Chapter 247: Red VS Leon (Part 1)

Wyndon Stadium, Galar Region – World Coronation Series Finals

"Trainers, send out your first Pokémon!"

As the referee's voice echoed through the packed stadium, the excitement in Leon's eyes sparkled, while Red remained silent and focused. Both Champions simultaneously released their first Pokémon.

With twin flashes of light, a cheerful Partner Cap Pikachu and a formidable Aegislash appeared on the field.

"Battle, begin!"

Even before the referee's declaration had fully landed, Pikachu let out a sharp "Pika!" and its figure blurred out of sight. In an instant, it launched a Quick Attack empowered by Agility, its momentum further amplified by Electric Terrain as it streaked toward Aegislash at blinding speed.

The velocity was terrifying—too fast for the naked eye to follow.

But Aegislash, Leon's trusted partner wasn't fazed. Unable to track the movement visually, it relied on instinct, shifting into Shield Forme and activating King's Shield just in time to block the oncoming assault. The defensive move reduced Pikachu's attack power while reflecting it backward.

Seizing the opening, Aegislash's blade began to glow with a white light. With a swift strike, it unleashed Sacred Sword, aiming directly at the airborne Pikachu.

"Pika!"

But just before impact, Pikachu generated an Electromagnetic Field, narrowly evading the strike in midair. From above, it retaliated with a fierce Thunderbolt.

Aegislash twisted in midair, raising its Sacred Sword to meet the incoming electricity. Steel clashed with lightning, and the energy burst apart in a dazzling flash.

It was about to pursue Pikachu with another Sacred Sword when it realized something was wrong—it was now surrounded by countless Pikachu, all drifting through the sky on electromagnetic waves, a field of illusions enhanced by Magnet Rise.

Without hesitation, Aegislash canceled its previous move and launched Air Slash. A storm of sharp wind blades scattered in every direction, slicing through the sky and dispelling every last Pikachu illusion.

"Pika…"

But at that exact moment, a soft cry echoed from directly below. To Aegislash's surprise, Pikachu had somehow slipped beneath it, activating Nasty Plot from underneath to boost its special attack power.

As Aegislash reacted, a surge of Electroweb spread upward from Pikachu, wrapped in a special Paralyzing Wave that disrupted Aegislash's movements and left it paralyzed.

Not wasting a second, Pikachu launched the Electroweb with incredible force, aiming to entangle its opponent.

Aegislash responded instantly, conjuring multiple Shadow Balls and firing them into the web. Following up, it struck the web with another Sacred Sword, the dual assault overwhelming the electric trap and shattering it apart.

But the sword strike didn't stop—it continued toward Pikachu.

Only… Pikachu vanished on contact. It had been a Substitute all along.

"Electro Ball!" Red's voice rang out sharply.

From above, the real Pikachu appeared, its tail crackling as it formed an Electro Ball, hurling it down with pinpoint precision. The sphere collided with Aegislash, delivering solid damage.

Then came the finishing blow—Thunder, crashing down with unrelenting force and finally knocking out Aegislash.

But just as the dust began to settle, a chilling pulse of violet energy surged out—Destiny Bond.

Even as Aegislash fell, it dragged Pikachu down with it. The crowd gasped. Both Pokémon were now out of the match.

With that, each side had lost one Pokémon.

Next, the two sent out their respective Pokémon: Lapras and Rillaboom.

Rillaboom wasted no time. The moment it entered the battlefield, it pounded rhythmically on its drum—summoning a swarm of grassy vines from the ground that whipped toward Lapras with ferocity.

But Lapras stood its ground fearlessly. Opening its mouth wide, it unleashed a violent Blizzard that instantly froze the advancing vines and carried forward, barreling toward Rillaboom.

In response, the drumbeats grew faster, more intense. Under Rillaboom's masterful control, the vines reshaped themselves into a protective shield, blocking the icy storm with near-perfect timing.

Just as the audience assumed the clash had ended for this round, Rillaboom suddenly stomped hard on the ground—triggering a powerful Earthquake that cracked toward Lapras.

But Lapras seemed to have anticipated this. It activated Psychic, lifting its body off the ground and completely evading the tremors.

Taking advantage of its aerial position, Lapras dove from above and launched a devastating Body Slam down at Rillaboom.

Yet Rillaboom didn't flinch. It planted its drum firmly into the earth and roared, meeting the falling Lapras with a surging High Horsepower.

The two forces collided midair—Lapras' offensive momentum shattered instantly, and its body was knocked from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground.

Sensing an opportunity, Rillaboom pressed the assault. It raised both arms and conjured a massive Seed Bomb, hurling it down at the vulnerable Lapras.

But in that very instant, an overwhelming chill burst from Lapras' body—Sheer Cold activated!

The Seed Bomb hadn't even made impact before it was frozen midair, shattering under the sheer frost. The wave of lethal cold surged forward, hurtling toward Rillaboom.

