At the plaza, the spectators had grown accustomed to Sato's habit of arriving just in time. As he stepped onto the battle stage, the match officially began.
Sato studied Wester's calm and composed demeanor, his suspicions growing stronger.
"Houndoom, use Odor Sleuth!"
"Haunter, use Toxic!"
Both moves activated simultaneously; Haunter could no longer hide in the shadows, fully exposed under the bright sunlight.
However, Sato had anticipated that Wester would use Odor Sleuth to nullify Haunter's invisibility. If avoiding it was impossible, then poisoning was the next best option!
"Houndoom, use Flamethrower!" Wester's brows furrowed. He hadn't expected Sato to act so decisively.
"Haunter, use Shadow Ball!"
The fiery blast and the swirling mass of ghostly energy clashed, triggering a violent explosion. Seizing the opportunity, Haunter dove into the thick smoke.
Sato's next command came instantly.
"Haunter, use Sludge Bomb!"
"Houndoom, fire a Fire Blast into the smoke!"
Houndoom was vastly stronger than Haunter, it had already reached Elite-level.
Instead of waiting to be ambushed, it unleashed a massive Fire Blast, tearing through the smoke with sheer force. Haunter was blasted out of cover, its body scorched and visibly burned!
"Urgh..." Houndoom suddenly flinched, its body glowing faintly purple.
The Toxic had taken effect!
With Odor Sleuth active, Houndoom could track Haunter's every move. Just as Haunter's eerie tongue was about to lash out, Sato's voice rang out again.
"Haunter, fall back!"
Haunter barely pulled back in time, its tongue brushing against Houndoom's nose before retreating. Watching the close call, Sato couldn't help but feel a phantom pain in his own tongue.
"Houndoom, chase it down with Feint Attack!"
However, just as Houndoom lunged forward, Toxic surged through its body once again, causing a brief but crucial delay. Haunter swiftly adjusted its position.
Until now, Haunter had been having the time of its life dominating its matches. But this battle? It was suffocating.
It couldn't use its usual tricks.
Even its ambush attempts were repeatedly countered.
For the first time, Haunter was forced to fight head-on against a physically superior opponent.
Had it not been for the Toxic steadily chipping away at Houndoom's stamina, Haunter would have already lost.
And Haunter hated that thought. A surge of frustration ignited within it, pushing its energy higher and higher.
"It's breaking through," Sato murmured, exhaling in relief.
Haunter's carefree nature meant it would never train with the same discipline as Larvitar, that was just its personality.
But if training couldn't push it to its limits, battle certainly could.
Against increasingly stronger opponents, when it could no longer rely on old tricks, Haunter had only one option: evolve through combat.
"Haunter, Shadow Ball!"
Haunter's ghostly claws stretched wide, summoning not one, but two massive Shadow Balls. Before this fight, it had only been able to generate one at a time.
Now, that limit had doubled!
"Houndoom, counter with Fire Blast!"
The two Shadow Balls clashed against the fiery Fire Blast, creating a shockwave that rocked the battlefield.
But this time, they were evenly matched.
The Toxic took effect once again, its damage worsening over time. Houndoom's movements grew sluggish.
The Shadow Balls successfully tore through Houndoom's weakening Fire Blast, but their energy dissipated before reaching their target.
Watching the last remnants of Haunter's attack fade into the sky, Sato understood; Haunter, despite breaking into the Elite level, still lacked the raw power to overwhelm an opponent of Houndoom's caliber.
"Houndoom, hold on. Use Feint Attack!"
"Haunter, use Sucker Punch!"
Sucker Punch: a move that strikes first if the opponent is about to attack.
Haunter, gasping for breath, knew this was the final clash.
Mustering every ounce of remaining strength, it lunged forward. Before Houndoom could execute Feint Attack, Haunter's spectral claws struck first, sending the dark hound crashing into the ground with a resounding thud.
But Sato's expression remained tense.
At the very last moment, Houndoom's Feint Attack had also landed. Haunter, unable to dodge in time, was knocked down alongside it.
The battlefield fell silent. Both Pokémon lay motionless.
Sato quickly assessed the situation.
Houndoom had endured Sucker Punch without losing consciousness, meaning it hadn't been completely overpowered.
But the Toxic coursing through its veins had finally taken its toll.
The referee hesitated before stepping forward. "Houndoom and Haunter are both unable to battle!"
A murmur of confusion spread through the crowd. The referee glanced uncertainly at the event host... 'what were they supposed to do now?'
The host was equally taken aback. Of all the possible outcomes, a draw hadn't been considered. This wasn't an official Pokémon League match, so there were no pre-set tie-breaking rules.
Then, noticing the frantic signals from the event organizers, along with hastily written instructions on a cue board, the host quickly regained his composure.
"Thank you both for such an incredible battle!" The host's voice rang out enthusiastically. "We never expected such an intense match to end in a draw... but don't worry, we anticipated every possibility. Both trainers will receive the full one million Pokédollar shopping voucher!"
Many spectators had been eagerly waiting to see how this would be resolved. Now, with the prize money doubled, the arena was filled with excited chatter.
For the event organizers, this was a major financial hit. But seeing the overwhelming crowd engagement, they decided it was worth the expense.
A marketing stunt disguised as a tournament had paid off better than expected.
Sato observed all of this quietly. He could tell the host was bluffing, there had been no "plan" for a tie.
Still, it didn't matter to him. He had won what he came for.
As for Wester, Sato had already formed his suspicions. If his theory was correct, he wouldn't mind making a deal, but trading Haunter was out of the question.
He glanced around the shopping mall, now packed with eager customers. Compared to before the tournament, the difference in foot traffic was night and day.
With a smirk, Sato concluded: his one million Pokédollar voucher was well deserved.
He turned away, but as expected, Wester was still there, trailing behind him persistently.
Wester's eyes lit up. He assumed Sato was reconsidering. "Of course!"
They found a quiet café, where Wester patiently waited for Sato to begin.
"I'll ask again," Sato said, sipping his drink. "Why do you want Haunter so badly?"
"To be honest," Wester admitted, "your Haunter is special. It has incredible potential."
Sato raised an eyebrow.
"That much is obvious," he replied. "But your own Pokémon have high potential too. From what I've seen, they're at the same level as Haunter."
Wester's expression shifted slightly. He hadn't expected Sato to be so perceptive. After a brief hesitation, he decided to be completely honest.
"The four Pokémon I showed you: Houndoom, Xatu, Skarmory, and Breloom... all have one attribute with Pseudo-Elite Four level potential, but only one. Their second attribute is merely Elite-level or above-average."
He had always relied on Dark Energy to sense Pokémon potential, refining his ability over time. But Wester... 'how did he have a method to detect Pokémon potential so precisely?'
"Your Haunter," Wester continued, "has two attributes at Pseudo-Elite Four level, both Ghost and Poison."
Sato's fingers unconsciously tapped against the table.
A Pokémon with dual Pseudo-Elite Four level potential...