"Torterra, prepare for battle!"
A flash of light, and a massive land turtle appeared on the field. A small tree grew on its heavy shell, its limbs thick like pillars, and its entire body exuded an aura of calm, as steady as a mountain.
Torterra, Elite Advanced Level!
Although both Electivire and Torterra are Paul's aces, Torterra's strength surpasses Electivire's.
Back when Electivire hadn't reached the Elite Level, Torterra was already there. Electivire's talent may be terrifying, but as Paul's Starter Pokemon, Torterra's talent is also extraordinary.
Even now, Torterra remains the strongest Pokemon in Paul's hands.
"Torterra, use Earthquake!"
Paul initiated the attack. Torterra lifted its front leg and stomped heavily on the ground!
"Boom—!!"
The entire battlefield trembled violently, cracks spreading in all directions from beneath Torterra's feet. The seismic wave, carrying destructive power, surged toward Dusknoir.
"Dusknoir, Levitate," Brandon said calmly.
Dusknoir's body floated at the last crucial moment, the seismic wave passing beneath it without causing any damage.
"As expected..."
Paul wasn't surprised. A seasoned veteran like Brandon could not possibly lack means to guard against Ground Type moves.
"Torterra, Razor Leaf!"
"Dusknoir, Ice Punch!"
The two commands were issued almost simultaneously. Torterra raised its head and fired dozens of Razor Leaf blades, while Dusknoir's right fist condensed with ice, smashing straight toward Torterra.
The Ice Punch landed solidly on Torterra's shell, Ice Type moves being four times effective against Torterra's Grass and Ground attributes. It let out a muffled roar as its shell instantly frosted over, its limbs stiffening somewhat.
Even though its level was higher than Dusknoir's, the four-times effectiveness was too damaging; the fully healthy Torterra was nearly knocked out by that one Ice Punch!
But the Razor Leaf also hit Dusknoir squarely, carving several cracks into its body, halting its actions abruptly.
"Now, Torterra, use Giga Drain!" Paul seized the moment of Dusknoir's pause and immediately ordered Torterra to counterattack.
The small tree on Torterra's back burst with a brilliant green glow, multiple energy beams shot toward Dusknoir, hitting their mark accurately!
"Argh—!!"
Dusknoir let out a blood-curdling scream as the vibrant green energy was drawn out from it, continuously flowing into Torterra.
This move not only dealt considerable damage but also restored much of Torterra's previously lost physical strength.
"Well done!" Paul clenched his fist, knowing that Torterra's physical strength had returned to a healthy state.
"Now for the final blow, Torterra, use Frenzy Plant!" With sufficient energy, it could unleash its ultimate move, Frenzy Plant!
This move would decide the outcome!
Green light erupted wildly from the ground's cracks, several arm-thick vines suddenly breaking through the ground beneath Dusknoir's feet!
The reinforced vines quickly ensnared Dusknoir's body, mercilessly binding it in mid-air. No matter how Dusknoir struggled, swinging its fists at the vines, the iron-like tough vines didn't budge an inch, instead tightening with its struggle!
The rampant Grass Type energy relentlessly eroded Dusknoir's body. Brandon showed a hint of admiration in his eyes; he knew he had lost this first match.
"Ugh—!"
Dusknoir let out one last, tragic wail, its single eye's light dimming rapidly, its massive body sagging weakly before being slammed heavily onto the ground by the reinforced vines, creating a pit in the already broken floor!
"Dusknoir is unable to battle; Torterra wins!" The referee confirmed Dusknoir's state, waving the flag to declare Dusknoir's defeat.
The victory of the first battle went to Paul, which nobody expected, including Ash.
Even though Brandon hadn't shown his true strength, Paul being able to first defeat one of Brandon's Pokemon was an unlikely event.
If Brandon's next Pokemon are of this standard, Paul just might... win!
"Well done, young man." Brandon praised Paul, also returning his Dusknoir. "Well done, Dusknoir."
Even though Dusknoir had been defeated, it had heavily damaged two of Paul's Pokemon.
Electivire's physical strength should be around half, and as for Torterra, even if it had regained some strength through Giga Drain, the four-times effectiveness of Ice Punch wasn't something Giga Drain could fully recover from.
Despite losing a Pokemon first, it's still unclear who truly holds the advantage.
And...
"How will you handle this next one?" Brandon said, pulling out and throwing a Pokeball.
A flash of light, and a Pokemon made entirely of ice appeared on the field.
This Pokemon had a prism-like shape, exuding a bone-chilling aura, almost like... a pillar?
"Regice, the Divine Pillar of Ice!!"
Paul stated word by word, his expression becoming extremely serious, yet his eyes shone with excitement.
Regice, undeniably one of Brandon's main Pokemon, perhaps even one of his trump cards!
To encounter it as the second opponent, it was clear that Brandon was taking him seriously, which for a Trainer, was the best attitude possible.
Of course, this also meant a challenge for Paul, an almost insurmountable challenge.
This Regice was not just any legendary Pokemon; the aura it emitted was entirely different from the Dusknoir from before.
It could be said that its level absolutely surpassed that of Dusknoir.
A legendary Pokemon, plus a level higher than his own Pokemon... this was going to be a very tough battle.
Paul took a deep breath, then withdrew Torterra.
With Ice Type being four times effective against Torterra, and the opponent being a legendary Pokemon, even if Paul had an arrogant personality, he would never leave Torterra on the field. Let alone his actually cautious personality facing Brandon, all he felt was caution, caution, and more caution.
"Magmortar, prepare for battle!"
A flash of light, and a red-hot duck-like Pokemon appeared on the field.
Up against an Ice Type Pokemon, even if it were the legendary Regice, Paul chose to counter with traditional attribute advantages.
Even a legendary Pokemon couldn't defy the principles of attribute effectiveness.
And Magmortar was also one of Paul's strongest, aside from Electivire and Torterra, having reached the Junior Elite Level.
However, Ash shook his head upon seeing this.
"What's wrong, Ash? Is there something wrong with Paul sending out Magmortar?" Brock, seeing Ash shake his head, asked curiously.
From his perspective, replacing Torterra with Magmortar seemed perfect. Did Ash have another perspective?
"In terms of attribute effectiveness, there's no issue, it's just... the level gap between the two is too great. Relying on attribute advantage alone can't bridge that gap!"
Paul could only roughly guess Regice's level, but in reality, its power far exceeded his expectations. The situation Paul was facing was far more severe than he imagined.
"Is the level gap that big? Could that Regice be a Champion?" Misty speculated with a blink of her beautiful eyes.
"Champion... Advanced."
Misty and the others: !!!
Champion Advanced is worlds apart from Champion Junior!
Paul's Magmortar was only at Gym-level during the Quartz Conference, and now, at most, it's reached Junior Elite Level, right? No wonder Ash said the gap in strength was too big; how could it not be!
"Ash, what do you think Paul's chances are?" Serena asked curiously.
"Um... I'd say it's 30-70," Ash pondered for a moment before answering.
"30-70? Does Paul really have a 30% chance?" This answer was unexpected for Brock. He thought Paul's odds weren't even 10%, yet Ash rated him so highly?
"You've misunderstood. I mean... it would take Regice three seconds to beat all seven of Paul's Pokemon."
Misty and the others: ...