William's eyes flicked to Eevee.
"She's still good to go."
"Let's begin," Violet said, voice cool. "Krabby, Bubble Beam!"
Krabby inhaled deeply, then unleashed a focused stream of glowing bubbles. Each one bursting with sharp water pressure.
"Eevee, dodge left!"
She tried but a few bubbles grazed her side, bursting into sprays that knocked her slightly off balance.
William clenched his fist.
'That pressure's strong… they're aiming to disrupt footing on the platforms.'
"Eevee, Double Team!"
Eevee's form shimmered and then suddenly, three, four, then six illusions darted across the floating boards, circling Krabby from multiple angles.
Violet's eyes narrowed. "You're using mirage tactics… but can you hold them?"
"Krabby, Whirlpool. Aim at the center burst!"
Krabby's claws glowed blue, and as it slammed them into the water, a spiraling current erupted outward. The whirlpool dragged the boards inward, sucking two of Eevee's illusions straight into the vortex and vanishing instantly.
William shielded his eyes from the spray.
'Smart… she's using the water as both defense and offense.'
"Eevee uses Quick Attack! From the outer rim!"
One of the remaining Eevee clones darted wide, circling the whirlpool — her paws kicking off floating planks like stepping stones. She cut in at an angle.
Violet countered fast. "Krabby, Metal Claw!"
Steel gleamed along Krabby's pincers as it turned, slashing midair and the strike slicing through one clone, but missing the real Eevee, who was already behind it.
"Bite!" William commanded.
Eevee lunged, fangs glowing white again, sinking into Krabby's side shell.
"Shake it off, Krabby!"
Krabby tried, thrashing its claws. The whirlpool was collapsing because of the balance breaking.
"Now uses Swift!"
Golden stars erupted point-blank, bursting across the water. The blast sent waves crashing over the boards.
When the water calmed, Krabby was on its back, eyes swirled, claws limp.
Violet exhaled softly. "Krabby is unable to battle."
Lily whistled. "Guess this guy's the real deal."
William smiled faintly, nodding to Eevee, who stood panting but proud of her achievement.
"Rest up for now." He recalled her Poké Ball, clipping it back to his belt.
From the sidelines, Daisy, the eldest and calmest one stepped forward with a small smile. "You've got quite the sharp eye for rhythm and timing, William. Most challengers panic when the field shifts, but you adapt naturally. Still… let's see if you can handle this next one."
She raised her Poké Ball high. "Dewgong, make a splash!"
The sound that followed was almost like music and the deep, elegant cry of a sea lion Pokémon as it burst from the pool in an arc of glittering droplets. The elegant Dewgong landed with grace, her sleek white form gleaming under the lights.
William's heart gave a single strong beat. So this is her ace…
He looked at Eevee's ball, then at his other three.
"Time to change pace. Let's go, Shocker!"
The air around him crackled faintly as Electabuzz appeared in a flare of red light.
"Electa!"
His muscles tensed, golden fur slightly bristling. His black tail sparked with restrained energy.
William lifted a hand. "No electric attacks. We're not shocking water. We're winning this clean."
Electabuzz smirked, flexing his fists with a growl of agreement.
Daisy smiled softly, "I appreciate the restraint."
Lily raised her hand."Battle begin!"
"Dewgong uses Ice Beam!"
A stream of piercing blue light lanced across the water, freezing it solid in a wide line. Ice shards burst upward, spraying across the pool like crystal daggers.
"Shocker, move!" William barked.
Electabuzz kicked off the floating board, rolling low as the Ice Beam grazed his shoulder. Frost bloomed across his arm, but he flexed it free with a growl, shards scattering like glass.
William's mind raced.
'She's sealing off the platforms, shrinking my movement zones. That means… she's planning a setup combo.'
"Dewgong, Aurora Beam!" Daisy called next.
A rainbow beam of energy shimmered across the air, tracing the cracks of ice already forming.
"Counter it!" William snapped. "Use Ice Punch and shatter the beam!"
Electabuzz's fists glowed icy-blue, and he threw a clean uppercut with the punch connected with the Aurora Beam midair, scattering the energy into harmless motes of light.
The crowd of Gym assistants on the sidelines murmured. Even Daisy raised an eyebrow.
"Deflected…? That's not something you see often."
William's lips curved slightly. "Shocker doesn't just fight blindly and he calculates."
Daisy nodded approvingly, her tone calm. "Then calculate this. Dewgong, Dive!"
The white body slipped beneath the surface without a sound and vanishing.
The water went still. Too still.
William's fingers twitched.
'No sound. No bubbles. She's under there, ready to strike from any angle.'
He scanned the pool's surface which has faint ripples near the far edge. Too obvious.
Then another one, closer and faster.
Fake bait.
The third came right under Electabuzz's platform.
"There!"
"Jump and Ice Punch uses the gravitational force to downward!"
Electabuzz leapt, his fist glowing. The moment he punched through the surface, Dewgong exploded upward, her horn glowing white.
"Headbutt!" Daisy shouted.
The two attacks met in midair. Ice and muscle collided and the shockwave splashed water everywhere. Dewgong and Electabuzz both fell back to opposite sides, water cascading from their bodies.
Electabuzz landed on one knee, shaking droplets off. His chest heaved, eyes locked.
Dewgong surfaced again, her horn slightly frosted but her composure intact.
Daisy's lips curved. "Your Electabuzz hits hard. But Dewgong can take more than that."
William exhaled slowly. "So can he."
He raised a hand.
"Let's close the distance. Shocker uses Brick Break!"
Electabuzz roared, launching forward across the narrow platforms. His movement was heavy but precise with his fists glowing brown.
"Dewgong, Ice Shard. Full spread!"
She fired a volley of razor-edged ice chunks. They struck the boards ahead, splintering them. Electabuzz didn't stop and he broke each shard mid-run, punching through with shattering force.
"Now!" William yelled. "Leap up and uses uppercut!"
Electabuzz sprang high and smashed his glowing fist under Dewgong's jaw. The impact echoed like thunder.
"Dew-gong!" she cried, flipping backward into the water, a wave crashing over the pool's edge.
For a second, it looked like it might be over. But Daisy's calm voice cut through the mist.
"Rest!"
Dewgong's eyes flashed blue as her body glowed faintly white beneath the surface. The bruises and frost along her jaw began to fade.
William's pupils widened. "Rest… of course."
He looked at Shocker, panting, soaked but burning with spirit.
"Alright, partner. Let's end this in one clean strike."
Electabuzz cracked his knuckles. "Buzz."
"Dewgong, Ice Beam!"
The beam shot forward with colder, sharper, faster than before.
William's heart raced. "Shocker use Focus Energy, then charge straight through!"
A crimson glow erupted around Electabuzz's eyes. The world slowed down, droplets froze midair, motion blurred. Every nerve in his body pulsed with pinpoint precision.
The Ice Beam hit him and frost climbing up his arms but he kept pushing forward, steps heavy, each one echoing through the Gym.
Daisy's eyes widened. "He's forcing through it?"
"Now uses Cross Chop!" William roared.
Electabuzz swung both arms in a massive X-shaped strike. The attack connected squarely across Dewgong's chest.
A shockwave rippled outward, the pool erupted into a storm of foam and mist.
For a heartbeat, silence.
Then Dewgong floated to the surface, her body limp.
"Dewgong is unable to battle!" Lily called, voice echoing. "The victory goes to the challenger, William!"
***************
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