Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

"ROAR—!"

Nidoking let out a pained howl.

What did it feel like to be stabbed by needles?

Nidoking now knew firsthand.

Though its Poison typing minimized the damage from the Poison Sting attack, the sensation of needles embedding into its flesh was far from pleasant.

"Luo Yuan's Slowbro cleverly used Psychic to turn Nidoking's Poison Sting against it!"

"Nidoking's movements have slowed due to the pain!"

"And Slowbro… Slowbro is moving!"

The commentator's excited voice carried over the field as Slowbro, unfazed by its earlier counterattack, launched into another assault.

A surge of water hurtled toward Nidoking.

"It's Water Pulse! Slowbro used Water Pulse!"

Despite Luo Yuan not calling out a command, the commentator accurately identified the move.

The Indigo League's commentators were top-notch.

A less experienced analyst might have mistaken Water Pulse for Water Gun or even a weaker Hydro Pump. But an expert eye could distinguish between the vibration-based attack of Water Pulse and the sheer impact-driven nature of Water Gun.

Unlike the commentator's technical analysis, Makoto's response was straightforward—no time for overthinking.

Whether it was Water Pulse or Water Gun, Makoto didn't want his Nidoking taking a direct hit.

"Nidoking, dodge it!"

Under Makoto's command, Nidoking halted its charge and sidestepped the attack.

The Water Pulse struck the ground instead, its vibrations creating a small crater.

The sheer force behind Slowbro's move was evident from the damage to the field.

Makoto's ability to dodge such an attack demonstrated why he had made it to the third round. Fully aware of Luo Yuan's capabilities, Makoto had been giving it his all from the start.

So, it didn't surprise Luo Yuan when Nidoking avoided the Water Pulse.

But...

"Did you think that was it?" Luo Yuan said with a smirk, watching as Makoto began planning his counterattack.

He snapped his fingers.

In the next moment, Makoto's expression turned to shock as Slowbro's eyes flashed with blue light.

An immense wave of psychic energy, enhanced by Luo Yuan's Psychic affinity, radiated outward from Slowbro, targeting Nidoking directly.

"Not good!"

Seeing the telltale glow in Slowbro's eyes, Makoto's heart sank.

Excluding type advantages, Psychic was arguably the most formidable type in Pokémon battles.

Psychic abilities combined offense and control, their invisible attacks making them nearly impossible to defend against.

Without a move like Protect in Nidoking's arsenal, there was almost no way to avoid the attack.

And with Nidoking's typing, trying to endure the hit could be disastrous.

After a split-second of deliberation, Makoto made his choice.

He decided to counterattack instead of trying to evade.

From the previous exchanges, Makoto had gauged that Luo Yuan's Slowbro wasn't as overwhelming as he had feared—it was significantly weaker than Dragonite, for instance.

Although he had entered this match expecting defeat, Makoto now saw a sliver of hope to break Luo Yuan's winning streak and put up a respectable fight.

"Nidoking, use Earthquake!"

At Makoto's command, Nidoking stomped the ground with immense force.

The battlefield cracked and trembled as shockwaves radiated outward, racing toward Slowbro.

But before the Earthquake reached its target, Slowbro's Psychic struck Nidoking head-on.

BOOM!

The invisible force hit Nidoking with a resounding impact, sending its massive body flying backward. A grimace of pain crossed its face.

Makoto, prepared for this outcome, paid no mind to Nidoking's condition.

His focus remained on Slowbro.

As long as Earthquake connected, Nidoking's sacrifice would be worthwhile.

However, Makoto was destined to be disappointed.

Luo Yuan's mastery of the battlefield, enhanced by his own psychic abilities, was something Makoto couldn't fathom.

The moment Makoto had called for Earthquake, Luo Yuan had already prepared Slowbro to respond.

As soon as Nidoking was sent flying, Slowbro sprang into action.

The psychic energy it had spread earlier rapidly retracted.

A blue aura surrounded Slowbro as it used Psychic to lift itself off the ground, levitating above the trembling field.

Though Slowbro's levitation was wobbly and clearly unrefined—making it an easy target under normal circumstances—Nidoking was in no condition to take advantage.

As a result, Nidoking's Earthquake passed harmlessly beneath Slowbro, unable to inflict any damage.

The general audience didn't find this particularly noteworthy.

But among the spectators were several trainers who weren't there just to watch—they were there to gather intelligence.

Their expressions turned serious.

Levitation for Psychic Pokémon was nothing new.

However, using it effectively in battle was an entirely different story.

For Slowbro to simultaneously execute a Psychic attack, time its levitation perfectly to evade Earthquake, and maintain such precise control…

To these experienced trainers, the level of skill required for such tactics was nothing short of extraordinary.

The feat left them with only two possible conclusions:

One, Slowbro was exceptionally strong, capable of autonomously dodging Earthquake without Luo Yuan's guidance.

Two, Luo Yuan himself was incredibly skilled, possessing unique training and command techniques.

It didn't take long for them to settle on the latter.

From their perspective, Slowbro's strength wasn't anything remarkable. Without the advantage of type matchups, it was on par with Nidoking at best.

For such a Pokémon to achieve this level of battle performance, the only explanation was Luo Yuan's unparalleled expertise.

This realization made the trainers view Luo Yuan with even more caution.

If he could train a reserve Pokémon like Slowbro to this extent, then the overwhelming power demonstrated by his Dragonite and Gyarados might only be the tip of the iceberg.

Now, they weren't so sure if Luo Yuan had been showing his true strength in earlier battles.

Had his decisive victories merely been a product of type advantages and overwhelming power?

Or was he hiding even more terrifying potential?

The uncertainty deepened their respect—and wariness—toward Luo Yuan.

---

T/N: "And Slowbro… Slowbro is moving!" <- banger line

Ichinose was blocked :D