"Tauros is unable to battle! Haunter wins! Gym Leader, please send out your next Pokémon!"
"Good job, Tauros! Now, my next one. Kangaskhan!"
A strong, brown behemoth appeared on the battlefield, its thick tail slamming the ground with a resounding smack, clearly in an excited state.
Moreover, there was no baby Kangaskhan in its pouch... this was an extremely rare male Kangaskhan!
"Kangaskhan, Fake Out!"
A green barrier successfully blocked Kangaskhan's sneak attack. In the next instant, both sides issued their commands again!
Kangaskhan was incredibly fast, and since it was already near Haunter, its Dizzy Punch landed directly.
"Haunter is unable to battle! Kangaskhan wins! Trainer, please send out your next Pokémon!"
Sato retrieved Haunter, thanked it for its efforts, and sent out his next Pokémon: Zoroark!
"A male Kangaskhan with the Scrappy ability, Leader Howard, that's probably rarer than a pseudo-legendary, right?"
Sato couldn't help but comment, feeling a tinge of envy.
"Well, well, barely passable, hahahaha!"
Howard clearly loved his Kangaskhan. He was trying to sound modest, but his laugh was far too boisterous.
Pokémon like Kangaskhan, Heracross, and Pinsir were naturally powerful battlers despite their lack of evolutions.
However, Kangaskhan belonged to the Parent Pokémon category. Over 99.9% of them were female, spending most of their lives caring for their offspring, leaving little time for training.
Heracross had excellent potential, but over 90% were pacifists, preferring a peaceful life, which limited their combat prospects.
Pinsir had a violent temperament, often disregarding commands and even attacking their trainers, leading to a decline in its usage.
Considering all this, a male Kangaskhan was exceptionally rare. Coupled with the Scrappy ability, allowing Normal and Fighting-type moves to hit Ghost-types, it was as valuable as a pseudo-legendary.
"Alright, let's continue!"
"Kangaskhan, Dizzy Punch!"
"Agility to dodge, then Flamethrower!"
Kangaskhan was fast, but Zoroark was even faster. Without speed restrictions like Haunter had faced, and with Agility boosting it further, Zoroark became nothing but a streak of black shadow across the battlefield!
"Kangaskhan, Protect!"
Zoroark's Flamethrower packed considerable power thanks to its training, but against Protect, it was rendered completely ineffective.
"Keep going, Flamethrower!"
"Kangaskhan, use Uproar!"
Flames engulfed Kangaskhan, but despite the burning pain, it let out an ear-piercing roar.
The battlefield trembled with sonic waves, affecting everyone except Kangaskhan itself!
"Close in! Mega Punch!"
"Zoroark, Night Daze!"
Kangaskhan charged at Zoroark, its right fist glowing bright white, the size of a sandbag as it came crashing down!
Dark-type energy surged from Zoroark into the ground, then violently erupted! The overwhelming force of its signature move blasted the nearly 150-kilogram Kangaskhan backward!
"Dark Pulse! Finish it off!"
Zoroark crouched low like a sprinter at the starting line, muscles tensed. Then exploded forward! In the blink of an eye, it closed in on the still-dazed Kangaskhan.
Dark Pulse condensed in Zoroark's right hand ,not unleashed as a wave, but compressed into a long, whip-like form!
"K-Kangaskhan is unable to battle... That... uh... unknown Pokémon wins! Gym Leader, please send out your next Pokémon!"
Whitney, the pink-haired girl acting as the referee, swallowed hard. This massive black beast was terrifying. She even forgot what she was supposed to say next!
Howard stared blankly at his unconscious Kangaskhan, then at the shadowy Zoroark wielding a dark, violet-black whip. A shiver ran down his spine.
"Come back, Kangaskhan. Go, Miltank!"
Unlike most Miltank, Howard's was brimming with battle spirit. It was practically a Tauros in Miltank's body!
Moreover, Howard's signature Pokémon, his ultimate ace, was none other than this seemingly docile Miltank!
Sato had researched Howard before. At his peak, he had served as a temporary member of Johto's Elite Four.
However, for unknown reasons, he soon retired, choosing to become a rancher while simultaneously taking on the role of Goldenrod City's Gym Leader!
This Miltank had yet to break through the Elite level, still classified as a Gym-level Pokémon... meaning it was beatable!
"Zoroark, Dark Pulse!"
The pink, spherical body began rolling, and the trembling ground made Sato realize: this Miltank was not light!
Zoroark lashed out with its Dark Pulse, the energy forming into a whip of black and purple, striking relentlessly. Yet every hit missed!
Miltank maintained its speed, barreling straight toward Zoroark!
With the speed boost from Agility, Zoroark easily avoided the first round of Rollout. But Miltank made a sharp turn, its momentum unbroken, charging back even faster and stronger!
'This has to be illegal!' Sato thought, but he didn't hesitate to give his next command.
"Extrasensory! Stop it in its tracks!"
A burst of pinkish energy shot from Zoroark's eyes, lifting Miltank into the air. With no ground to push off from, the attack successfully halted its charge.
"But it won't be that easy! Miltank, use Milk Drink!"
Completely unfazed by being airborne, Miltank reached behind itself and pulled out a bottle of Moomoo Milk.
Sato watched in disbelief as Miltank, barely affected by Extrasensory, fully restored its stamina before even landing. A bad feeling crept into his heart.
"Miltank, Rollout... again!"
"Again?! Rollout... again?!" Sato wanted to scream, but instead, he quickly issued another command.
"Zoroark, Night Daze!"
The devastating power of Zoroark's signature move erupted once more, sending Miltank rolling backward. But as Sato saw its hooves reaching toward its back, he already knew what was coming next.
"Miltank, Milk Drink!"
Milk? Not happening. Not today.
Zoroark let out a cocky, mocking growl. The previously cheerful Miltank immediately dropped its bottle, its expression turning fierce as it mindlessly continued Rollout!
"Oh no! This is bad... Sato really is something!" Howard chuckled, shaking his head.
Had it been his ace Miltank, enduring Taunt until the effect wore off would have been easy. But for a standard Gym-level Miltank? Not so much.
As expected, Sato didn't take any chances. Another all-range Night Daze exploded across the battlefield.
Still standing? No problem, one more time!
"Miltank is unable to battle! Zoroark-? Zoroark wins! That means the winner is the challenger... uh... Sato!"
Whitney, nervously glancing at Zoroark, made sure to carefully remember its name as she announced the match results.