In the blink of an eye, afternoon had arrived.
The arena was as lively as it had been in the morning. The crowd buzzed with anticipation for the match to begin, while the commentator's voice rang out across the stadium—
"Welcome back everyone, to the next match of today's tournament! This time, the challenger Paul will face the Ground-type Elite Four member, Bertha. As one of the veteran Elites, Bertha's strength may not be the very top among the Sinnoh Elite Four, but her battle experience is second to none."
"Today's battlefield is the Sand Arena—a stage entirely covered in flowing quicksand. Any Pokémon who missteps risks being dragged down, slowing their movements and restricting their actions. Conversely, moves like Dig become far easier and faster to execute here. You could say this field was practically made for Ground-types!"
"Against such a formidable opponent, will Paul bring her down with sheer force, like a thunderclap, or will he employ steady and precise tactics to secure victory? Let's wait and see!"
Under the eyes of the crowd, Paul and Bertha emerged from the trainer tunnels on opposite sides of the arena. After the referee explained the rules, the two exchanged a few brief words.
"It's been a while, Paul." Bertha greeted warmly, her face creasing with a smile. "I've followed your battles closely, your progress is astonishing. Seems like you've been watching and learning carefully in everyday life as well."
Despite her age, Bertha radiated vigor and confidence. She spoke with genuine warmth.
"Yes. Thank you for your guidance." Paul replied seriously, showing respect without losing his edge. Slowly, he drew out a Poké Ball he had already chosen for this battle.
"I've been looking forward to this match, Bertha."
"Then let's begin," she said with a chuckle. "Show me your true strength."
As her words fell, the referee raised his hand.
"Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"
Both trainers threw their Poké Balls into the air.
"Go, Gliscor!" Bertha commanded.
"Aggron, prepare for battle!" Paul called.
"Glis–corrr!"
"Aggrrr!"
The twin flashes of light faded, revealing Bertha's Gliscor, its scorpion tail supporting it as it landed lightly, and Aggron's hulking Aggron, whose iron-plated body loomed with menace.
The battle hadn't even started, but tension already filled the arena. Aggron's expression was grim and focused, while Gliscor remained eerily calm, its sharp gaze fixed on its opponent.
"Battle—begin!"
The referee's hand dropped, and both trainers' voices rang out in unison.
"Agility, Quick Attack—followed by Guillotine!"
"Iron Defense, Rock Polish—and Screech!"
In an instant, Gliscor blurred, vanishing from sight before reappearing in a flash, its pincers glowing white with lethal energy as it shot straight for Aggron's neck!
At the same time, Aggron's body radiated steel power, bolstering both its attack and defense through its Bloodline Awakening, while Iron Defense and Rock Polish pushed its endurance and speed even higher.
Then came the ear-splitting Screech.
The noise pierced the stadium, making many spectators cover their ears—but Gliscor pressed through the sound unfazed, driving its massive claw down on Aggron's throat.
BAM!
The strike landed. Yet Gliscor's expression didn't brighten—it realized at once that its Guillotine, a move meant to instantly end the fight, had failed. Aggron's reinforced armor wouldn't budge.
What good was a one-hit KO if you couldn't even make the cut?
Meeting Aggron's gaze, Gliscor spotted energy welling in its foe's maw, a counterattack about to fire. With a whip of its tail, Gliscor launched itself backward, narrowly avoiding the blast and landing ten meters away, eyes narrowing in wary respect.
Aggron had taken damage—but it was far from finished.
Worse, the deafening Screech had drowned out everything else. Gliscor couldn't hear its trainer anymore.
That meant… it was on its own.
"Da-dum…"
The ground trembled beneath its claws. Instinctively, Gliscor slammed its tail down, unleashing Earthquake!
"AGGRRR!"
Aggron wasn't idle. It stomped the ground with its own Earthquake to counter, then suddenly lunged, throwing its full weight into a devastating Body Slam!
"Glis–corrr!"
Gliscor's tail struck the sand, vaulting it into the air just before Aggron could crush it. In a flash, it swung around to its foe's back, pincers glowing with Rock Smash as it struck down.
Super effective!
CRACK!
The impact left deep scars on Aggron's steel armor.
Gliscor launched itself back into the air, preparing a Swords Dance to sharpen its power—
—but Aggron suddenly twisted its head and let out another earth-shaking roar.
"Glis–cor?!"
Startled, Gliscor cried out. A flash of red light consumed it, pulling it back into its Poké Ball.
The Poké Ball on Bertha's belt snapped open on its own.
With a cheerful croak, Quagsire appeared on the field.
"Qua…?"
The Water/Ground Pokémon scratched its head in confusion, until its pupils shrank. Looming before it was Aggron's massive silhouette, filling its entire vision.
Body Slam!
In a rare moment of lightning reflexes, Quagsire dove underground with Dig, burrowing through the quicksand to avoid the crushing blow.
But—
BOOM!
Aggron's colossal frame crashed down, shaking the entire sand field like an earthquake. The impact hurled plumes of sand dozens of meters into the air. Quagsire was forcibly blasted out of the ground, launched helplessly upward.
"Body Slam!" Paul's voice echoed in Aggron's mind.
"Aggrrr!"
Without hesitation, Aggron leapt once more, slamming down with bone-crushing force.
BAM!
The shockwave rattled the arena as Aggron completely flattened its foe.
When Aggron finally rose, Quagsire lay motionless, utterly defeated.
"Quagsire is unable to battle! Aggron wins!" The referee declared.
"AGGRRR!"
Aggron let out a triumphant roar, exhilarated by its victory.
