Chapter 175: Paul VS Volkner (Part 1) – Electivire’s Brutal Defeat

Electivire suddenly felt uneasy.

But the robot referee didn't allow it time to dwell on that feeling.

"Battle, begin!"

"Dragon Dance! Outrage!"

The moment the battle started, Garchomp charged forward, activating Dragon Dance mid-sprint, awakening the ferocious power deep within its bloodline and boosting its Attack and Speed.

By the time it had closed the distance halfway, the power-up was complete.

With a savage glint in its eyes, Garchomp's pupils burned crimson as it launched into Outrage, its razor-sharp Dragon Claws slashing violently toward Electivire!

"Ice Punch!"

Electivire was ready. Without hesitation, it raised both fists, channeling an icy-blue energy, and swung toward Garchomp in retaliation.

BOOM!

Their attacks clashed with a deafening impact.

Neither side managed to gain the upper hand immediately and they quickly locked into a furious exchange attack, block, counterattack, evade, blow after blow—each refusing to let the other seize control of the battle.

Suddenly, two voices rang out simultaneously.

"Grab it!"

"Dodge—Sand Tomb!"

Electivire smirked mid-fight.

Its twin tails lashed out, reaching to bind Garchomp in place.

However, just as it appeared lost in a frenzied clash, Garchomp abruptly cut its momentum, dodging the tails with a side flip before backflipping away.

The instant it landed, the ground beneath Electivire began to shift.

SWOOSH!

A powerful Sand Tomb erupted beneath Electivire, sucking it into a swirling vortex of sand.

"Elec—?!"

Caught off guard, Electivire sank into the pit, its body continuously battered by the swirling sandstorm.

"Ice Punch! Freeze the ground!"

Despite the situation, Electivire didn't panic.

Its fists glowed with an intense icy-blue aura before slamming into the quicksand below.

The instant the attack connected, the vortex froze solid—creating a solid platform of ice beneath it.

With a powerful leap, Electivire launched itself out of the trap—only to be met midair by an unexpected counterattack.

A row of jagged stone pillars suddenly erupted from the ground, striking Electivire's chest and slamming it back into the Sand Tomb.

CRASH!

"Earthquake!"

Seeing his plan succeed, Paul smirked.

The moment Garchomp landed, it stomped hard on the ground—

RUMBLE—!

A massive tremor shook the battlefield. Electivire, still trapped in the sand, had no way to escape.

The ground ruptured violently, sending shockwaves through Electivire's body, dealing super-effective damage.

It's super effective!

Seeing this, Volkner frowned slightly. But he didn't hesitate.

"Giga Impact!"

"Elec—TROOO!!"

Bruised and battered, Electivire forced itself up, channeling every ounce of its remaining strength into one last all-out charge.

A golden aura surged around it—then, like a missile, it blasted forward!

"Dragon Rush!"

Paul didn't back down. Rather than taking a safer option, he chose to go all in.

Garchomp's killing intent surged as it locked onto Electivire, its entire body cloaked in the spectral image of a roaring blue dragon before launching forward.

BOOM!

Their attacks collided in a massive explosion, shrouding the battlefield in smoke and sending both Pokémon flying in opposite directions.

At first glance, the clash seemed evenly matched—but in reality, the outcome was already decided.

Even after a Dragon Dance boost, Garchomp still couldn't overpower Electivire completely—but it didn't need to.

Unlike Dragon Rush, Giga Impact comes with a drawback.

Even if Volkner had trained Electivire to minimize its downtime, the side effect remained.

Paul's eyes sharpened.

"End it. Earthquake!"

He didn't even give Electivire a chance to recover.

The moment Garchomp landed, it stomped down once more.

BOOM!

Another powerful Earthquake ripped through the battlefield, hitting Electivire the moment it touched the ground—before it could even move.

Electivire collapsed instantly.

"GAAAAR!"

Garbage.

You're not even a fraction as strong as Big Bro.

Garchomp snorted disdainfully, disappointed at how easily its opponent fell.

"Electivire is unable to battle! Garchomp is the winner!" The robot referee announced the result.

"…Volkner was completely dominated?"

Up in the stands, Flint's eyes widened in shock. This was different from Red's battle against Volkner. Red had won by relying on overwhelming strength and his Pokémon's battle instincts. But in terms of raw power, Paul's Garchomp wasn't stronger than Volkner's Electivire.

In fact, if anything, it was slightly weaker.

Garchomp had a typing advantage, yes—

But so did Electivire!

Electivire had multiple tails for increased attack precision. It had Ice Punch, which was 4× super-effective.

Winning was one thing, but this wasn't just a victory. This was a complete shutdown.

"Volkner… what are you going to do now?"

Flint felt an unsettling sense of unease.

If Paul's Garchomp had been as strong as Infernape, then under Paul's command, could it have wiped out his own Infernape just as easily?

"You did well, Electivire." Volkner recalled his Pokémon, feeling the pounding of his heart.

Excitement.

A battle like this was exactly what he had been craving.

"A flawless chain of attacks, a sharp battle sense… Paul, you're impressive."

Paul, however, remained expressionless.

"Return." He withdrew Garchomp.

Flint frowned.

"Why recall it?"

Garchomp had barely taken any damage. It had a Dragon Dance boost and a typing advantage. There was no reason to switch out.

If Paul continued using it, he could probably sweep the rest of Volkner's Gym team.

But Paul didn't even wait for Volkner to send out his next Pokémon before making his move.

He had already decided who would fight next.

"Torterra, your turn."

"—RAAAA!"

With a deep thunderous roar, the colossal Torterra landed on the battlefield, its gigantic shell casting a shadow across the ground.

"Damn… that thing's massive!"

Flint couldn't help but curse.

Gigantamaxed Pokémon? He'd seen plenty. But a naturally enormous Torterra? That was something else.

"Rai—chu…"

Even the Raichu standing behind Volkner was so stunned that it stood up straight in alarm.

"...Next is this guy, go ahead."

Volkner hesitated for a moment, before finally sending out his second Pokémon—

A flash of light revealed a Luxray, standing tall and exuding a powerful, intimidating presence.

Intimidate activated!

Torterra's Attack dropped!

But Torterra wasn't fazed.

It simply turned its head slightly, as if waiting for Paul's command.

"Growth. Full power."

Paul's voice was calm.

"Raaaaa!"

With Paul's signal, Torterra fully unleashed its power, instantly triggering Infinite Growth Mode—

And, at the same time, activated Sunny Day.

(To be continued...)

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