Episode 494: Lucas vs Paul
Before we begin, I thought I should share an announcement with everyone here. Did you ever wonder if Pokémon would use more than four moves at a time? Well, this idea was suggested to me by a couple of people and I had to think about it. It seems to be an interesting idea, and thought I'd go with it. Let me know in the reviews. Anyway, here is the chapter of Lucas and Paul as promised, so enjoy.
Shortly after stopping Pokémon Hunter J from taking Regigigas and selling it to the black market, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Naminé, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Chase, Elaine, Lucas, Dawn, Wes, Rui, Michael, Tai, Matt, Sora T, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, TK, Kari, Davis, Ken, Yolei, Cody, Meiko, Amy, Takato, Henry, Rika, Ryo, Jeri, Kazu, Kenta, Suzie, Takuya, Koji, JP, Zoe, Tommy, Koichi, Pikachu, Angel, Eevee, Azurill, Xipak, Celeste, Marill, Volt, Maple, Piplup, Little Mei, Guil, Mime Jr, and Munchlax have returned to the Pokémon Center once again.
"Man, this has turned into quite a day," Ethan said.
"You mean apart from Paul duking it out with Brandon and then losing and then dealing with Hunter J, then you wouldn't be kidding," JP said.
"Well, it was better her than the Heartless," Elaine said.
"Eevee," Maple said.
"You've said it, Elaine. At least she didn't get Regigigas. I don't even wanna think about how it would have turned out if they did show up," Lyra said.
"Marill said.
"How about we change the subject. We were supposed to be on the road toward Veilstone City and we got a battle with Paul coming up," Sora said.
"Yeah, what was that about, man? I mean, why did you change our plans like that?" Davis asked.
"Well, I thought I could see how much Brandon's words got to him during the match. I mean, I noticed it when I looked at him earlier. So, the reason I challenged him is because I wanna see it for myself," Lucas said.
"I saw it, too, Lucas. And I thought I was the only one since I didn't wanna say anything. You have two days to train for that battle, so you gotta be on your toes," Sora said.
"Yeah, I know, but you'll help me, won't you?" Lucas asked.
"You bet we will," Sora said.
"Ketchum, I think the rest of us should head down to Veilstone City ahead of you. I think it'll be a good idea we got a head start," Tai said.
"You don't need a stamp of approval from us, Tai. You and the other DigiDestined can meet up with us to Veilstone City. Just keep your eyes opened for Heartless," Sora said.
"You can count on it," Tai said.
With that said, the DigiDestined teams left the group and went on ahead to Veilstone City. In the meantime, the rest of the group helps Lucas train hard for the battle against Paul for the rest of the day. Lucas decided to use Infernape, Gengar, Glaceon, Luxray, Floatzel, and Gliscor.
They've spent the next two days training hard for the battle against Paul. Lucas memorized Paul's battling styles inside and out, and he knew Paul wasn't going to make a victory easy to earn, and he also knew he had to earn it the hard way; and that's what he intends to do.
On the morning of the battle, Lucas was going over some last minute preparations for his battle.
"Okay, Infernape, you good to go?" Lucas asked his partner.
"Nape," Infernape nodded.
"Now, let's see if you learned anything new yet," Lucas said, checking out his Rotom Phone and he saw something odd. "Huh? Is this even right?" Lucas looked over Infernape's moves and he saw he knew eight moves instead of four. "Okay, Flare Blitz, Power-Up Punch, Mach Punch, Flamethrower definitely, but it says you also know Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Dig, and Brick Break. Can that happen?"
"Infernape?" Infernape shrugged his shoulders, just as puzzled.
"Better check over the others, just in case you aren't the only one," Lucas said. He looked over his Pokémon Box and he saw that every Pokémon he has has eight moves instead of just four. "Okay, this is just weird! None of this makes any sense! Can this even happen?!" A knock is heard on the door, interuppting his train of thought.
"Hey, Lucas! Rise and shine! You're gonna be late for your own battle if you're still in bed!" Ash said from the other side of the door.
"I'm coming! I'm coming! Just going over something!" Lucas said.
"Okay, hurry up. We gotta head for Lake Acuity as soon as we finish breakfast, and we gotta head for Veilstone City after that, too!" Ash said.
"Be right there!" Lucas said. He puts his Rotom Phone and Pokémon Box away. "We're gonna have to share with them with everyone, Infernape."
"Ape," Infernape agreed with a nod.
With that said, Lucas and Infernape stepped out and they joined their friends. As they ate, Lucas shared with what he found out. Everyone was shocked to see it when Lucas showed them.
"Can this even happen?" Dawn asked.
"How can this even happen?" May asked.
"Even if we could ask my dad or the other professors, I don't think they would believe us," Brendan said.
"You know, this is kinda like with Volt and Maple. Volt can use Pika Papow, Splishy Splash, Zippy Zap, and Floaty Fall while Maple can use Veevee Volley, Bouncy Bubble, Buzzy Buzz, Sizzly Slide, Glitzy Glow, Baddy Bad, Sappy Seed, Freezy Frost, and Sparkly Swirl, and they also use moves like Quick Attack and Double Kick. And that was weird as it is," Chase said.
"And weird things seems to happen to us anyway," Elaine said.
"Chase and Elaine are right. We thought it was just them, but something is going on to make this happen," Ethan said.
"Yeah, but what?" Michael asked.
