"Return, Altaria. You've done well."
Wally withdrew Altaria into its Poké Ball then stepped aside, visibly burdened by self-reproach.
He knew all too well—it was his own lapse in judgment and lack of caution this round that led to Altaria's downfall.
Had he delayed just a bit longer, boosted its stats a little more before making the final push, at worst, the result might've been a mutual knockout.
"Draaah-!"
With Altaria gone, Drapion let out a ragged gasp, eyes gleaming with a feral and vicious light.
Until...
"It's all up to you now, Absol."
Calem stepped forward, tossing out his final Poké Ball.
"Ooooooh—"
The dark-type Pokémon emerged, its slate-blue body cloaked in pristine white fur. A single, crescent-moon-shaped horn curved ominously from the right side of its head, and a subtle aura of foreboding clung to its presence.
"Absol, Mega Evolve!"
Calem pressed his thumb and forefinger against the keystone on his Mega Bracelet, lifting his arm high.
"Sooool!"
Mega Absol's body surged with energy as it transformed, becoming more muscular and formidable. The power of Mega Evolution bristled through its fur, raising every hair on end. The flowing mane on its back fanned out like wings—elegant, yet sharp as blades.
A fearsome pressure radiated from it in waves—so intense that even a mere glance could paralyze the faint of heart with terror.
The battle between Mega Absol and Drapion offered little room for suspense.
Against an opponent whose stamina was already taxed and whose boosted stats had just been nullified by Haze, Mega Absol wasted no time. After Focus Energy set the stage, it burst forward with Quick Attack, narrowly evading Drapion's Pin Missile and closing the distance in a flash.
Drapion, unafraid of its opponent's boldness, launched a coordinated assault—three massive claws slashing in from different angles.
But then, Absol's eyes gleamed with sudden clarity. With a flash of Detect, it slipped through the flurry of attacks and struck with Megahorn, ramming directly into Drapion's side.
A critical hit!
The blow landed true. Drapion was sent skidding backward, clearly exhausted.
Yet Mega Absol showed no sign of slowing down. It charged forward once more, relentless in its assault.
"Hyper Beam, then X-Scissor!"
Drapion dug in its feet, halting its retreat with a stomp. It bellowed a deafening Hyper Beam, then lunged forward with crossed claws gleaming for an X-Scissor.
The attacks were timed with precision—one long-range, one close-quarters, striking in tandem.
Hyper Beam landed first, dealing minor damage and lowering Absol's Special Attack. Then came the decisive strike…
But with a sudden jolt, Drapion froze in place.
The dark aura around Absol's claws faded as it coolly turned away, steps calm and unhurried. Moments later, Drapion collapsed onto the battlefield.
Low on stamina and caught off guard, Drapion had been outpaced by Absol's perfectly timed counterstrike. With Detect and superior reaction, Mega Absol had landed a critical Megahorn before X-Scissor could connect—ending the battle in dramatic fashion.
"Return."
Paul quietly recalled Drapion, his expression was thoughtful. He had once considered Drapion one of the most versatile members of his team.
But after today's battle, he realized it still had several shortcomings—gaps that would need targeted training to address when time allowed.
Next up was Wally, and he was in a bit of a bind—not because his Pokémon couldn't stand up to the cost-heavy Absol, but because…
Several of his team members were actually capable of going toe-to-toe with it. In fact, they had a fair shot at winning.
The problem?
Those particular Pokémon were Garchomp, Gallade, and Altaria—
All three had already been knocked out earlier in the match.
As for the rest of his team, if that Absol hadn't Mega Evolved, his Delcatty might've had a decent chance.
But after it Mega Evolved and gained the Ability Magic Bounce, the matchup became nearly unwinnable for Delcatty.
After deliberating for quite a while, Wally finally sent out the fastest Pokémon on his team—Talonflame, empowered by its Ability Gale Wings.
He figured that with a combination of Tailwind, Agility, Flame Charge, and Double Team, there was still a shot at beating Absol.
The plan made sense—
But in the actual battle, after a prolonged back-and-forth, Absol ultimately overcame it.
Through a smart mix of Rock Tomb, Snarl, and a deadly combo of Detect and Sucker Punch, Absol expended some stamina, but still brought down Talonflame.
"…We did everything we could."
Wally stepped off the field with a note of regret.
But he wasn't upset about the loss itself—
What stung was the missed opportunity. He had seen a real path to victory in his mind… but never got the chance to walk it.
In a standard battle, maybe things would've gone differently.
"We'll cross paths again. There'll be another chance."
"As long as I'm with my Pokémon, everything will be alright!"
Wally gripped the Mega Pendant on his chest, his heart steady with determination.
At that moment, Paul stepped onto the field as well. Like Wally, he found himself in an awkward situation.
Wally's Pokémon had all run out of stamina after the grueling battle against Mega Absol, while Paul hadn't even brought a single Pokémon that held a solid advantage over it.
Garchomp was certainly powerful, but against an Absol capable of predicting moves and striking with Sucker Punch, victory wasn't guaranteed—even if a win was possible, it would be anything but easy.
His Hisuian Samurott which had previously battled against Noland, could hold its own against Mega Absol in theory, but the match-up would be a close one at best.
Yet after weighing all options, Paul had chosen neither of these Pokémon.
Instead, he sent out one that theoretically, had no type advantage at all—
"Froslass, to the field!"
"Eeno~"
Paul's calm voice cut through the tension. A shimmer surrounded him as Froslass emerged from her invisibility, gracefully handed Paul his Rotom Phone, and then floated silently onto the battlefield.
If Mega Absol didn't have the Magic Bounce Ability, then taking it down would have been no harder than defeating a Pikachu.
But because of Magic Bounce which reflects most status moves, Froslass' usual stealth-based strategies—her hallmark Shadow Sneak and other tactics—were largely rendered ineffective.
This battle was a new experience for her: one where her opponent couldn't easily be debuffed or disabled.
"Tactics are off the table—follow my commands carefully. Don't waste energy unless I say so."
Paul issued the order with sharp precision.
"Eeno~"
Froslass responded sweetly, her eerie smile unfazed, and eyes fixed on Mega Absol.
"He's actually using a Froslass?"
Even Calem was caught off guard by Paul's choice.
He had seen Paul's battle footage and knew just how troublesome Froslass could be.
With her Snow Cloak Ability and the use of Double Team, she could vanish completely into a snow-covered battlefield, making it nearly impossible to distinguish her true location.
Even back then, it had been incredibly difficult to defeat her—and now, with her power further enhanced, it would be an even greater challenge.
Fortunately, Absol had the Magic Bounce Ability. That alone would shut down a good portion of her usual tactics.
"Quick Attack, followed by Sucker Punch!"
At the exact moment their eyes met, the battle officially began.
Absol launched forward with blinding speed, his horn cloaked in a swirl of dark energy.
"Double Team. Then, Blizzard!"
"Eeno~!"
Froslass remained perfectly calm. She effortlessly split into dozens of copies that scattered across the field. With a graceful wave of her hand, she summoned a sudden snowfall—then vanished into the blizzard.
Sucker Punch sliced through the position where the original Froslass had stood, but her real body was already nowhere to be found.
(End of Chapter)
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