Luther's Ralts faced Kazuya's Linoone, while Basil's Miltank took on Gengar.
Yota's choice of Gengar was indeed a surprise to Luther, and to his surprise, Gengar immediately opted to avoid a direct confrontation with Miltank under Yota's command, instead teaming up with Linoone to surround Ralts.
The plan was clear: take down Luther first, and the rest would be easy. Moreover, Ralts was seen as a weak point, making it an easy target to exploit.
Gengar was fast, and 'Shadow Ball' struck first, followed swiftly by Linoone's 'Ice Beam'.
Basil, shedding her usual timidity, commanded Miltank to use 'Headbutt', charging onto the battlefield to protect Ralts.
The combined force of 'Ice Beam' and 'Shadow Ball' exploded against Ralts, sending a rush of excitement through Kazuya and Yota.
Ralts, being small, couldn't withstand the full brunt of the attack, and all that was left was to focus on taking down Miltank.
Normally, a Normal-type Miltank wouldn't have much of a chance in this battle, especially with Basil's current level of skill. Normal-type moves couldn't affect Ghost-types like Gengar, so it seemed like a hopeless situation.
Yota's Gengar, following his orders, rushed directly at the advancing Miltank, ready to unleash 'Dark Pulse' in mid-air.
Yota wasn't arrogant; he clearly remembered the scene where Shōhei had carelessly used moves and been swept aside. So, he approached the situation with caution.
Using Gengar's overwhelming speed, 'Shadow Ball' struck Miltank first. But to Yota's surprise, Miltank didn't seem to take any significant damage. With a dull thud, Miltank's 'Headbutt' collided with Gengar's face, sending it tumbling through the air in a series of flips, though its landing was far from graceful.
Yota stood frozen, staring at Kazuya beside him.
"'Headbutt' is a Normal-type move, right?" He asked.
Kazuya nodded, then hesitated, then nodded again…
Normally, a Normal-type move would be ineffective against a Ghost-type, yet Gengar looked distinctly worse for wear, rubbing its face and taking a long time to get back up.
Luther whistled. 'What was that phrase again?'
"Critical hit?"
After regaining its footing, Gengar instinctively took a few steps back when facing Miltank.
Was the flinch a result of 'Headbutt''s additional effect? It seemed like those who had the courage to face their weaknesses were less likely to suffer bad luck.
The smoke from the attack on Ralts had not yet cleared, and Kazuya was starting to get confused. He had called for his Linoone several times, but there was no response.
Yota finally noticed something was wrong. It looked like countless shimmering scales were floating in front of Miltank.
"Quick, have your Linoone retreat!" Yota shouted.
After reminding Kazuya, Yota quickly turned back to send Gengar charging into the dust cloud.
But Gengar couldn't carry out that order. Still reeling from the flinch, it couldn't rely on its trademark speed, and Miltank's next 'Headbutt' came crashing down on Gengar's face once again.
Even though Gengar had raised its arms to defend, it was no surprise when it was sent flying again.
Luther couldn't help but cover his face. The sight reminded him of a bullfighter being tossed by an angry bull.
But Gengar was no mere bullfighter; it flew higher and farther.
Yota still couldn't understand why a Normal-type move was landing so consistently on Gengar.
Luther didn't feel like explaining the basics. Basil's Miltank had the Ability 'Thick Fat', which made it so that Normal-type and Fighting-type moves could affect Ghost-types.
Luther was particularly fond of that Ability. In his opinion, of all the known Abilities, 'Thick Fat' was one of the most practical.
As the dust cleared, Ralts stood firm, showing no signs of being hit by any of the attacks.
While Luther had focused Ralts' training solely on Psychic Power as her main offensive move, she had also learned two defensive techniques, one of which was Light Screen.
Meanwhile, Kazuya's Linoone had completely ignored his commands.
Linoone was wagging its tail furiously, its body low to the ground, breathing heavily, and its eyes filled with unrestrained affection.
As it circled around Ralts, it would occasionally nudge Ralts's outstretched little hand with its tail.
Powerful moves were hard to master, but Ralts, being a gentle Pokémon, had an innate charm that made it easy for others to connect with her.
Watching his Linoone happily spin around the petite Ralts, Kazuya had no choice but to shout at it, trying to snap it out of its love-struck daze.
Blinded by affection, Linoone seemed to see only Ralts, completely unaware that Ralts was lifting it with Psychic.
Throwing it up, slamming it down, throwing it up, slamming it down...
The strangest part was that every time Linoone landed, it seemed to smile in bliss, making Luther shiver involuntarily.
'What in the world was going on in Linoone's mind?'
Thinking that Linoone might be more interested in Ralts than the battle, Luther urged Ralts to increase the pressure, quickly taking advantage of Linoone's dazed state to knock it out cold for a peaceful rest.
Gengar finally managed to dodge the incoming 'Headbutt', and considering the effect of Light Screen, Luther directed Gengar to use its speed to close in and unleash 'Fire Punch'.
Speed was indeed Gengar's greatest asset. Seeing Linoone's condition, Yota abandoned his efforts on that side of the battlefield, choosing instead to focus on dealing with Miltank.
After landing two consecutive 'Fire Punch'es, Yota ordered Gengar to face Miltank again and use Absorb.
Gengar hesitated. This wasn't a move he was particularly good at, and he could already tell Miltank was on guard.
The consecutive hits from 'Fire Punch' had relied on Miltank being upright, striking the lower half of its body and throwing it off balance. However, now Miltank was on all fours, its eyes locked on Gengar.
Reluctantly, Gengar prepared for 'Absorb', diving into a shadow created by the Gym lights. He slid through several other shadows, attempting to confuse Miltank and Basil, eventually finding a perfect position to launch the attack, confident he could escape before Miltank's response.
"Such a perfect spot beneath your feet, what are you waiting for? Use 'Absorb' on Miltank's feet!"
Gengar's eyes widened, a big question mark appearing in his mind.
Was his Trainer actually on the opposing side?
Sure enough, Yota's words alerted Basil to the blurry shadow beneath Miltank's feet, and Miltank's massive body slowly began to press down.
'Body Slam.'
Gengar couldn't use the shadow to shift this time. Miltank's entire weight pinned him down, and he struggled in vain.
Miltank, who had already taken damage from the 'Fire Punch', was furious now, pressing down on Gengar to prevent his escape. With a powerful stomp from its hind legs, Miltank struck Gengar's face.
Luther could only cover his face, watching Miltank deliver blow after blow to Gengar, feeling the pain as if it were his own.
From the beginning, Basil had issued her commands in a soft voice, but now she was waving her hands cautiously, instructing Miltank, "Keep going, hit his face," revealing a surprising side to this quiet child...
(End of Chapter)
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