"Take a rest."
Paul spoke softly to the Poké Ball holding Torterra.
Although Lucas still had several Pokémon left, most of them were far from their best condition.
This battle had been filled with twists and surprises from the beginning, so Paul wasn't about to let his critically weakened Torterra fall without a fight.
Even if Salamence was defeated, there was no telling what could happen next—having a tank like Torterra with healing moves in reserve was a strategic insurance.
"Rrroar!"
Salamence let out a low growl and glared at Paul, refusing to budge. It stood exactly where it had just taken down Torterra, ready to obliterate whatever came out next with a single blow.
Frowning slightly at the sight, Paul pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it while giving his command:
"Metagross—Gyro Ball, then Agility!"
The moment Metagross appeared on the field, it retracted its limbs and spun into a steel-top, launching into the sky with Gyro Ball while simultaneously accelerating with Agility.
This kind of evasive command was unusual coming from Paul—he was clearly trying to escape combat, not engage.
Metagross executed the maneuver flawlessly. But Salamence wasn't about to just let it flee.
"Rrraah!"
A dragon's roar echoed through the air as Salamence appeared directly in Metagross' path mid-air. With a mighty Dragon Claw, it struck Metagross out of the sky.
BOOM!
The sheer force of the attack sent Metagross plummeting like a meteor, crashing into the ground below and rendering it unable to battle.
"Metagross is unable to battle—Salamence wins!"
As the referee made the call, Paul swiftly withdrew Metagross and immediately sent out his next Pokémon.
"Froslass—Double Team!"
"Ee-no!"
The ghostly figure of Froslass emerged and instantly split into over a dozen afterimages that scattered in all directions. Salamence lunged at once, but its attack failed to hit the real one.
"Roost!"
Realizing Salamence couldn't quickly finish off Froslass, Lucas decisively ordered it to land and recover. Drawing power from the earth, Salamence fully restored its strength using Roost.
"Hail!"
Seizing the opportunity, Froslass summoned a flurry of snowflakes that blanketed the battlefield. As the hailstorm began, her Snow Cloak ability activated, allowing her to vanish into the swirling frost.
"Ooooo~"
Within moments, eerie ghost lights flickered across the battlefield.
The cries of a weeping woman echoed through the arena, ghostly faces appeared with distorted wails, seductive spirits gazed longingly at Salamence while swaying their forms, and shimmering pink hearts floated gently toward the dragon.
Double Team. Confuse Ray. Fake Tears. Scary Face. Captivate. Attract.
This was her Phantom Veil Technique.
Even a powerhouse like Salamence had never encountered such a bizarre strategy—it was quickly overwhelmed, its mind plunged into chaos.
Infatuated. Confused.
"Thunder Wave! Then Blizzard!"
Froslass' figure appeared from the storm, launching a crackling Thunder Wave that paralyzed Salamence on impact. Immediately after, she conjured a howling Blizzard that engulfed the entire battlefield, relentlessly hammering Salamence with freezing winds.
"Snap out of it—use Hurricane!"
Watching his Pokémon trapped in three simultaneous conditions while being pelted by hail and Blizzard, Lucas shouted with urgency.
But with infatuation, confusion, and layers of illusions clouding its mind, Salamence couldn't hear him. In its haze, it imagined embracing Froslass in some warm and tender fantasy—utterly entranced.
"Salamence—Hurricane!"
Lucas' voice sliced through the roar of the blizzard like a blade. And in that instant—
"RRRAAAAHH!!"
Salamence's wings exploded with power.
The dragon snapped out of its vision with an earth-shaking roar, summoning a swirling storm of wind that surged across the battlefield. The illusions, the hail, the fog—all of it was swept away in a deafening vortex.
Even if its thoughts were confused, even if its body was paralyzed, Salamence was not going to fall to tricks and illusions. That was its will.
"Blizzard!"
Froslass reappeared again, casting another white-out snowstorm straight into the oncoming Hurricane. The two forces clashed in the air, covering up the entire arena.
At the same time—
CRACK.
A chilling shatter rang out.
The arena went silent for a moment, then the snow cleared.
Froslass lay unconscious on the ice, and Salamence—heaving, frostbitten, and still bearing sparks from the paralysis—stood victorious.
"Froslass is unable to battle—Salamence wins!"
Even now, Salamence hadn't collapsed. It spread its wings wide and roared toward the heavens.
But Paul didn't let that moment linger.
"Electivire—finish this!"
A yellow blur shot onto the field, eyes locked on Salamence.
"Thunderbolt!"
"Dragon Claw!"
Both trainers gave their commands at the same time.
Electric arcs surged from Electivire's body, striking Salamence just as it dove forward, claws glowing with draconic energy. The two collided mid-air.
BOOM!!
Flashes of electricity and a draconic aura burst outward from the impact, and both Pokémon were blown backward from the clash.
Salamence struggled to stay airborne, wings faltering. The Thunderbolt had done serious damage.
And yet—it rose again.
"Flamethrower!"
Flames erupted from Salamence's mouth, barreling toward Electivire.
But—
"Use Protect!"
A glowing shield flared up just in time to absorb the flames.
"Now—Ice Punch!"
Electivire surged forward. Ice crackled around its fist as it leapt through the dissipating flames and slammed its punch directly into Salamence's chest.
The effect was instant.
Salamence's eyes widened—then its body went limp, crashing to the battlefield in a heap of snow and smoke.
"Salamence is unable to battle—Electivire wins! The winner is Paul!"
—
Silence.
Then, the crowd erupted.
No one could have predicted this ending. After so many rounds, twists, and reversals, it had come down to the final blow—an elemental gamble, and Paul's Electivire had delivered it.
Across the field, Salamence lay unconscious. And beside it, Lucas looked down for a long moment... then smiled.
He raised his Poké Ball.
"Salamence, return. You were amazing."
—
Back on Paul's side, Electivire walked over to him.
"Keep it up."
Paul shook his head with a faint smile, bumping fists with Electivire before recalling the grinning Pokémon back into its Poké Ball.
After exchanging a glance with Lucas, he gave a polite nod to the referee, then turned and left the battlefield.
After his Pokémon were sent off for treatment, Paul returned to the stadium just as the second semifinal match was starting.
Compared to the heated clash between Lucas and Paul, however, this battle felt thoroughly one-sided—practically a massacre.
After all, not every competitor reaches the same level of strength. In most past League Conferences, even the strongest contenders barely reached the capability of Gym Leaders. At best, one or two of their Pokémon might touch the threshold of true honors.
That's why Tobias' Darkrai alone—was enough to utterly take down the other semifinalist's entire team in a clean 6-0 sweep.
And yet, the moment the finalist was confirmed, Paul quietly turned away and left silently.
With only two trainers remaining in the Lily of the Valley Conference, the bracket no longer mattered.
What did matter now was getting his Pokémon healed, reworking his team composition, and prepare for the final battle.
(End of Chapter)
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