" Quick Attack." Austin ordered with Pikachu moving in a blur across the ice, around the Grotle who turned his head from side to side right when Pikachu slammed into him before retreating.

Paul looked a bit surprised from the change of tactics with starting off offensive rather than defensive but he quickly shook it off and changed tactics himself. "Curse."

Grotle began to glow red as he lost his speed, but his attack and defense was rising, something that Austin noticed.

"Use Thunderbolt."

"Chu!" Pikachu gathered the needed electricity before firing it at Grotle, the energy sending him back a bit.

Austin gave a grin.

Just because Curse raised the Defense, doesn't mean it raised the Special Defense.

Paul frowned, seeing how strong this Pikachu was from that electric attack doing damage to Grotle and got on the offensive.

"Leaf Storm." He ordered with Grotle giving a cry, the leaves surging off of him as they fired at Pikachu who crouched and got ready.

"Counter-Shield."

Pikachu jumped, landing on his back to spin around with electricity surging off of him, the ice making him go a bit faster as the Counter-Shield blocked the Leaf Storm.

Paul quickly switched tactics by ordering a Sand Tomb that Austin dodged with Agility.

Pikachu slid across the ice, delivering an uppercut of an Iron Tail, making Grotle stumble back but it left him open to a Razor Leaf, the attack cutting into his fur and sending him flying into an iced rock.

" Pikachu use Electro Ball." He ordered considering how Pikachu really outclassed Grotle in terms of Speed.

As Pikachu launched into the air, Paul reacted. "Leech Seed, follow with Seed Bomb."

Pikachu barely reacted when the first one hit him, the vines wrapping around him while he charged the Electro Ball, but he fired it at the same time as the Seed Bomb creating an explosion that destroyed some of the ice.

"Man we're really destroying the environment here," Austin commented with a bead of sweat on the back of his head while Pikachu cringed when energy was sapped from him looking dirty from the explosion while Grotle looked to be glowing. "Oh crap he's using Synthesis."

Seeing as how Grotle was at full Health now, Paul smirked with Pikachu panting but he kept his guard up.

Overconfidence was how Magmar lost and he wasn't going to lose this time.

'We need a plan.' Just as the thought formed Austin's eyes widened at a sudden inspiration.

" Iron Tail on the ground."

Paul tensed, not knowing what to expect when Pikachu gave a cry, slamming the steel move into the ground to bring a couple of baseball sized ice shards into the air.

"Now launch them with Thunderbolt."

"CHUUU!" Pikachu shot at the shard's, charging them with electricity to fire at Grotle, making an improvised electric-charged ice shard.

Grotle cried out when they slammed into him, sending him rolling, but he got back up, his defensive capabilities keeping him in the fight.

"We really should write that one down." Austin said liking the move.

"Alright now finish this with Thunderbolt."

"Pi." Pikachu was charging when Paul smirked and gave his order.

"Earth Power."

"Pikachu get out of there!" Austin called out when Pikachu finished charging right as the energy composed of the earth erupted from around Grotle, heading straight for Pikachu.

"CHU!" Pikachu knew he wouldn't be able to move in time so he opted to fire the Thunderbolt into the ice, throwing up some of them as a shield to block out the Earth Power as it slammed into the ice, shattering it and slamming into the mouse. "Pika!"

Sliding across the ice, Pikachu struggled to push himself up, the only reason he was conscious was because the ice weakened the Earth Power when it slammed into it.

As the two glared at each other, Pikachu tensed when he felt the Leech Seed drain the last of his energy, forcing him to fall over.

"No." Austin said in surprise before he ran across the ice right as Brock called the match.

"Pikachu !"

"Pikachu is unable to battle," Brock said looking worried. "The match goes to Paul."

Paul didn't say anything when he returned Grotle and turned to walk away.

But he stopped and looked back to see Austin lifting Pikachu up while his friends ran towards them.

The resemblance to Reggie was just uncanny.

'That's why he lost.' Paul thought harshly turning to leave, not even saying anything else to Austin as he was just bringing back the memories of Reggie losing. 'He's way too soft.'

Austin didn't say anything to Paul's retreating figure while Pikachu slowly opened his eyes. "Chu." He said annoyed at himself for losing that fight.

"Hey it's alright you were great." Austin said to Pikachu knowing that he was amazing out there.

"Let me see Pikachu." Yellow said with Austin giving a nod, knowing what she was doing.

Although he was still a little against the idea of using her power to heal Pikachu-not that he hated it but he didn't want to just have that as the go-to thing to do.

While Yellow did that, Brock spoke. "You did pretty good in that battle, but Paul-."

"Is on a whole other level." Austin finished already knowing what he was going to say.

While it was true he gave Paul quite the battle after the first round, Paul was a lot stronger because he was able to beat AJ with no sweat while Austin lost that battle.

Scyther didn't have any advantages to beat the Nidorino-something he would have to work on and Squirtle despite winning-only won because of the unusual strategies and type advantage that he deployed because he was still new to the team.

Pikachu managed to do quite a bit of damage to Paul's starter but it was because of that Synthesis and Leech Seed that Pikachu was drained.

Not only that but there was also the Field Advantage taking him by complete surprise.

'I should've seen that coming.' Austin thought clenching his fists.

"You'll beat him next time." Misty spoke up seeing how Austin was keeping quiet. "Everyone loses at times remember?"

"Y-Yeah." Austin gave a nod thinking back on that.

So what if he lost now? He'll use that loss to get stronger. Plus now he knew about the Field Advantages and can implement them in his fighting style.

"Next time we meet you're going down Paul." Austin promised before Pikachu who was healed by Yellow jumped onto his shoulder.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed looking determined.

Unknown to the group, a trio in the shadows saw the whole battle and grinned.

"The twerp has gotten stronger," The female of the group revealing herself to be Jessie said. "Think we should give him one of the tickets?"

"Why of course Jessie, after all we do owe him." James said holding a rose.

"Meowth and when they are all there we will steal his Pokemon right from under their noses." Meowth gave a grin. "After all, they're not the only ones who got stronger."

Across the city, a familiar figure entered with a stretch.

"SSAnne here I come." Leaf Green cheered with Jigglypuff running in front of her.

The thought of all the suckers to rip off just brought a smile to her face as she ran by a red car where Gary was leaning against it looking through his Pokedex.

He overheard her and gave a thoughtful grin.

The SS. Anne was said to have some pretty strong trainers with rare Pokemon so it would be the perfect place to train his team, especially if he was going to stay ahead of Ashy-Boy.

Closing the Pokedex, he went to make a call to his Grandfather to see if he could find a way to get on the ship.