The battlefield trembled under the aftermath of the final collision.
Scizor's steel fist, glowing with concentrated metallic energy from Bullet Punch, had struck directly against Tyranitar's forehead. The impact rang like iron crashing into a mountain.
CLANG!!!
For a brief second, Tyranitar's flaming jaws from Fire Fang continued to burn fiercely against Scizor's armor. Sparks and embers scattered violently across the sandstorm.
Then—
Tyranitar's massive head snapped backward.
Its enormous body lost balance.
BOOM!!!
The Rock Armor Pokémon crashed heavily onto the battlefield, sending dust and sand flying into the air.
"RA… Raaah…"
Tyranitar tried to rise.
Its claws dug into the cracked ground.
But the accumulated damage from Lunge, Brick Break, Bullet Punch, and the earlier Dark Pulse recoil had already pushed it beyond its limits.
Its body trembled.
Then it collapsed completely.
The sandstorm gradually weakened as Tyranitar lost consciousness.
The referee's flag came down.
"Tyranitar is unable to battle! Scizor wins!"
A heavy silence lingered in the arena.
Thorton stared at the fallen Tyranitar.
Its defensive capabilities under Sand Stream were formidable—its Special Defense especially enhanced by the storm. Yet even under such favorable conditions, it had been decisively overwhelmed.
"This Scizor…" Thorton thought to himself. "Its offensive precision and timing are exceptional."
He understood something clearly now.
Gary's Scizor wasn't simply strong.
It was refined.
Every move had been executed with efficiency. No wasted motion. No hesitation.
If Tyranitar had possessed a broader movepool—perhaps stronger Fire-type coverage—it might have stood a better chance. But the reality of battle left no room for regret.
Thorton still had three Pokémon remaining.
The battle was not over.
He retrieved Tyranitar calmly.
"Infernape, I'm counting on you!"
The Poké Ball burst open.
"Chaaaaaar!!!"
Infernape landed lightly, flames flaring brightly from its head. Its agile body radiated explosive power. As a Fire/Fighting-type Pokémon, it possessed excellent resistance against both Steel and Bug types.
Stealth Rock activated the moment it entered the battlefield.
Sharp stones struck Infernape's body.
"Chaa!!"
It winced in pain, but quickly steadied itself.
Gary narrowed his eyes.
He did not allow Scizor to remain in a disadvantageous matchup.
"Return."
Scizor vanished in red light.
"Arcanine, you're up."
"Awooooooo!!!"
Arcanine reappeared majestically.
The moment it landed, its Intimidate Ability activated again, sending a wave of oppressive pressure toward Infernape.
Infernape's physical Attack was lowered.
Its posture stiffened slightly.
"Mach Punch!" Thorton commanded instantly.
"Extreme Speed!" Gary responded without delay.
Both Pokémon burst forward simultaneously.
Infernape's fist glowed with intense white light as Mach Punch propelled it forward with priority speed.
But Arcanine's body blurred.
WHOOSH!!!
Extreme Speed erupted like a sonic missile.
BOOM!!!
The two collided in the center of the battlefield.
The difference in raw power was immediately evident.
Infernape was blasted backward nearly ten meters, sliding across the ground.
"Chaaaah!"
It gritted its teeth and flipped mid-air, barely regaining balance.
Gary didn't pause.
"Flare Blitz!"
Arcanine roared.
"ROOOOOOAR!!!"
Its entire body ignited in raging flames. The fire intensified rapidly, shifting from orange to blazing cyan.
The temperature soared.
2,000 degrees Celsius.
The heat distorted the air violently.
Thorton's expression hardened.
"Flare Blitz as well!"
Infernape's head flame expanded outward, engulfing its body in fierce blue fire.
"Chaaaaaar!!!"
It launched forward like a blazing comet.
Two infernos clashed head-on.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Flames devoured flames.
The battlefield became a sea of fire.
For several seconds, neither side yielded.
