Avalugg slowly opened its mouth, preparing to bite down on the massive ice spike lunging at its face.
But at that exact moment, the ice shattered! A torrent of golden draconic energy erupted from within, slamming into Avalugg's frozen hide. The impact startled the colony of Bergmite living on its back; they began to scurry around like headless chickens, with several tumbling off the massive "iceberg" onto the arena floor.
Avalugg, caught off guard by the Clawitzer's sudden explosive power, quickly regained its composure. It opened its maw once more, exhaling a blast of extreme Cold Breath. The golden Dragon Pulse was instantly flash-frozen into a static pillar of ice mid-air, before falling and shattering into a million shimmering shards.
"Clawitzer, forward with Aqua Jet!"
Feng Che knew he couldn't defeat this Champion-level juggernaut. His goal was purely to maximize his points by extending the duration of the fight.
Clawitzer launched a series of high-pressure water volleys to propel itself, but under the influence of Avalugg's overwhelming freezing aura, the water was turned into solid ice almost instantly. Clawitzer was soon encased in a block of frost, crashing into the ground with a heavy Thud, leaving a shallow crater.
"Trainer Feng Che's Clawitzer lasted 14 seconds!" the timekeeper announced.
Feng Che's name shot to the top of the leaderboard, securing him the individual first place for the second round. His squad, however, collectively placed third.
The Call of the Depths
Once the Pokémon were healed, Master Sky announced the third assessment. He led the group to the shoreline of the World League island. From here, the gargantuan waterspout that guarded the island loomed only five kilometers away. The wind was a howling force, the salty air stinging as it whipped against the trainers' faces.
"The third assessment is Underwater Treasure Hunt," Sky declared. "You will dive into these waters with your newly captured Water-type Pokémon to locate treasure chests. These chests contain special point cards and various items."
"Be warned: the closer you get to the great waterspout, the higher the point values in the chests. There is even a Legendary-tier resource hidden down there."
"However, prioritize your safety. If you are sucked into the waterspout, your score for this round will be reset to zero. You must use only the Pokémon you caught during the first assessment. Cheating will result in disqualification."
Feng Che was prepared. He distributed palm-sized underwater breathing apparatuses to his squad members.
"Listen up," Feng Che said as they prepped. "The sand on the seabed here has a high mineral content that dampens psychic abilities, so don't rely on your mental senses. The suction from that waterspout is immense; maintain a distance of at least ten meters."
"Our goal isn't just points—it's to ensure no one in Squad 6 gets disqualified. Stay together and stay safe."
With that, Feng Che dove into the sea. Below the surface, the water was remarkably clear, though the current was fierce. He could feel his body being pulled steadily toward the massive vortex in the distance.
"The pull is too strong for a human. Go, Clawitzer!"
Clawitzer emerged, enveloping itself in a high-speed Aqua Jet and acting as a tether. The suction instantly felt more manageable.
"Aaaargh!"
A muffled cry came through the comms. Clemont had lost his grip on his Milotic and was being sucked rapidly toward the vortex.
"Clawitzer, save him!"
The shrimp rocketed through the water, snapping its massive pincers onto Clemont's suit just in time. Clawitzer fired its twin cannons backward, creating a massive counter-thrust to pull Clemont away from the death trap.
In the struggle, Feng Che noticed Clemont was clutching a small, palm-sized chest. Back in the calmer shallows, Clemont opened it to reveal a 100-point card and a high-grade Water Stone.
"Clemont, where did you find that?" Feng Che asked, surprised by the inventor's luck.
"I... I just grabbed it as I was being pulled past the vortex! There are dozens of them swirling right at the edge of the funnel!"
"It's a trap," Feng Che mused. "The League put the highest points in the most dangerous area to tempt people into getting disqualified."
He dove back down, staring at the terrifying rotating wall of water. "Clawitzer, use Water Pulse on the vortex. Let's see if we can disrupt it."
Clawitzer fired, but its projectiles hit the spinning wall and vanished like raindrops in a storm. Even a Dragon Pulse—boosted by its Mega Launcher ability—was torn apart before it could make contact.
We have to do this the hard way, Feng Che thought.
Nearby, he watched an Araquanid use its silk like a grappling hook, snagging a chest near the vortex and reeling it in safely. Clemont, inspired, pulled a robotic Araquanid prototype from his pack.
The robot didn't even make it halfway. A surge of pressure caused it to spark, and it exploded in a cloud of bubbles.
At that moment, a pack of Bruxish appeared. They began to grind their teeth—a chilling, mechanical sound that signaled an imminent psychic assault.
The Bruxish are about to unleash a "Psychic" wave that could paralyze the squad members underwater. Should Feng Che order Clawitzer to use "Dark Pulse" to counter the psychic energy and protect the group, or should he have the squad retreat to the surface to regroup and rethink their strategy?