"I don't know, but I think we should keep this to ourselves for right now, and bring it up when we get the chance," Ethan said.
"But I think we should look it over in our Pokémon Boxes, just in case it's not just him," Sora said.
"I was just thinking about it, too. It wouldn't hurt just to look," Naminé said.
"We're never going to know unless we have a look," Kairi said.
"Okay, everyone. Pokémon Boxes out, now!" Sora said. Everyone took out their Pokémon Boxes and they go over the database of their Pokémon and they did have eight moves at once. Even Maple has eight normal moves along with the special ones. "Okay, you think there's a glitch going on?"
"If there is, then it's happening to all of us," Roxas said.
"Wes, you have any ideas?" Kris asked.
"You're asking the wrong guy," Wes said. He just as puzzled. "But I do agree with Ethan. We should keep it to ourselves. This mystery is too complex to understand anyway. Also, we have more important things to think about, like dealing with Team Galactic."
"Yeah, that could be why the Master wants us at Veilstone City anyway," Leaf said.
"And the DigiDestined are heading there ahead of us anyway," Lea said.
"That, and the battle against Paul," Riku said.
With that said, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Naminé, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Chase, Elaine, Lucas, Dawn, Wes, Rui, Michael, Pikachu, Angel, Eevee, Azurill, Xipak, Celeste, Marill, Volt, Maple, and Piplup ate their breakfast and took their leave of the Pokémon Center and began heading for Lake Acuity. It took them hours, but they finally made it to the Pokémon Center of the lake.
"Well, we made it," Xion said.
"But where's the man of the hour?" Lea asked.
"He'll be here. Paul isn't going to back down from a challenge. He probably won his Icicle Badge by now anyway. And I can bet my Keyblade he's doing some training of his own," Lucas said.
"And I just got it done," Paul said, approaching the group. "I was almost starting to think you weren't going to come."
"And miss out on this? I wouldn't pass it up for anything," Lucas said.
"I don't doubt it," Reggie said as he brings a referee with him.
"Hey, Reggie," Sora greeted.
"Hi, everyone. I see your numbers have gone down since I saw you two days ago," Reggie said.
"We decided to separate for a bit, but we came here to watch the match between Paul and Lucas," Roxas said.
"I see. Anyway, I got us a referee to get the match underway," Reggie said, gesturing to the referee.
"Hi there. The name's Oliver. Reggie called me and told me that he would need a referee to Lucas and Paul's battle. Luckily for him, I was just in the area when he called me," Oliver said.
"We're lucky that you came when you did, Oliver," Lucas said.
"The battlefield is over in this direction, so you can come when you're ready," Oliver said.
With that said, Oliver leads the group to a hot air balloon where a man is sitting at a table with his laptop. He noticed Oliver coming.
"Hey, Oliver! We ready to go?" The man asked.
"As soon as you out the screen on display," Oliver said.
"I'm on it," the man said, pushing the button as the balloon deflates and gets placed into storage. In its place, a large screen is shown. "And here we are."
"Wow, that's cool!" Chase said.
"Pikachu!" Volt agreed.
"It's a portable reference monitor," Oliver said.
"That's gotta be cool to have one of those handy," Lyra said.
"Marill," Marill said.
"Thanks," Oliver said. Lucas and Paul got into position for their battle, ready to get it started. Monferno came out from his Pokéball of his own.
"Monferno? Why did you just come out yourself?": Sora asked.
"Ferno," Monferno said.
"You wanna watch the Battle with us, do you?" Sora asked. The Playful Pokémon nodded. "Well, Paul did used to be your Trainer, so why not?"
"The battle between Paul of Veilstone City and Lucas of Twinleaf Town is about to get underway! Each Trainer has agreed for it to be a full six-on-six battle! There is no time limit, and both sides may exchange Pokémon freely as desired! The battle will be over when all six Pokémon on either side are unable to continue! We will now use coin toss to see who will mount the first attack!" The monitor shows a coin. "Alright then Trainers heads or tails, what will it be?"
"Heads!" Lucas said.
"I call tails!" Paul said.
The coin flips and it shows heads, indicating Lucas has won the coin toss.
"Heads! Lucas has the honors!" Oliver announced. Lucas took out a Pokéball and threw it.
"Floatzel! Go!" Lucas called out. His Pokéball opened and his Pokéball opened to reveal Floatzel. Paul took out a Pokéball and threw it.
"Torterra! Stand by for battle!" Paul called out. His Pokéball opened and his Torterra came out to battle.
"Alright, let the battle begin!" Oliver called out. Lucas quickly called back his Floatzel.
"What's he doing?" Dawn asked.
"I know what's he's doing. Paul the same thing when he battled against Brandon back at the Battle Pyramid," Ethan said. Lucas took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Glaceon! You're going in!" Lucas called out. His Glaceon came out to battle.
"That works! Glaceon is an Ice-type while Torterra is a Grass-type and a Ground-type," Kris said.
"Paul isn't too phased about that. He did battle against Candice, so he should have something planned for Glaceon," Brendan said.
"Start things up with Snowscape!" Lucas ordered. Glaceon summons a snowstorm all around.
"Starting off with Snowscape's a smart move on Lucas's part. It boosts the defenses of Ice-types," Riku said.
"Now, use Icy Wind!" Lucas ordered. Glaceon blew an Icy Wind and sends it at Torterra.
