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As a Pokémon that once punched a nightmare god scarier than a Gyarados flying through the air (he'll brag about that for a lifetime), Swampert obviously wasn't intimidated by Gyarados's Intimidate.
His eyes gleamed with disdain, and with a burst of speed, he charged forward to initiate the attack.
"Gyarados, Aqua Tail!"
Seeing Swampert enter Gyarados's optimal striking range, the Sea Serpent Gang Elite—mounted on a level 43 Pelipper—immediately commanded Gyarados to strike.
In the next instant, Gyarados's eyes flared crimson. A massive, dazzling blue tail burst from the water, churning up enormous waves as it swept toward Swampert.
When Gyarados got serious, it was like the sea itself flipped over. A hundred-meter wave surged forward, aiming to flatten Swampert in one brutal strike.
"Let it rip, Swampert—use Ice Hammer! Smash through that wave!"
Watching from above on his shiny Beautifly, Sato's expression turned grim as he shouted his command.
(Ice Hammer: A fusion move combining Ice Punch and Hammer Arm)
Facing the oncoming tsunami whipped up by Gyarados's tail, Swampert's face lit up with battle-thirsty excitement. He raised his right arm, already cloaked in a swirl of white energy. A flash of blue crossed his eyes, and a jet of water spiraled from the sea, wrapping around his arm.
A second later, icy blue light exploded from Swampert's right arm. The water surrounding it rapidly crystallized into a glowing frost-colored gauntlet.
At that moment, Ice Punch and Hammer Arm fused perfectly. A surge of power erupted from Swampert's fist.
With a mighty stomp, Swampert leapt forward—like the sea beneath his feet was solid ground—springing out of the water and aiming a devastating punch at the incoming tail.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion rang out across the battlefield. A pale shockwave of water blasted hundreds of meters into the sky.
Under the stunned gaze of countless spectators, the hundred-meter wave generated by Gyarados's tail was shattered by a massive crater. With a roar of furious agony, Gyarados was flung backwards, spiraling through the air.
"Impossible!!!"
Seeing his Gyarados knocked flying, the Sea Serpent Gang member riding the Pelipper shouted in disbelief. His mocking expression vanished, replaced by shock and horror.
"He's so strong… is that his ace Pokémon?"
"Talk about carrying the team…"
"This guy's actually scary."
Janine, Maya, and Marlos were all drawn to the explosion of action. Seeing the result, the three couldn't help feeling a deep sense of awe.
As Gyarados tumbled backwards, its tail—still extended from the clash—was visibly battered. Scales shattered, it was bent at an unnatural angle… clearly fractured.
As for Swampert, who had taken the brunt of the impact, he was shoved backward several meters. His icy gauntlet had completely shattered, and his right arm trembled slightly.
It was obvious: even though Swampert had come out on top, this was no one-sided battle. Both sides had taken damage in the clash.
But anyone with a trained eye could tell that Gyarados had suffered a massive loss—its tail was broken, and it had been knocked into the air. An absolute humiliation.
In many onlookers' eyes, Gyarados had already lost.
However, Gyarados clearly didn't see it that way. The intense pain radiating from its tail only fed the violent rage surging within it.
"ROOOOARRR!!!"
Before long, Gyarados's blood-red eyes emerged from the sea, its massive head full of murderous fury. Ignoring its injuries, it let loose beam after beam of massive orange energy from its mouth.
But Gyarados had fully succumbed to its berserker rage. Instead of targeting Swampert, it indiscriminately attacked anything in its path—trainers and Pokémon alike.
In its path, anything that dared obstruct it was mercilessly blasted. That corner of the battlefield instantly descended into chaos.
"This is bad! Snap out of it, Gyarados!"
Realizing that Gyarados had completely lost control, the Sea Serpent Gang trainer shouted desperately while flying his Pelipper alongside it.
But Gyarados wasn't listening. Enraged beyond reason, it didn't even recognize its own trainer. It answered him with a raging Hydro Pump.
Seeing this, the trainer's face darkened. Left with no choice, he had Pelipper retreat temporarily, all while glaring murderously at Swampert.
Swampert had clearly been the trigger for Gyarados's fury. Unless he was defeated, this rampage might go on until Gyarados collapsed from exhaustion—something the trainer absolutely didn't want to see.
"Come out, Kingler! Tentacruel! Go, tie up that Swampert and let Gyarados finish him off!"
With that, he threw two PokéBalls, releasing a Kingler and Tentacruel. He ordered them to intercept Swampert and keep him from escaping.
Unfortunately, in his panic, the trainer had clearly lost his judgment. He failed to realize that if even his ace Gyarados had been blown away with a single punch, then two Pokémon on par with Swampert stood no chance.
Sure enough, Swampert didn't even bother taking them seriously. He launched two Ice Punches with casual ease—not caring whether they were knocked out, just that they were out of his way.
"Looks like he's snapped. That makes things easier. Here he comes! Swampert, grab his mouth!"
Watching Gyarados barrel forward in fury, Sato's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. As the monster closed in, he calmly commanded Swampert to attack.
Gyarados tore through everything in its path, charging at Swampert like a war god. Its gaping jaws, now shrouded in dark energy, lunged in a deadly Crunch, aiming to rip Swampert to pieces.
Too bad for him, even with terrifying bite strength, Gyarados was still no match for Swampert's raw power. Swampert grabbed the gaping jaws with both hands and yanked Gyarados clean out of the water.
BAM BAM BAM~~
One crash after another rang out. With every thunderous smack, waves surged in all directions.
To the jaw-dropped amazement of trainers and Pokémon nearby, Swampert swung Gyarados around like a giant blue whip, slamming it into the sea over and over again.
"AURGGHHH~~"
Even with the water cushioning the blows, Gyarados could feel its body coming apart. Pain radiated from every corner of its battered frame.
Eventually, Gyarados's rage reached its limit. It lost all reason.
From deep within its throat, it began forming an orange orb—the core of a Hyper Beam. It was trying to fire one point-blank at Swampert.
It might've seemed like a smart move. But to Sato, it was practically a suicide attempt.
"Perfect chance. Shut his mouth, freeze it with Ice Punch, then toss him! Fast!"
With a flash in his eyes, Sato shouted sharply.
Seeing Gyarados's mindless desperation, Swampert didn't flinch—only disappointment flickered in his eyes.
Following Sato's command, he exerted strength in both arms, slamming Gyarados's jaws shut, then using Ice Punch to instantly freeze them together.
"NOOOO!!!"
The Sea Serpent Gang trainer screamed in horror as Swampert hurled Gyarados through the air like trash.