Chapter 38: Cloyster vs Arcanine! (2)

"Iron Defense, Spike Cannon!"

Seeing the cracks forming along Cloyster's shell, Mizuharu immediately gave the command. The longer the battle dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became for Cloyster.

"Outspeed it!" Ash's lips curled into a confident smirk as he watched the cannon forming at Cloyster's horn. Arcanine, standing on a floating platform in the pool, suddenly dashed to the side. Its speed was astounding—comparable even to Pikachu after activating Cell Activation!

At this kind of velocity, if Arcanine were to face a move like Earthquake, it wouldn't be able to endure it like before—evasion would be its only hope.

Boom!!!

Cloyster's Spike Cannon shot forward at high speed but struck only a floating platform, shattering it and sending a wave of water splashing across the pool. The impact rippled outward in concentric circles.

"Arcanine, use Flame Charge!"

Without hesitation, Ash gave the next command. Arcanine let out a roar, its body engulfed in swirling flames that formed a spinning wheel of fire.

Boom!!!

Screeeeech!!!

Cloyster screamed as the fiery wheel crashed into it. The cracks on its shell widened, now dangerously deep from the impact of Flame Charge.

"Unbelievable… Cloyster's clearly at a disadvantage now. This guy's way stronger than the trainers from the other starter towns who came here before." Peony, who was serving as the referee, looked on anxiously.

"Even after all that damage, Cloyster hasn't lost its fighting ability. Its defense is really incredible." Ash frowned slightly, impressed but also wary of just how tough Cloyster was. Like a cockroach that just wouldn't go down.

"Looks like it's nearing its limit… I guess I'll have to take a risk." Mizuharu muttered under his breath, surprised. "This kid is way more battle-aware than Garan said…"

"Cloyster, use Water Pulse!"

With Cloyster nearing its limit, Mizuharu made a bold move. Many rookie trainers would panic and only defend when their Pokémon were injured. But that kind of hesitation usually led to defeat. Sometimes, letting go and going all-in was the only way to turn the tide—even if you lose, you can still put serious pressure on your opponent.

"Hurragh!" Cloyster responded to the command, slamming its shell halves together. At the tips of its shell, water-blue energy began to glow, forming a pulsating orb of water that it fired straight at Arcanine.

The blue wave shot out, stirring up the pool as it went. Ripples surged outward, creating a rolling tide across the battlefield.

"That's a powerful move… Going all in, huh? And with such a wide area of effect too. Dammit. Arcanine can't move freely in this terrain!"

"In that case…" Ash's gaze sharpened. "Let's show him the secret of fire. Arcanine—use Fire Suppression!"

At that moment, Ash's eyes changed. His naturally red pupils were now highlighted with three tomoe—his Sharingan had awakened. Only Brock noticed the change.

Through the lens of the Sharingan, Ash could see the water energy radiating from Cloyster's Water Pulse in vivid detail—its structure, its flow, everything.

"The mystery of fire?" Mizuharu frowned. The phrase usually referred to high-tier Fire-type techniques, but Ash clearly wasn't referring to a conventional move.

Sure enough, before Mizuharu could process it fully, Arcanine let out a deep roar. Its body glowed bright red as it entered the Blaze state, a battle trance that pushed its firepower beyond normal limits. While it hadn't mastered Fire Suppression yet, Ash and Arcanine had trained enough to mimic the move using the temporary effects of Blaze.

In a flash, Arcanine unleashed a stream of fire over 30 meters long, engulfing the entire water arena. If the battlefield had been any smaller, even the spectators would have been caught in the blaze.

"The size of that attack… How did he develop such a skill!?" Mizuharu was stunned, unable to describe what he was seeing.

BOOM!!!

BOOOOOM!!!

Cloyster's Water Pulse was completely swallowed up by the flames before it could make contact. Not a single drop made it through. The fire continued forward, barreling toward Cloyster with unstoppable momentum.

Already at its limit, Cloyster couldn't hold on any longer. It collapsed with a pained groan, steam rising from its burned shell. If it wasn't treated immediately, the injuries could be life-threatening.

Arcanine, too, was gasping. Fire Suppression was still beyond its full control, and the Blaze state had drained its stamina. Its energy was now cut in half—but it had won.

"Cloyster is unable to battle. Arcanine wins. Please send out your next Pokémon!"

As the battle concluded, referee Peony raised her flag professionally to announce the result. Though she wasn't particularly powerful as a Trainer, her skills as a referee were reliable.

"Incredible… I didn't expect Ash to pull off such a powerful move. Looks like Garan really underestimated you," Mizuharu said after a moment of silence, withdrawing her defeated Cloyster.

To think her Pokémon, trained to the level of an Elite Four contender, was defeated by Ash's Arcanine, still at the mid-stage of the same rank... If Garan hadn't mentioned Ash beforehand, she might not have believed it. But facts speak louder than words.

"You flatter me, Granny Mizue" Ash replied humbly, recalling Arcanine back into its Poké Ball. "But we should get Cloyster to Brock right away. If we wait too long, its injuries could become life-threatening."

Brock, equipped with the Full Restore Capsules he had refined using Ash's recipe, was ready. As soon as Mizuharu handed over Cloyster's Poké Ball, Brock began treatment.

Without delay, Mizuharu pulled out another Poké Ball and tossed it onto the battlefield.

With a flash of light, a Dewgong emerged in the pool. The battlefield, however, had already been transformed—due to Arcanine's earlier Fire Suppression, more than half the pool's water had evaporated. Thick black scorch marks stained the surrounding walls, a clear testament to the ferocity of Arcanine's flames.

…

TN:

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