"Giga Drain!" Paul ordered. Torterra attempts to sap Glaceon's power
"Quick Attack to dodge!" Lucas ordered. The Fresh Snow Pokémon dodged it with a Quick Attack, much to Paul's surprise. "Blizzard!" Lucas ordered. Glaceon blew a Blizzard at Torterra. "Ice Fang!" Glaceon rushed at the Continent Pokémon.
"Stone Edge!" Paul ordered. Torterra unleashed a Stone Edge, sending it at Glaceon.
"Ice Shard!" Lucas ordered. Glaceon unleashed an Ice Shard, freezing the rocks. "Use Ice Fang!" Glaceon rushed at Torterra with an Ice Fang.
"Crunch!" Paul ordered. Torterra grabbed Glaceon by the tail and tossed Glaceon. "Use Seed Bomb!" Torterra fired a Seed Bomb and sent it at Glaceon. The snowstorm ceases. "Hyper Beam!" Torterra fired a Hyper Beam.
"Dodge it!" Lucas called out. Glaceon managed to dodge Torterra's Hyper Beam just by dodging with a Quick Attack. Lucas called back Glaceon and took out another Pokéball and threw it. "You're up, Gliscor!"
"Lucas sent out Gliscor, but it's good since Gliscor can use Fire Fang," Leaf said.
"She's right. It might be what Lucas was going for," Wes said.
"And Torterra can't act right away after using Hyper Beam," Michael said.
"Okay, Gliscor! Start things up with your Hone Claws, and follow up with Fire Fang!" Lucas ordered. Gliscor's pincers extend and glow red. An orange glow then shoots up along with Gliscor's body, building up his attack power and accuracy. Gliscor then rushed at Torterra with a Fire Fang, landing a fiery bite. "Move in with an Acrobatics!" Gliscor uses Acrobatics and lands a hit onto Torterra.
"Torterra! Leaf Storm!" Paul ordered. Torterra unleashed a Leaf Storm at the Fang Scorpion Pokémon.
"Okay, Hyper Beam, Crunch, Seed Bomb, Stone Edge, and now, Leaf Storm. That's more than four moves," Elaine pointed out.
"Vee," Maple said.
"Must be happening to Paul, too," Naminé said.
"Rill," Azurill chirped.
"What must be happening?" Reggie asked.
"Well, Lucas was the one who found this out, and we thought it was really weird. We thought of keeping it a secret until we knew more about it, and it looks like it's going around," Sora said.
"I see. I never thought of such a thing," Reggie said.
"Gliscor! Use Giga Impact!" Lucas ordered. Gliscor launched himself with a Giga Impact and hits the Continent Pokémon on the mark. Paul took out Torterra's Pokéball and called the Continent Pokémon back. He took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Weavile! Stand by for battle!" Paul called out. Weavile came out to battle. "Use Ice Beam!" Weavile fired an Ice Beam, hitting Weavile on the mark.
"It looks like Paul's not risking losing Torterra on this round, so he's sending out Weavile to deal with Gliscor," May said.
"You're right, May. It's a known fact that Ground and Flying-types are weak against Ice-type attacks, and Ice Beam has hit its mark," Roxas said.
"Use Ice Punch!" Paul ordered. Weavile came toward Gliscor to land an Ice Punch.
"Use Crabhammer!" Lucas ordered. Gliscor uses his Crabhammer to block Weavile's Ice Punch and overpowered it. "X-Scissor!" Gliscor lands a hit with X-Scissor. "Use Stone Edge!" Gliscor lands a Stone Edge onto Weavile.
"Super-effective!" Dawn said.
"Lucas's training has paid off," Riku said.
"Eevee!" Eevee said.
"Sure has. Lucas has to keep it up," Brendan said.
"Piplup!" Piplup said.
"Weavile! Use Snarl!" Weavile unleashed a Snarl at Gliscor.
"Dodge it!" Lucas called out. Gliscor dodged Weavile's Snarl.
"Don't let Gliscor get away! Use Ice Shard!" Paul ordered. Weavile unleashed an Ice Shard and sent it at the Fang Scorpion Pokémon.
"Use Stone Edge to block that!" Lucas ordered. Gliscor uses Stone Edge to block Weavile's Stone Edge.
"Use Swords Dance and then Night Slash!" Paul ordered. Weavile uses a Swords Dance to build up Weavile's attack power and then rushed at Gliscor with a Night Slash.
"Use Acrobatics!" Lucas ordered. Gliscor lands a hit with Acrobatics, making Weavile hit the ground. "Use Earthquake!" Gliscor lands an Earthquake, hitting Gliscor.
"Blizzard!" Paul ordered. Weavile blew a Blizzard at Gliscor.
"Dodge it!" Lucas called out. Gliscor dodged Weavile's Blizzard.
"Metal Claw!" Paul ordered. Weavile rushed at Gliscor with a Metal Claw.
"X-Scissor!" Lucas ordered. Gliscor lands a blow with X-Scissor, hitting the Sharp Claw Pokémon. Weavile is knocked out.
"Weavile is unable to battle! Gliscor wins!" Oliver announced.
"Lucas made the first win!" Kris said.
"Don't count Paul out yet. He may have five left, but there's plenty more where that came from," Reggie said. Paul called back Weavile and he took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Electabuzz! Stand by for battle!" Paul called out. His Pokéball opened and his Electabuzz came out to battle.
