice was a bit raspy. "Your Weavile is remarkable."
Ariel nodded without saying much, simply taking out his next Poké Ball.
"Krokorok, prepare for battle."
With a flash of light, Krokorok appeared on the field with a smirk on its face. It shook the dust off its body, looking like it feared nothing in heaven or earth.
Flannery looked at this Ground and Dark-type Pokémon, then at the last Poké Ball in her hand.
She had no retreat left.
"Ariel, I admit you're strong, but my Fire Badge won't be given away so easily!"
Flannery's gaze became burning hot again. She threw her last Poké Ball high into the air and shouted her final trump card's name with all her might.
"Let me show you my partner!"
"Go, Blaziken!"
The Poké Ball burst open in mid-air, and a figure fell like a meteor, landing steadily in the center of the arena.
Boom!
As it landed, a visible white heatwave exploded outward with it as the center, and the temperature of the entire battlefield soared once more!
It was a Pokémon with a slender yet explosive build. Its red feathers were like burning armor, its legs were powerful and agile, and flames that never went out sprayed from its wrists.
Blaziken!
It looked up, its sharp gaze locking onto the opposing Krokorok like a hawk. A powerful aura belonging to a final trump card instantly enveloped the entire Gym.
Ariel's heart sank abruptly.
The presence of this Blaziken was stronger than all of Flannery's previous Pokémon combined!