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"Cough… hahaha! What an unexpected turn of events! I didn't think our contestant Fang would turn out to be such a romantic! But now's not the time for that—please, contestant Fang, remember we're still in the middle of a match…"
The announcer's voice echoed through the arena, his tone carrying a hint of disapproval as he reminded Fang to mind the occasion.
"Alright! Both trainers have sent out their Pokémon! The battle can begin! The finals of the Whirl Cup—match one—officially starts now!"
"Sigh… To be honest, I'm heartbroken right now. And when I'm heartbroken, I need to vent. So… Kingler, use Bubble Beam!"
"King! Kingler!!"
As soon as the match began, Fang struck first. His Kingler raised its massive claws, unleashing a stream of multicolored bubbles that shot rapidly toward Wartortle.
"Wartortle! Use Bubble Beam too!"
"Wartortle!!"
Seeing Kingler attack, Delia reacted immediately. Wartortle opened its mouth wide and fired a barrage of shimmering bubbles to meet Kingler's head-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
The Bubble Beams collided midair, causing muffled explosions across the water's surface. Thick clouds of smoke spread rapidly over the arena.
"Kingler, now's your chance! Dive into the water—get close from below and use Crabhammer!"
"King!"
As soon as Fang saw the smoke spreading, he seized the opportunity. Kingler leapt into the water with a splash, kicking its small legs rapidly as it swam swiftly toward the stone pillar where Wartortle stood.
"Be careful, Wartortle. The opponent's underwater—it could attack at any moment."
Delia, alert to the sound of a splash, immediately warned her partner.
"Wartortle!"
Wartortle stopped firing bubbles, giving a quick nod before scanning the surface, trying to locate the enemy.
"King!!"
Suddenly, the water behind Wartortle exploded upward—Kingler burst out from below, its massive claw glowing white as it swung down from midair!
"Dodge it, Wartortle!"
"Wartortle!!"
CRACK!
At the very last instant, Wartortle twisted its body and barely escaped. Kingler's glowing claw scraped past Wartortle's belly shell and slammed violently into the stone pillar, sending shards of rock flying. Deep cracks split across the surface from the sheer force.
"Now, use Skull Bash, Wartortle!"
The moment for counterattack had come!
"Wartortle!!"
At point-blank range, Wartortle crouched low, then charged forward like a rocket. Kingler, still recovering from its attack, had no time to react. Wartortle's Skull Bash connected squarely, sending the crab flying backward into the water with a loud splash.
"What!? Kingler! Hang in there! Get to that pillar and rest!"
"...King... king..."
Kingler floated weakly to the surface, groaning as it paddled toward the nearest stone pillar.
"You're not getting away! End this, Wartortle—use Aqua Jet!"
"Wartortle!!"
Delia wasn't about to give up her advantage. At her command, Wartortle's body became enveloped in a rushing stream of water. With explosive speed, it shot out of the pool like a missile, slicing through the air toward the retreating Kingler.
"Now, Kingler—Clamp it!"
"King!!"
Just as Wartortle was about to collide, Fang's voice rang out sharply. Kingler suddenly spun around, its left claw glowing white as it snapped shut—catching Wartortle's head in mid-charge!
"What!?"
"Wartortle!!"
With its head caught, the watery aura around Wartortle vanished instantly. It struggled in pain as Kingler's claw tightened.
"Now—Slam it down, Kingler!"
"King!!"
Revitalized, Kingler swung Wartortle overhead and slammed it hard onto the stone pillar.
"Finish it off! Guillotine!"
"King!!"
Fang gave the order. Kingler raised its huge claw and brought it down toward the fallen Wartortle—if that hit, the match would be over.
"Not so fast! Wartortle, use Protect!"
"Wartortle!!"
Though dizzy from the impact, Wartortle's eyes snapped open at the command. It pulled into its shell, surrounding itself in a faint blue barrier.
BOOM!
"King!!"
Kingler's Guillotine struck the barrier, shattering it with a burst of light—but the attack was stopped.
"Now, Wartortle—use Water Pulse!"
"Wartortle!!"
Delia countered immediately. Wartortle sprang from its shell, spinning in midair as a deep-blue sphere of water formed in its mouth. It fired the orb straight down, blasting the pillar below.
A massive wave surged upward, engulfing Kingler completely and tossing it through the air before crashing it back into the pool.
"...King... king..."
Kingler surfaced again—but this time, it didn't move. It floated silently atop the water.
"The match is decided! Kingler is unable to battle—Wartortle wins!"
"Yay! Nicely done, Wartortle!"
"Wartortle!"
After such an intense back-and-forth, Delia couldn't help but beam with pride at the hard-earned victory.
"Heh… not bad. Return, Kingler. You did well."
Fang, though briefly surprised, quickly regained his composure. With a small smile, he recalled Kingler into its PokeBall, then grabbed another and tossed it high toward the stone pillar.
"Now it's your turn! Come out—Crawdaunt!"
"Graaaagh!!"
A flash of white light burst forth, and a red-armored Crawdaunt landed on the stone, roaring as it entered the battlefield.