Ariel walked to the player's seat, feeling the warmth of the ground beneath his feet.
Opposite him, Gym Leader Brawly had already taken off his jacket, revealing bronzed, well-built muscles. He was jumping in place, warming up his body, every muscle brimming with explosive power.
"Brother Ariel,"
Gym Leader Brawly grinned, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth.
"Don't blame me for not holding back later; I'm going to give it my all."
His voice was loud and clear, piercing through the noise of the arena.
Ariel, with his hands in his pockets, smiled upon hearing this.
"You must use your full strength. Let me see what the gap between us is like now, after all this time."
His words were neither heavy nor light, but they made the fighting spirit in Gym Leader Brawly's eyes burn even brighter.
Yes, the gap.
Gym Leader Brawly was the first Gym Leader Ariel had truly fought and befriended after arriving in the Hoenn region. He was a friend, and also one of the goals Ariel had always wanted to surpass.
Today, on this high-profile stage, it was time to settle the score!
The referee raised the flags high and swung them down with force!
"Battle start!"
"Go, Hitmontop!"
Gym Leader Brawly was the first to throw a Poké Ball.
With a flash of red light, a uniquely shaped Pokémon appeared on the field. It had metal spikes on its head and stabilized itself in a perfect handstand, its legs ready to spring into action.
"Hitmontop, Level 54, Gym Leader Level!"
A wave of exclamations came from the audience. As expected of the Wudou Gym Leader, the strength of his first Pokémon was already so formidable.
Ariel looked at the Hitmontop without a flicker of emotion in his eyes. He reached back, took a Poké Ball from his waist, and gave it a gentle toss.
"Weavile, I'm counting on you."
As the white light dissipated, a swift Pokémon with a cunning gaze landed quietly.
Its red feather crest looked like a burning flame, and its sharp claws left a clear white mark as they lightly scraped the ground.
The entire arena fell silent for a moment.
Then, the Commentator's voice suddenly spiked as if he were being strangled.
"Wea... Weavile?! Ariel actually sent out Weavile!"
"A Dark and Ice-type Weavile facing a Fighting-type Hitmontop... that's a fourfold weakness!!"
"Is this a tactical error? Or does Ariel have other plans?!"
The Commentator's roar ignited the crowd. The audience buzzed with discussion, everyone feeling that Ariel's move was simply beyond comprehension.
In the Elite seats, Sidney almost jumped out of his chair.
"What on earth is this kid doing? Is he just handing over a win?"
Elite Drake, however, remained seated and unmoved, merely watching the field with deep eyes that betrayed no emotion.
Gym Leader Brawly was also stunned. He looked at Ariel, somewhat puzzled.
"Brother Ariel, you..."
Ariel looked up, the corners of his mouth curling into an arc.
"Don't get distracted, Gym Leader Brawly. The battle has already begun."
He knew perfectly well that everyone thought he was crazy.
But only he knew that Weavile's speed was the source of all the confidence he needed to make such a risky move!
He was gambling on the thrill!
"Hitmontop, Rapid Spin, get close to it!"
Gym Leader Brawly quickly snapped back to his senses and immediately issued an order.
The spikes on Hitmontop's head touched the ground, and its entire body began to spin rapidly like a top, creating a strong wind that swirled dust as it charged toward Weavile!
"Ice Shard."
Ariel's voice was as calm as a pool of stagnant water.
A cold light flashed in Weavile's eyes as its figure left an afterimage, vanishing instantly.
In the next second, countless shimmering ice crystals appeared out of thin air, shooting toward the rapidly spinning Hitmontop from all directions like a dense barrage of bullets!
Clang, clang, clang!
The Ice Shards collided with Hitmontop's spinning body, sending off a series of sparks, but they couldn't break through its defense. Instead, they were all deflected by the force of the rotation.
"Now, Close Combat!"
Gym Leader Brawly roared.
Hitmontop abruptly stopped spinning. Using the momentum, one leg lashed out like a steel whip, sweeping toward the newly reappeared Weavile!
This kick was both fast and ruthless!
"It's too late!"
Someone in the audience cried out.
However, there wasn't a hint of panic on Ariel's face.
"Ice Punch."
Just a split second before Hitmontop's leg was about to land, Weavile's figure blurred again. It twisted its body at an incredible angle, sliding past Hitmontop's leg.
In the moment it slid past, those sharp claws shimmering with cold light created a trail of light, precisely cutting into the joint of Hitmontop's other leg that was supporting its body!
"Wu!"
Hitmontop grunted in pain. Its originally stable stance was immediately disrupted, and it nearly fell.
"What a fast reaction!" Gym Leader Brawly was startled.
He hadn't expected at all that under the immense pressure of a fourfold weakness, Ariel and Weavile could still make such calm and precise judgments.
"Don't give it a chance to breathe, Weavile, Icy Wind!"
Weavile opened its mouth, and a stream of cold air mixed with frost gushed out, instantly enveloping Hitmontop.
Hitmontop's movements visibly slowed down, and a thin layer of white frost appeared on its body.
Its speed had been reduced!
"Beautifully done!" Ariel cheered in his heart.
This was his tactic: use Weavile's extreme speed and the crowd-control effects of Ice-type skills to offset the absolute disadvantage in attributes!
"Dammit! Hitmontop, hang in there! Use Triple Kick!" Gym Leader Brawly shouted, sweat appearing on his forehead.
Hitmontop roared, forcibly breaking free from the influence of the cold air. Its legs alternated, delivering three consecutive kicks toward Weavile, each one carrying the sound of breaking wind and sealing off all paths of retreat!
This time, it was unavoidable!
Ariel's gaze narrowed.
He knew the moment for a head-on clash had arrived.
"Weavile, let's go too! Abyssal Pierce!"
Weavile didn't retreat; instead, it charged toward those three deadly leg shadows! Its claws crossed in front of its chest, and light blades extended from the tips, becoming half a meter long!
Bang!
For the first kick, Weavile used its crossed claws to block. The immense force caused it to slide back several meters, carving two deep furrows in the sand.
Bang!
The second kick followed immediately. Weavile gave a muffled grunt, its body swaying slightly from the impact.
"Now!" The voices of Ariel and Gym Leader Brawly rang out almost simultaneously.
"Final blow, Close Combat!"
"Now, Ice Punch!"
Hitmontop's third kick gathered the strength of its entire body, carrying a momentum of no-return as it aimed straight for Weavile's chest!
Meanwhile, Weavile abandoned all defense, pouring all its power into its claws and slashing fiercely at Hitmontop's neck from a tricky angle!
Trading life for life!
This was the most insane and direct way of fighting!
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the field.
Boom—!
Hitmontop's foot landed squarely on Weavile's chest.
And Weavile's sharp claws also sank deep into Hitmontop's body.
After a dull, heavy sound, the two Pokémon seemed to have a pause button pressed on them, freezing in place.
One second.
Two seconds.
The light in Hitmontop's eyes was the first to dim, and its large body fell backward.
At the same time, Weavile's body went limp, and it collapsed to the ground.
As the dust settled, both Pokémon on the field had lost their ability to battle.
The referee was stunned for a moment before raising both flags high.
"Hitmontop and Weavile are both unable to battle!"
The entire arena was deathly silent.
Then, thunderous applause like a mountain-toppling wave suddenly erupted!
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