The battle was set to take place in the clearing in front of the cabin. Thwackey stood determinedly in front of Summer, not wanting to lose this fight.
Warren removed his black coat, leaving only a white shirt. He grasped a Poké Ball and threw it with a shout:
"Go, Pangoro!"
The black-and-white Pangoro appeared in the clearing, a bamboo stick in its mouth and a fierce expression on its face. Its robust body radiated power.
Pangoro hadn't been released by Warren for a long time, so it seemed very excited. But upon seeing its opponent was a Thwackey, it immediately turned its head towards its trainer, eyes full of questioning: You called me out to deal with such a small fry?
Pangoro was irritable and impulsive, but it was also a gallant Pokémon that never bullied the weak. Warren was challenging its principles.
"Pangoro! Get serious. You absolutely cannot lose this fight!" Battling was Warren's last bastion. If Summer also broke through this, he would truly be defeated, and he couldn't accept that.
Warren's attitude left Pangoro feeling helpless. He hadn't seen this demeanor in a long time, not since facing his trainer's father when it was the only Pokémon left. Naturally, they lost that battle.
Despite his trainer's firm attitude, Pangoro couldn't muster any enthusiasm. It decided to take a few hits first before counterattacking, to avoid bullying its opponent.
"Thwackey, Grassy Terrain."
"Sucker Punch!"
Grassy Terrain set the stage for Thwackey, ensuring Sucker Punch would fail since it required the opponent to attack first, exposing a flaw. Warren sighed, realizing his nervousness was unfounded.
"Use an offensive move right away," he thought. He extended his arm and shouted:
"Pangoro, use Arm Thrust!"
Pangoro yawned, raising its massive fist and slowly moving forward.
"Come on, little guy, let me take your hit first," it thought. Suddenly, it felt unsteady, stumbling forward. Something had wrapped around its foot?
"Now, use Branch Poke."
Thwackey dashed forward. The stumbling Pangoro tried to grab its opponent, but Thwackey's agility was beyond its imagination. With ghostly footwork, it leapt onto Pangoro's head, drawing two sticks.
The glowing sticks were even more dazzling on the Grassy Terrain. Thwackey used gravity to stab at Pangoro, accelerating its fall. The impact from above and below made Pangoro grit its teeth, seeing double.
"Don't underestimate your opponent, Pangoro. Give it your all!"
Warren's roar cleared Pangoro's mind. Thwackey was stronger than it had imagined. "Interesting!" it thought.
In an instant, Pangoro grabbed Thwackey with its massive hands, using its waist muscles to throw Thwackey backward.
Thwackey slid on its back for a distance before stopping. Pangoro stood up, ready to get serious.
"Sucker Punch!"
"Grassy Glide!"
The clash of priority moves meant speed was crucial. Since Pangoro had used Arm Thrust and consumed energy, Thwackey was now faster.
Thwackey, as a green flash, kicked Pangoro's knee, making it lose balance again.
Pangoro didn't panic. As long as it had the bamboo stick, it could sense Thwackey's next move.
"Use Leaf Blade to cut the bamboo stick!"
What! Warren was shocked. How did he know Pangoro's weakness? Many thought it was just a show-off prop, but only a trainer knew it was Pangoro's external sensory organ.
Summer knew this because Pangoro also lived in the forest, and bamboo groves were part of the forest.
Sharp leaves severed the bamboo stick in Pangoro's mouth. Without it, Pangoro panicked, feeling like it was back in the battle against Ursaring.
"Pangoro, remember you still have your eyes!"
Warren's words steadied Pangoro. It focused, watching Thwackey's movements. Thwackey took a few steps back and then darted forward as a green flash.
Pangoro took the hit directly, swinging its huge arm down, but Thwackey's next move surprised it. Thwackey threw one of its sticks, spinning it towards Pangoro's eyes.
Pangoro had to block with its other hand, reducing the power of its Arm Thrust by half. Even so, the weakened Arm Thrust dealt significant damage to Thwackey, which endured thanks to the healing from Grassy Terrain.
"Without a weapon, your weak body can't match Pangoro's strength. Finish it!"
"Using the same strategy again? Thwackey, finish it!"
"What?"
Thwackey's body glowed a greenish-blue. Pangoro, having used Arm Thrust twice, couldn't defend in time. Thwackey unleashed a rapid series of four punches, each one hitting a vital point.
Pangoro's bulky body fell, defeated by the much smaller Thwackey.
"I lost...?" Warren was incredulous. He looked at the remaining Poké Balls on his belt, filled with frustration. "This isn't over. You must have more Pokémon. Let's continue!"
"Return, Thwackey," Summer called back Thwackey, which was battered but smiling. "I have another Pokémon, but it's not here. If you want to continue, wait until I treat Thwackey."
"Then..."
"Next is a one-on-one battle. No problem?"
"Understood, I'll wait." Warren got Summer's meaning.
After Summer treated Thwackey, Warren followed him to Misty Lake.
Upon arrival, Warren stared at the clear lake, puzzled. He didn't remember a lake in Sunset Forest.
"Warren, I understand the frustration of losing. But for Spikemuth's sake, accept today's defeat." Summer stood by the lake.
"I won't lose. Come on, Machamp!"
Warren's next Pokémon was the four-armed Machamp, a fellow Fighting type. It seemed Warren had a strong desire to surpass his Dark-type father, focusing on countering with Fighting types.
"Milotic."
Summer called out, and a majestic Pokémon leaped from the water. Milotic's presence was both beautiful and overwhelming, making Warren feel breathless. This must be his ace.
But Warren refused to give up, shouting:
"Dynamic Punch!"
"Milotic, use Hydro Pump!"
So this guy was the reason I got up, thought Milotic. Feel the wrath of the queen.
Milotic's Hydro Pump surged like a furious torrent. Machamp, using all four arms, barely held on for a moment before being overwhelmed, collapsing and losing consciousness.
"One move?" Warren looked to the sky, sighing. He remembered the helplessness of battling his father.
"I lost. I won't interfere anymore. No, I'll come back. Battling is the most exhilarating. I'll return strong enough to defeat you." Warren left in frustration, even leaving his belongings at the cabin.
Left with no choice, Summer handed Warren's things to Gideon. Upon hearing Summer's account, Gideon almost knelt in apology. "That boy should challenge me, not you. Is he still afraid of this old man?"
Summer downplayed Warren's methods, but Gideon knew his son would try anything, even resorting to money. Yet Summer had refused the temptation and won the battle, impressing Gideon.
Gideon patted Summer's shoulder, saying:
"Summer, from now on, meals at my restaurant are free. Consider it my apology. But not for the next few days."
"Do you have something to do?" Summer asked.
Gideon laughed, picking up his briefcase:
"Of course, delivering things to that brat. A child's mistake is the father's fault. I haven't battled in a while. This will be good practice, haha."
(End of this chapter)