Which One Has the Best Life-Saving Skills?  

This was no longer a battle bound by the League's rules. No longer were Trainers standing safely on the sidelines, issuing commands. This was real combat—a life-or-death struggle where holding back meant certain demise. 

Lightning tore through the night sky like divine wrath, while draconic claws and roars reduced the ship's deck to splinters. Thick vines lashed through the air with whip-like cracks, and razor-sharp leaves sliced through the railings like thrown daggers. 

Though most of the clashes were still between Pokémon, the sheer power of their attacks inevitably spilled over—stray bolts of electricity and slashing gusts breaking through defenses to strike at the Trainers themselves. The moment an opening appeared, thunder and claws would target the human combatants, forcing them to rely on agility, positioning, and seamless coordination with their Pokémon to evade and counter. 

"That's Vermilion City's Gym Leader, Lt. Surge… but this—this kind of battle?!" 

Rookie Trainers gaped in shock at the brutal spectacle, so far removed from the sanitized matches they were used to. This was no performance—both sides fought with lethal intent, every move carrying the weight of life and death. 

More experienced Trainers watched with grim focus, recognizing this as true combat rather than sport. Yet even they wondered: Why is Lt. Surge engaged in a battle to the death with those two in the middle of the night? 

Darach's face was taut with worry as he observed the storm of electricity engulfing the deck—a tempest so dense it left no room for intervention. Clutching a Poké Ball, he prayed Caitlin would emerge unharmed. Yet as her guardian, he also hoped this trial would forge her into a true Trainer, shattering her illusions of battle as mere sport. 

His eyes remained locked on Lt. Surge. The Electric-type specialist lived up to his reputation—an unstoppable force, a one-man army unleashed. Intervening now would be suicide. Darach's only option was to be ready to save Caitlin if the tide turned fatal. 

--- 

"Hold onto me—don't let go!" 

Ryuuske tightened his grip around Caitlin as Gabite darted across the ravaged deck. The expansive area, perfect for large-scale battles, now served as their battleground. But even with Caitlin's slight frame, carrying her while fighting quickly drained his stamina. 

"Gh—!" 

A pained grunt escaped him as stray arcs of lightning—seemingly homing in like guided missiles—slipped past Gabite's defenses to strike his body. The jolts burned like white-hot brands, each hit threatening to lock his muscles in paralyzing agony. 

"Lord Ryuuske, put me down! I can use my own Pokémon to get away—I'm just holding you back!" 

Caitlin's voice was frantic. In just minutes, she'd watched him take over a dozen direct hits—all while shielding her. Even with the protective aura of his Pokémon lessening the damage, the pain had to be excruciating. 

"Don't be ridiculous. Right now, this entire area is Surge's domain. The second you step out of my protection, he'll drop a thunderbolt on you before you can blink. Wait—domain? Damn it, that's why the lightning's homing in!" 

"Dratini, Thunder Wave!" 

The realization hit like a bolt of its own. Ryuuske released Dratini in a flash, and the serpentine Pokémon unleashed Thunder Wave—not at the enemy, but beneath their feet. 

"HAHAHAHA! Finally figured it out, huh? This whole zone's electrified! The magnetic field locks onto your bioelectricity—those lightning strikes always find their mark!" 

Lt. Surge's laughter boomed across the deck. "Raichu, Agility into Wild Charge!" 

Raichu vanished in a blur, reappearing as a storm of crackling bolts converging from all directions. 

Unlike Thunderbolt's concentrated fury, Wild Charge traded raw power for overwhelming coverage. Dodging was impossible. 

Ryuuske's mind raced. "Gabite, Stone Edge! Dratini, Light Screen!" 

The deck erupted in jagged rock formations—an improvised barrier encircling them. Though Stone Edge was an offensive move, Ryuuske repurposed it into a defensive bulwark. Lightning shattered the stones but lost momentum, dissipating against Dratini's shimmering Light Screen. 

"Since when does a damn Dratini know Light Screen?!" 

Lt. Surge's roar was equal parts fury and disbelief. Light Screen wasn't in Dratini's natural movepool—mastering it required grueling training. Yet this kid's Pokémon seemed to pull techniques out of thin air! 

But— 

"Your Dratini's still too weak, brat! Electabuzz, Thunder Punch!" 

CRACK-BOOM! 

With a bestial snarl, Electabuzz leapt skyward, fists crackling with stored voltage. A thunderclap heralded its descent—a hammer-blow aimed straight at Ryuuske's unprotected head. 

No time to dodge—not with Caitlin in my arms! 

"Poliwhirl, intercept it!" 

Ash's voice cut through the chaos as his starter Pokémon lunged, icy fists meeting Electabuzz's electrified strike. 

"Idiot! Sending a Water-type against Electabuzz? Perfect! Electabuzz, Thunder—NOW!" 

Ash cursed inwardly. He knew the type disadvantage was suicidal, but he had no other Pokémon fast enough to intervene. 

Electabuzz's grin turned savage as it clamped onto Poliwhirl, its antennae flaring like lightning rods. The sky split open—a pillar of electricity thicker than a tree trunk slammed down, blasting a crater into the deck. 

The shockwave sent bystanders tumbling. Ash took the brunt of the residual blast, his scream drowned by the thunder as his body convulsed under the voltage. 

"POLIWHIRL!!" 

Ignoring his own searing pain, Ash's gaze locked onto his starter. The Thunder had reduced Poliwhirl's body by a third—its moisture vaporized by the surge. One more hit would finish it. 

"Ash!" 

Seeing Ash draw the lethal strike away, Ryuuske flicked a pebble-sized object with psychic precision. Ash caught it mid-air—and understood instantly. 

Water Stone. Now! 

Evolution—Poliwrath! 

Near-death became rebirth as Poliwhirl's form swelled, its body surging with renewed strength. 

"Our turn! Poliwrath, Dynamic Punch!" 

Electabuzz, still reeling from its own Thunder, had no time to react. Poliwrath's fist caved into its face with a sound like a cannon shot, sending it rocketing through the ship's outer hull in an explosion of shattered steel. 

"Eyes on me, Lt. Surge! Gabite, Dratini—Hyper Beam!" 

No mercy. No hesitation. Twin beams of annihilation erupted from Gabite and Dratini, streaking toward the now-defenseless Gym Leader. 

"You little—!" 

Lt. Surge's reflexes saved him—barely. A hastily thrown Poké Ball released Magneton as a living shield, but even its triple-layered defenses buckled under the dual Hyper Beam's fury. 

BOOOOM! 

The concussive force hurled Lt. Surge into the ship's steel superstructure. Blood sprayed from his lips as ribs groaned under the impact. A direct hit would've vaporized him. 

The S.S. Anne's once-pristine bow now resembled a warzone—gaping holes, smoldering wreckage, and a deck on the verge of collapse. The ship groaned ominously, its structural integrity failing under the barrage. 

Even the spectators paled. This wasn't a battle—it was mutual annihilation.

To be continued…

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