Then—
Something shocking happened.
The flames surrounding Infernape began to thin.
They were being drawn inward—
Absorbed.
Arcanine's body shone brilliantly as the fire energy from Infernape's Flare Blitz was consumed.
Its own flames surged higher.
"What?! Flash Fire?!" Thorton exclaimed.
"But earlier—Intimidate activated!"
Arcanine's body burned even brighter.
With the amplified power of Flash Fire, its Flare Blitz completely overwhelmed Infernape.
BOOM!!!
Infernape was hurled backward violently.
It crashed onto the battlefield, smoke rising from its body.
Arcanine landed, panting slightly.
Flare Blitz recoil caused visible strain—but it remained dominant.
Gary gave no opening.
"Extreme Speed!"
WHOOSH!!!
Arcanine shot forward again.
Before Infernape could recover—
BANG!!!
Extreme Speed struck cleanly.
Infernape was launched out of the arena boundary, smashing into the outer wall.
It slid down slowly.
Its eyes dimmed.
"Infernape is unable to battle! Arcanine wins!"
Thorton stood frozen.
He had clearly felt it.
The power of Extreme Speed had increased beyond its previous output.
Flash Fire normally boosts Fire-type moves only.
But the momentum and aura surrounding Arcanine suggested a broader enhancement.
He recalled Infernape.
Then he looked directly at Gary.
"Gary… does your Arcanine have Intimidate or Flash Fire?"
Gary gave a small smile.
"It has both."
Silence.
Thorton blinked.
"A dual Ability…?"
Rare.
Extremely rare.
In over a decade of raising Pokémon, he had encountered only rumors of such cases.
And yet Gary possessed one.
"Thank you for answering."
He exhaled slowly.
"Ursaring, your turn!"
A Poké Ball opened.
"URSAARRR!!!"
Ursaring stepped onto the battlefield with a heavy roar. Its muscular frame radiated raw physical power.
Stealth Rock struck again, cutting into its body slightly.
Gary chose not to switch this time.
Flash Fire was active.
It would be wasteful to lose that boost.
"Flamethrower!"
Arcanine opened its jaws.
"Awoooooo!!!"
A massive torrent of fire erupted across the field.
The flames spread wide, covering nearly the entire battlefield.
Thorton reacted immediately.
"High Horsepower! Charge through!"
Golden Ground-type energy wrapped around Ursaring's body.
"URSAARRR!!!"
It charged forward fearlessly into the sea of flames.
But the heat was overwhelming.
The golden aura began to flicker.
The Earth-type energy coating its body started burning away under the intense temperature.
Step by step, Ursaring pushed forward.
But its fur began to scorch.
Its movement slowed.
Realizing the miscalculation, Thorton changed tactics.
"Earthquake!"
"URSAARRR!!!"
Ursaring slammed both paws into the ground.
BOOM!!!
The battlefield shook violently.
Cracks spread outward.
Arcanine attempted to leap away—
But the shockwave caught it mid-movement.
"Roooaaaar!"
It was thrown backward, suffering heavy damage.
Gary narrowed his eyes.
"Flame Wheel!"
Arcanine's body ignited again, spinning forward in a blazing vortex.
"High Horsepower!" Thorton shouted.
This time, neither side could dodge.
Both Pokémon charged directly at each other.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Fire and ground energy collided violently.
The explosion echoed through the arena.
When the smoke cleared—
Ursaring was visibly more injured.
Flash Fire's boost still gave Arcanine superior offensive pressure.
Ursaring staggered.
Then suddenly—
"URSAARRRR!!!"
Its eyes widened.
Bloodshot veins spread across its pupils.
A crimson aura erupted from its body.
Gary's expression shifted.
"Guts…"
Ursaring had been burned by the intense flames earlier.
The burn triggered its Guts Ability.
Instead of weakening it, the burn now boosted its Attack power dramatically.
The crimson aura pulsed fiercely around Ursaring.