"Return and get some rest. Your turn, Cacturne!"
Ethan said with a faint smile as he withdrew Sandslash once more and sent out Cacturne, whose typing clearly had the upper hand against the opposing Golem.
"Man, that's just overkill!" Marcus Foster laughed from the stands. "This Brandon guy's gonna get crushed by Ethan. Rest in peace, five seconds of silence for him."
"Damn it! Golem, use Stone Edge!" Brandon shouted through gritted teeth.
He knew perfectly well that if he switched Golem out for Typhlosion, Ethan would simply do the same with Sandslash, letting it use Dig to waste time. And in that case, with Typhlosion already poisoned, the wear and tear would be even worse. Even if he managed to defeat Sandslash, the final fight would still come down to Golem versus Cacturne.
Boom!
Following his trainer's command, Golem slammed the ground hard and extended its hands, launching several sharp rocks that shot toward Cacturne.
"Defend with Magical Leaf!"
Cacturne waved its arms, causing leaves to float before it and interlock, forming a barrier that blocked the flying rocks.
"Use Rollout along with Defense Curl!"
Seeing that his long-range attack wasn't working, Brandon switched tactics.
Ever since Alex Baxter published his thesis 'The Interaction Principle Between Defense Curl and Rollout,' that combo had become popular among trainers, and Alex himself had gained quite a reputation in the academic world.
From how smoothly Golem executed the combination, it was obvious Brandon had trained it extensively—the timing was perfect.
"Growth."
While Golem began spinning, Cacturne used Growth, raising its Attack and Special Attack.
"Rototiller!"
Just as Golem hit full speed with Rollout, the ground beneath Cacturne began to ripple with Ground-type energy. Within seconds, the terrain became uneven, full of pits and cracks, as though the entire surface were trembling.
Boom!
Caught off guard by the sudden change, Golem lost its balance; its rolling body wobbled and could no longer maintain a steady trajectory.
"Magical Leaf!"
Cacturne raised its arms, unleashing another flurry of leaves. Thanks to the combined effect of Growth and Rototiller, its offensive power was far greater now.
The leaves whistled through the air, slicing straight toward Golem.
"Golem, stop! Use Heavy Slam!"
Unable to continue rolling, Golem braked hard, coating its entire body with Steel-type energy before charging forward like an armored truck. The magical leaves were shredded by its impact.
Boom!
The massive body of Golem pushed ahead, but the uneven ground drastically slowed it down, allowing Cacturne to dodge with ease.
"Magical Leaf!"
While darting nimbly across the field, Cacturne kept up its attack.
The same tactic it had used against Marshtomp—creating a curtain of leaves to maintain distance—was once again employed here. Combined with the Rototiller-boosted terrain, which increased damage and limited the opponent's movement, Golem became a cornered beast, unable to land even a single hit.
Having survived in the wild before evolving, Cacturne was a master of long-range combat—it perfectly embodied the saying: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." It attacked relentlessly while staying out of reach.
Using that strategy, it defeated Golem without taking a single blow.
"Golem is unable to battle! Cacturne wins!"
The referee, visibly astonished, glanced at Cacturne before announcing the result.
"It's skilled at long-range combat too?" Lucas Silver exclaimed in disbelief.
They had always thought Cacturne's main strength lay in its unique use of Ingrain, but seeing it pull off such a flawless hit-and-run strategy left them speechless.
"So that's it, huh? Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Marcus said with a grin. "Didn't expect anything less from Ethan. Two Pokémon were all it took to beat one of Duskwell City Pokémon University's star students."
"A bit shameless, sure—but tactically, it was a clean victory," Lucas agreed, looking toward the field where Sandslash was still hidden underground as Typhlosion roared in frustration.
"Damn it! Come out and fight me one-on-one if you dare!" Brandon shouted furiously.
His face was pitch-black with rage; he had never felt such humiliation.
But Ethan, unfazed, simply cleaned his ear with his finger and ignored him completely. Brandon clenched his fists, trembling with anger, but in the end could only sigh and recall his Typhlosion.
"Ohhh! The battle is over!"
"With the perfect coordination of just two Pokémon, Trainer Ethan Black advances to the winners' bracket!" the announcer shouted, trying to hype up the crowd.
However, the audience didn't respond enthusiastically.
"Boo!"
"What a disgusting strategy!"
Boos quickly filled the air—many thought it had been the most boring match they'd ever seen, full of cheap tricks and sneaky tactics!
Of course, most were just making noise. After all, like in gaming tournaments, people preferred flashy, head-on battles; tactical endurance fights weren't everyone's taste.
Even so, many others applauded Ethan. To them, this was the true essence of a Pokémon battle: if everything depended solely on the Pokémon, then what was the point of trainers?
"I lost again..." Brandon sighed, feeling as though his intellect had been utterly crushed.
"It was just luck," Ethan replied humbly. "If you had anticipated the mid-battle switches and prepared for them, the outcome might've been different."
And he was right—the surprise attack from Cacturne that took out Poliwrath early on had been a fatal blow.
If Poliwrath hadn't fallen so quickly, Brandon could've handled Sandslash's Dig strategy instead of helplessly watching Typhlosion succumb to poison.
"You're amazing—it's hard to believe this is your first tournament," Brandon said with a wry smile. "You're a trickster... I thought you'd fight me one-on-one till the end, but you fooled me!"
Ethan just laughed, and after a few seconds of silence, Brandon smiled too. He knew Ethan was simply trying to give him a dignified way out. Deep down, he actually liked the guy.
"Well, I only dropped to the losers' bracket. But I'll be back... and next time, beating me won't be so easy."
Brandon smiled again and extended his hand. Ethan returned the smile and shook it politely—a sportsmanlike gesture to close the match.
(End of Chapter)