"What's going on?!"
Both Lucas and Paul were instantly on high alert, turning their gaze toward the source of the sudden commotion.
The Steel-type Pokémon that had just been sparring with Electabuzz and the others were now frozen in place, their bodies crackling with eerie blue electricity. A painful groan escaped their mouths, their eyes flickering with a faint blue glow.
And then—
They suddenly went out of control, attacking everything around them with reckless abandon.
Paul's Pokémon were no exception.
The unexpected assault from their sparring partners caught Electabuzz and the others off guard, leaving them all injured in the initial strike.
However, once they processed what was happening, anger immediately flared within them.
We train with you, and this is how you repay us? A sneak attack?!
Fine, if you want a fight—
We'll give you one!
It was important to note: not a single Pokémon in Paul's current lineup had a mild temperament.
A battle-hardened Electabuzz, a rampaging Ursaring, a merciless Dewott, a relentless Gabite, and an explosive Ninetales—even Skorupi, the smallest and seemingly least threatening of the bunch, was no pushover.
"Buzzzzz!"
Electabuzz let out a sharp battle cry.
Attack!
Without hesitation, all six Pokémon unleashed their strongest moves against the rampaging Steel-types.
As for why these Pokémon had suddenly lost control?
That didn't matter.
Subdue them first—ask questions later!
"Paul, your Pokémon are... this fearless?"
At first, when Lucas saw the out-of-control Steel-types, his heart skipped a beat. His first instinct was to warn Paul to retreat.
But to his shock, not one of Paul's Pokémon backed down. Even Skorupi, a Poison-type, fearlessly charged in to attack these wild Steel-types.
The sight left Lucas utterly stunned.
This wasn't just a couple of Steel-types—there were dozens of them!
Yet, because Paul's Pokémon had drawn most of their attention, both trainers themselves were temporarily safe.
"They can handle it." Paul replied calmly, though his sharp gaze never left the battlefield, carefully tracking each Pokémon's movements.
That said, the situation wasn't ideal.
Electabuzz and the others were still wearing various training weights equipment that severely limited their speed.
Against the unpredictable mindless attacks of the rampaging Pokémon, even dodging became difficult.
"We can't just leave this to your team! Everyone, let's go!"
Lucas rallied his Pokémon, and save for his Togetic, every one of them charged into battle.
Flames and lightning erupted across the battlefield as steel clashed against steel. The scene turned into utter chaos.
However, with Lucas' Pokémon splitting the enemy's attention, the overwhelming pressure on Electabuzz and the others was significantly reduced.
Togetic wasn't just sitting on the sidelines either—it used Wish from afar, healing injured allies and stabilizing the battlefield.
With a total of eleven Pokémon now fighting back at full force, the tide of battle began to shift.
Though the uncontrollable Steel-types had enhanced strength, their attacks were wild and uncoordinated, relying on brute force rather than strategy.
For most of Paul's Pokémon, this wasn't a problem.
For Skorupi, however, it was an absolute nightmare.
The small scorpion Pokémon was forced into constant evasion while using Hone Claws and Focus Energy to gradually power itself up.
"Kuuuu—!"
At last, Skorupi spotted an opening.
Raising both pincers, it locked onto an Aggron engaged in combat with Electabuzz.
A white glow flickered around its claws—Pin Missile, fire!
"Swish! Swish!"
A barrage of sharp needles cut through the air, striking Aggron square in its weakened state. With a final groan, the Steel-type collapsed to the ground.
But before Skorupi could celebrate its hard-earned victory—
WHAM!
A Lairon, not much bigger than itself, blindsided it with a full-body charge, sending Skorupi tumbling across the battlefield.
"Kuuuu!"
Skorupi's excitement vanished in an instant, replaced by seething fury.
Its eyes locked onto the Lairon with a murderous glare.
But this time—Skorupi didn't dodge. It charged straight in.
At that moment, everything clicked—its training, its instincts, its Scope Lens, its mastery of Focus Energy.
For the first time, Skorupi could see everything—every weakness, every vulnerable point on its opponent's body.
"Kuuuu!"
Dark energy surged across its pincers and tail, forming a deadly combination attack.
Night Slash—direct hit!
Critical hit!
Sniper ability activated—damage amplified!
Even in its frenzied state, Lairon couldn't withstand such a devastating strike.
With a final agonized cry, it collapsed on the spot.
Something changed within Skorupi at that moment.
It wasn't just seeing one Pokémon's weaknesses—it could see them all.
Without hesitation, it dashed forward toward the next target.
One by one, more and more Pokémon fell before its precise calculated strikes.
The battle raged on.
Paul's Pokémon had all mastered boosting techniques, using every spare moment to reinforce themselves mid-fight.
By carefully stacking their buffs, they soon gained the upper hand, overwhelming their opponents despite being outnumbered.
And finally—
As Skorupi landed the finishing blow on a Steelix, its Night Slash striking true—
The battle was over.
The remaining Pokémon, now victorious, let out cheers, celebrating the hard-fought battle.
But Skorupi… remained unnervingly silent.
A strange calmness overtook its body.
"Kuuu!"
A sudden burst of light engulfed it.
"I-It's evolving?!"
Lucas was stunned, but Paul merely nodded. He had expected this.
Skorupi had already been at the brink of evolution when he retrieved it from the Pokémon Center.
Now, after this intense battle, it had finally gained the last bit of experience it needed.
Before everyone's eyes, the white glow surrounding Skorupi slowly faded—
And in its place stood a towering, Drapion.
Its armored purple body, its menacing triple pincers—one look from those piercing red eyes was enough to make even the bravest trainers shudder.
"RAAAAAH!"
After evolving, Drapion let out a furious roar, fully unleashing its emotions.
Once it calmed down, Drapion locked its sharp gaze onto Paul.
"Not bad."
Paul's lips curled slightly, offering his approval.
Compared to the evolution itself, the shattered Power Item—completely destroyed by Skorupi's transformation—now seemed utterly insignificant.
"Whoa—hold on a second... Something's not right here. Why is it this big?"
After watching Drapion's evolution, Lucas suddenly noticed an unusual trend—
Why did all of Paul's Pokémon seem to be way bigger than normal?
A towering Ursaring over three meters tall, a Ninetales visibly larger than the ones shown in battle footage, a Dewott and an Electabuzz exceeding standard size...
And now, a Drapion that stood nearly 2.5 meters tall—far larger than its species' usual size.
Is this a giant alliance?
Each Pokémon was bigger than the last, each one radiating an even more intense sense of pressure.
But what baffled Lucas the most was that Grotle.
Back when it was a Turtwig, it had seemed completely normal... So how did it get this big after evolving?
"As long as you raise them properly, it's possible."
For once, Paul gave a serious response.
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