"Skorupi, use Pin Missile!"
Skorupi raised its claws forward, launching another barrage of Pin Missiles toward its target.
"Swampert, Ice Beam!"
If the battlefield that favored him was gone, then he would simply create a new one.
Swampert leaped to the side, gathering ice energy in its hands before firing a freezing beam into the water. The moment the beam made contact, the surface froze over, allowing Swampert to glide across the ice, avoiding the attacks.
However, Skorupi, having sharpened its claws multiple times, was no longer the same weak opponent from the start. The power behind its Pin Missile was overwhelming. While the first wave of attacks merely forced Swampert on the defensive, the subsequent missiles sealed off every possible escape route.
If Swampert stayed out of the water, it would inevitably be hit.
If it jumped into the water, it could avoid some attacks but would surely be poisoned!
With no other options, Swampert took the plunge, diving beneath the water's surface. Though it was struck by a few Pin Missiles, it managed to take cover under a floating platform, avoiding the rest of the bombardment.
"Keep firing! Don't stop!"
Noticing that Skorupi was about to cease its attack, Paul immediately intervened.
"Kuuu!"
Upon hearing its Trainer's command, Skorupi intensified its assault, launching even more Pin Missiles into the water. Swampert dared not to expose even a fraction of its body above the surface. Worse yet, the lingering poison in its system worsened, progressing from standard poisoning to a more severe toxic condition!
"If he won't let you come out, then stay hidden! Swampert, use Haze!"
Crasher Wake realized that Skorupi had gained far too many stat boosts from its earlier Hone Claws. In a direct confrontation, Swampert simply wasn't a match anymore.
Beneath the water, Swampert released a thin, dark mist that began spreading across the entire battlefield, gradually drifting toward Skorupi's position.
"Get in the water!"
To prevent its stat boosts from being nullified, Skorupi dove into the water—an area unaffected by Haze—swimming straight toward Swampert.
Seeing that Skorupi was now underwater, Swampert wasted no time leaping back onto the floating platform.
"Pin Missile!"
On land, Swampert's speed was not its strong suit, and Paul had no concerns about it escaping.
From beneath the surface, Skorupi launched another barrage of Pin Missiles, forcing Swampert toward the water once again.
"Swampert, use Earthquake!"
With a dopey grin, Swampert stomped down—activating Earthquake.
The entire pool trembled violently. The shockwaves disrupted the trajectory of the Pin Missiles, significantly weakening their power before they could even emerge from the water.
Although Skorupi wasn't particularly weak to water, it wasn't capable of breathing underwater either. The tremors sent it into a brief moment of disarray, causing it to choke on water.
Before the Earthquake even subsided, Skorupi was forced back onto the floating platform—right into the lingering Haze.
All of its stat boosts vanished in an instant, bringing it back to its base state.
"Well, kid? How do you like my Swampert's Earthquake?"
Crasher Wake grinned at Skorupi's predicament before giving his next command.
"Swampert, Ice Beam!"
Blue energy once again gathered in Swampert's hands as it fired a chilling beam straight at Skorupi.
Before the attack could land, Paul recalled Skorupi into its Poké Ball.
Unbothered, Swampert redirected its Ice Beam toward the water's surface, freezing the entire battlefield to ensure the next Pokémon Paul sent out wouldn't fall into the poison-infested waters.
"Dewott, prepare for battle!"
As the Haze dissipated, Dewott appeared atop the now-icy battlefield. It wasted no time activating Focus Energy, sharpening its mental state.
"Aqua Blade!"
Beneath its feet, water surged. Dewott drew its twin blades and charged straight at Swampert.
"That speed… Swampert, use Muddy Water!"
Startled by Dewott's sudden burst of speed, Crasher Wake quickly issued a counter-command.
"Whhoooom!"
Swampert responded swiftly, summoning a massive surge of murky water that crashed toward Dewott like a tidal wave.
However, in a split second, a streak of blue light cut through the wave. In the next instant, Dewott had already appeared beside Swampert—both of its Aqua Blades striking simultaneously.
A critical hit!
