"Aggrrr!"
As expected, after knocking Garchomp away, Aggron lowered his head as if he was suppressing something.
But only seconds later, Aggron lost control once more and charged straight at Garchomp again.
Body Slam!
"Gaaar!"
Thanks to those few seconds of respite, Garchomp had already recovered. As it locked eyes with Aggron, it saw a reflection of its past self in that frenzied expression.
Without hesitation, it entered a state of ancestral bloodline reawakening—its inherited instincts and battle spirit fully unleashed. With a fierce roar, it raised both claws high and met Aggron head-on with a decisive Brick Break.
Two glowing white Dragon Claws collided with Aggron's charge, erupting in a thunderous shockwave.
Enhanced by its wild state, Aggron's Body Slam was stronger than ever. The clash with Garchomp's Brick Break was evenly matched in power.
Knocked apart, Garchomp immediately surged forward again, launching into Outrage, tangling with Aggron in a brutal close-quarters brawl.
Under normal conditions, Aggron was already at a disadvantage in sustained melee combat against Garchomp. Now, in its frenzied and mindless state, it was even less of a match.
Yet Garchomp didn't end the fight quickly with another Brick Break. Instead, it impersonate how Electivire had once trained it—
Holding back its true strength, it deliberately fought at a level slightly above or just below Aggron's current power, stoking Aggron's fury, fighting spirit, and primal strength. The goal was to push Aggron further—
To awaken its dormant potential, to let its rage fully surface and be released.
To the frenzied Aggron, Garchomp appeared like a maddening opponent: sometimes getting beaten down by its strikes, only to suddenly grow stronger and retaliate. And when it burned through its burst of power, Garchomp would weaken again—only to be battered once more.
Again and again... like an endless cycle.
Half an hour passed. In the final clash, Aggron summoned everything it had left—unleashing Dragon Claw, a move it had instinctively learned in the heat of its rage.
With a fierce lunge, the claw struck Garchomp square in the abdomen, forcing it to one knee from the sheer impact.
One more hit—any hit—would've finished Garchomp off!
But before it could deliver the final blow, Aggron's body suddenly trembled and collapsed.
Rough Skin—recoil damage!
"Gaaaar~"
Seeing Aggron collapsed, Garchomp slumped onto the ground as well, gasping for breath in an utterly ungraceful manner.
This battle had finally given it a taste of just how difficult it was when Electivire had once held back its true power to spar with it.
Back then, Electivire had been going easy—really easy. But the more you hold back, the more likely you are to land yourself in trouble.
Had it not activated its Rough Skin ability at the last moment, it might've been overpowered by the rampaging Aggron.
"Gaar~"
"How are you feeling?"
Surrounded by his Pokémon, Paul walked over and tossed a few Sitrus Berries to Garchomp.
Garchomp understood Paul was asking about Aggron's condition and shook its head helplessly.
Despite Aggron's ferocity in battle, this so-called "Bloodline Awakening" mode wasn't particularly strong—not compared to the advanced state developed by the Charizard's temporary outbursts.
Aside from mindlessly going wild, Aggron's transformation seemed... different.
Perhaps due to its species traits, even when pushed to its limit, Aggron's Bloodline Awakening didn't massively boost its strength or speed—instead, its defensive capabilities saw the most notable improvement.
"It's a beginning. Keep training."
The fact that it had managed to trigger this form at all was already remarkable. Mastering it would be the next step. Control takes time—no need to rush it.
"From now on, Aggron's training is your responsibility, Garchomp."
"Gaar~!"
As the first to benefit from Bloodline Awakening, Garchomp was more than willing to take on the task—it was only right!
But in the very next moment, Paul's words made it freeze mid-celebration.
"Time to send you two back for focused training."
Nodding with satisfaction, Paul took out their Poké Balls and recalled both Garchomp—still stunned and the collapsed Aggron.
Both had reached significant breakthroughs, and keeping them with him now wouldn't be especially productive. It had also been some time since they'd rotated the team—it was the perfect moment to send them back and bring in a new batch of Pokémon.
Of course, they weren't the only ones being cycled out.
"Froslass, Drapion—you two as well. Head back and focus on your specialized training."
Paul glanced over at Froslass as she drifted gently down from the ice pillar, while Drapion watched quietly from the sidelines.
In recent days, he had come up with new training plans for both of them. For Froslass , she would return to focus on refining her Ghostly Flame Aura—aiming to integrate Ice- or Ghost-type energy into it. In addition, she was to study Curse and Grudge, two moves that could enhance her tactical role in his team.
Curse spoke for itself. While Froslass couldn't learn it in the games, real-world battle studies had documented rare cases of Froslass mastering the move through unconventional methods. It was said to be an incredibly difficult skill to acquire—no less challenging than a Garchomp learning Dragon Dance.
Whether Froslass could truly master Curse within a week was uncertain. But if she did… then in any battle where her opponent failed to take her down quickly, she'd be in a position to win with far less effort.
As for Grudge—in the games, the move causes the opponent's last-used move to lose 4 PP. But in real-life battle theory, its function was more intense: it directly sapped the opponent's stamina, equal to four times the energy cost of the last move or ability used.
That said, against hardy opponents in the Honor Class or Elite Four tier, who had reserves of stamina to spare, the effect was usually negligible. But if an opponent had just expended a high-cost move and then got hit with Grudge... it could turn the tide immediately.
While Froslass also couldn't learn Grudge in the games, the reality was quite different. The move wasn't too difficult to pick up—most Ghost-type Pokémon could learn it with the right intent and training.
Still, it wasn't a popular choice among trainers or their Pokémon, due to its awkward tempo and reliance on specific conditions.
But for a Froslass who had fully embraced the "Shadow Phantasm Tactics"—it was the perfect fit.
As for Drapion, his case was simpler: Paul would send him back for further development, to improve his overall battle metrics—and along the way, to pick up a few moves that could counter fast high-burst attackers.
"Eeno~"
Though clearly reluctant, Froslass showed no sadness. Her large pristine eyes stayed fixed on Paul, undeterred and unwavering.
For most people, being stared at like that would stir feelings of guilt or softness. But for Paul, such reactions didn't exist.
"Draah~"
Drapion clacked his pincers playfully, showing no signs of displeasure at the assignment.
In fact, the thought of going back to either beat up his mentors or get beaten up by them again… actually made him feel a little excited.
"I'll send the specific training plan to my brother—he'll help guide them through it."
With that, Paul took out their Poké Balls and returned both Pokémon.
Thanks to the recent expansion of the Pokémon facility and other related projects, Reggie had finally wrapped up most of his duties. So right now, he should be relatively free.
It was the perfect opportunity to send the Pokémon back—entrusting them to Reggie while he had time would ensure they were well looked after.
(End of Chapter)
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