The air in the Water Field was stagnant and humid.
The light from the overhead lamps refracted upon the gently undulating water, casting dazzling, dizzying spots of light.
Misty stood at the commander's position.
Her gaze was fixed dead on the figure opposite her, the one wearing the cap.
"The rules are one-on-one, a single match decides the victor."
Misty's voice carried a trace of imperceptible tension, sounding unusually clear in the empty arena.
She was, in fact, a little nervous.
Misty took a deep breath and abruptly raised her hand to throw the Poké Ball—
Accompanied by a deafening roar, a massive deep-blue figure crashed into the pool, splashing up monstrous waves.
The hideous, malevolent head held high, crimson pupils burning with a ferocious aura, its thick body coiled between the floating boards, bringing with it a near-suffocating sense of oppression.
It was the very beast that had appeared countless times in her childhood nightmares, representing absolute power and terror.
Misty's face instantly went a few shades paler; she subconsciously took a half-step back, her breathing becoming rapid.
She could clearly hear the sound of her own heart drumming madly inside her chest, almost as if it were about to shatter her ribs.
The shadows of her childhood were like freezing seawater, instantly submerging her.
But this time, she chose to face it directly!
Ash stood opposite, taking in Misty's momentary fear and struggle with a single glance.
The playful look on his face gradually faded, and the gaze beneath the brim of his cap grew profound.
I see... so she wants to cross that hurdle?
He slowly raised his hand, gripping the Poké Ball at his waist—which felt much heavier than the others—and spoke in a low, solemn voice:
"I have already enlightened myself to your resolve!"
"I have already felt your domineering will!"
"Surpass the fears of the past and prove your caliber right here and now!"
"Answer her determination—come out! Sea Scoundrel!!"
Even more dazzling and massive than Misty's Gyarados, the shockwave caused by its heavy body crashing down made the entire arena hum.
Golden scales flowed with luster under the intense lights, and crimson draconian eyes looked down upon its blue counterpart.
Two Gyarados, one blue and one gold, faced off across the watery field.
Misty was stunned for a moment by Ash's sudden, off-the-charts melodramatic declaration. Her cheeks inexplicably burned, and she subconsciously retorted, "You don't understand a damn thing! You jerk!"
She had never told him she was afraid of Gyarados!
Especially don't talk to me in that tone!
You jerk, are you treating me like a Pokémon?!
But inexplicably, the fear in her heart that had nearly crushed her seemed to be truly diluted a sliver by this jerk's nonsensical yet incredibly serious words.
Although Ash's words felt unreliable...
The strength within them had definitely been conveyed.
Misty shook her head violently, discarding her distracting thoughts, her arm pointing forward like a sharp sword: "Gyarados! Hydro Pump!"
Almost at the same instant the command was issued, Ash's voice followed like a gale: "Waterfall! Crash into it!"
The blue Gyarados opened its giant maw, and a thick column of energy composed of high-pressure water erupted like a furious dragon, tearing through the air and blasting straight toward the Golden Gyarados's head.
The Golden Gyarados, however, let out an even more berserk roar. Its body was instantly wrapped in surging currents; dodging nothing, it charged headlong into the Hydro Pump that was strong enough to shatter rock.
The Hydro Pump and the golden figure using Waterfall collided violently.
Countless splashes shot out wildly like bullets in all directions, causing the surrounding energy barriers to buzz and ripple densely.
Relying on its superior ferocious strength and physique, the Golden Gyarados forcibly smashed through most of the Hydro Pump's energy, ramming hard into the blue Gyarados's lower jaw.
"Roar!!" The blue Gyarados let out a cry of pain, knocked backward by this brute force.
"Right now! Crunch!" Misty's command was fast and urgent, showing no panic despite the disadvantage in the first exchange.
The blue Gyarados abruptly stabilized its body, using the backward momentum to lunge. Its giant mouth, filled with sharp teeth and imbued with Dark-type energy, bit savagely toward the exposed side of the Golden Gyarados's neck.
Ash's gaze sharpened: "Aqua Tail!"
The Golden Gyarados's thick tail was like a golden whip, wrapped in majestic currents. Striking later but arriving first, it lashed out with a domineering power to sweep away everything, slamming into the blue Gyarados's flank.
The heavy sound of impact set one's teeth on edge!
The Aqua Tail whipped heavily onto the blue Gyarados, causing its Crunch motion to stagnate violently. Its massive body was knocked sideways, plowing a deep trench through the water's surface.
The blue Gyarados roared in anger; scales on the side of its neck, grazed by the violent energy, tore open and oozed blood.
Misty's heart clenched—not because Gyarados was injured, but because that berserk posture close at hand and the deafening roaring were constantly assaulting her nerves.
Fear, like cold vines, tried to entangle her once again.
She squeezed her eyes shut, then forced herself to open them immediately.
"Dragon Dance!" Misty's voice was a bit shrill from tension, yet it carried the resolve of burning one's bridges.
The blue Gyarados was instantly surrounded by manic Dragon-type energy. Its speed rose steeply, and its massive body began to cruise and circle in the water with an agility inconsistent with its size as its power climbed steadily.
"Can't let you buff up too much." The corner of Ash's mouth hooked up. "Dragon Rage!"
The Golden Gyarados roared, and devastating energy began to gather madly in its mouth. Blazing orange-red light illuminated its hideous face, as if it held a miniature sun about to erupt.
"Stop it! Ice Fang!" Misty knew she couldn't let that terrifying Dragon Rage take form.
The blue Gyarados, boosted by one Dragon Dance, was extremely fast. Like a blue bolt of lightning breaking the water surface, its giant mouth covered in freezing cold air bit ruthlessly toward the Golden Gyarados's charging head.
"Too slow!" Ash's voice held absolute confidence. "Blast it out!"
The Golden Gyarados forcibly interrupted the full charge of Dragon Rage, violently spitting out that extremely unstable berserk energy like a breath weapon.
Although it wasn't a complete Dragon Rage, the out-of-control torrent of orange-red energy still carried terrifying destructive power, blasting at close range toward the lunging blue Gyarados.
"Not good!!" Misty's expression changed drastically.
The blue Gyarados reacted extremely fast, diving fiercely down into the water.
The unstable torrent of energy grazed its dorsal fin and shot into the pool behind it, exploding violently like a depth charge and throwing up a massive pillar of water!
Water filled the sky, falling like a torrential rain.
The figures of both Gyarados were temporarily obscured by the churning, turbid waves.
Misty panted heavily, her forehead covered in cold sweat, staring tightly at the gradually calming surface.
The fear was still there, like maggots in the bone.
But another, more blazing emotion was burning madly in her chest—the will to fight alongside her partner and strive for victory with all her might!
The two behemoths emerged once more, facing off across the water. Both bore wounds, both were panting, their scarlet draconian eyes locked dead on each other, brewing an even more berserk atmosphere.
Misty looked at the golden beast opposite, which exuded heart-palpitating pressure even while injured, then looked at the blue Gyarados in front of her, scarred but still holding its ground.
The fear remained, but she did not lack the courage to face it.
____
🔥 Fresh content has just dropped! 🔥
New Story: COTE: Natsuki Subaru Returns to School, but as the Purge King
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead on every series!
✅ Unlock supporter-only perks and news!
Let's reach these milestones together:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 free chapter for all readers
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 bonus chapters for all series!
👻 Walnutchan on P...