"Sneasel, use Ice Shard!"
After the two Pokémon separated, Jake Turner quickly changed tactics.
Sneasel's body leapt into the air, raising its claws as a chilling energy gathered in them. With a downward slash, a flurry of icy shards shot out, glittering like crystals under the sunlight.
Seeing that, Sandslash raised its arms and countered with Sand Attack, launching countless grains of sand and stones that clashed with the shards of ice midair. Dust and frost mixed together in a sparkling rain.
"Sandslash, use Dig!"
Ethan gave the order instantly.
Sandslash didn't hesitate, but just as it was about to burrow into the ground, a claw appeared right in front of it, slamming the spot it was about to dig through.
Sandslash reacted with incredible speed, dodging Sneasel's strike in an instant. Its own claws gleamed with a silvery light as it counterattacked with Metal Claw.
Sneasel wasted no time, switching stance midair. It used the claw embedded in the ground as leverage, twisting its body in the air. Its feet and other claw also gleamed with metallic light. Using its legs instead of its hands, it spun like a propeller toward Sandslash!
Seeing that, Sandslash's eyes sharpened. Its claws moved so fast that they left a trail of silver light, forming a metallic curtain that enveloped Sneasel completely.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed throughout the entire stadium. The silvery curtain of light crashed down fiercely, completely engulfing Sneasel.
With a dull explosion, Sneasel's body was sent flying, slamming into the protective wall of the field, covered in wounds.
"Sneasel has lost the ability to fight! Sandslash wins!"
The sudden end of the battle left the referee stunned for a moment, but he quickly raised his flag to announce the result.
"Holy crap! What was that?! That claw speed is insane! How many years of singleness does it take to have hands that fast?!"
A spectator cried out in disbelief, unable to process what he'd just witnessed. The rest of the audience stared wide-eyed, speechless.
"That must've been a combination of Fury Swipes and Metal Claw, right?"
Lucas Silver, Marcus Foster, and the others familiar with Sandslash's fighting style instantly recalled its past battles, where it had already shown terrifying move combinations that had left lasting impressions on them.
Indeed, that barrage of Metal Claw attacks was the result of combining Fury Swipes + Metal Claw — and its power was as fearsome as ever.
"He's down to his last Pokémon."
Jake's expression hardened. He opened his final Poké Ball, and from it emerged his starter Pokémon — Blastoise.
"Blasstt!" the Pokémon roared as it appeared.
The moment it saw its opponent, Blastoise's pupils shrank — it immediately recognized that red-spined Sandslash that had defeated it before.
"Long time no see."
Ethan smiled faintly, while Sandslash met Blastoise's gaze with a knowing, amused look.
"The last time we fought, this move wasn't quite finished yet... But after all the training, Sandslash has perfected it completely."
"So then... try to stop it if you can. Sandslash, use Crush Spin (Rapid Spin + Crush Claw)!"
Ethan grinned as he gave the command. Sandslash began to spin rapidly, activating Rapid Spin to boost its next attack.
"It's the same combination move he used to defeat Wartortle!"
Jake's eyes widened as the memory resurfaced — his Wartortle being smashed to the ground by a single slash that even cracked its shell. His expression darkened.
"Don't underestimate me! My Blastoise isn't the same as before!"
Jake shouted, visibly agitated, ordering Blastoise to use Hydro Pump, determined to face the attack head-on.
"He's angry?... He should've withdrawn into his shell to defend. If he did that, my Sandslash couldn't break through easily. But if he insists on clashing head-on..."
Ethan shook his head. Recklessness was dangerous. Jake was doing exactly what he shouldn't — using Blastoise's weak point to challenge Sandslash's strongest. The outcome was obvious.
With the high-speed spin's momentum and the slashing power of Crush Claw, Sandslash tore straight through Hydro Pump and struck Blastoise head-on, sending it flying.
"Finish it! Spin Drive (Rollout + Rapid Spin)!"
Sandslash's mastery over move combinations had already reached an astonishing level.
At Ethan's signal, Sandslash spun with fierce speed, forming into a sphere that rotated at a breathtaking pace. Then, with maximum acceleration, it hurled itself forward, activating Rollout.
BOOM!
The spinning motion amplified Rollout's power to absurd levels, boosting its strength to the limit. With that rotational inertia, its force far surpassed that of a normal version of the move.
With a deafening crash, Sandslash smashed directly into Blastoise, crushing it against the protective wall.
CRACK!
The wall fractured instantly, spiderweb-like cracks spreading across its entire surface.
Blastoise's eyes went wide — then it fainted on the spot.
"Holy crap! What kind of move was that?!"
The crowd erupted into a mix of shouting and astonishment.
They'd seen combination moves before, but nothing like this — using the high-speed rotation from Rapid Spin to power up physical attacks like Crush Claw or Rollout, reaching such a devastating level of force.
"Too incredible!"
"That Sandslash didn't seem that strong at first — we saw it against Sneasel. But once it uses those combo moves, its power skyrockets completely! It's like it transforms into a totally different Pokémon!"
The whole stadium buzzed with excitement, and many trainers were already thinking of trying such combinations themselves.
If a combo like that could multiply an ordinary Pokémon's strength and let it break through its own limits... who could resist?
Of course, learning something that complex surely wasn't any easier than mastering an elemental ultimate move.
(End of Chapter)