"Aggron, get ready to battle!"

"Lucario, I choose you!"

"Rrrah!"

"Luca!"

Top 16 — a full 6-on-6 match — and the first round of the Sinnoh League's decisive phase officially began!

"Didn't you say the Lucario from the Veilstone Gym wasn't strong enough? Try him now," Ash said, eyes locked on Paul.

Paul said nothing, but his gaze sharpened.

He knew full well… this was a battle he was destined to lose.

Ash had even crushed Brandon, the one who utterly demolished him. And Paul himself had yet to defeat Brandon…

But that's exactly why he wanted to test his limits today — to see how far he had truly come.

What Paul didn't know, however, was that Ash planned to only use Pokémon caught in Sinnoh for this battle.

His veteran aces?

Those were being saved — for crushing Tobias.

"Aggron, Earth Power!"

"RRAHH!"

Aggron slammed the ground with a fist. This was the Rock Battlefield, which gave Aggron an edge despite the type disadvantage. Paul figured it was worth the gamble.

"Feel the ground beneath you… Lucario, charge in!"

"Lucaa!"

Lucario boosted forward with Extreme Speed! Cracks split across the field from Earth Power, but Lucario danced through them unscathed, the tendrils on its head floating calmly as it moved.

Aggron barely lifted its fist when Lucario was already in front of it.

Lucario raised its palm—

"Force Palm!"

Whooom!

Golden light erupted, and Force Palm detonated against Aggron's chest!

A direct hit!

A quadruple damage strike!

"Now, Aura Sphere!"

"Flash Cannon—!"

BOOM!

Aggron tried to retaliate, but Lucario's Aura Sphere landed first, blasting Aggron off its feet and sending it crashing backward.

"Aggron is unable to battle! Lucario wins!"

The referee's voice rang out.

This kind of overwhelming performance? The judge had only seen it once before—from Tobias.

And to think… Aggron was a higher level than Lucario.

Paul had worked hard to catch that Aggron. It stung.

"Gastrodon, get ready to battle!"

"Come back, Lucario."

Ash recalled his untouched Lucario.

"How're you feeling, Paul?"

Ash was calm, even leisurely.

Paul — like Gary — had real skill. He wasn't like some rookie from Unova trying to act tough.

"The next matchup… how will Ash respond after recalling Lucario? Gastrodon is Paul's second Pokémon, and this marks the first time he's lost a Pokémon in the tournament!"

Ash raised his hand.

"Floatzel, let's go!"

"Fwoooah!"

Floatzel — the evolved form of Buizel — Ash's own!

"Gastrodon, Muddy Water!"

Paul smirked.

He remembered the move style Ash used at Hearthome Gym — erratic but targeted, the so-called "drunken" technique.

He'd adapted that for his own Pokémon. Only two of his team had the knack for it — Drapion and Gastrodon.

Muddy Water surged forth in seemingly random currents, twisting in unpredictable patterns. But the ultimate goal was clear: strike Floatzel.

Paul watched Ash closely, waiting to see surprise or panic.

But Ash… didn't flinch.

Because his Floatzel had also mastered a new technique.

Remember Crasher Wake's Floatzel — the one whose Ice Fang didn't require contact, but could fire a burst of chilling energy from its jaws?

Ash had trained his Floatzel to do the same!

"Ice Fang!"

Ice-type energy burst from Floatzel's mouth, freezing the torrents of Muddy Water into falling shards of ice.

Crack crack crack…

Paul's eyes widened.

He had also faced Crasher Wake, and he knew how rare that technique was.

He'd tried to copy it. His Pokémon had tried.

None had succeeded.

But Ash… had pulled it off.

And Floatzel wasn't finished.

"Ice Fang — attack directly!"

"Gastrodon, Hidden Power!"

Boom!

The attacks collided midair — an explosive clash!

"Stone Edge!"

"Deflect it — Quick Attack!"

Jagged stones shot out from Gastrodon in every direction.

Floatzel inhaled sharply — its neck sacs puffed out — then released a sudden burst of air, propelling the stones back with a powerful water-aided deflection.

Every single rock was returned!

They peppered Gastrodon, not dealing much damage, but the smoke created blocked its vision.

A flash of motion!

A sleek shape dashed forward — ice-laced fists ready.

BAM!

Floatzel's Ice Punch landed squarely!

Crack! Crack!

Ice spread across Gastrodon's body.

"Recover!"

"Too late! Launch it!"

Floatzel's punch lifted Gastrodon into the air!

"Hydro Pump!"

BOOOOOM!!!

Direct hit!

Gastrodon crashed to the ground, knocked out cold.

Paul's second Pokémon, down.

His third choice: Drapion.

He looked at Ash, eyes narrowing.

Aggron and Gastrodon had been intentionally sacrificed early.

It was part of a bigger strategy — to lull Ash into overconfidence, so that when Paul made his move, he could turn the battle around in one swift blow.

But… that plan was already failing.

Ash's expression hadn't changed once.

His calm was… unnerving.

This wasn't the same Ash Paul once underestimated.

"Go, Torterra! It's your time!"

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T/N:

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