Pokemon: I'll Exchange Everything

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After receiving two stat boosts, Arbok sank its blazing Fire Fang into Jynx's body. A burst of flames erupted instantly, engulfing Jynx completely. She didn't even have time to scream before falling unconscious.

"Jynx! Arbok, let go!"

Lorelei shouted as she saw her Jynx had passed out.

"Chaaa…"

Arbok glanced lazily at Lorelei, then slowly loosened its jaws, dropping the now-charred Jynx onto the ground.

"Stop the battle! Jynx is unable to continue! Arbok wins!"

The referee, seeing Jynx fainted, rushed over waving his flag and turned to look at Liam.

"Chaaa!!"

Arbok growled menacingly at the referee, causing him to flinch.

"Return, Arbok!"

Liam, noticing the referee trembling in fear, quickly called Arbok back to him before it could take a bite out of him.

"Return, Jynx… You did well."

Lorelei recalled her Jynx into the PokeBall and softly whispered, then handed the PokeBall to a staff member.

The staff member accepted it with both hands, looked at Lorelei encouragingly, and said:

"I believe in you! Don't give up! You've got this!"

With that, he ran off to get Jynx treated, leaving Lorelei standing awkwardly in place.

"Ahem… The match will continue. Lorelei, please send out your next Pokémon."

The referee, still shaking, returned to his spot and called out to the still-silent Lorelei.

"Dragon Dance! Liam's Arbok just used Dragon Dance! Could this Arbok actually be a Dragon-type Pokémon in disguise?! As the audience can see, Lorelei now has only two Pokémon left who can still battle, while Liam has yet to lose even one! The odds are definitely not in Lorelei's favor—but even so!! I still want to cheer her on! Don't give up! We're still rooting for you!!"

The commentator started off serious but quickly devolved into passionate bias, stirring the crowd into a frenzy of cheers that rolled across the stadium like crashing waves.

Under the "world's" encouragement, Lorelei quietly lowered her head and walked back to her platform. She silently took out another PokeBall and tossed it onto the field.

"Slow?"

Appearing on the battlefield was one of Lorelei's aces—Slowbro. It stared blankly ahead with lifeless eyes, letting out a meaningless grunt.

"Both sides ready! The battle continues!"

The referee raised both flags and shouted toward Liam and Lorelei.

As the referee declared the start, Lorelei suddenly raised her head and said softly but firmly:

"Slowbro, use Water Gun."

"Sloooow~"

With a yawn, Slowbro opened its mouth and shot a Water Gun at Arbok.

"Arbok, use Acid!'"

"Chaa!"

Arbok opened its jaws wide and launched a stream of purple Acid to meet the Water Gun. The two attacks clashed violently, spraying mist and toxic liquid in all directions. The nearby ice was quickly pitted with melted craters from the corrosive blast.

"Slowbro! Use Zen Headbutt!"

At Lorelei's next command, Slowbro ceased its water attack, its body quickly enveloped in purple psychic energy. It levitated off the ground, trailing a tail of psychic light as it charged at Arbok.

"Here it comes! Arbok, use Crunch!"

Seeing the attack, Liam narrowed his eyes and gave the command.

"Chaa!!"

Arbok reared up, baring its massive jaws, now gleaming with dark energy. It focused intently on the incoming Slowbro, prepared to end it with one bite.

As Slowbro approached, a glint flashed behind Lorelei's glasses. She shouted:

"Slowbro! Cancel Zen Headbutt! Use Psychic!"

"Sloooow!"

Still midair, Slowbro's eyes suddenly lit up with psychic light. Both it and Arbok were enveloped in that glow—Arbok, frozen in place by the Psychic, and Slowbro, suspending itself midair. 

Then, it clapped its tiny hands together, unleashing a powerful Psychic blast from close range.

The psychic force slammed into Arbok's massive body, sending it hurtling backward into the river with a painful roar.

"Chaaaa!!"

But just a moment later, Arbok surged out of the water with a furious roar, eyes locked coldly onto Slowbro. Its chest was badly damaged, scales cracked open and leaking dark purple blood.

"Come back, Arbok… You've done enough. Rest now."

Although Arbok still had the will to fight, Liam wouldn't let it continue recklessly. Psychic attacks were particularly harmful to it. While Arbok's bulk allowed it to endure the hit, the damage was severe. Liam chose to withdraw it to prevent further injury.

"You did great, Lorelei. That was an excellent combo."

Liam returned Arbok to its PokeBall and smiled at Lorelei.

"Hmph. It was just decent. Arbok's still standing."

Lorelei exhaled lightly before returning a faint smile.

"Heh. My Arbok is incredibly tough. Thinking you can take it down with one move? Wishful thinking at best."

Liam placed the PokeBall back on his belt as he considered who to send out next.

"Arbok's strong, no doubt. But I know it's not your strongest Pokémon. Garchomp's there, right? If possible, I'd like to face your Garchomp next. Of course, I know you've been holding back for the later matches, so if you'd rather not, I won't force it."

Lorelei looked at Liam's hand on his belt and spoke calmly, no longer flustered like before.

"…Of course. But I am surprised how fast your mood changed."

Liam hadn't expected Lorelei to make such a request. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and pulled out Garchomp's PokeBall.

"I just had a sudden realization. Earlier, when I confessed my crush in front of so many people, I panicked. But seeing how many people support me… I figured out that it's nothing to be ashamed of. What I need to do now is cherish this battle with you, give it my all, and leave no regrets."

Lorelei smiled brightly, her expression calm and confident—no sign of the earlier nervousness.

"…Well said. That's the Lorelei I know. Outwardly carefree, but inwardly strong as steel. Let's battle. Tell you what, from here on, I'll only use Garchomp. If you can defeat it, I'll forfeit the match. Then, let's find somewhere quiet—with Delia—and have a proper talk."

Liam nodded at the now composed Lorelei and raised the PokeBall in his hand.

"I told you not to go easy on me! I don't need your mercy!"

Lorelei snapped, clearly displeased that Liam intended to face her remaining two Pokémon with just one.

"This isn't up to you. And who said I'm going easy by using my Garchomp, of all Pokemon? I meant every word. I won't hold back. But I also have my own code—that's my pride as a man. Not even you, my best friend, can change that. Enough talk! Come out, Garchomp!"

With a flash of light, Garchomp made its first grand appearance. Its massive form stood tall, letting out a thunderous roar that shook the entire arena and awed the crowd.

"RAAAWRRRR!!!"

Lorelei looked at the roaring Garchomp, then at the serious expression on Liam's face. Her lips curled into a faint smile as she murmured to herself—only loud enough for her to hear:

"…This domineering side of you… I don't hate it at all…"