Pokémon: Trainer Paul

"Bro, you go first. I want to see Garchomp in action."

"Nah, you go first. I also want to see Garchomp... for real this time."

"..."

The trainer who was being watched by everyone scratched his head awkwardly and said, "I don't have Garchomp, though..."

"Then why did you shout its name?"

"Well, I saw you all calling out Ground-type Pokémon, so I just threw one you didn't mention..."

The trainer's response earned him a wave of exasperated sighs and rolling eyes.

Taking advantage of the pause, a blond-haired boy who had been waiting before Paul's turn, stepped into the battle arena and looked at Electabuzz.

"Ele-buzz~!"

Hearing the names of Pokémon being thrown around, Electabuzz perked up, curious about its next opponent.

However, when it realized the challenger was the blond-haired boy Barry, it immediately lost interest.

Electabuzz let out a bored yawn, already disinterested before the battle began.

"Don't underestimate me, Electabuzz! Even without Paul, I can take you down!"

Electabuzz clicked its tongue lazily, unfazed by the outburst.

As Paul's starter Pokémon, Electabuzz's strength didn't waver without its trainer's guidance. The idea of Barry defeating it without Paul around? Laughable.

"Just you wait, Electabuzz! I'll beat you!"

Fueled by frustration, Barry clenched his fists, threw out a Poké Ball and began what would soon turn into a nightmare.

ROUND 1: SNORLAX

Snorlax didn't even manage to use a single move before Electabuzz charged in with Quick Attack and knocked it down with Brick Break.

A second Brick Break sealed the deal, ending the match within 30 seconds.

ROUND 2: HERACROSS

Heracross launched a Megahorn attack, but Electabuzz dodged effortlessly.

A flurry of Fire Punches—Electabuzz's least polished combo—landed in quick succession.

Even when Heracross used Endure to prepare for a Reversal counterattack, Electabuzz read its intent and nullified it with Protect, following up with a decisive Fire Punch. 

ROUND 3: ROSERADE

Roserade opened with a Magic Leaf and Petal Dance combo, leaving Electabuzz with little room to maneuver.

Relying on its speed, Electabuzz dodged Petal Dance and endured Magic Leaf before landing a full-powered Ice Punch, freezing Roserade into an icy statue.

A final Brick Break ended the battle.

ROUND 4: HITMONLEE

This Fighting-type Pokémon's impressive footwork gave Electabuzz a hard time, forcing a grueling five-minute battle.

In the end, Electabuzz had to use Thunder Punch to subdue the martial artist.

ROUND 5: STARAVIA

Thanks to Paul's... "motivational training," Staravia had shown significant improvement.

With Shadow Clone and Agility, it managed to evade and outpace Electabuzz, forcing the Electric-type into a corner.

Electabuzz, now desperate, used Charge to power up and unleashed Thunder, finally bringing Staravia down.

ROUND 6: PRINPLUP

The Prinplup that had been previously defeated had recovered enough for a rematch.

Electabuzz took this battle seriously, utilizing its boosted strength from Charge to recreate their first encounter.

One Thunder attack ended the fight.

After the match, Electabuzz stretched its limbs, feeling fully warmed up.

"Buzz?"

Despite its victory, Electabuzz tilted its head in confusion. Was Barry's team really this weak?

After pondering for a while, it came to a conclusion: the opponents weren't weak—he was just too strong.

"I'm invincible!"

ヽ(▼∀▼)

Meanwhile, Barry, having been swept 6-0, wandered out of the arena in a daze, barely registering his surroundings.

"Why is he so strong...? Is the gap between us really this wide...?"

"Am I that weak...? No wonder Paul doesn't acknowledge me..."

Muttering to himself, he stumbled back to the Pokémon Center, handed his team to Nurse Joy and returned to his room.

Curling up under the covers, Barry fell into a deep self-imposed isolation...

Elsewhere, Paul muttered, "Useless." upon hearing about the match.

Electabuzz had become far stronger after evolving through the power of the Zap Plate. Its strength rivaled Ursaring's and its speed surpassed that of Turtwig.

Even Gym Leaders would struggle against it if they weren't careful.

Losing was understandable. Getting swept 6-0 without dealing any significant damage? Unacceptable.

"What were you even training for? Even Ash could beat you at this rate."

Far away in Kanto, Ash sneezed for no reason, rubbed his nose in confusion, and looked at Pikachu on his shoulder strangely as his mother scolded him over the phone.

"Don't worry, Mom. We'll be fine, right Pikachu?"

"Pika~!" Pikachu cheered, raising a tiny fist.

Suddenly, a trainer burst through the Pokémon Center doors, carrying a battered Eevee.

"Nurse Joy! Please help my Pokémon—it's badly hurt!"

Nurse Joy rushed over, concern etched on her face. "What happened?"

"Entei appeared out of nowhere... I thought I could catch it..."

Hearing the word "Entei," Ash immediately hung up on his mother and dashed over to investigate.

As Paul and Electabuzz dominated the battlefield, Ash and Pikachu chased after Entei in the forest, Barry sulked in bed, and Lucas trained in secret.

In the Family Bond Pokémon Center, a sleeping Dewott dreamt of a long and fleeting journey—a dream encompassing the entirety of its life as an Oshawott.

Perhaps, this was only the beginning of another story...

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