"Two—no, just a one-on-one battle. Win or lose, as long as I see you're not here for any nefarious purpose, I'll let you et Clemont."
yer had considered a two-on-two battle, but rembered his Blaziken shouldn't appear here—he was just an ordinary appliance store owner, after all.
"No problem," Lucas agreed.
He didn't quite get how yer could judge a person through a battle, but as long as he won, it should be fine.
"My Pokémon is… Ampharos."
yer gestured behind him. Suddenly, brilliant light illuminated the darkness, and an Ampharos appeared—looking both powerful and a bit goofy.
Its tail shone so brightly Lucas squinted, wishing he had sunglasses—
"Yare yare." (Good grief.)
Oranguru suddenly handed him a pair of sunglasses—having already put so on itself.
Lucas was stunned. Where had Oranguru gotten these? How did it know sunglasses would co in handy?
Was this… precognition?
Giving Oranguru a thoughtful look, Lucas decided not to use it in battle. Since yer wanted to judge soone through battle, Oranguru's intelligence-based style wouldn't fit. Better to go direct—let Arcanine handle it. Plus, his newly evolved Arcanine needed experience against strong opponents.
yer, as an older trainer, should be about on par with his just-evolved Arcanine.
"My side, it's you—Arcanine."
With a flash from the Poké Ball, Arcanine's large form appeared on the field.
"Whoa!"
yer was surprised—not unfamiliar with Arcanine, but he'd never seen one with this size and look, retaining only so classic features. The reservation said the challenger was Lucas, from Paldea—was this a regional variant?
yer didn't press for details, but seeing a rare Pokémon rekindled his fighting spirit.
The battle was officiated by a human referee; with yer here, Lucas guessed Clemont hadn't invented Clembot yet.
The judge looked at both trainers and announced, "The Lumiose Gym Challenge begins! Each side uses one Pokémon. The challenger attacks first. The match ends when either Pokémon is unable to battle."
Both Lucas and yer nodded knowingly. As the judge dropped the flag, Lucas ordered quietly, "Flare Blitz, charge up."
Arcanine gave a mighty roar, shaking Ampharos and yer, though Intimidate wasn't its ability—or the effect would be even stronger.
Flas wrapped around Arcanine's body, turning its gray-black mane fiery red. With a burst of speed, it beca a streak of fire across the field.
"So fast! But not faster than lightning—Thunderbolt!"
yer commanded coolly.
Ampharos raised its arm, lightning crackling. Bolts shot forward like arrows, aiming straight at Arcanine.
It was slightly faster than Arcanine's charged attack.
But Arcanine didn't panic. Its fla-filled eyes locked onto the incoming bolt. Without Lucas's command, trained by Luxray and others, Arcanine knew it had to make its own split-second decisions in battle.
A rushed Thunderbolt isn't that strong—
Just bite through it!
Flas erupted around Arcanine's jaws as it snapped at the perfect mont, using Fire Fang to bite through Thunderbolt!
"What!?"
As flas and lightning collided, an explosion and smoke filled the field. At that instant, Lucas issued a second command: "Wild Charge!"
The explosion masked his voice—only Arcanine and Ampharos heard it.
A blazing light rose. The flaming Arcanine charged through the smoke, catching Ampharos off guard due to its lack of recent battle experience.
This single mont's opening was all Arcanine needed.
Like a teor, Arcanine rushed Ampharos, its body crackling with explosive energy.
The sound of its charge tore the air as Ampharos, unable to defend, saw Arcanine's fierce figure descend on it.
Boom!
A roar louder than before—Ampharos was smashed into the ground, unable to get up.
"Ampharos!?"
yer was completely caught off guard. He stared at Lucas and the now reddish-maned Arcanine in disbelief.
Sothing was wrong.
He'd expected to use Ampharos to give this young man, badge-less challenger a teaching match, then end it. Why was Arcanine so much stronger than Ampharos in every way?
"Amph~!"
Ampharos struggled up, having barely survived Arcanine's Wild Charge—but the pain rekindled its fighting spirit.
Its blood boiled. Ampharos raised its tail, revealing a round stone hidden beneath the red orb!
yer understood: Ampharos was fired up. Though family responsibilities made him retire as a trainer, sotis he'd moonlight as "Blaziken Mask," but today, he wanted to answer Ampharos's fighting spirit.
Taking out his Keystone, yer declared, "ga Evolution!"
Brilliant light engulfed Ampharos, its power surging as its form began to change.
Lucas was surprised—he didn't expect yer could ga Evolve Ampharos, not just Blaziken.
This guy was full of surprises.
He'd thought he could wrap things up quickly—but with ga Ampharos here, it would take so work.
The light of ga Evolution scattered like shards. ga Ampharos lifted its head, radiating energy like a storm.
Its body didn't change much, but it now had flowing white hair on its head and tail, and more red orbs appeared.
With its dormant dragon blood awakened, ga Ampharos's regal presence pressed down on Arcanine.
Arcanine narrowed its eyes, completely unfazed.
yer said, "You're a strong trainer—you've made us feel passionate again. Now, let us indulge a bit, if you don't mind."
"I understand," Lucas replied, matching yer's fired-up gaze with a smile.
That's good—ga Ampharos would push Arcanine to new heights.
"Electric Terrain!"
"Rock Slide!"
Even stronger electricity exploded from Ampharos, surging through the field, filling it with electric energy.
On Arcanine's side, rocks shot up and crashed toward Ampharos.
ga Ampharos didn't budge. At yer's command of "Discharge!", it unleashed a storm of lightning from its body, shattering the rocks instantly. The power far exceeded Thunderbolt.
Facing the oncoming storm, Arcanine showed its ferocity—flas erupted, wrapping it again. Fearless, Arcanine intended to brute-force its way through.
A spectacle unfolded.
Under the referee's stunned gaze, the entire field beca an ocean of lightning. A burning teor Arcanine charged through the electric sea toward ga Ampharos. Even Dragon Pulse couldn't stop Arcanine's advance.
If one Wild Charge failed, another would follow. No matter how fierce the lightning, Arcanine would break through with sheer force!
yer watched, murmuring, "How can Arcanine still fight after so many Wild Charges? The recoil is brutal. How is it ignoring the side effects, and withstanding so many hits from Ampharos?"
Oranguru glanced at Lucas, wondering why he didn't use other tactics to win safely, letting Arcanine fight so recklessly.
It was as if he were waiting for sothing.
Lucas's gaze followed Arcanine, watching its mane turn redder as it repeatedly broke through ga Ampharos's attacks.
Almost there—just a bit more heat, and Arcanine would reach that state it showed before.
But things rarely go perfectly.
The next mont, the storm of lightning suddenly stopped, as if soone hit pause. Then, it shattered and faded.
ga Ampharos's imposing form collapsed, even its ga form fading away, knocked out.
Arcanine had exhausted its stamina.
Panting, Arcanine looked disappointed.
So close.
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