Chapter 212: The Semifinals Begin! Paul VS Lucas (Part 1) – Mega Scizor

From the moment Paul first laid eyes on Lucas, he knew—sooner or later, they were destined to battle.

And when he saw Darkrai's Trainer, Tobias, he realized something even clearer: if he were to face Lucas in this tournament, it would either be one or the other… or, if fate allowed, he might get to battle them both.

Now, with the semifinal matchups confirmed, it was clear who his remaining two opponents would be.

Lucas' Team:

Infernape

Magmortar

Tyrantrum

Gliscor

Scizor

Togekiss

Clefable

Flareon

Salamence

Salamence?

That one caught Paul's attention.

He frowned slightly, his eyes lingering on the last name. When he had previously looked through Lucas' records, Salamence had never appeared.

There was only one explanation—it must've been a recent capture, a secret trump card like the way Conway had suddenly revealed Smeargle during his battles. A hidden ace Lucas had been saving for the right moment.

Perhaps it hadn't been officially registered in time or had been withheld for strategic purposes. Either way, it was now part of his lineup.

Better to prepare a counter-strategy now than regret later.

Paul made his mental adjustments accordingly.

Fortunately, the good news—if it could be called that—was that unlike Conway, Lucas didn't seem capable of constructing intricate battle formations utilizing Dynamax-compatible strategies. At least, not from the available data.

As a tactically-inclined Trainer himself, Paul had to admit: if Lucas had possessed a synergistic team like Conway's, winning the semifinals would've been at least twice as hard.

Even so...

Elsewhere, in a quiet room, three close friends were huddled together discussing strategies for the upcoming semifinals.

Lucas leaned back with confidence.

"Even if my team doesn't form some kind of specialized strategy core like Conway's, I don't face the same major weaknesses that plagued Barry."

Barry blinked. "Wait—what weaknesses are you talking about?"

"It's simple." Lucas smiled. "Let me ask you: how do you handle Stealth Rock and Gravity?"

Stealth Rock punishes grounded switch-ins, while Gravity negates levitation and forces aerial Pokémon down to earth—meaning no matter what, your team will take damage.

It's a straightforward combo, but maddeningly effective.

Barry scratched her head. "Uhh... well... I mean... you think I didn't struggle with it, huh? Like you've got a solution or something?"

Lucas grinned. "I do."

"What?!"

"You'll see tomorrow." He chuckled but sighed afterward. "Even if I can counter those bothersome tactics, Paul's Pokémon are just... monsters. How does he even train them like that?"

As someone proud of his own training methods, Lucas had to admit—Paul was on another level.

"No kidding. Paul's the real deal. He beat me, after all! You've still got a long way to go if you think you can match that." Barry said smugly.

Lucas: "..."

"But still—give it your all, Lucas! I believe in you!" Dawn chimed in, smiling brightly.

"I will." Lucas replied with resolve, his gaze landing on the Poké Balls arranged on the table.

One Poké Ball was placed slightly apart from the others—its positioning deliberate, marking its unique importance.

The Next Day – Grass Arena

"Ladies and gentlemen, after days of fierce battles and countless eliminations, the semifinals are finally here!"

"The strongest four Trainers of this year's Lily of the Valley Conference have taken the stage, ready to showcase their strength!"

"In our first semifinal match, we have Paul from Veilstone City facing off against Lucas from Twinleaf Town!"

"Traditionally, it's incredibly rare for a newcomer Trainer to earn eight badges and qualify for the League in their very first year. To make it all the way to the semifinals—or even the finals—is practically unheard of. Let's look forward to the exciting battle ahead!"

As the announcer hyped up the crowd, the audience roared with excitement while the two Trainers stood silently across from each other, their eyes locked with unwavering determination.

"Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"

At the referee's command, both Paul and Lucas tossed their Poké Balls.

"Scizor, let's go!"

"Hisuian Samurott, prepare for battle!"

"Scizorrr!"

"Chaaah!"

On one side stood a crimson warrior with pincers for hands; on the other, a poised blade-wielder with sharpened leg blades. The tension between them surged like electricity in the air.

"Battle begin! Lucas has the first move!"

But rather than giving a direct command, Lucas slowly raised his left wrist, revealing a sleek wristwatch embedded with a glowing gem—it radiated with brilliant light.

Paul's eyes narrowed. "No way…"

He couldn't help but to wonder.

After all, this was Sinnoh—not Hoenn or Kalos. Mega Stones and Key Stones were virtually impossible to acquire here. He himself had to buy his Mega Stone during a special contest circuit.

Yet somehow, Lucas had managed to obtain a Mega Evolution system?

Typical main character privilege… Paul thought sarcastically.

Lucas placed his palm firmly over the watch.

"Our bond will light the battlefield—Scizor, Mega Evolve!"

A flash of brilliant energy erupted from the Key Stone, and Scizor's form began to shift—its armor thickening, its pincers becoming larger and more menacing.

When the transformation was complete, Mega Scizor stood like a hardened knight, emanating raw power.

"Sci~zorrr!"

A powerful aura exploded outward, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

Hisuian Samurott responded by silently gripping the blades along his legs, his stance sharpened, his focus intense.

"Scizor, use X-Scissor!"

"Zzzrrr!"

With a blinding flash, Scizor vanished from sight—its Agility-boosted speed turning it into a crimson blur that reappeared directly in front of Hisuian Samurott, pincers crossing in an arc toward his opponent.

"Chaaah!"

But Hisuian Samurott was ready. A single, dark-aura-enveloped blade surged forward—Night Slash—aimed precisely at Mega Scizor's vulnerable underbelly.

BOOM!

Even a Mega-Evolved Pokémon isn't immune to pain. Scizor gritted its mandibles but powered through the strike, forcing its pincers down for the full X-Scissor impact.

CLANG!

But Hisuian Samurott's leg blade intercepted the blow, absorbing most of the damage in a perfectly timed block.

Then, with a sudden burst of movement, Hisuian Samurott blades transformed into glowing shell-like edges—Razor Shell—which he launched into a flurry of rapid, slicing strikes.

The barrage fell like crashing waves, one after another, catching Mega Scizor off guard. Several strikes landed cleanly before Scizor could react.

The scattered fragments of Razor Shell shimmered across the battlefield—embedding themselves like Spikes for future use.

Lucas hadn't expected Mega Scizor to be pushed back this hard—but he didn't panic.

"U-turn!"

Just as Hisuian Samurott prepared for another strike, Scizor countered with a sharp pincer blow to Hisuian Samurott's side before retreating into a beam of red energy and returning to Lucas' Poké Ball.

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