"Why did he choose Electabuzz? He knows Electabuzz's Electric-type attacks won't affect Gliscor," May said.
"Earthquake!" Lucas ordered.
"Use Protect!" Paul ordered.
Gliscor slammed on the ground, making everything shake, but Electabuzz has set up a protective barrier before Earthquake could hit.
"I see. Protect was Paul's goal, but he knows he can't rely on it too much," Lucas said in his throughts.
"Use Brick Break!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz came at the Fang Scorpion Pokémon with a Brick Break.
"Crabhammer!" Lucas ordered. Gliscor blocked with Crabhammer. "Okay, use Stone Edge!" Gliscor sends out another Stone Edge.
"Protect!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz forms a protective barrier and blocked Gliscor's Stone Edge. Lucas calls back Gliscor and he took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Okay, Gengar! You're going right in!" Lucas called out. His Pokéball opened and his Gengar came out to battle. "Use Shadow Ball!" Gengar forms a Shadow Ball and sends it right at Electabuzz.
"Light Screen!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz forms a Light Screen and blocked Gengar's Shadow Ball. Lucas grinned as he called back his Gengar and took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Luxray! Go!" Lucas called out. Luxray came out to battle. "Use Psychic Fangs!" Luxray rushed at Electabuzz with its fangs emitting a psychic energy. It breaks Electabuzz's Light Screen.
"Psychic Fangs? His Luxray knows Psychic Fangs?" Paul asked.
"What happened? Why did Electabuzz's Light Screen break?" Dawn asked.
"It was because of Psychic Fangs. It removes barriers such as Light Screen, Reflect, and their affects," Reggie said.
"Lucas did his homework on that," Sora said.
"Pikachu," Pikachu said.
"Ferno," Monferno said.
"Use Iron Tail!" Lucas ordered. Luxray swings its tail and hits Electabuzz on the mark.
"Use Thunder Punch!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz lands a Thunder Punch onto Luxray. "Giga Impact!"
"Wild Charge!" Lucas ordered. Electabuzz and Luxray clashed against one another, each scoring a hit. "Use Snarl!" Luxray fired Snarl at the Electric Pokémon. "Swift!" Luxray fired Swift, hitting Electabuzz on the mark again. Paul called back Electabuzz and took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Magmortar! Stand by for battle!" Paul called out. His Magmortar came out to battle, much to everyone's awe.
"Magmortar?" Xion asked.
"Vee?" Celeste asked.
"Paul must have gotten his Magmar to evolve," Kairi said.
"Yeah. And Magmortar looks strong enough," Ash said. Lucas called back Luxray and took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"You're going back in, Floatzel!" Lucas called out. His Pokéball opened and his Floatzel came out to battle. Paul grinned.
"I was hoping you'd send Floatzel back out. Magmortar! Thunderbolt!" Paul ordered. Magmortar sends out a Thunderbolt to hit the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"Dodge it with your Aqua Jet!" Lucas ordered. Floatzel dodged by going straight up with Aqua Jet. "Okay, use Rain Dance!" Floatzel summoned a rain cloud and it started to rain.
"I think I know what Lucas is up to. He had Rain Dance set up since Floatzel's ability is Swift Swim. Speed is doubled in rain," Sora said.
"Not only that, but Fire-type attacks are cut and Water-type attacks go up," Lea said.
"Use Hydro Pump!" Lucas ordered. Floatzel fired Hydro Pump, hitting the Blast Pokémon in the enhanced water attack. "Wave Crash!" Floatzel summons a tidal wave and brings it down on Magmortar and takes recoil damage.
"Will-O-Wisp!" Paul ordered. Magmortar sends out blusih-white flames at the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"Dodge that and use Swift!" Lucas ordered. Floatzel dodged Magmortar's Will-O-Wisp and sends out a Swift, hitting Magmortar.
"Use Smog!" Paul ordered. Magmortar sends out a Smog at the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"Ice Spinner!" Lucas ordered. Floatzel spins around while his feet are emitting ice. It blows Magmortar 's Smog.
"Fire Punch!" Paul ordered.
"Ice Punch!" Lucas ordered. Both Pokémon land a punch, landing a hit on each other.
"Fire Spin!" Paul ordered. Magmortar sends out a stream of fire at Floatzel.
"Wave Crash!" Floatzel summoned a tidal wave and Floatzel rides in it. It cancels out Magmortar's Fire Spin. Floatzel has taken some recoil damage.
"Fire Blast!" Paul ordered. Magmortar fired a Fire Blast at Floatzel.
"Dodge and use Hydro Pump!" Lucas ordered. Floatzel dodged Magmortar's Fire Blast and fired Hydro Pump.
"Flamethrower!" Paul ordered. Magmortar fired Flamethrower and blocked Floatzel's Hydro Pump. It results a steamy explosion.
"Use Aqua Jet!" Lucas ordered. Floatzel dashed at Magmortar, hitting it.
Paul saw Magmortar wasn't going to cut it, so he called back his Magmortar and he took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Honchkrow! Stand by for battle!" Paul called out. His Pokéball opened and Honchkrow came out to battle. Lucas called back Floatzel and took out Glaceon's Pokéball and threw it.
