A large, bipedal Pokémon with a massive, reddish-pink flower on its head emerged onto the field.
---
Pokémon: Vileplume
Gender: Female
Level: 37
Type: Grass/Poison
Ability: Chlorophyll
Held Item: None
Potential: Light Purple
---
"Vileplume, Stun Spore!" Erika ordered.
Vileplume shook its massive petals, releasing a thick, glittering yellow cloud of paralyzing spores that rapidly drifted across the battlefield, leaving Fearow with nowhere to hide.
"Fearow, Tailwind! Blow it back!" Eric commanded.
Fearow flapped her powerful wings, creating a violent gust of wind that pushed the yellow cloud back toward Vileplume. But Erika was prepared.
"Giga Drain!"
A sinister green light erupted from Vileplume's petals. Even as the spores were blown away, four thick tendrils of energy shot through the wind, locking onto Fearow's body. Fearow shrieked in pain as her stamina was forcibly siphoned away, her movements growing sluggish.
"Power through it! Aerial Ace!" Eric called out, his eyes calculating.
Fearow, displaying her incredible willpower, shook off the sluggishness. Surrounded by white streams of flying energy, she became a blur, curving through the air to strike Vileplume's flank.
BANG!
The super-effective hit sent Vileplume stumbling back, but the recovery from Giga Drain allowed the grass-type to tank the hit.
Her Grass-type energy was clearly at the Grade 3 level, otherwise she wouldn't do much damage to Fearow, who resisted it.
"Solar Beam!" Erika commanded, taking advantage of the bright sunlight filtering through the glass dome.
A brilliant, concentrated beam of solar energy blasted from Vileplume's flower. Fearow, too exhausted and close to the ground, couldn't dodge in time. The beam struck her directly, knocking her out of the sky.
"Fearow is unable to battle! Vileplume wins!"
Eric calmly recalled Fearow. She had fought exceptionally well and forced Vileplume to expend a massive amount of its energy.
"You're up, Poliwrath," Eric said, releasing his powerhouse.
The light faded, and the five-foot-tall Poliwrath materialized with a heavy thud, his powerful arms crossed. His Level had reached 37, and his Purple potential gave him an aura of overwhelming physical dominance.
The crowd gasped.
"A water-type? Against Erika's Vileplume?"
"Is he crazy? That's a massive type disadvantage!"
"Looks like all of you haven't seen what he did at the Pewter Gym."
Erika's eyes narrowed. "An interesting choice. Vileplume, Giga Drain once more!"
"Poliwrath, Rain Dance!" Eric countered immediately.
Four thick, green energy tendrils shot from Vileplume's petals, latching onto Poliwrath's shoulder. Poliwrath gritted his teeth, feeling his stamina being siphoned away, but he held his ground. He raised his fists, summoning a heavy, localized downpour that flooded the greenhouse.
Under the rain, Poliwrath's Swift Swim ability activated, doubling his speed.
"Break free with Brick Break, then close in!" Eric commanded.
With his speed doubled, Poliwrath became a blur under the rain. He chopped down with a glowing, white-energy fist, severing the draining tendrils. He closed the distance before Vileplume could transition to a defensive move.
"Submission!"
Poliwrath lunged, grabbing Vileplume by its thick stem. He utilized his immense physical bulk to lift the heavy Grass-type, slamming both of them into the muddy turf.
The recoil damage from Submission, combined with the earlier siphoned energy, left Poliwrath heavily bruised and panting, but Vileplume had taken the brunt of the physical and wasn't doing well either.
"Ice Beam, finish it!"
With a close-range Ice Beam, Vileplume finally collapsed, unconscious.
"Vileplume is unable to battle! Poliwrath wins!"
The crowd roared, but Eric remained tense. Poliwrath was already sweating profusely, his chest heaving under the rain.
Erika recalled Vileplume, her expression serious. She unfastened her last Poké Ball. "You've trained your Poliwrath's physical strength well. But can you withstand this? Go, Tangela."
The blue, vine-covered Pokémon materialized on the field.
---
Pokémon: Tangela
Gender: Female
Level: 38
Type: Grass
Ability: Regenerator
Held Item: None
Potential: Deep Blue
---
"Tangela, Power Whip! Bind him!" Erika ordered.
Dozens of thick, green vines shot forward like cracking whips. Poliwrath, heavily fatigued, tried to dodge under the rain, but the vines were too numerous.
They wrapped tightly around his torso and arms, pinning him to the ground.
"Giga Drain!" Erika commanded, aiming to end the match.
The vines began to glow with a bright green light, siphoning Poliwrath's remaining energy. Poliwrath let out a painful groan, his eyes unfocusing.
"Poliwrath! Don't give up!"
Eric shouted, his voice cutting through the sound of the rain.
"Use Ice Beam directly on the vines!"
With a roar of pure determination, Poliwrath gathered the last of his energy. He opened his mouth, unleashing a freezing beam of light at the very vines wrapping around his chest.
CRACKLE!
The ice spread rapidly, freezing Tangela's vines solid. The sudden, extreme cold disrupted the Giga Drain. Gritting his teeth, Poliwrath flexed his muscular upper body, shattering the frozen vines into glittering shards.
But he was running on empty. He could barely stand.
"This is the end," Eric said. "Poliwrath, Brick Break!"
"Tangela, Mega Drain!" Erika countered.
The two Pokémon clashed in a final, desperate struggle. Poliwrath charged forward, his fist glowing with the last of his fighting-type energy, while Tangela lunged with its remaining vines to absorb his life force.
BANG!
Under the rain, Poliwrath was faster. The Brick Break connected squarely against Tangela, shattering its defences and sending it crashing into the ground
"End it, Ice Beam!"
Before Tangela could get up, she was hit by an Ice Beam, which knocked her out.
Poliwrath staggered backwards. He didn't stand tall; instead, he collapsed onto one knee, using his thick arm to support his weight as he panted heavily, barely retaining consciousness by a thread.
"Tangela is unable to battle! Poliwrath and challenger Eric win the match!'
The stadium erupted into deafening cheers. It had been an incredible battle.
They were still in shock at how Eric defeated Erika with a Poliwrath.
Erika walked over, her composed demeanor returning as she offered a respectful bow, holding out the Rainbow Badge.
"That was an incredible battle, Eric. Your Poliwrath's willpower is truly remarkable. You have earned this."
"Thank you," Eric said, accepting the badge with a polite nod.
Eric walked out of the gym calmly. He had done what he could in this past month.
Now, only three days remained until the Williams event.
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