Chapter 44: Paul’s Carelessness
Outside Eterna Forest, Pokémon Center
"Your Pokémon have been fully healed."
Nurse Joy handed a tray with six Poké Balls to Paul.
"Thank you."
After securing all the Poké Balls, Paul expressed his gratitude politely.
"You're welcome! By the way, I noticed during the treatment that your Pokémon undergo quite a lot of rigorous training. Make sure to pay attention to their nutritional needs!"
Nurse Joy smiled and reminded him.
"Understood."
Paul nodded and left the Pokémon Center.
Eterna Forest was vast, and the distance to Eterna City was considerable. Along the way, there were other Pokémon Centers, with this one being the closest.
The reason for coming here wasn't just for healing and adjustments—it was also to face an upcoming battle.
"You're so slow, Paul! I've been waiting for ages! At this rate, I should charge you a penalty!"
Standing on an open patch of land outside the Pokémon Center was Barry, a boy with spiky blonde hair, who shouted impatiently.
"If you're in such a hurry, you could've left first. I didn't ask you to wait for me."
Ignoring Barry's complaints, Paul walked over calmly and took his position.
"I've been waiting one or two days for you! Leaving now would be a huge waste!"
Barry pouted, pulling a Poké Ball from his pocket. "Hurry up! Get ready to battle—I'm going to crush you!"
"Fine. Battle rules: 3 vs. 3. Pokémon substitutions are allowed. The first side to have all their Pokémon unable to battle loses."
As he spoke, Paul already had a Poké Ball in hand.
"Sounds good to me! Let's do this!"
Barry readily agreed, throwing out his Poké Ball. "Heracross, I choose you!"
"Herraaa!"
With a mighty cry, Heracross—a beetle-like Pokémon with a huge horn—emerged, ready for battle.
"Ursaring, get ready."
Paul also tossed out a Poké Ball.
"Ursaa!"
The moment Ursaring landed, it let out a roar that sent a shiver through Heracross, exuding an overwhelming presence.
"Herra…"
Heracross's confident demeanor wavered as it faced Ursaring.
"No way! You're using Ursaring right from the start? Isn't that your strongest Pokémon?"
Barry thought to himself, This huge Ursaring must be Paul's ace.
Starting the battle with it felt like a sign of respect, but Barry didn't think he'd lose. After all, Heracross had the advantage of its Fighting type.
"This match is mine!"
"Heracross, use Arm Thrust!"
Heracross flapped its wings and charged at Ursaring, its arms glowing white as it launched a full-force Arm Thrust.
"Catch it."
Instead of using a move, Ursaring extended its massive paw and intercepted Heracross mid-attack, gripping one of its arms tightly.
"Bam!"
Caught off guard, Heracross tried attacking with its free arm, landing a solid Arm Thrust on Ursaring's body to force it to let go.
Heracross's strength was formidable, and the Arm Thrust dealt significant damage.
But Heracross hadn't anticipated that Ursaring, hardened from constant group battles, had developed an extraordinary level of endurance. No matter how hard it pushed, Ursaring didn't budge an inch.
"Fire Punch!"
A menacing grin spread across Ursaring's face as flames ignited around its free paw. It swung down with immense force.
"Boom!"
The punch landed squarely on Heracross, who was lifted off the ground before being slammed back down by Ursaring's grip.
It's super effective!
Ursaring had trained its Fire Punch countless times, and its power was evident in this strike.
"Heracross, stay strong! Use Brick Break!"
Desperate, Barry commanded Heracross, who managed to open its eyes despite the pain. It swung its free arm, executing a Brick Break aimed at Ursaring's arm in an attempt to escape.
"Release it and use Hammer Arm!"
Just before the Brick Break could connect, Ursaring released its grip, dodging the attack. Raising both of its massive arms, it brought them down in a devastating Hammer Arm.
"Bam!"
A loud crash echoed as Heracross cried out in pain, leaving a crater in the ground where it lay motionless.
With its stamina depleted, Heracross appeared unable to continue battling.
"It's over…"
Paul thought the battle was decided and turned his attention to Barry, whose expression seemed odd.
Looking back at Heracross, Paul realized something was wrong—it wasn't defeated!
"Now's our chance—Reversal!"
Barry shouted excitedly.
"Herraaa!"
Heracross's body glowed red, unleashing an immense fighting spirit. Channeling all its remaining strength, it launched a powerful counterattack.
Reversal increases in power the lower the user's HP!
With Heracross's health at its limit, the move would deal massive damage. If it landed, even Ursaring would struggle to endure.
"Don't let it happen—use Slash!"
In the critical moment, Ursaring extended its claws, which gleamed like blades, and struck Heracross.
Heracross also unleashed its full force, and the two collided.
"Boom!"
The resulting explosion was incredible, sending Ursaring flying five meters into the air.
When the dust settled, Heracross lay motionless on the ground, finally unable to battle.
Ursaring, however…
"Urr…"
It crashed back to the ground but struggled to its feet, its red-tinged eyes reflecting pain and determination.
Clearly, Ursaring was also severely injured.
"Return, Heracross. You did great."
Though Barry had lost his first Pokémon, he wasn't disheartened.
Using a newly caught Pokémon to severely injure Paul's ace was a result he could accept. The next Pokémon would easily finish the job.
"Tch… Careless."
Paul, on the other hand, was frustrated. A match he thought would be an overwhelming victory had nearly ended in defeat.
Upon closer inspection, it was clear what had happened.
Heracross had used Endure as Ursaring's Hammer Arm landed, allowing it to survive with just 1 HP. This set the stage for a devastating Reversal.
Had Paul or Ursaring paid more attention and delivered a finishing blow, or if Paul had recalled Ursaring earlier, the outcome would've been perfect.
Unfortunately, he missed the opportunity.
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