Chapter 87: Fusion, Sunny Day

Afternoon, Casual Town

Due to the ongoing Tournament, the arena was packed with spectators eager to watch the battles unfold.

Paul and Conway stood on one side of the battlefield, silently facing a male and female Trainer on the other side, awaiting the start of their match.

"Welcome everyone, to the Casual Arena! Both teams have entered the field, and we are about to commence the first round of the Casual Tournament."

The host explained the rules:

"The rules are simple: there is no time limit. Each Trainer may use only one Pokémon, and switching Pokémon is not allowed. A team loses when both Pokémon are unable to battle."

"The victorious team will advance to the second round. Now, Team A of the first round, please send out your Pokémon!"

After the rules were announced, the host stepped aside.

"Let's stick to the plan." Conway said, adjusting his glasses with a cryptic smile as he retrieved a Poké Ball.

Paul nodded without saying a word, throwing out his own Poké Ball.

"Come out, Gloom!"

"Vulpix, get ready to battle!"

"Gloo~m!"

"Vul~!"

The two Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. Vulpix licked its fur, exuding a battle-ready aura, while Gloom seemed timid and nervous, glancing anxiously around.

The opposing Trainers acted swiftly.

Orange-haired woman: "Go, Wingull!"

Black-haired man: "Yanmega, you're up!"

"Wing~!"

"Mega~!"

A blue-striped Wingull, and a green red-spotted Yanmega hovered above the battlefield, looking down at Vulpix and Gloom.

"Vul~?"

Seeing two airborne opponents, Vulpix turned to Paul with a perplexed expression as if asking, "Should we engage?"

Paul shook his head slightly, signaling, "No need."

If Vulpix used Gravity, the battle would lose its strategic value.

"Both teams are ready. Let the battle begin!"

At the referee's signal, the opposing Trainers wasted no time issuing their commands.

"Wingull, use Blizzard!"

"Yanmega, hit Vulpix with Ancient Power!"

Before either opponent could act, a glowing orb shot from Vulpix's mouth, rising into the sky and bursting. The already clear weather turned into a bright sunny day.

Sunny Day activated!

Wingull and Yanmega refused to back down, launching their moves simultaneously.

Wingull flapped its wings, summoning a powerful Blizzard that swept across the battlefield.

Yanmega rapidly created massive rocks with Ancient Power, hurling them toward Vulpix. The Blizzard's winds further accelerated the rocks' speed.

"Dodge!"

Both Paul and Conway issued their commands in unison.

"Vul~!"

With a surge of psychic power, Vulpix relaxed its body and used Agility to dart out of the attack range, flawlessly avoiding all incoming moves.

"Gloo~m!"

Under the bright sunlight, Gloom's body glowed faintly green.

Chlorophyll activated!

Speed doubled!

With its boosted speed, Gloom followed closely behind Vulpix, skillfully evading all attacks.

"Now, Solar Beam! Fire!"

The moment it escaped the attack zone, Gloom began absorbing sunlight. Its body emitted a golden glow, rapidly charging a powerful beam of solar energy that gathered at the flower on its head.

Target: Wingull. Solar Beam—fire!

"Swoosh!"

Accompanied by a sharp sound, the Solar Beam shot toward Wingull.

"Wingull, quick! Use Quick Attack to dodge!"

The female Trainer shouted urgently.

"Wing~!"

Wingull flapped its wings, pushing its speed to the limit.

"Swoosh!"

Perhaps due to luck or skill, Wingull narrowly avoided the Solar Beam.

"Phew, that was close." The female Trainer sighed in relief.

But another voice quickly shattered her calm.

"Solar Beam, fire!"

From another angle, Vulpix launched a second Solar Beam toward the recently dodging Wingull.

"What?!"

The female Trainer gasped in shock.

Wingull had no time to react and could only watch as the Solar Beam hit its target.

"Use Air Slash!"

Yanmega, recovering from the initial surprise, flapped its wings to unleash a barrage of wind blades toward the Solar Beam, attempting to intercept it.

However, the hastily executed attack failed to block the beam entirely. The remaining energy struck Wingull directly.

"Boom!"

