With the boost from Calm Mind, Gardevoir's moves became significantly more powerful. Just as Evelyn's command fell, a beam of light burst forth and shot directly toward Volcarona.
"Kami-e," Nathan said calmly.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Volcarona made a slight sidestep, allowing the Psybeam to brush right past. The speed it unleashed in that instant was terrifying, like an illusion.
Of the Navy's Six Styles, Volcarona had only mastered one — Kami-e. Yet it wielded this technique with astonishing mastery.
Dodging the blow, Nathan launched his counterattack.
"Volcarona, Bug Buzz, then Quiver Dance!"
"!!"
With Nathan's command, Volcarona emitted a piercing screech that made Gardevoir frown, while its body gently danced through the air like a fluttering, elegant dancer.
Bug Buzz was a sound-based offensive move, and Quiver Dance increased Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed.
"Use Telekinesis to block your ears, then Psychic!" Evelyn quickly commanded.
Gardevoir's frown relaxed. Then a powerful burst of Psychic energy erupted from her.
Nathan smirked. Without delay, he issued another command: "Substitute, then Heat Wave!"
Gardevoir's psychic strike hit, but Volcarona had already created a Substitute to take the hit. Simultaneously, its wings stirred.
Flames erupted, accompanied by a raging wind that fanned the fire into a roaring sea of flame, surging toward Gardevoir like crashing waves.
This was a result of Nathan's training — enhancing Volcarona's fire abilities and combining them with Heat Wave for maximum effect, producing terrifying results.
Even the air itself felt scorching hot. The battlefield was charred, scorched with black marks from the flames.
And this was just one of many combo techniques Nathan had developed.
The blazing firestorm spread wide, leaving Gardevoir almost no room to dodge. The overwhelming heat and pressure made Evelyn frown deeply.
…
"Light Screen, then Icy Wind!" Evelyn commanded sternly.
Light Screen was to block the oncoming flames, and Icy Wind was meant to reduce the ambient temperature. If things stayed that hot, Gardevoir's combat ability would drop sharply.
A glowing barrier formed in front of Gardevoir, followed by a blast of frigid wind surging out to meet the flames.
The cold breeze brought Gardevoir welcome relief.
Boom!
The flames struck, shattering the Light Screen.
"Teleport, then Dazzling Gleam!" Evelyn ordered once more.
Teleporting accurately was difficult for most Psychic-types, but strong ones could do it with precise control of their psychic energy. Her Gardevoir could — though it was mentally taxing and couldn't be used repeatedly.
In a flash, Gardevoir vanished and reappeared not far behind Volcarona, unleashing a burst of dazzling light.
"Ascend and dodge, then Fiery Dance!"
Nathan remained calm as ever, completely unfazed.
Volcarona's wings fluttered, and it shot into the air with incredible speed like a phantom, dodging the light-based attack. Then, from its wings, red glowing powder began to scatter across the sky.
The powder suddenly ignited, falling like drops of fiery rain.
This was another special move Nathan developed for Volcarona — utilizing its naturally flammable scales to cover a wide area and make dodging nearly impossible.
"Protect!" Evelyn gritted her teeth and ordered.
An invisible shield appeared in front of Gardevoir.
Seeing this, Nathan's lips curled slightly. "Let's end this battle. Volcarona, begin the assault!"
For Nathan, once Volcarona took to the sky and began using Fiery Rain, any attempt at defending meant the battle had shifted into Volcarona's tempo — a relentless assault until the fight was over.
He could guess Evelyn's thoughts.
Even facing an Elite-level Volcarona, she still believed her Gardevoir could compete. So, she avoided overusing Teleport, since it drained mental energy and would affect future battles. Real-life Pokémon battles required more strategic considerations, including stamina and mental fatigue.
Psychic-types mostly relied on their minds. When their mental strength waned, they didn't tire physically, but mentally — becoming distracted and unable to focus.
Nathan could see this clearly, which is why he declared the fight over.
To him, Volcarona was not just the embodiment of the sun — it was also a powerful flame turret.
As fire rained down repeatedly, Nathan's voice began to echo:
"Flamethrower!"
"Fire Spin!"
"Fire Blast!"
"Mystical Fire!"
"And finally, Flare Blitz!"
He spoke without pause, and each time he did, Volcarona's wings stirred, unleashing a new move.
Volcarona's three pairs of wings were key to its fiery power, each pair capable of launching separate fire-based attacks.
One pair unleashed Flamethrower...
Another, Fire Spin...
Then Mystical Fire, followed by Fire Blast...
Each fiery move followed the last without respite, all empowered by Sunny Day to terrifying levels.
Like a living turret, Volcarona's assault was unrelenting. There was no time to dodge — barely time to defend.
As soon as one move was blocked, the next was already coming.
After the final vortex of flame dissipated, Gardevoir breathed a sigh of relief — no more flames followed. It was finally a brief moment to rest.
But just then, Evelyn shouted, "Teleport, now!"
Gardevoir looked up — and saw Volcarona diving like a blazing sun, cloaked in flame and charging down at her with devastating force.
Without hesitation, Gardevoir's eyes flashed, and she vanished again, dodging what might've been a fight-ending Flare Blitz.
Still, the outcome was inevitable.
The instant Gardevoir reappeared, Nathan spoke again.
"String Shot from behind! Then Bug Bite and Leech Life — end it!"
Volcarona spun and spat out threads of silk, striking the newly reappeared Gardevoir before she could react, entangling her. Though she broke free quickly, her movement was delayed.
Volcarona struck — pouncing on Gardevoir with Bug Bite, followed immediately by Leech Life.
When it finally let go, Gardevoir fell with a thud to the ground — unconscious.
…
"Well done, Gardevoir," Evelyn said as she recalled her Pokémon, then turned to the referee. Calmly, she stated, "I concede."
Though she had lost, she remained composed. Her strongest Pokémon was no match, and the remaining Eevee stood no chance. She wasn't some hot-blooded, delusional anime heroine — she wouldn't waste time on a hopeless fight.
Especially since her Eevee hadn't evolved yet. She didn't believe in some miracle turning the tide.
It probably couldn't even beat Pangoro.
The referee nodded and raised the flag. "The winner of this match — Nathan Vesper!"
The match was over. Nathan recalled Volcarona.
Evelyn looked at him and said, "If all goes well, I'll face you again in the finals. By then, both my Gardevoir and Eevee will be stronger."
"I'll be waiting," Nathan replied with a smile — though inwardly, he muttered, Let's just hope she doesn't buy a Elite-level Pokémon specifically to counter my Volcarona.
The odds were low, but if she really wanted to, he was pretty sure the heiress of a wealthy family could pull it off.
After all, money can do crazy things.
TN: Hey guys please check out my other novel One Piece: For DEMACIAA