A Pokémon's strength isn't estimated—it's proven in battle.
Only through a real fight can you truly gauge a Pokémon's combat capabilities.
"Sounds good! I'll be counting on you to go easy on me, Wyatt."
Caster grinned and readily agreed.
"Go easy? No way, we're learning from each other!"
Seeing Caster accept, Wyatt beamed with confidence.
He'd already made up his mind. When the match started, he'd have his Pokémon put on a stellar performance, showing off their skills and leaving a lasting impression on the Dragon Elder.
As for Caster? If he got roughed up a bit, so be it.
After all, the kid had practically drained his Dragon Gem supply this trip. Wasn't it only fair to give his benefactor a little emotional payback?
Take one for the team, buddy. I'll handle the glory!
Yeah, sounds about right!
"A sparring match?"
Only Clair sensed something off.
Why did Wyatt suddenly suggest a battle?
And Caster—why did he look so eager to fight?
Did he actually think he could hold his own against Wyatt?
It wasn't until she glanced over and realized the Dragon Elder had appeared nearby at some point that she stood and bowed. "Grandfather!"
"Elder!"
Caster and Wyatt quickly followed suit.
Hearing Clair call him "Grandfather," the Dragon Elder frowned and scolded, "How many times do I have to tell you? When we're at the Dragon's Den or the Dragon Sanctuary, you address me as Elder."
Clair pouted reluctantly. "Yes… Elder."
"Mm."
Satisfied with a nod, the Dragon Elder turned to Caster. "Young man, have you completed your training?"
"Thanks to your generosity, Elder!"
Caster answered honestly. "And thanks to Miss Clair's patient guidance and Wyatt's generous support with Dragon Gems, my Gyarados has finished the training I set out for it."
"Excellent!"
After a word of praise, the Dragon Elder studied Caster's Gyarados for a moment, his gaze inscrutable.
Learning that Caster and Wyatt intended to spar, the Dragon Elder's interest was piqued. He chuckled. "In that case, this old man will observe as well!"
Wyatt's excitement soared even higher.
Since Caster currently only had two Pokémon, the match was set as a two-on-two. Neither side could switch Pokémon through conventional means, though moves like Volt Switch, U-turn, and Baton Pass were permitted.
"Trainers, take your positions!"
After helping the Dragon Elder settle onto a stone seat, Clair returned to serve as referee.
Across the wide clearing, Caster and Wyatt faced each other, each holding a Poké Ball, ready to go.
Around the field and in the lake, a crowd of wild Pokémon gathered to watch.
The Dragon Sanctuary was an exceptionally peaceful place where battles rarely occurred.
A Pokémon match like this was a rare sight.
"Aooo~"
Even the guardian Dragonite drifted over, though it was mainly there to keep the wild Pokémon in check. It had little interest in the match itself.
In its eyes, this was nothing but a squabble between weaklings.
"Go, Gyarados!"
Locking eyes across the field, Caster and Wyatt threw their Poké Balls almost simultaneously.
And as if sharing a psychic link, they both sent out the same Pokémon—Gyarados.
"ROOOAR!"
With twin roars, two ferocious Gyarados materialized on the battlefield.
However, in terms of size and presence, Caster's Gyarados clearly had the edge.
"ROOOAR!"
But then Wyatt's Gyarados let out another roar, its expression growing even more menacing and cold. The momentum on the field instantly reversed.
Caster's Gyarados seemed to glimpse something terrifying. Its expression shifted slightly, and it involuntarily retreated half a step.
Then, a dim glow flickered across its body.
Caster's Gyarados's Attack had been lowered!
Caster sighed. "Intimidate again, huh?"
For a physical attacker, having your Attack reduced right out of the gate was a serious blow.
Especially for Caster's Gyarados, whose ability was Moxie. It needed to build momentum by scoring early knockouts to snowball through the opponent's team.
On the field, Wyatt smirked coldly at the sight. "Moxie? I'll make sure you've got nothing to be confident about from the start!"
"Battle begin!"
At Clair's signal, the match officially started.
Wyatt snapped his fingers and called out confidently, "Gyarados, use Dragon Pulse to say hello!"
Though Gyarados was a Water/Flying-type Pokémon, under Wyatt's training, his Gyarados clearly excelled in Dragon-type moves.
"ROOOAR!"
With a roar, Dragon-type energy surged and gathered in the Gyarados's gaping maw, then burst forth as a ferocious, multicolored dragon-shaped wave.
"Dragon Breath!"
Caster's expression remained calm as he countered with Dragon Breath, also a Dragon-type move.
*Hiss!*
Searing draconic flames shot from Caster's Gyarados's mouth, colliding head-on with the incoming Dragon Pulse mid-air.
The two Dragon-type energies clashed violently, neither giving an inch, and then detonated.
BOOM!
Smoke billowed, shockwaves rippled outward, and the gust forced onlookers to squint.
"It actually blocked it?"
Wyatt frowned, surprise flashing across his face.
His Gyarados might have been smaller, but it had accumulated far more energy internally.
And Dragon Pulse was a stronger move than Dragon Breath.
Yet somehow… the result was a draw?
The Dragon Elder sat expressionless, motionless as a meditating monk.
But Clair, watching from the sidelines, caught a glimpse of what had happened.
Caster's Gyarados had mastered Dragon Breath to an extremely high degree—at least one tier above Wyatt's Gyarados's Dragon Pulse proficiency. Otherwise, there was no way it could have matched it.
"Wait… does this mean that over the past few days, Caster's Gyarados wasn't just rapidly improving its Dragon Dance proficiency?"
"It also pushed its Dragon Breath mastery to an incredibly high level?"
The thought made Clair's throat go dry. She muttered to herself, "Does this Gyarados really just learn everything at a glance and master it after a little practice? That kind of talent… it's monstrous!"
"Gyarados, Dragon Rush!"
Since special attacks weren't getting the job done, Wyatt immediately shifted tactics, opting for a physical close-range move.
Sure, Caster's Gyarados was larger, and size did offer some advantage for physical moves. But what really mattered was the Pokémon's accumulated energy.
And in that department, Wyatt had absolute confidence in his Gyarados.
After all, he'd been training for two and a half years, while Caster had only been at it for six months.
The difference was obvious!
Not to mention, Caster's Gyarados had been hit by Intimidate at the start, lowering its Attack even further. Talk about adding insult to injury.
Wyatt refused to believe his Gyarados could lose in a head-on clash like this.
"ROOOAR!"
With a roar, a brilliant blue aura began forming around Wyatt's Gyarados, enveloping its entire body before it charged forward like a battering ram. The impact was terrifying.
Watching the Gyarados barrel toward him like a runaway freight train, Caster didn't panic. In fact, he looked pleased. "Thunder Wave!"
Wyatt's Gyarados was strong, with fast reflexes and virtually no weaknesses.
If Caster tried using Thunder Wave from a distance, it would likely dodge.
But now, with Wyatt's Gyarados charging in and closing to within just a few meters, the distance was far too close.
And no matter what move you use, if I'm right in your face, there's no chance you're dodging.