"Shelgon — Dragon Rush! Go!"
David made his call after a moment's thought. The opposing Torterra was fighting like a stationary turret — powerful, but anchored in place. Before evolving, Shelgon hadn't had many special moves to work with, and Flamethrower boosted by Sunny Day was already near the top of its offensive options.
To break through Torterra, he would have to lean on Shelgon's physical strength.
A deep violet draconic energy wrapped around Shelgon's shell like a second skin. Then, with a burst of speed that seemed impossible for something so heavily armored, Shelgon launched itself directly at Torterra.
Its thick shell was a constant limitation on its agility — but for a short, explosive dash, Shelgon's raw physical power more than made up for it.
"Protect."
Gianna's response was calm and immediate.
Thud—
Dragon Rush collided head-on with the shimmering green barrier of Protect. The force of the impact shook the entire battlefield.
But the barrier held. No matter how hard Shelgon pushed, Torterra stood firm behind that impenetrable wall, untouched.
"Fire Fang!"
David had already expected this. Breaking through Protect with a single Dragon Rush was never the plan — the charge was just a way to close the distance.
The moment he gave the command, he had already sent a silent message through his Aura connection, telling Shelgon to ease up on Dragon Rush just slightly, leaving enough energy in reserve to transition immediately into the next move.
The massive jaws concealed within Shelgon's shell opened wide, flames roaring to life inside. Taking full advantage of the proximity, Shelgon lunged and clamped down hard on Torterra's side — just below its neck, where the shell offered no coverage.
That gap in Torterra's armor was precisely what David had been aiming for. Unlike Shelgon, whose entire body was encased in thick shell plating, Torterra's back shell left several vulnerable areas exposed.
"Torterra!"
Being bitten in a weak spot by a super-effective move was a different kind of pain entirely — and being caught in Shelgon's jaws made it worse. The searing heat at its neck drew a sharp cry of pain from Torterra.
It took considerable effort for Torterra to wrench itself free. Once it did, it stumbled back a few steps, breathing hard.
"Torterra!"
Across the field, Gianna rose slightly from her seat, genuinely taken aback. She hadn't expected to underestimate the stocky Pokémon in front of her.
With her level of experience, it hadn't taken long to piece together what had happened. Dragon Rush as a feint, Fire Fang as the real attack — the transition had been far too smooth to be improvised. Shelgon had to have been holding back power mid-charge, already primed for the follow-up before Dragon Rush even landed.
Aura guidance?
That was her best guess. David's use of Aura to communicate with his Pokémon mid-battle had come up more than once in public settings. It wasn't a stretch.
"Well done, Shelgon."
David let out a quiet breath, satisfaction in his eyes.
"Don't celebrate just yet." Gianna said evenly. "Torterra — Leech Seed, then Mega Drain."
David's smile hadn't faded, but Gianna wasn't concerned. One Fire Fang, however well-placed, was nowhere near enough to bring Torterra down.
Several small brown seeds launched toward Shelgon through the air.
"Shelgon — Twister, deflect them!"
Given Shelgon's size, dodging Leech Seed cleanly wasn't realistic. If those seeds took root, the sustained drain would become a serious problem.
"Roar~"
Shelgon heeded the command immediately, spinning up a Twister — not aimed at Torterra, but angled to intercept the incoming seeds. The swirling currents caught the Leech Seeds and swept them harmlessly off the field.
But Mega Drain was already on its way.
At close range, the wave of green energy struck Shelgon before there was any time to react. The damage wasn't severe, but it gave Torterra a noticeable recovery boost.
"It really is troublesome," David said quietly, studying Torterra across the field.
Both Pokémon were at the professional stage, but this Torterra was clearly operating on a different level from the ones he had faced at his previous two Gym challenges. Its move execution alone — the speed, the timing, the polish — put it well ahead of the competition.
"Shelgon — Zen Headbutt, then follow straight into Fire Fang. Keep the pressure on."
With both heavyweights in close range, creating distance would only work against David now. His strategy was straightforward: sustain the offensive, and trust in Shelgon's endurance to outlast Torterra.
Psychic energy gathered at Shelgon's forehead, forming a focused point of light before it drove forward into Torterra. Zen Headbutt wasn't a natural fit for Shelgon — it wasn't particularly gifted with psychic power — but it was the only Psychic-type move it had access to.
There was something unusual about it, though. Because the attack was shaped by Shelgon's own concentrated will, it carried a faint undercurrent of draconic force — subtly different from a standard Zen Headbutt, and noticeably stronger for it.
The hit landed squarely. Torterra's focus flickered for a moment — but the level gap was enough to prevent a flinch. It steadied itself.
Shelgon didn't stop. Flames reignited in its jaws as it moved straight into Fire Fang, maintaining relentless momentum.
"Torterra — hold on. Use Frenzy Plant."
Gianna had made her decision. Ordinary exchanges were no longer enough to end this cleanly. She would let Torterra take the Fire Fang — and spend that moment charging one of the most powerful Grass-type moves in existence.
"What—"
David saw it too late.
"Shelgon — fall back, now!"
"Too late for that."
Gianna's voice was quiet, but certain.
Torterra had taken the Fire Fang head-on and was already well past its comfortable stamina range — but it had used every bit of that remaining energy to charge Frenzy Plant to full. After this, it likely wouldn't have much left to fight with.
That didn't matter right now. What mattered was that Shelgon was too close. There was no room to escape.
The battlefield shuddered.
Thick, massive roots erupted from the ground all around Shelgon, coiling and striking with tremendous force. Under the two-stage Special Attack boost from Growth, combined with Torterra's full-power release, Frenzy Plant hit with devastating weight — and even Shelgon's natural resistance to Grass-type moves wasn't enough to simply brush it off.
"Roaaaar~"
Shelgon's anguished roar rang out across the dust-choked arena, again and again.
"Shelgon…"