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"Pidgeotto is unable to battle. The winner of this match is Sato and his Nidoran!"
Ten seconds after Pidgeotto fell, the referee raised the flag in hand and officially declared the result.
Nidoran's last-minute Thunderbolt had shocked nearly everyone. Few could have imagined that Sato had kept such a powerful move hidden, only to unleash it at the critical moment to turn the tide of the battle.
Most of the spectators at the edge of the battlefield were ordinary Trainers, and it was difficult for them to fathom Sato teaching Nidoran a move like Thunderbolt. After all, the move didn't come cheap.
By Sato's calculations, obtaining the necessary five gold tokens to exchange for the move could end up costing 5 million PokeDollars—a staggering amount for most Trainers.
Furthermore, Thunderbolt is a rare TM that's usually hard to find even if you have the money.
Taro Otoya's loss could partly be attributed to his assumption—shared by many Trainers of his background—that Nidoran, being such a common Pokémon, wouldn't be given this level of attention or resources.
Of course, his overly aggressive and careless battle strategy was also a key factor in his defeat.
If the roles were reversed, Sato would have taken the safest and most calculated approach to eliminate his opponent.
Now, in the eyes of Taro and the surrounding spectators, Sato was perceived as a shrewd and deceptively low-key aristocrat.
After the referee announced the result, the visibly displeased Taro swiftly returned Pidgeotto to its PokéBall. Taking a moment to steady himself, he pulled out another PokéBall and released his next Pokémon.
From the ball emerged a powerful-looking Pokémon, its form materializing as the white light faded.
To Sato's surprise, Taro did not send out the Machamp he had anticipated as his trump card for securing victory. Instead, he released a Heracross, a choice Sato hadn't expected at all.
Using his system's detection ability, Sato quickly analyzed the Pokémon before him—known as the "Bug King" in the games. The results surprised him further.
Pokemon Information:
Pokemon: Heracross
Level: 25
Type: Bug/Fighting
Ability: Guts
Gender: Male
Known Moves: Arm Thrust, Bullet Seed, Night Slash, Tackle, Leer, Horn Attack, Endure, Feint, Aerial Ace, Pin Missile, Counter, Fury Attack, Double-Edge (Egg Move), Focus Punch (Egg Move), Protect (TM), Hyper Beam (TM), Rock Blast (TM)
From the data alone, it was clear that this Heracross was remarkably well-trained, with an impressive variety of moves at its disposal.
"Excellent physical development, a glossy, sturdy exoskeleton, and eyes sharper and more aggressive than those of a typical Heracross—this Pokémon is clearly a battle-hardened fighter."
"Compared to the aging Machamp I expected, this young and promising Heracross is likely Taro Otoya's true ace," Sato noted as he reviewed Heracross's data and watched the large beetle hover mid-air using its insect wings.
After a brief moment of thought, Sato decided on his next Pokémon to face Heracross.
"Come back, Nidoran. You've done an excellent job. Let's leave this fight to another teammate. Growlithe, it's your turn now."
Sato recalled Nidoran into its PokéBall before sending out Growlithe.
Due to its hard-fought victory over Pidgeotto, Nidoran gained substantial experience. Using his system's detection ability, Sato noticed that Nidoran had reached Level 19 and had even learned the move Fury Attack.
In the next moment, Growlithe appeared on the battlefield. Almost immediately, orange-red flames ignited around its legs, tail, and head.
The high-temperature flames caused the surrounding grass to quickly wither and catch fire. Soon, the flames began spreading across the grassy terrain, rapidly transforming the field into a fiery battlefield.
In no time, the temperature within the arena began to soar.
"As expected, the grassy field is practically a hidden home advantage for Growlithe. Unless the opponent is also a fire-resistant Pokémon, taking down Growlithe before the flames consume the battlefield will be almost impossible.
As a Bug-type Pokémon, Heracross clearly isn't equipped to handle this," Sato observed.
With both Pokémon on the battlefield, the referee immediately announced the start of the match. Growlithe was the first to take the initiative, charging straight toward Heracross.
As Growlithe ran, the flames on its body grew fiercer, gradually spreading across its entire form. Everywhere it went, the grass caught fire, and the blaze quickly spread across the grassy terrain.
"Heracross, use Rock Blast to stop it from spreading the flames!" Taro called out urgently, realizing Growlithe's intent to engulf the field in fire.
"Heracross!"
At Taro's command, Heracross let out a fierce cry. From the tip of its large horn, several basketball-sized rocks formed and were launched toward the rapidly approaching Growlithe.
"Use Double Team! Don't rush to attack; focus on turning this battlefield into your domain first," Sato instructed calmly.
Hearing the command, Growlithe's eyes glinted with cunning. In an instant, three Double Team clones materialized around it.
The incoming rocks struck only one of the clones, leaving the remaining three Growlithe—including the real one—continuing their charge toward Heracross.
As Growlithe advanced, a new clone would appear to replace any destroyed ones. Soon, there were four Growlithe surrounding Heracross, encircling it along with the spreading flames.
The fire had completely taken over the grassy terrain, turning it into a blazing inferno. Within this fiery field, Growlithe thrived as if it were a fish in water.
In stark contrast, Heracross was like meat on a grill. Even if the flames didn't directly burn it, the intense heat was enough to cause it significant discomfort, dealing continuous damage over time.
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