Frost gathered around Weavile's right fist.
Before the punch even landed, Venusaur could already feel the biting cold spreading through the air.
Venusaur quickly swung its Vine Whip to block the attack—
But it was too late.
Weavile's powerful punch slammed directly into Venusaur's back.
The freezing energy exploded instantly, and nearly half of Venusaur's body was covered in ice.
After landing the hit, Weavile did not press the attack.
Instead, it retreated swiftly to a safe distance.
The situation for Venusaur had become even worse.
Most of its body was now frozen, making its already slow movements even more restricted.
Weavile returned to its previous position and casually licked the sharp claws on its hand.
A mocking expression appeared on its face.
It wanted to see despair on Venusaur's face.
That kind of reaction always entertained it.
But it was disappointed.
From beginning to end, Venusaur's expression had never changed.
There was no fear.
Only calm determination.
---
"Venusaur… absorb the power of Grassy Terrain," Sam said quietly.
Venusaur nodded.
It slowly closed its eyes and began to feel the energy flowing through the entire field.
Lend me your power…
It was as if the grass across the battlefield responded.
The blades of grass swayed gently, almost like soft laughter.
Through the earth, their energy flowed toward Venusaur.
The vibrant grass covering the battlefield slowly began to wither.
The once lush green field gradually lost its life.
Venusaur felt a hint of sadness.
But it quickly steadied its heart.
It had to move forward with the strength everyone had given it.
The frost covering its body began to melt away.
The giant flower on its back glowed brighter and brighter.
A powerful aura slowly rose from Venusaur's body.
Its energy continued climbing.
At that moment—
Venusaur's power finally surpassed the level of ordinary Gym-level Pokémon.
A new Elite-level Pokémon had been born.
---
"So that was your goal…"
Karen clenched her teeth.
She had never expected Sam to be so bold.
He had actually used her Weavile as a stepping stone to push Venusaur into the Elite level.
It was infuriating.
She was truly angry now.
This pointless hunt had gone on long enough.
It was time to end it.
"Weavile, Icicle Spear."
Karen's voice turned cold.
Weavile wasn't pleased either.
It swung its arms forward, and several sharp Icicle Spears instantly formed in front of it.
With a roar, it launched the attack toward Venusaur.
---
"Isn't it a little late for Miss Karen to get angry now?" Sam said calmly.
"You could have won this battle earlier."
"But unfortunately… everything has changed."
"Venusaur, Razor Leaf."
After being suppressed for most of the battle, it was finally time for Sam and Venusaur to counterattack.
Countless emerald-green leaves appeared around Venusaur.
Under Venusaur's control, the razor-sharp leaves flew forward to intercept the Icicle Spears.
One leaf alone couldn't stop an Icicle Spear.
But what about two?
Three?
Five?
Ten?
Unlike Weavile, Venusaur possessed incredible stamina.
It had more than enough energy to sustain continuous attacks.
The Icicle Spears were gradually slowed by the endless barrage of Razor Leaf.
Eventually, they lost their momentum and fell to the ground as harmless chunks of ice.
But the attack didn't stop there.
The remaining Razor Leaves rushed toward Weavile.
Weavile quickly dodged left and right, avoiding the incoming blades instead of destroying them with its claws.
Weavile's speed and attack power were extremely high.
It would be unrealistic to deal heavy damage with Razor Leaf alone.
But that had never been Sam's intention.
His goal was simply to drain Weavile's stamina.
If Weavile wasted enough energy dodging useless attacks, the exchange would already be worth it.
Karen immediately saw through Sam's plan.
She knew she couldn't drag this battle out any longer.
Fighting a Grass-type Pokémon in a battle of endurance was a terrible idea.
"Weavile, ignore Razor Leaf and use Night Slash!"
Night Slash—a swift strike that exploited openings and targeted vital points.
The moment the command was given, Weavile vanished from sight.
It transformed into a black blur and rushed straight toward Venusaur.
Venusaur attempted to redirect Razor Leaf to block the attack.
But it was useless.
"Vena…!"
Venusaur groaned.
A deep crimson slash appeared on the left side of its face.
Despite the pain, Venusaur tried to locate Weavile.
But it was nearly impossible.
Weavile had become the king of the night.
Dark afterimages filled the battlefield.
Everywhere the audience looked, they could see traces of Weavile's movement.
Finding the real one was incredibly difficult.
---
Sam rubbed his temples.
This situation was giving him a headache.
He almost wanted to complain to the tournament organizers.
Holding the final battle at night was terrible for Venusaur.
Without sunlight, many of Venusaur's strongest techniques couldn't be used.
The stadium lights provided illumination—
But Venusaur couldn't absorb that light as energy.
If there had been sunlight, Sam could have used Solar Beam to launch a powerful counterattack.
But now, that option was gone.
Fortunately—
His real goal had already been achieved.
Venusaur had successfully broken through to the Elite level.
---
After enduring countless attacks, Venusaur finally reached its limit.
With a heavy thud, it collapsed in the center of the battlefield.
Even though Karen had won the round, her expression wasn't pleasant.
The match that should have been an easy victory had turned messy.
Although the result hadn't changed much, the battle had drained Weavile's stamina significantly.
Even after winning, Weavile was panting heavily.
It clearly needed time to recover.
---
"Return, Venusaur."
Sam recalled his partner into its Poké Ball.
Then he stretched his arms lazily.
A mysterious smile appeared on his face.
"Miss Karen… the real game is just beginning."
"Are you ready?"
Karen frowned.
"The real game?"
She stared at Sam, confused by his words.
Sam simply smiled without explaining.
He tossed another Poké Ball into the air.
"Come out, Gengar… and enjoy your performance!"
The stadium immediately erupted in noise.
"Gengar?!" the commentator shouted in surprise.
"Player Sam has sent out Gengar in the second round!"
"I thought he would save his strongest Pokémon for the end!"
"Why bring Gengar out so early?!"
The commentator—and the entire audience—were completely confused by Sam's decision.
But Sam only smiled calmly.
The battle had finally entered the stage he had been waiting for.
---------------Author---------------
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