Gary and A.J. arrived at the command area on the battlefield. Gary was the first to speak.
"How do we fight?"
"You can use as many Pokémon as you want. I'll only use one," A.J. replied confidently.
"Are you sure?" Gary asked, thinking he might have misheard. A.J didn't have just one Pokémon in his hand, right?
"I'm sure," A.J. insisted, then threw a Poké Ball. "The duel begins. Go, Sandshrew!"
With that, a Sandshrew appeared in front of them. This Sandshrew was clearly much larger than the average one. While most Sandshrews stand at about 0.6 meters, A.J's Sandshrew was nearly double that height, standing at one meter.
Gary's eyes widened. "It has Elite potential!" he exclaimed. It was rare to see such a high-potential Pokémon, especially outside his own team of Pokémon like Squirtle and Ash's Pikachu. The sight of such a strong Pokémon made Gary feel both surprised and challenged.
"Wartortle, it's your turn!" Gary called out without hesitation. He wasn't going to waste any time. A.J. wanted to impress, but Gary wasn't about to back down.
"Ka-mi!" Wartortle chirped, recognizing Sandshrew and feeling more confident, especially since his Water type was a natural counter to Ground types.
A.J. seemed a little shocked when he saw Wartortle. "Wartortle, huh? I didn't expect you to have a Pokémon that could counter Sandshrew's Ground-type moves."
Gary smirked. "Let's get started then."
A.J. didn't waste any more time. He snapped a whip and shouted, "Sandshrew, use Dig!"
Sandshrew burrowed into the ground at lightning speed, disappearing from sight in an instant.
"Use Rain Dance!" Gary immediately commanded.
"Wartortle!" Wartortle responded with a cry, and soon dark clouds gathered overhead. A soft rain began to fall, increasing the power of Wartortle's Water-type attacks.
As the ground under Wartortle began to collapse, Sandshrew emerged from underground. Wartortle was thrown into the air, but immediately curled into his shell, spinning as he activated Rapid Spin. The spinning motion helped him stay stable as he rushed back toward Sandshrew.
A.J. was quick to act. "Go underground again!" he ordered.
Sandshrew dove back into the ground, narrowly avoiding Wartortle's powerful Rapid Spin attack. Gary, growing frustrated, knew he had to act quickly. He wanted to stop A.J.'s Sandshrew from escaping again.
"Keep attacking with Water Flow Break!" Gary shouted.
Wartortle's shell became surrounded by a stream of water, which turned into sharp water blades as he spun even faster. As he spun, the water blades cut through the ground like a knife through butter.
The ground below them rumbled as the water blades hit something—an underground target. It wasn't long before Sandshrew popped up from the mist, soaked from the attack but still standing strong.
"Sandshrew, are you alright?" A.J. called out, concern in his voice. Despite the powerful hit, Sandshrew remained unbroken, shaking off the water from its body.
"Sandshrew, you're doing great!" A.J. praised, as Sandshrew stood tall, ready for the next round.
"Water Gun! Continuous shooting!" Gary ordered.
Wartortle, his cheeks puffing out, began to rapidly shoot Water Guns, each one roughly the size of a tennis ball. They flew towards Sandshrew, but A.J. was already prepared.
"Dig!" A.J. commanded, and Sandshrew vanished back into the ground to avoid the Water Guns.
Gary's frustration grew. He knew he needed to keep up the pressure. "This isn't over yet," Gary muttered to himself. "I'll get him next time."
The two Pokémon were locked in a stalemate. As Wartortle blinked, suddenly, A.J. swung his whip and shouted, "Rollout! Go for it!"
The ground shook as Sandshrew burst out of the earth in a ball, rolling at full speed. It slammed into Wartortle, knocking him over.
"Perfect opportunity!" A.J. shouted. "Now, use Fissure!"
Sandshrew aimed its paw at Wartortle, preparing to use its devastating one-hit KO move, Fissure. A single blow from this attack could easily defeat Wartortle.
But Gary wasn't about to let that happen. "Protect!" he shouted.
A green shield formed around Wartortle, blocking Sandshrew's powerful Fissure attack. The shockwave from the Fissure reverberated off the shield, but Wartortle was unharmed.
"Now, Water Pulse!" Gary commanded.
Wartortle's mouth opened wide, and he shot a ball of water straight at Sandshrew. It hit with precision, sending Sandshrew crashing to the ground, his eyes rolling as he lost consciousness.
"Sandshrew is unable to battle!" the referee announced.
A.J. stood there, speechless, as the confidence drained from his face. His prized Sandshrew had been defeated.
"I... lost?" A.J. said in disbelief. His 77-game streak had finally come to an end.
"Wartortle, you were amazing!" Gary praised.
"Ka-mi! Ka-mi!" Wartortle cheered, raising his arms in victory.
The battle had been tough, but Gary had emerged victorious. A.J.'s Sandshrew had put up a strong fight, but in the end, it was no match for Wartortle's perseverance and tactics.
Gary breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close. If it weren't for Protect, Sandshrew's Fissure would have been a serious threat."
A.J. nodded, acknowledging the strength of Gary's Wartortle. "You're right. That move nearly took me down. But... do you want to continue?"
Gary glanced at the system's task prompt. It hadn't announced that the task was complete yet, which meant A.J. still had more Pokémon.
"No," A.J. said with a shake of his head. "I've lost. You've broken my streak."
[Ding! Task completed. Reward: Intermediate Rare Candy (x5) sent to your backpack.]
Gary smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. The streak was over, and he had received his reward.
The electronic board on the side of the battlefield suddenly flashed from 78 wins to 00. A.J.'s 78-game streak had officially ended.
"You okay?" Gary asked, noticing the disappointed look on A.J.'s face.
"It's fine," A.J. said, forcing a smile. "The 100-game winning streak will have to start over."
Gary raised an eyebrow. "100-game winning streak?"
"Yes," A.J. explained. "I set myself a goal of winning 100 consecutive battles before I go on my journey. It's something I've always dreamed of."
Gary nodded in understanding. "Well, you'll get there next time. Just make sure you don't underestimate me again."
With a smirk, Gary turned to leave, knowing that he had just taken down one of the most formidable Trainers around.
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