"You're going back out, Glaceon!" Lucas called out. Glaceon reentered the battle. "Snowscape!" Glaceon summons a snowstorm in place of Rain Dance. "Use Icy Wind!" Glaceon blew an Icy Wind at the Big Boss Pokémon, dealing some heavy damage to it.
"Honchkrow! Use Comeuppance!" Paul ordered. Honchkrow flew at Glaceon and lands a heavy hit on the Fresh Snow Pokémon.
"Comeuppance?" Dawn asked.
"Comeuppance is a Dark-type move that allows the user to deal greater damage than the one it already took," Riku said.
"Okay, Glaceon! Use Ice Shard!" Lucas ordered. Glaceon fired an Ice Shard at the Big Boss Pokémon.
"Haze!" Paul ordered. Honchkrow forms a black mist to cloud itself. The shards of ice goes through it, so Honchkrow flew out, not hit by Ice Shard. "Night Slash!" Honchkrow flew toward Glaceon with its talons emitting a dark energy.
"Use Blizzard!" Glaceon fired a Blizzard, hitting Honchkrow, stopping Honchkrow from getting further.
"Air Slash!" Paul ordered. Honchkrow sends out an Air Slash.
"Use Quick Attack to dodge!" Lucas called out. Glaceon dodged with a Quick Attack.
"Aerial Ace!" Paul ordered. Honchkrow flew toward Glaceon with an Aerial Ace, landing a hit. "Now, use Dark Pulse!" Honchkrow fired Dark Pulse at the Fresh Snow Pokémon.
"Use Blizzard!" Lucas ordered. Glaceon fired Blizzard to block Honchkrow's Dark Pulse.
"Snarl!" Paul ordered. Honchkrow fired a Snarl at Honchkrow.
"Dodge and use Icy Wind!" Lucas ordered. Glaceon dodged Honchkrow's Snarl and blew an Icy Wind.
"Sky Attack!" Paul ordered. Honchkrow began to glow brightly in a white light.
"Use Freeze-Dry!" Lucas ordered. Glaceon's body gave off a light blue aura and then releases a gust of cold air from its mouth at the opponent, freezing Honchkrow.
"Look at that!" Elaine said.
"Honchkrow's frozen!" Ethan said.
"Even though Honchkrow's not a Water-type, but he felt that," Kairi said.
"Eevee!" Angel said.
"Use Ice Shard!" Lucas ordered. Glaceon fired Ice Shard, hitting Honchkrow, resulting in a knockout.
"Honchkrow is unable to battle! Glaceon wins!" Oliver announced.
"That's two Paul lost to Lucas," Naminé said.
"Yeah, he's doing even better than I thought he would. Lucas might pull it off," Sora said.
"So, Paul will probably send Magmortar back out since Fire-type Pokémon are super-effective against Ice-types like Glaceon," Dawn said.
"Lup," Piplup said.
"You're right about that, Dawn. But Paul might not be relying too much on types," Reggie said. Paul called back his Honchkrow and took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Ursaring! Stand by for battle!" Paul called out. His Pokéball opened and Ursaring came out to battle. Lucas called back Glaceon as Snowscape fades. Lucas took out his next Pokéball and threw it.
"You're going in, Gengar!" Lucas called out. His Pokéball opened and his Gengar came back out to battle.
"Gengar? Hey, I thought Ghost-type moves don't affect Normal-types," Chase pointed out.
"Yeah, and the same can be said for Normal-type and Fighting-type moves against Ghost-types," Ethan said.
"Lucas might have a plan for that," May said.
"Okay, use Nasty Plot!" Lucas ordered. Gengar glared and snickered wickedly. This builds up Gengar's special attack power. "Use Dazzling Gleam!" Gengar forms a Dazzling Gleam and sends it at the Hibernator Pokémon.
"Ursaring! Use Slash to block it!" Paul ordered. Ursaring slashed through Gengar's Dazzling Gleam. "Use Shadow Claw!" Ursaring rushed at the Shadow Pokémon.
"That's affective against Ghost-types," Rui said.
"And if that hits, then Gengar will take a lot of damage!" Michael said.
"Double Team!" Lucas ordered. Gengar made several copies of itself, making Ursaring slash through a duplicate instead. "Use Sludge Bomb!" Gengar fired a Sludge Bomb, hitting Ursaring, poisoning him.
"Ursaring's poisoned!" May said.
"Yeah, but there's something you should know. Ursaring's ability is known as Guts," Reggie said.
"That increases the attack power just by a little, doesn't it?" Riku asked.
"Yeah, it does," Reggie said.
"Venoshock!" Lucas ordered. Gengar fired a Venoshock at Ursaring, hitting Ursaring. It deals heavy damage due to Ursaring's poisoning.
"Shadow Ball!" Paul ordered. Ursaring fired a Shadow Ball at the Shadow Pokémon. It goes through one of the duplicates. Paul called back Ursaring and took out Torterra's Pokéball and threw it.
"Torterra! Stand by for battle!" Paul called out. His Torterra came back out to battle against Lucas. "Use Earthquake!" Torterra slammed on the ground, making the whole area shake. The duplicates vanished.
"The real Gengar's found. Gengar looks like it's in trouble now," Wes said.
"Shadow Punch!" Lucas ordered. Gengar sends out a Shadow Punch, hitting Torterra. "Use Shadow Ball!" Gengar sends out a Shadow Ball right at Torterra.