But the arena itself was silent. Most of the spectators scowled at Paul and Aggron, their anger outweighing any admiration.
This wasn't the kind of strategy they wanted to see. They came to watch a battle—not to have their eardrums tortured!
Still, from the stands, Lucas couldn't help but praise:
"Flawless combo—perfect move synergy, backed by overwhelming power. Quagsire was trapped from the moment it appeared. With Iron Defense and Rock Polish stacking its defenses and speed, Aggron's Body Slam becomes almost impossible to evade."
Dawn frowned. "Then doesn't that mean Bertha's other Pokémon will have an even harder time against Aggron?"
Lucas didn't answer. He put himself in Bertha's place instead, considering her options.
Against such a terrifying Aggron, what Pokémon could possibly withstand its crushing Body Slam?
The more he thought, the deeper his frown became.
It was… nearly impossible.
Barry spoke up from nearby: "Yeah, it's tough. Most Ground-types are pretty slow. Aside from Gliscor, Bertha's team doesn't have many that can keep up. Even if they use the quicksand terrain to Dig, they'll probably just end up like Quagsire did."
Lucas remained silent after hearing Barry's words, his mind running through possibilities.
"Is her only option really to have Gliscor use its tail to spring away from attacks? Even if it can dodge, can Gliscor actually defeat Aggron? There must be a better way…"
At that moment, Elite Four Bertha recalled her Quagsire and rubbed her ear as if shaking off fatigue. Then, with a surprising youthful vigor, she hurled her next Poké Ball.
"Come forth, Hippowdon!"
The massive Ground-type roared as it emerged.
"Use Tackle!" Bertha commanded.
Aggron wasted no time—launching forward with its full body weight in a crushing leap.
But Hippowdon burrowed underground the instant the attack came. As Aggron slammed down, the earth split open beneath it—a yawning abyss.
"Earthquake!"
Aggron, with no flight ability and no room to adjust mid-leap, plummeted straight into the fissure.
A heavy thud shook the battlefield. The crack sealed shut, entombing Aggron in the ground.
The crowd gasped.
But Bertha didn't let up.
"Now—Fire Fang!"
Hippowdon's jaws blazed with flame. A moment later, the ground split apart again as Aggron burst upward—only to crash down unconscious.
Hippowdon stood tall, smoke drifting from its jaws, and the flames fading as it released its grip on the attack.
"Aggron is unable to battle. Hippowdon wins!" The referee declared.
The stadium erupted.
"Yeah! Hippowdon's amazing!"
"Finally, Aggron's down! My poor ears can rest!"
"…But man, that noise strategy really left an impression…"
Paul recalled Aggron with a shake of his head. He had to admit Bertha's gamble paid off. That was the experience of a veteran Elite Four member.
But his eyes narrowed. It won't be enough.
He sent out his next Pokémon with a sharp throw.
"Torterra, battle ready!"
The battlefield rumbled as Torterra landed, an immovable mountain radiating quiet intimidation.
Bertha gave no hesitation. "Ice Fang!"
Hippowdon charged, its jaws frosted over with icy breath.
Paul countered immediately. "Grassy Terrain!"
The ground surged. Roots and thorned vines erupted, a forest spilling across the battlefield in an instant.
Sensing the danger, Hippowdon stomped, summoning Rock Slide. Clambering over falling stones, it lunged down toward Torterra.
But Torterra's expression didn't shift. Dozens of hardened vines shot forward, clashing with Hippowdon's Ice Fang in midair. The two forces locked.
Then, more vines struck from every direction.
"Wham!"
Hippowdon's eyes widened in panic before being swallowed whole by the surging sea of plants. Struggles showed at first—but within moments, red and green light flared across the vine-sea. The plants thickened, overtook Hippowdon, and then quieted—leaving behind a lush green carpet across the arena.
After five seconds, the plants convulsed and spat out Hippowdon, drained of strength like discarded refuse. The forest only grew denser.
The stadium fell into silence.
"…What did we just witness?"
"Are you serious? That's… that's just still a Torterra?"
"With a power like that, I'd believe you if you told me it was a Legendary Pokémon!"
"Monster… That's a total monster!"
"With only this Torterra, Paul could probably sweep the entire Elite Four…"
The crowd's awe was unanimous.
"Hippowdon is unable to battle. Torterra wins!" The referee confirmed.
"One with nature itself… This Torterra is a forest." Bertha murmured, returning Hippowdon with a look of admiration. Yet her eyes sharpened with resolve as she threw her final Poké Ball.
"Gliscor, full power—Giga Impact!"
The Scorpion Pokémon burst forth, immediately cloaked in explosive energy, diving like a meteor straight for Torterra.
Paul's voice cut through like steel. "Frenzy Plant!"
The battlefield answered. The vine-sea surged upward in waves, wrapping Gliscor mid-descent. Red and green light blazed once more—the plants draining every drop of Gliscor's energy before spitting it out, unconscious.
Torterra stood firm, master of the forest, as the vines melted back into sparkling green motes drifting on the air.
"Gliscor is unable to battle. Torterra wins!"
Applause thundered across the stadium. Bertha herself clapped first, smiling.
When the cheers quieted, she spoke warmly:
"In this Torterra, I saw not just a Pokémon—I saw your bond, a living forest, and the very force of nature itself. With that strength, nothing will stop your path forward."
She turned to leave, her words lingering:
"Go on, boy. Show me just how far your future can take you."
As Bertha walked away, Torterra grinned gently at Paul. Trainer and Pokémon locked eyes, nodding in silent understanding.
Their determination blazed brighter than ever.
(End of Chapter)
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