BANG!
BANG!
The attacks sent Swampert flying across the battlefield, slamming into the edge of the pool.
As the lingering Muddy Water dispersed, turning into scattered droplets, Swampert attempted to push itself up using its hands.
But then—A surge of venom coursed through its body.
The toxic condition took hold.
Its body stiffened.
Swampert collapsed.
"Swampert is unable to battle! Dewott is the winner!"
The referee declared the result.
"Come back, Swampert. You did well—take a good rest."
Recalling his Pokémon, Crasher Wake grinned.
"Paul, that was a fantastic battle. Your choices and strategy were excellent, and this Dewott of yours… it's been raised quite well. I'm impressed."
"But now…"
"I'll be sending out my final Pokémon!"
"Let's go, Floatzel!"
"Fwooshhh~"
A sleek, confident Floatzel landed gracefully on the icy battlefield, staring down Dewott with unwavering determination.
"Dewott, Aqua Blade!"
At Paul's command, water surged beneath Dewott's feet once more. In an instant, it dashed forward, slashing down with both blades at full force.
"Block it!"
Floatzel's flotation sac suddenly expanded, inflating like an air barrier right in front of the incoming attack.
No matter how hard Dewott slashed, it couldn't pierce through.
"Floatzel's flotation sac has undergone specialized training—it won't break that easily."
"Now, bounce it back!"
Crasher Wake boasted proudly, completely unaware of the subtle smirk forming at the corner of Paul's lips.
"Hmph…"
With a confident chuckle, Floatzel prepared to repel Dewott just like it had done countless times before.
But the next moment—
Dewott suddenly retracted its scalchops.
With lightning speed, it shifted its stance—thrusting both Aqua Blades downward and upward at the same time, striking Floatzel squarely in the stomach and head—two spots entirely unprotected by its flotation sac!
A critical hit!
"What?!"
Crasher Wake's expression twisted in shock.
But the assault wasn't over yet.
"Aerial Ace!"
Dewott's scalchops whirled through the air, sending dozens of wind blades slicing across the battlefield.
BANG!
Another critical hit!
As the dust settled, Floatzel, once brimming with confidence, lay unconscious on the ground—unable to continue.
"Floatzel is unable to battle! Dewott wins! The winner of this Gym Battle is Paul!"
The referee announced.
Crasher Wake was dumbfounded.
He had personally trained Floatzel's flotation sac to withstand even high-level Hyper Beam attacks head-on.
And yet—Paul didn't even bother breaking it.
He simply saw through its flaw, striking where it was unguarded.
And every single attack was a critical hit—mercilessly finishing the battle in a single combo.
"Cha-cha~"
Dewott sheathed its scalchops back at its sides, casting a disdainful glance at the fallen Floatzel.
When it came to pure strength and durability, it might not have been Floatzel's equal.
But defeating a Pokémon that was confident in itself? That was easy.
"Come back, Floatzel. Get some good rest."
Retrieving his Pokémon, Crasher Wake gazed at Paul, who was calmly recalling his Dewott from the battlefield. A wave of admiration washed over him.
"That kid is really something…" Crasher Wake thought. "His Pokémon were raised to an incredible level, and his ability to observe the battle is exceptional."
"Paul, your strength, tactics, and observation skills are impressive—far beyond what Reggie had back in the day. You've earned this Fen Badge, fair and square."
Stepping forward, Crasher Wake handed the badge to Paul.
"Thanks... but—"
After accepting the badge, Paul turned to leave. However, before he walked away, he left behind one final remark—completely devoid of mercy:
"Your battle style hasn't improved at all over the years. It's the same old routine."
If Crasher Wake didn't change his lineup, Paul could have just sent out Dewott from the start and steamrolled through the match. A clean 3-0 sweep—effortless.
Under normal circumstances, the battle wouldn't have lasted more than three minutes.
"This brat…"
Crasher Wake's face darkened upon hearing Paul's parting words.
For a brief moment, he had to fight the urge to charge forward and suplex the kid—just to remind him why they called him the Extreme Masked!
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