Against frail opponents lacking any special defensive moves, a Weavile boosted twice by Swords Dance charging into formation was like a tiger plunging into a flock of sheep—utterly unstoppable.
A Victreebel had just leapt up, preparing to unleash Razor Leaf, when a black blur flashed before its eyes—
A frost-laced fist slammed squarely into its face.
With the bonus from type advantage and Same-Type Attack Bonus, Victreebel didn't even manage a scream. It was sent flying and fainted midair.
Weavile's three-pronged claws rose—then fell in a brutal downward arc. Without even sparing a glance, she brought Brick Break crashing sideways onto the forehead of a Geodude rolling toward her.
Crack!
A fracture spread visibly across the rocky surface of its head.
A Drowzee attempted to use Hypnosis—
But the instant it met those bloodshot crimson slit pupils, a nameless terror spread from the bottom of its heart.
Weavile's body blurred.
Twelve identical afterimages materialized across the battlefield—Double Team.
In the next second, a storm of attacks blanketed the sky.
Thunderbolt. Flamethrower. Bubble Beam. Water Gun…
Move after move tore through the illusions, shattering every last shadow—
Yet Weavile herself was nowhere to be seen.
Drowzee suddenly felt a tap on its shoulder.
It turned around—
—and nearly collapsed in fright.
The black feline that should have been obliterated by the combined barrage stood right behind it.
A sly smile curved at the corner of Weavile's lips. Her claws lifted high. A crescent of dark light flashed—
Night Slash carved a deep gash across Drowzee's face.
Thud!
Struck head-on by a Dark-type move, the Psychic-type Pokémon was practically one-shot, pitching forward into the grass.
How terrifying was Weavile after two Swords Dances?
Only numbers could truly describe it.
One Swords Dance raised a Pokémon's Attack by two stages.
Each stage increased Attack by 50%, stacking linearly. Two stages meant +100%.
After two Swords Dances, Weavile had gained four stages—
A 200% boost.
At the absolute limit of three Swords Dances, Attack would nearly quadruple.
What kind of monstrous amplification was that?
On Kael's internal six-stat evaluation chart, Weavile's physical Attack already rated at A+. With a 200% increase, facing this rabble—
One could almost say that invincibility itself carried a faint loneliness.
In chaotic melee battles like this, trainers' commands rarely reached their Pokémon in time.
More often, it came down to a Pokémon's independent combat ability.
Over thirty trainers from Kaz's and Yas's Gyms were practically shouting their throats raw, issuing overlapping commands that only threw their own side into disarray.
...
"A little rat's coming up from underground."
Lulu stood quietly at Kael's side, her small white hand clasping his.
Kael smiled knowingly. He had long been wary of dirty tricks. If they couldn't defeat the Pokémon, they'd go for the trainer instead.
Less than half a meter from him, the grassy plain suddenly bulged.
A Pokémon resembling a pangolin—but over a meter tall—burst from the soil, raising its massive claws and slashing straight at Kael.
Sandslash—the final evolution of Sandshrew. Its back was covered in tough brown quills, granting it far greater offensive power. A natural burrowing expert, it had hidden underground under its trainer's orders, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.
Not necessarily to kill—but to injure the opposing trainer and render him unable to continue.
"Ah!"
The slash struck nothing but air.
Its target had vanished.
Landing on the ground, Sandslash scratched its head in confusion, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"Lucky~"
Chansey puffed out her cheeks angrily. She was deeply displeased by a Pokémon that dared to attack a human directly.
Chansey was gentle and kind by nature—she hated such tactics.
"Lucky~!"
She removed the white egg from her pouch and hurled it at Sandslash.
Seeing an object flying toward it, Sandslash raised its claw to strike—
The moment claw met egg, a blinding white flash erupted—
BOOM!
The egg exploded like a high-yield grenade. A scorching shockwave blasted Sandslash clear off its feet.
As Chansey's only offensive move at present, Egg Bomb carried an official base power of 100. Calling it a grenade was no exaggeration.
When Chansey was calm and happy, the egg in her pouch was a highly nutritious, medicinal delicacy. Combined with Soft-Boiled, it could rapidly restore a Pokémon's stamina.
But when she was angry—
That same egg transformed into a weapon.
Sandslash wasn't out of the fight, merely dizzy. Chansey's Attack stat was low; even with Egg Bomb's power, it served more to disrupt and repel than to deal devastating damage.
Its ambush failed, Sandslash chose not to pursue Kael again. Instead, it turned to burrow and escape.
But just as half its body disappeared underground, a crushing pressure seized it from all directions.
Its body lifted abruptly—
Dragged straight back out of the hole.
Lulu had caught it with Telekinesis.
She had no intention of showing mercy to a Pokémon that dared ambush Kael. Her right hand slowly opened—
Petal-like purple energy leaves formed rapidly in midair.
Sandslash was a Ground-type Pokémon.
A Grass-type Magical Leaf against it—
The damage was catastrophic.
"Sand—Sand—!"
Sandslash's cries of agony rang across the field.