Chapter 91: A Strange "Draw"

"Slowking, Heal Pulse!"

A soft, radiant wave of energy pulsed from Slowking's body, enveloping Dewott and beginning to restore its stamina and heal its injuries.

Before the move had fully finished, Dewott had already regained significant strength. Raising its scalchops, it intercepted Shadow Punch.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Although the move wasn't completely blocked, much of the damage was mitigated, allowing Dewott to survive the assault.

As the first Heal Pulse concluded, Dewott stood firm once more.

"Yaru~"

Slowking let out a pained cry as dark smoke began to seep from its body—a curse exacting its toll.

"Water Jet!"

Paul commanded.

Dewott transformed into a jet of water, hurtling toward Haunter with blinding speed.

"Haunter, dodge quickly!"

The female trainer instinctively shouted.

Haunter reacted swiftly, floating out of harm's way just in time to narrowly avoid the Aqua Jet.

However, the attack didn't stop there, instead veering toward the struggling Kricketune, who had just managed to rise from the ground.

"Kricketune, X-Scissor!"

Kricketune crossed its arms and mustered all its strength, slashing toward the oncoming Dewott.

But just as the attacks were about to collide, the jet of water suddenly twisted mid-air, soaring upward to evade Kricketune's strike.

With Kricketune's X-Scissor missing its mark, Dewott dove from above, slamming Kricketune into the ground and knocking it out of the battle.

"Slowking, one more Heal Pulse!"

Despite the pain, Slowking gathered its strength and unleashed another Heal Pulse, rejuvenating Dewott.

Once the healing was complete, the curse activated again, causing Slowking to collapse, leaving only Dewott and Haunter on the field.

The battle had shifted into a one-on-one match.

The subsequent fight wasn't particularly difficult. Dewott skillfully countered Haunter's every move without even resorting to Swords Dance.

Before long, Haunter's stamina was nearly depleted. Dewott landed a decisive Night Slash, striking Haunter's weak spot and knocking it out.

Interestingly, as Haunter fell, it managed to use Destiny Bond, dragging Dewott down with it and rendering both Pokémon unable to battle.

This left the referee in a bind.

In a typical match, such a scenario would result in a draw. However, this was a tournament with specific rules.

If a competitor used Destiny Bond to defeat an opponent when already on the verge of losing, it wouldn't count as a draw. Instead, the other team would be declared the winner by default.

As expected, after consulting the tournament organizers, the referee ruled the female Trainer and Nando as the losers, with Paul and Conway advancing to the next round.

Following their victory, Paul and Conway observed the remaining match to study their potential opponents.

Barry and Lucas had sent out Prinplup and Chimchar, while their opponents used Rhyperior and Magmortar.

It didn't take long for Monferno and Prinplup to gain the upper hand.

"As with their previous battles, Lucas and Barry aren't using any particularly elaborate strategies. Their aggressive coordination is overwhelming their opponents." Conway analyzed. "Monferno's agility puts them on the back foot, while Prinplup provides effective suppression."

Conway concluded, "Still, these opponents should be easier for us to handle with some tactical adjustments—though Trick Room may not be suitable for this matchup."

Paul chimed in unexpectedly, "Just because it's unsuitable doesn't mean it's unusable."

Later That Night: Pokémon Center

Having secured their place in the finals, Lucas and Barry discussed their strategy, determined to defeat Paul and avenge their earlier loss.

Over the past few days, they had studied Paul's team, noting the absence of his powerful Electabuzz and Gible. The strongest Pokémon in his current lineup was Ursaring.

Theoretically, as long as they prepared for Ursaring, victory shouldn't be difficult.

Oddly enough, though the most troublesome Pokémon in their analysis wasn't the towering Ursaring, the cold and calculated Dewott, or even the brave Turtwig—it was the seemingly inconspicuous Vulpix.

"This Vulpix is driving me nuts!" Barry groaned in frustration.

"Same here…" Lucas sighed, smiling bitterly.

"Vulpix, a Fire-type Pokémon with the Flash Fire ability, nullifies Fire-type attacks. It also knows Psychic moves, countering Monferno, Hitmonlee, Heracross, and Roserade—so many of our options."

"On top of that, it can use Sunny Day to halve Prinplup's Water-type damage, employ Gravity to ground flying Pokémon, and it's fast with Agility. How can such a Pokémon even exist?"

"In a one-on-one battle, it wouldn't be so bad. But in doubles, paired with Conway's unpredictable support, it's a nightmare." Lucas added.

"So, what do we do Lucas? If Paul uses Vulpix, are we doomed to lose?"

Lucas suddenly had an epiphany. "Paul using Vulpix isn't guaranteed. Let's stop overthinking it! We'll focus on other strategies and ignore Vulpix for now."

"What if he does use it?"

"Then we fight with everything we've got and accept the outcome."

"Are you serious?"

"What choice do we have? My Eevee hasn't even evolved…"

With no better ideas, Barry reluctantly agreed.

The Finals

The stadium buzzed with excitement as the crowd gathered to witness the grand finale.

"The tournament has reached its climax! After days of fierce battles, we're finally here. Who will claim victory and the coveted leftovers item?" The announcer's voice boomed.

On the battlefield, the finalists prepared for their showdown.

"Lucas, are we really going with this plan?"

"For now, it's the best we've got!"

"Alright, let's give it everything we've got!"

Barry and Lucas released their Pokémon simultaneously.

"Go, Staravia!"

"Go, Magmar!"

"Caw!"

"Fwoosh!"

Staravia soared into the air while Magmar radiated intense heat.

"Bold choice." Conway remarked, adjusting his glasses. "Looks like they've abandoned their strategy against Vulpix entirely. Should we adapt and double our chances?"

"No need." Paul replied, tossing his Poké Ball. "Turtwig, get ready!"

"Twig!"

Turtwig landed on the field, brimming with determination and ready to fight.

"Let's stick to the plan." Paul said, smirking as he prepared for battle.

A sly smile crept across the corner of Conway's lips as he threw his Poké Ball.

"Dusknoir, it's your time to shine!"

A robust, single-eyed Pokémon floated in the air, calmly observing its opponent.

(To be continued)...

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