"Leaf Storm!" Paul ordered. Torterra fired a Leaf Storm and it takes Gengar in it. The Shadow Pokémon has taken a small sum of damage. Lucas called back Gengar and took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Infernape! Go!" Lucas called out. His Infernape came out to battle. "Use your Power-Up Punch!" Infernape rushed at Torterra and lands a Power-Up Punch. It builds up Infernape's attack power.
"Look at those two. They're giving it everything they've got," Brendan said.
"Yeah. Not one of them is backing down," May said.
"I think I see it," Sora said. Everyone all looked at Sora, puzzled.
"See what?" Rui asked.
"You mind filling us in?" Ash asked.
"You guys remember about 'When every life meets another life, something will be born'?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, what about it?" Ash asked.
"I think this is what Cynthia is talking about. I think Lucas and Paul were meant to have this battle," Sora said.
"You think it's those two?" Lyra asked.
"Yeah, I do think that," Sora said.
"Come to think of it, I thought it was referring to you and Paul, but it's actually referring to Lucas and Paul. And it already happened between you and Riku," Wes said.
"It has?" Sora and Riku asked.
"Think about it? You two have been destined to meet up with each other. Two opposites meeting at the same time. And I think it might he light and darkness; and those two are total opposites," Wes said.
"You gotta admit, it makes sense," Riku said. Sora nodded with agreement.
"Yeah," Sora said.
"Use Frenzy Plant!" Paul ordered. Torterra slammed on the ground, and roots came out to grab Infernape.
"Use Flamethrower!" Lucas ordered. Infernape fired Flamethrower and burns the roots. "Okay, use Mach Punch!" Infernape lands a Mach Punch, hitting Torterra on the mark. "Use Fire Punch!" Infernape lands a Fire Punch, hitting Torterra again.
"Leaf Storm!" Paul ordered.
"Flare Blitz!" Lucas ordered. Infernape rushed at Torterra as the Continent Pokémon attacks with a Leaf Storm. Infernape struck Torterra, dealing some heavy damage and results in a knockout.
"Torterra is unable to battle! Infernape wins!" Oliver announced.
"Wow! Torterra's down!" Dawn said.
"That's three to go!" May said. Paul called back Torterra and took out Ursaring's Pokéball and threw it.
"Ursaring! Stand by for battle!" Paul called out. Ursaring came out to battle. "Use Hidden Power!" Ursaring sends out a Hidden Power right at Infernape.
"Dig!" Lucas ordered. Infernape dodged just by digging underground. The Flame Pokémon came out by landing a punch. "Thunder Punch!" Infernape lands a Thunder Punch.
"Bulk Up and then, Slash!" Paul ordered. Ursaring builds up his attack and defense power and then slashed at Infernape. "Use Hammer Arm!"
"Dodge it and use Brick Break!" Lucas ordered. Infernape lands a Brick Break on Ursaring.
"Use Secret Power!" Paul ordered. Ursaring unleashed a Secret Power, hitting Infernape on the spot. "Use Focus Blast!" Ursaring forms a Focus Blast and sends it at Infernape. Lucas called back Infernape and took out Gengar's Pokéball and threw it.
"Come back out, Gengar!" Lucas called out. Gengar came back out and takes the hit of Focus Blast. It does nothing to Gengar.
"That was clever to switch Pokémon like that," May said.
"Yeah, nice save," Elaine said.
"Gengar! Use Venoshock!" Lucas ordered. Gengar lands a hit onto Ursaring, resulting in a knockout.
"Ursaring is unable to battle! Gengar wins!" Oliver announced.
"Wow! Lucas has taken down four Pokémon and hasn't lost even one," Leaf said.
"Yeah, but that might change," Kris said.
"She's right. Paul might mound a comeback," Roxas said. Paul called back his Ursaring and took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Magmortar! Stand by for battle!" Paul called out. Magmortar came back out to battle. "Flamethrower!"
"Use Double Team!" Lucas ordered. Gengar made several copies of itself again, making Flamethrower phase through a duplicate. "Use Nasty Plot and then Hyper Beam!" Gengar chuckled wickedly, looking at Magmortar and then fired a Hyper Beam at it.
"Fire Blast!" Paul ordered. Magmortar fired a Fire Blast. The two attacks collided and resulted in an explosion. Gengar's duplicates vanished, leaving only the original. "Fire Spin!" Magmortar fired a Fire Spin. It traps Gengar in a fiery vortex.
"It looks like Lucas can't call Gengar back," Dawn said.
"Not as long as Fire Spin is in play," Riku said.
"Use Thunderbolt!" Paul ordered. Magmortar unleashed a Thunderbolt, shocking the Shadow Pokémon. "Use Rock Tomb!" Magmortar summoned a rock pillar and it hits Gengar hard. It results in a knockout.
"Gengar is unable to battle! Magmortar wins!" Oliver announced.
"You called it, Roxas. Paul is starting to push back," Lea said.
"And Paul is most likely ready for the next one he sends out," Roxas said. Lucas called back Gengar and took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"You're going back out, Gliscor!" His Pokéball opened and Gliscor came back out to battle.
"Lucas has sent out Gliscor to deal with Magmortar," Naminé said.
"Granted that Gliscor is a Ground-type. But Paul knows what to expect against this oppoment," Reggie said.
"Okay, Gliscor! Use Earthquake!" Lucas ordered.
