A direct challenge right off the bat?

It had been a while since Sato and the others had run into such a straightforward battle, so it took them two full seconds to react.

"Sure. How are we doing this?" Sato was the first to respond after snapping out of it, while Mark, a beat slower, could only pound his chest in regret from the sidelines.

Cynthia blinked, and seemed a little regretful too, like she wished she'd stepped up first.

"How about a Double Battle?" The middle-aged Trainer suggested as he took out two Poké Balls.

"No problem!"

"I'll be the referee for this match," said the ever-versatile Joseph right away.

After all, a Breeder who can't be a referee isn't a proper supporting character…

Soon, both sides introduced themselves, and Sato's group learned the other Trainer's name: Flin.

"Each side will use two Pokémon. When both Pokémon on one side lose the ability to battle, the match ends! Now, both sides, send out your Pokémon."

Bang… Bang… Bang… Bang…

Four flashes of red light burst. Staraptor, Abomasnow, Cacturne, and Murkrow appeared on the battlefield at the same time.

Looking at the field, the Pokémon pairings on both sides were strikingly similar.

But in comparison, Sato's side had a slight disadvantage in type matchups. Both Cacturne and Murkrow were weak against Abomasnow, while their levels were roughly the same.

"Then, battle start!" Referee Joseph declared loudly, and all four Pokémon sprang into action.

"Aerial Ace! Blizzard!"

Flin's commands were brief and sharp, clearly the product of long-term training and partnership.

Sato was no slouch either.

"Tailwind, Cotton Spore."

Tailwind came first, and both Murkrow and Cacturne received a big Speed boost right away.

Next was Staraptor's Aerial Ace, its target clearly being Cacturne, slow and disadvantaged by typing.

But with the Tailwind boost, even though Cacturne didn't dodge the Aerial Ace, it still had plenty of time to counter.

Cotton Spore spread rapidly. Under Cacturne's intentional control, Staraptor became the main target.

In an instant, Staraptor looked like it had doubled in size, its body covered in sticky Cotton Spore it couldn't shake off.

When Blizzard came roaring in, Murkrow and Cacturne had already used the wind to dodge with ease.

Compared to Abomasnow, Cacturne suddenly didn't seem so slow after all.

First round: Staraptor's Speed was nearly shut down, but Cacturne took a full Aerial Ace and was seriously hurt.

At some point, the sky darkened and hail began pouring down, striking all four Pokémon without discrimination.

Abomasnow's Ability: Snow Warning!

And aside from Abomasnow, the other three Pokémon would all suffer from the hailstorm's continuous damage.

But Staraptor seemed long accustomed to this weather. It even looked like it was getting more fired up.

"Blizzard! Brave Bird!"

Flin's commands were still short, but this time even fiercer than before!

In hail, Blizzard gained the environmental advantage: it could almost instantly cover the entire battlefield, with its accuracy massively increased.

And Staraptor, nicknamed "suicide bird," loved using powerful moves that hurt itself just to deal more damage.

Because it had the hidden Ability, Reckless; moves that caused recoil would have their power boosted.

Even more importantly, Brave Bird would cause Staraptor to ignite into flames as it dived, burning off all the Cotton Spore clinging to it.

"Heat Wave, Sucker Punch."

Sato's commands weren't far behind. Murkrow began furiously flapping its wings, generating an intense Heat Wave to directly confront Abomasnow's Blizzard.

Extreme cold met extreme heat, and the air instantly filled with thick vapor, shrouding the entire battlefield.

On the other side, Staraptor, cloaked in blue flames, tore through the mist with force, aiming straight for Cacturne.

Just as Staraptor was about to strike, Cacturne suddenly grinned at it… and vanished.

Vanished!

Before Staraptor could even look for where its opponent went, it felt a sharp pain in its chest. The angle was so precise it disrupted the trajectory of Brave Bird entirely.

Staraptor instantly lost balance. Unable to stop itself, it crashed hard into the ground mid-dive, digging a long trench into the ground.

Cacturne, having hit a successful Sucker Punch, landed steadily. Thanks to its Ability, Water Absorb, it recovered a small amount of health/stamina.

"Staraptor, get back in the air! Abomasnow, Ice Shard to intercept Murkrow!"

Cacturne's sudden burst had completely caught Flin off guard, and with Staraptor taking massive damage, the battle's momentum swung back to Sato.

There's no such thing as mercy in battle. Only the absolute correctness of pressing the advantage.

With greater Speed, Murkrow was already whooshing toward Staraptor, ready to finish it off the moment it hit the ground.

Though Ice Shard wasn't very strong, it executed quickly; Flin intended to use it to stall Murkrow's advance.

But before Abomasnow could even launch the Ice Shard, Cacturne crossed half the battlefield in a flash and appeared right in front of it.

Another Sucker Punch!

Using the priority of Sucker Punch again, it hit Abomasnow's belly hard, well before Ice Shard could be launched.

"Air Cutter, Drain Punch."

Swish~ Swish~ Swish~

Murkrow slashed its wings, sending out sharp blue wind blades toward the grounded Staraptor.

Meanwhile, Cacturne seamlessly chained Sucker Punch into Drain Punch, charging Abomasnow in close range with a relentless barrage.

Air Cutter succeeded in finishing off Staraptor, while Abomasnow endured the assault from Cacturne, thanks to its higher stamina, and began countering with Wood Hammer.

But the tide of battle was already clear.

Just as everyone thought it was over, Flin suddenly revealed a bracelet… embedded with a Key Stone.

"Abomasnow, Mega Evolve!"

Sato was briefly stunned. Once, he too had relied on Mega Evolution to turn battles around and overcome stronger foes.

Though Mega Stones and Key Stones were rare, after years of exploration, it wasn't surprising that the lucky, the wealthy, or the well-connected could obtain one of these powerful items.

Now the tables had turned. Sato needed to be prepared too. Sooner or later, someone would use Mega Evolution to try to turn the tide against him.

But… would they succeed?

Sato crossed his arms, calmly watching Abomasnow Mega Evolution under a burst of radiant color, rising instantly to Mid Ace level.

Had he used Mega Evolution from the start, the outcome might've been uncertain.

But now, with the pressure of facing two opponents, and Cacturne alone having defeated stronger Mid Ace trainers before…

"MEGA ABOMASNOW! USE BLIZZARD!" Flin shouted excitedly, his "composure" from earlier completely gone.

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150 PS = ExtraCH

Pätréᛟn.cᛟm/Romeloff