With no time to evade, Rillaboom made a fateful choice: it abandoned defense and unleashed everything it had. With fierce momentum, it charged through the freezing air using Giga Impact, bracing against the Sheer Cold as it tore toward Lapras.

The two terrifying forces collided head-on. Rillaboom's brute strength barreled through the numbing frost, and it smashed into Lapras with explosive force.

Yet neither side emerged victorious.

The Giga Impact inflicted massive damage on Lapras, but the Sheer Cold had also nearly felled Rillaboom in a single blow.

Both Pokémon staggered and gasping, but neither went down.

In the end, each managed to summon one final attack.

Rillaboom slammed its wooden hammer down on Lapras' head, dealing significant damage. At the same time, Lapras' Blizzard landed at point-blank range, freezing Rillaboom solid in a block of ice.

Two seconds later, Lapras collapsed to the ground, and the ice-covered Rillaboom was likewise rendered unable to battle.

A double knockout.

Everyone watching was left stunned by the mutual defeat.

Among them, however, Paul offered a measured remark:

"Not a bad outcome. I'd say that's a trade in our favor."

"Viree~?"

"Huhh?"

The surrounding Pokémon turned to look at Paul, puzzled.

It was a draw—how could that be considered a win?

Paul explained plainly, "Rillaboom is one of Leon's top three Pokémon in terms of strength. For Lapras to take out one of his main powerhouses—it's a worthwhile trade."

"Think of it like Samurott taking out Torterra or Electivire. Even if it gets knocked out afterward, it's still a win."

What Paul didn't say was that Lapras had other tactical options available—ones that might have been more efficient in defeating Leon.

But perhaps those strategies were too obvious. They might fool others, but not Leon.

So, in order to secure the takedown of Rillaboom, Red chose to bait his opponent with a deliberate opening—sacrificing Lapras to guarantee the result.

"Gaaar!"

Garchomp nodded in firm agreement.

It was like the first time it Mega Evolved: it only managed to defeat an Ursaluna that hadn't powered up with Belly Drum, but even then, it felt like a win.

That moment laid the foundation for the self-confidence it would need to gradually close the gap between it and Ursaluna.

"Keep watching the battle." Paul said calmly. "Learn as much as you can."

With that, the Pokémon settled down again, refocusing on the match.

Just then, Red and Leon each sent out their third Pokémon—

Espeon and Dragapult.

This new matchup was unlike the previous ones.

The moment they took the field, both Pokémon vanished from sight.

Espeon immediately executed the almost cheat-level move, Teleport, appearing behind Dragapult and forming a Shadow Ball in its psychic grip.

Before it could land the hit, Dragapult's form disappeared in a flash.

Recognizing the danger, Espeon abandoned its attack and initiated Calm Mind, trying to adapt and strengthen itself.

But even before the meditative boost could begin, a sense of danger welled up from within. Trusting its instincts, Espeon Teleported away again without hesitation.

No sooner had its form flickered out than Dragapult burst out from another dimension—its previous position had been directly behind where Espeon had just stood.

Dragapult had already anticipated the Phantom Force and swiftly launched a counterattack. From between the horns on its head, the two Dreepy hosted shot out like missiles, racing toward the Espeon.

But Espeon didn't back down. It fired off a Shadow Ball and followed up with a powerful Psychic, sending the two tiny attackers flying backward.

Before Espeon could feel the thrill of victory, however, Dragapult vanished from the battlefield once again. A sharp, searing pain struck from behind—Espeon was sent hurtling through the air.

Phantom Force hit, and it was super effective!

In real battles, Phantom Force doesn't require a full turn of hiding. A Pokémon as strong as Dragapult can vanish and reappear in an instant, striking precisely when it wants.

Even with the ability to use Teleport, Espeon was overwhelmed.

As soon as Phantom Force connected, Dragapult immediately followed up with a Shadow Ball, hurling it directly at Espeon.

Then, ignoring its opponent for the moment, Dragapult activated Dragon Dance and turned back to retrieve its two Dreepy.

By the time it looked back, it saw Espeon had managed to blast apart the Shadow Ball midair—but Dragapult only smirked silently and unleashed another Dragon Darts, firing the Dreepy once more like twin missiles.

This time, empowered by Dragon Dance, Dragon Darts hit even harder. Espeon's counterattacks couldn't keep up. It had no choice but to keep using Teleport to flee.

And so, attacker and evader danced around each other until eventually, Espeon collapsed—defeated at last by Dragapult, who sustained only minor injuries and some stamina loss.

Compared to the speed and power boost gained from Dragon Dance, the cost was negligible.

Despite the turn of events, Red's expression remained unreadable. He recalled his fallen Espeon with a silent flick of his Poké Ball, and silently sent out his next Pokémon.

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