Pokémon: Trainer Paul

"Take a break."

As Vulpix struggled to hold its ground, Paul chose not to push it further. He recalled Vulpix into its Poké Ball and sent out another Pokémon.

"Ursaring, Fire Punch!"

"Urrrrsaa!"

With a thunderous roar, Ursaring leapt from its Poké Ball, charging toward Spiritomb with its fists ablaze.

The Flame Orb still attached from its earlier training activated, igniting Ursaring in flames and triggering its Guts ability. Its attack power surged as the burn took hold.

"Zzhaa—!"

Spiritomb attempted to evade, but having just broken free from its seal, it was too weakened to counteract the residual effects of the Hyper Beam.

All it could do was to watch as the fiery punch descended.

BOOM!

A resounding crash echoed as Spiritomb was struck by Fire Punch, sent flying into the wall and then slumping to the ground.

"Bulk Up!"

Instead of pursuing immediately, Ursaring struck a confident pose, flexing its muscles as it used Bulk Up.

Its attack and defense stats increased!

Spiritomb, having landed, finally shook off the effects of its sealing curse. Its shadow stretched out, striking Ursaring's body.

Shadow Sneak!

The attack landed, but it had no effect!

When Pokémon of equal strength clash, Ghost-type Pokémon can ignore Normal-type moves, and vice versa.

Still dazed from its long confinement, Spiritomb hadn't realized this yet. It froze for a moment after its attack failed.

That moment was all Ursaring needed. Bulk Up completed, it charged Spiritomb again.

Without needing Paul's command, Ursaring instinctively activated Foresight, a skill honed to perfection during its training in Eterna Forest. Spiritomb was now vulnerable to Normal-type moves.

"Hammer Arm!"

Ursaring raised its massive arms, grinning as it lunged toward Spiritomb.

"Zzhaa—!"

Refusing to surrender, Spiritomb's body glowed blue as it unleashed a powerful wave of psychic energy directly at Ursaring.

Psychic!

But Psychic was no match for Ursaring's overwhelming force. With a single swing, Ursaring shattered the incoming wave.

Accelerating, Ursaring closed the distance and brought both glowing arms crashing down.

Hammer Arm!

In a desperate bid, Spiritomb created a green protective barrier around itself.

Protect!

BOOM!

The impact against the barrier sent shockwaves rippling in all directions.

Spiritomb, battered and exhausted, finally caught a moment of relief as Protect successfully blocked the attack.

But then—

Crack!

A faint sound sent shivers down Spiritomb's core.

Tiny fractures had appeared on the supposedly unbreakable barrier.

For the first time, panic flashed across Spiritomb's face.

The next moment, the barrier shattered, and Ursaring's Hammer Arm landed squarely on Spiritomb, sending it flying back into the corner.

"Finish it—Hammer Arm!"

Not giving Spiritomb any chance to recover, Ursaring advanced, its fists clenched like a baseball player preparing a home run swing.

BOOM!

With a deafening crash, Spiritomb's Keystone was smashed into the wall, embedding it firmly. Spiritomb hung limply motionless, its energy spent.

"Go, Poké Ball!"

Paul pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket and threw it.

The ball arced gracefully through the air, encapsulating Spiritomb and clicking shut. After a few shakes, the capture was complete.

"Not bad. You've gotten stronger. That's some progress."

Paul picked up the Poké Ball and gave Ursaring a pat on its shoulder in approval.

"Urrrsaa~"

The rare praise made Ursaring smile sheepishly, scratching its head in embarrassment.

A rare sight indeed.

"Keep practicing. Aim to activate Guts without relying on the Flame Orb."

Paul placed the Poké Ball into his pocket and handed Ursaring a Berry to heal its burn.

In the real world, trainers who master controlling the Flame Orb's energy can prevent burns entirely.

However, once burned, aside from letting time and nature heal it, you can also use medicine or berries to recover.

"Ursaaa~"

Ursaring gave an embarrassed smile and ate the berry.

Though it could burn itself using flames, the process took too long—too long to be practical in a battle.

"Here, take this. Practice Flash Fire on your own in the Poké Ball."

Releasing his Vulpix from its Poké Ball, Paul handed it a berry and a newly acquired Flame Orb.

"Vul~!"

The Vulpix obediently swallowed the berry in one gulp and carefully caught the Flame Orb with its tails. Then Paul returned it to its Poké Ball.

Paul didn't immediately check the ball or recall Ursaring. Instead, his attention fell on the wall where the Spiritomb's Keystone had embedded itself.

The Hammer Arm's impact had left cracks all over the wall, in addition to the hole where the Keystone had lodged.

Carefully inspecting the cracks and the hole, Paul noticed something unusual—a faint light seemed to shine from within, suggesting the wall might connect to another space.

In Sinnoh, a region rich with mountains and ancient ruins, it wasn't uncommon to find ruins leading to caves or other relics.

Concerns about preserving ruins or potential discoveries were for researchers and mythologists. Paul didn't care to deal with such issues.

Without hesitation, Paul stepped back and pointed at the wall.

"Ursaring, use Hammer Arm to break it open."

"Ursaaa~"

Ursaring moved forward, raising its arms high and slamming them down repeatedly.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

…

To avoid debris injuring Paul, Ursaring held back its full strength. Even so, after five or six Hammer Arm, it succeeded in breaking through the wall, revealing a hidden passageway.

"We'll focus on training Guts later."

After stepping into the opening, Paul discovered an artificially excavated tunnel, its origins unclear.

The ceiling was low—about 2.5 meters high—making it difficult for Ursaring to move. Paul decided to recall it.

"Let's light the way. Follow me."

The tunnel was dark, but instead of using a flashlight, Paul released his Turtwig to illuminate the path.

"Twig~"

Turtwig stepped ahead and activated a modified Sunny Day.

In the next moment, its body glowed like a Flash move, brightening the entire tunnel.

"Good thinking."

Paul nodded in approval at Turtwig's skill development.

"Twig~"

Pleased by the praise, Turtwig smiled broadly and eagerly led the way.

Based on Paul's analysis, following the passage would likely lead them out of the ruins through another route.

They kept walking… and walking…

"Hold on."

After several minutes, Paul suddenly stopped, his ears twitching.

"Twig?"

Turtwig tilted its head in confusion but immediately quieted down, ensuring it wouldn't disturb Paul.

Paul strained his ears. Somewhere ahead, faint, peculiar voices reached him.

Following the sound, Paul stopped near a section of the tunnel wall, frowning slightly.

This spot… it seemed to be where the voices were coming from.

Glancing at Turtwig and the unstable tunnel, Paul dismissed the idea of having it blast the wall with Solar Beam.

Without a Pokémon capable of Dig, like Gible, and with the tunnel too small for Ursaring to dig efficiently, Paul only had one option.

He released his Dewott.

"Dewott, carve through this wall."

"Cha-Cha~"

Though slightly exasperated at being used for digging, Dewott showed no resentment.

It gestured for Paul to step back, then its eyes flashed. Activating Swords Dance, Aqua Jet, and Shell Blade simultaneously, it executed a modified Sword Dance, transforming into a rapid spinning drill as it slammed into the tunnel wall.

Though sturdy, the dirt and stone gave way under Dewott's assault, breaking apart almost instantly.

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