Salazzle, the Poison/Fire-type Pokémon, resides in deep caves, ruling over a group of male Salandit, which are captivated by the pheromones it exudes.
For any Salandit that fails to bring back food, Salazzle punishes them with fiery slaps, acting like a ruthless queen.
Its Corrosion ability allows it to poison even Steel- and Poison-type Pokémon, making it a particularly dangerous adversary.
Upon recognizing the opponent as Salazzle, Klein initially considered having Delphox swap the battlefield.
However, Scizor shook its head.
Its burning battle spirit made Klein abandon his strategy.
Only by learning to overcome disadvantages can one truly master battle.
Scizor crossed its arms, its Swords Dance aura intensifying before unleashing a storm of wind blades.
Salazzle agilely leaped behind Scizor, flashing a mischievous grin.
Its black tail flicked lightly, and a mysterious scent spread into the air!
Scizor staggered slightly, its movements faltering.
At the same time, Salazzle's body trembled, generating even stronger toxins before vanishing in a blur of speed.
In the blink of an eye, it closed the distance between itself and Scizor.
It wasn't just fast—it was incredibly nimble, its sweet aroma instantly morphing into a pungent stench that intensified Scizor's poisoning.
Scizor's vision blurred, but its Swords Dance aura instinctively expelled some of the toxins.
Regaining its balance, Scizor shifted its stance, bracing itself as Salazzle lunged once more.
Then—its spine flexed.
In a flash, Scizor dodged left.
A gleam of steel flashed—
Bullet Punch!
Salazzle's eyes flickered. Scizor's refusal to back down irritated Koga.
"Hmph. Fiery Sledgehammer!"
Salazzle narrowed its eyes, stepping lightly.
It drifted in a small arc, effortlessly dodging Scizor's attack before twisting in midair.
The corrosive aura around its body expanded, condensing into a gigantic fiery hand that slammed down with immense force.
At that moment, Scizor's stance suddenly shifted.
A thousand crimson streaks burst forth—
A Bullet Punch barrage, red light engulfing the battlefield like a raging wildfire.
The fiery hand shattered instantly.
Boom!
Scizor's left shoulder dipped, then it launched itself forward instead of retreating.
Like a roaring crimson flood, it charged straight at Salazzle.
Koga's eyes flickered with surprise.
Agility Combat.
Scizor's Technician-boosted Bullet Punch wasn't just an attack—it was a trap.
It tricked Salazzle into thinking its poison would wear Scizor down.
But once it got close, Scizor would unleash its fiercest counterattack.
Salazzle had the type advantage, but Scizor had the will to fight head-on.
Salazzle didn't back down.
Corrosive fumes filled the air, and boiling poison surged from the ground.
The momentum it had built up earlier erupted, the violent energy creating an unsettling, high-pitched sound.
The two Pokémon collided.
A harsh, grating noise rang out.
Scizor's force was disrupted, its stance unbalanced.
It staggered back two steps.
But Salazzle had also been pushed back.
Planting its foot firmly on the ground, it kicked off again, instantly repositioning itself to Scizor's side.
Its right arm flared, forming a blazing, toxic claw.
It slashed at Scizor's neck.
Scizor had just stabilized itself, leaving no time to adjust its balance.
A Swords Dance-fueled energy storm flared up to block the attack.
But the moment their attacks clashed—
Salazzle's strength exploded like gunpowder.
Its short but intense power burst sent a ripple through Scizor's defenses.
Then—
Whoosh!
Salazzle twisted its body, instantly appearing behind Scizor.
Its left palm ignited, forming another giant flaming claw—
And swung down viciously.
Scizor's torso twisted sharply, shifting half its body aside to evade the strike.
At the same time, its legs straightened like a whip, sweeping horizontally in a fierce counterattack.
A sharp burst of air cracked the ground as the powerful leg sweep tore through the battlefield.
Scizor was relentless.
Each punch and kick carried a devastating weight, forcing Salazzle to abandon brute force combat.
Using its superior speed, it danced around Scizor, weaving through the storm of attacks.
Flaming claws and poisonous fumes surged forth endlessly.
Even with Swords Dance-fortified defenses, Scizor was slowly being pushed into a corner.
Blocking one attack, another would come from a different angle.
Scizor realized—
If this continued, Salazzle would keep alternating between poisonous gas and fiery strikes.
It would force a mistake sooner or later.
Even though Scizor had prepared for this strategy, it still found itself caught in a dangerous cycle.
Koga's Poison-type Pokémon were truly formidable.
Nearby, Koga's Gengar and Arbok remained motionless, standing guard against Klein's next move.
Suddenly, flames erupted.
Salazzle had found an opening.
It lunged forward, exploiting a gap in Scizor's Swords Dance flow, unleashing an overwhelming burst of power.
Scizor had no time to think.
Extreme Speed!
Its upper body twisted in a fraction of a second, increasing the distance between itself and Salazzle's claw.
Then, using the momentum, it generated a violent wind current, condensing into a razor-sharp energy blade.
A devastating kick shot out.
Salazzle was forced to pull back.
True Extreme Speed Combat was all about reacting purely on instinct.
Even when faced with an opponent that had the type advantage, Scizor's combat intuition allowed it to fight back effectively.
This Salazzle was tricky.
Even with Swords Dance-boosted power, Scizor couldn't land a decisive blow.
Both Pokémon stepped back, locking eyes.
Meanwhile, outside Ilex Forest, Ice and Blake Hall had regrouped.
But Swampert and Lucario were right behind them.
Trapped between Klein's relentless pursuit, their faces grew grim.
The sandstorm barrier had been breached.
Had the Johto League arrived?
Breaking through the three-layered sandstorm detection field wasn't something just anyone could do.
Through his psychic awareness, Klein sensed the intruder's presence.
A Johto League investigator, clad in a formal League uniform, was rushing toward them.
Moments later, the investigator appeared before Klein and came to a halt.
Behind him, a Poké Ball snapped open—
A fiery Incineroar emerged.
The young agent raised his arm, revealing a specialized Z-Ring.
The Dark-type Z-Crystal flared with blinding energy.
Klein's eyes narrowed.
He recognized this Incineroar—the one that had gone missing after the Seafoam Islands battle.
But now—its killing intent was even stronger.
Dark energy surged.
Incineroar's clawed fist transformed into a black torrent—
And charged directly at Klein.
Z-Moves: The ultimate fusion of a Pokémon and its trainer's will.
A single-use technique that unleashes their combined power.
"Malicious Moonsault!"
A catastrophic impact erupted toward Klein's position.
(To be continued…!)
(Note: Go to my patreon to able to access 20 chapters in advance
patreon.com/RockyRoad891)