Smoke erupted in the air as Wingull plummeted to the ground.

Although Vulpix's Solar Beam wasn't fully mastered and had been weakened by Air Slash, Paul didn't hesitate to call for a follow-up.

"Iron Tail!"

"Vul~!"

Vulpix dashed forward with incredible speed, leaping into the air and swinging its glowing tails toward the falling Wingull.

"Wingull, hang in there!"

The female Trainer cried out.

"Yanmega, stop it with Bug Buzz!"

The male Trainer intervened, commanding Yanmega to generate a sound wave attack aimed at Vulpix.

Despite being hit mid-dash and showing signs of pain, Vulpix persevered, determined to strike with Iron Tail.

However, the delay gave Wingull just enough time to regain consciousness and take flight, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"Crisis averted! Wingull, use Water Pulse!"

The female Trainer sighed in relief as Wingull prepared its counterattack.

Crisis? Averted?

Before Wingull could act, Conway's voice cut through the air.

"Don't forget, I'm here too—Gloom, use Toxic!"

"Gloom~"

Gloom leaped into the air, releasing a dense cloud of poisonous gas that drifted onto the Yanmega, which had just finished using Bug Buzz. With no chance to evade, the Yanmega was engulfed by the toxic mist.

As the poison dissipated, a faint purple hue spread across the Yanmega's body, a clear sign it had been badly poisoned.

The Yanmega's ability, Speed Boost, allows it to grow faster as the battle progresses, but with the poison taking its toll, the longer the fight drags on, the slimmer its chances of victory become.

"What?!"

At that moment, the man realized in shock: "Was I the real target all along?!"

Conway adjusted his glasses, smiling slyly. "Too late for that revelation~"

"Wingull, use Water Pulse on Vulpix!"

"Wing~"

The Wingull obeyed its Trainer's command, gathering water into a swirling orb and launching it toward Vulpix.

"Extrasensory."

A blue glow shone in Vulpix's eyes. The Water Pulse veered off course mid-flight and crashed harmlessly onto the ground nearby.

The mysterious psychic energy surged again, wrapping around Pelipper and suspending it in mid-air before slamming it forcefully into the ground.

"Yanmega, use Air Slash on Gloom!"

Realizing the need for swift action, the man decided to abandon his overly showy teammate and focused his attack.

Yanmega, acting decisively, set its sights on the seemingly easier-to-defeat Gloom. Its wings vibrated rapidly, releasing a barrage of razor-sharp air blades that enveloped the area around Gloom.

With Yanmega's Speed Boost-enhanced swiftness, even a Chlorophyll-boosted Gloom couldn't hope to dodge this attack!

Conway remained unfazed, chuckling.

"It's pointless. Gloom, Protect!"

Just before the Air Slash could connect, Gloom raised its arms, forming a green, translucent barrier that completely blocked the incoming assault.

"Let's see how many times you can use Protect! Bug Buzz!" the man roared in frustration.

"It doesn't matter. Blocking this one attack was enough."

"What?!"

As the two Trainers exchanged words, Yanmega prepared another attack. However, the poison coursing through its body flared up, dealing damage and momentarily halting its movements.

Seizing the opportunity, Yanmega suddenly felt itself wrapped in a mysterious psychic force, immobilized.

Behind it, Vulpix, having already dealt with Wingull, sat calmly, its eyes glowing with blue psychic light.

"Fire Blast!"

Paul's calm command echoed.

In that instant, Vulpix demonstrated its mastery of multitasking—continuing to hold Yanmega in place while unleashing a blazing Fire Blast.

The immobile Yanmega had no chance to evade and was struck directly by the fiery explosion.

It's super effective!

"Boom!"

With a deafening crash, a charred figure plummeted from the air and landed motionless on the ground.

"Wingull and Yanmega are unable to battle. Vulpix and Gloom are the winners!"

The referee's voice rang out.

"Let's congratulate our victorious Trainers as they advance to the second round!" the announcer cheered.

The audience erupted in applause.

"Well done, Gloom. Return."

"You did great. Rest now."

Amid the cheers, both Conway and his partner, Paul, retrieved their Pokémon with their Poké Balls and left the stage.

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