"Use Fire Punch!" Paul ordered. Magmortar lands a Fire Punch before Gliscor could use Earthquake. "Use Will-O-Wisp!" Magmortar sends out a Will-O-Wisp. It burns Gliscor upon making contact.
"Crabhammer!" Lucas ordered.
"Fire Punch!" Paul ordered. Magmortar was quicker than Gliscor when scoring a hit with Fire Punch. "Flamethrower!" Magmortar fired a Flamethrower, taking down Gliscor.
"Gliscor is unable to battle! Magmortar wins!" Oliver announced.
"Now, Lucas has four left," Kairi said.
"Glaceon is a bad choice since Magmortar's a Fire-type, so there's Luxray, Floatzel, and Infernape," May said.
"Let's see what call Lucas makes," Brendan said. Lucas called back his Gliscor and took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Floatzel! Come back out!" Lucas called out. His Floatzel came back out to battle.
"Figured you'd send Floatzel back out. Thunderbolt!" Paul ordered. Magmortar sends out a Thunderbolt.
"Dodge and use Aqua Jet!" Lucas ordered. Floatzel dodged Magmortar's Thunderbolt and lands a hit with Aqua Jet. "Hydro Pump!" Floatzel fired Hydro Pump, hitting Magmortar. The last blow resulted in a knockout.
"Magmortar is unable to battle! Floatzel wins!" Oliver announced.
"Now, Paul is down to one," Lea said.
"And we all know it's that Electabuzz," Ethan said.
Paul called back his Magmortar and he took out another Pokéball and threw it.
"Electabuzz! Stand by for battle!" Paul called out. Electabuzz came out to battle against Lucas once again.
"You still good to go?" Lucas asked.
"Zel," Floatzel said.
"Okay! Ice Spinner!" Lucas ordered. Floatzel came toward Electabuzz with an Ice Spinner.
"Protect!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz forms a protective barrier, making Floatzel's Ice Spinner bounce off.
"Use Ice Punch!" Lucas ordered.
"Thunder Punch!" Paul ordered. Both Pokémon land a punch on each other. Floatzel fell backwards due to his weakness to Electric-type moves, knocked out.
"Floatzel is unable to battle! Electabuzz wins!" Oliver announced.
"Lucas has three left to use," Dawn said.
"Electabuzz was already strong enough back when it was just an Elekid. I don't even wanna think about how strong it'll get when it's an Electivire," May said.
"We all saw strong Electabuzz is. Even Sora when he and Paul duked it out in the first battle," Chase said.
"Chu," Volt said.
Lucas called back Floatzel and took out Luxray's Pokéball and threw it.
"Okay, Luxray! Go!" Lucas called out. His Luxray came out to battle. "Use Wild Charge!" Luxray charged toward Electabuzz with a Wild Charge.
"Protect!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz formed a protective barrier, making Luxray's Wild Charge bounce off. ""Use Thunder Punch!" Electabuzz lands a Thunder Punch.
"Crunch!" Lucas ordered. Luxray lands a Crunch on the Electric Pokémon. "Iron Tail!" Luxray swings its tail, hitting Electabuzz. "Snarl!" Luxray fired its Snarl at he Electric Pokémon, dealing some damage. "Snarl again!" Luxray fired another Snarl at Electabuzz.
"Light Screen!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz forms a Light Screen, making Snarl bounce off.
"Psychic Fangs!" Lucas ordered. Luxray rushed at Electabuzz with a Psychic Fangs, shattering Electabuzz's Light Screen.
"Electabuzz! Brick Break!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz lands a Brick Break on the Gleam Eyes Pokémon, dealing some extra damage. "Giga Impact!" Electabuzz rushed at Luxray with a Giga Impact, hitting Luxray on the mark. Luxray struggled to stand, but fell due to fatigue.
"Luxray is unable to battle! Electabuzz wins!" Oliver announced.
"Lucas has two remaining," Lyra said.
"Let's see which one he sends out next," May said. Lucas called Luxray back and took out a Pokéball and threw it.
"Glaceon! Go!" Lucas called out. His Pokéball opened and Glaceon came back out to battle. "Use Chilling Water!" Glaceon whips up cold water and sends it right at Electabuzz. The Electric Pokémon is hit by it. "Now, use Ice Shard!" Glaceon fired Ice Shard at Electabuzz.
"Light Screen!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz formed a Light Screen, cutting Glaceon's attack. "Use Brick Break!" Electabuzz lands a hit with Brick Break, dealing heavy damage. "Wild Charge!" Electabuzz rammed into Glaceon with a Wild Charge. Electabuzz takes recoil damage as Glaceon is knocked out.
"Glaceon is unable to battle! Electabuzz wins!" Oliver announced.
"Now, both Trainers are down to one each," Chase said.
"And judging how this match is going, it could go either way," Sora said.
"It could. Both Paul and Lucas gave it everything they had right from the start, so it'll be determined by who makes the finish," Reggie said. Lucas called back his Glaceon.
"Glaceon, Luxray, Gliscor, Gengar, Floatzel, each and every one of you have done your best out there, and I won't let your efforts go to waste. Here we go," Lucas said in his thoughts. He took out Infernape's Pokéball and threw it. He called out, "Infernape! Go!" His Pokéball opened and his Infernape came on out from inside. Electabuzz stared right at Infernape, seeing how he's different from his former teammate. "Flamethrower!" Infernape fired Flamethrower at the Electric Pokémon.
"Charge Beam!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz fired Charge Beam right at Infernape. Both attacks clashed against one another. Infernape's Flamethrower overpowered Electabuzz's Charge Beam and ends up being burned by Infernape's Flamethrower.
"Use Thunder Punch!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz charged toward Infernape with a Thunder Punch.
"Dodge use Brick Break!" Lucas ordered. Infernape jumped and came down with Brick Break. Not only does Brick Break hits Electabuzz, but shatters Brick Break, too. "Use Dig!" Infernape digs underground.
"Keep your eyes opened for Infernape!" Paul said. Electabuzz looked around, but Infernape came out from behind Electabuzz and lands a punch. "Power-Up Punch!" Infernape lands a Power-Up Punch. It hits Electabuzz and builds up Infernape's attack power. "Thunder Punch!" Infernape lands a punch onto Electabuzz.
"I have to admit, Lucas has gotten so much stronger since I first saw him battle. Lucas reminds me so much of Sora since the start," Paul said in his thoughts.
"Why then do you walk the Pokémon path in the first place? Tell me why do you battle?" Brandon's voice said in his memories.
"Those questions have been eating at me since then. Even when I was battling Candice," Paul said.
"Young man, this battle of yours, was that your true battle?" Brandon's voice asked in his memories.
"Is it my true battle?" Paul asked in his thoughts.
"Infernape! Use Mach Punch!" Lucas ordered.
"Protect!" Paul ordered. Electabuzz formed a protective barrier, making Protect bounce off. "Thunder Punch!"
"Fire Punch!" Lucas ordered. Infernape lands a Fire Punch as Electabuzz lands a Thunder Punch. Electabuzz is hurt by the burns.
"This battle has been on the epic side, but I can feel it ending," Kairi said.
"Yeah, but which one will make the finishing move?" Dawn asked.
"Lup?" Piplup asked.
"The only way we're gonna find out is by watching," Xion said.
"Giga Impact!" Paul ordered.
"Flare Blitz!" Lucas ordered. Infernape and Electabuzz charged at each other with Flare Blitz and Giga Impact. Both Pokémon collided with each other, both landing a hit on one another. Both Infernape and Electabuzz are panting heavily, knowing it could be over at any second. They looked at each other while panting, until Electabuzz fell backwards. Electabuzz has fallen, beaten.
"Electabuzz is unable to battle! Infernape wins! The winner is Lucas from Twinleaf Town!" Oliver announced.
"He won!" The group all exclaimed.
"I won," Lucas said in disbelief. Paul called back his Electabuzz and he sighed.
"I gave it everything I had, and Lucas beat me. Lucas has so much strength," Paul said in his thoughts. Reggie approached both Trainers.
"That was an excellent battle, you two. And it's been a while since I saw you enjoy a battle so much, Paul," Reggie said. Paul was surprised to hear his brother hear that.
"Me? Enjoying a battle?" Paul asked.
"Of course. I saw it on your face," Reggie said.
"I did too, Paul," Lucas admitted. He smiled. "To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd win it, even after all my training, but I had fun."
"Ape," Infernape said.
"And I know you were thinking about what Brandon said to you back at the Battle Pyramid. So have I. Did you give it so much thought?" Lucas asked.
"I did," Paul admitted. "It was hard not to think about it."
"Paul, listen, you need to hear this. The reason Lucas won this battle is because worked with his Pokémon. It's only when you work with your Pokémon can you be strong. That is something I already knew when I was starting out. And that is what both Sora and Cynthia know all about," Reggie said.
"Your big brother's right, Paul. People and Pokémon can become strong together when we work together. Bonds are made with the passing time, connecting the hearts of people and Pokémon as one," Lucas said.
"What do hearts have to do with this?" Paul asked.
"Everything. You just need to give it a shot, and maybe you can see something you couldn't see before, and you can hear something you couldn't hear either. Only then, can you be one with your Pokémon. I mean, you say that Trainers and Pokémon shouldn't be close at all, but if that was true, then what would be the point of Mega Evolution? I heard it happens when Trainers and Pokémon share a strong bond. And if you had a Keystone and a Mega Stone for a certain Pokémon, it probably won't work for you because it can sense you don't love and care for them at all. You can say it's stupid if you want to, but it's not to me," Lucas said. Sora smiled at that.
"Spoken like a true Pokémon Trainer," Sora said.
"So, what do you say, Paul? Won't you give anything I said a try?" Lucas asked.
"I'll think about it," Paul said. He looked at Sora, knowing he agreed with Lucas. He looked right back at Lucas. "Just don't be surprised when I challenege you to a battle someday, Lucas. And it might not end in your favor."
"I don't doubt it, Paul," Lucas said.
"I'll send you my Pokémon, Reggie," Paul said.
"Okay," Reggie said.
With that said, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Naminé, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Chase, Elaine, Lucas, Dawn, Wes, Rui, Michael, Pikachu, Angel, Eevee, Azurill, Xipak, Celeste, Marill, Volt, Maple, and Piplup head for the Pokémon Center of Lake Acuity to heal up Lucas's Pokémon before heading for Veilstone City to meet up with Rei. The battle may have ended in Lucas's favor, but how big an impact did Lucas make on Paul? Only time knows the answer to that question, and we will end it here for now.