"Let us welcome contestant Gu Yuan to the field!"
As the announcer's voice rang out, Gu Yuan slowly emerged from the player tunnel upon receiving the notice.
"Gu Yuan! Gu Yuan! Gu Yuan!"
The moment he appeared, his name echoed throughout the entire venue. Compared to him, his opponent, Nakagawa, received significantly less attention. This was inevitable; anyone who achieved three consecutive clean sweeps would garner such fame, especially when using a Pokémon like Ditto, which rarely appears in competitive battles.
Once both contestants were in position, the referee began reading the rules. Simultaneously, a translucent light barrier rose to isolate outside noise, ensuring the contestants' performance wouldn't be affected.
In a flash of white light, the Pokémon Gu Yuan sent out was not Ditto, but Alakazam, who had made a brief appearance during the preliminaries. Conversely, Nakagawa sent out Electabuzz, likely intending to use a continuous assault to force Ditto to consume a large amount of stamina.
While Takaoka had failed with this tactic, that was due to his own lack of strength. Nakagawa, however, was confident. He believed he could use a "trading" strategy—using Electabuzz and some of his next Pokémon's health—to defeat the troublesome Ditto. He never expected Gu Yuan to send out Alakazam, who possessed quasi-Ace strength!
"Alakazam, Nasty Plot!"
"Electabuzz, interrupt him with Thunderbolt!"
Using the system's scan function, Electabuzz's information appeared before Gu Yuan's eyes. In past battles, this function had proven its utility countless times, and this time was no exception. With Electabuzz's ability and moves now known to him, Gu Yuan had already devised a plan to handle it.
Pokémon battles certainly test the strength of the Pokémon and the trainer's command skills, but information is also a vital link. Being able to know the opponent's ability and moves beforehand grants a massive advantage.
Through the Telepathy link, Gu Yuan's voice appeared directly in Alakazam's mind. Just as the electricity was about to strike Alakazam's face, he unleashed Teleport, dodging the attack narrowly.
Psychic waves diffused as Alakazam reappeared in mid-air. A Psychic attack, shaped like a giant python, surged forward.
"Electabuzz, Thunder!"
Sensing the power of the Psychic move, Nakagawa immediately ordered a stronger Thunder. The moment the two moves collided, electricity scattered everywhere, and the psychic energy was dispelled.
Before Electabuzz could breathe a sigh of relief, Alakazam used Teleport to appear right above it. He used Disable, and a five-pointed star appeared on Electabuzz's forehead. For a short period, Electabuzz wouldn't be able to use Thunder again, and the effect of Disable briefly froze it in place.
"Alakazam, Nasty Plot, then Psychic!"
"Electabuzz, Shock Wave!"
At such close range, and with the never-miss trait of Shock Wave, Nakagawa was certain Alakazam couldn't dodge. However, he underestimated Alakazam's Disable.
A cunning glint flashed in Alakazam's eyes as its Special Attack was boosted again, while Electabuzz remained frozen and unable to move. As Psychic condensed once more, Electabuzz finally broke free from the restraints of Disable.
"Electabuzz, defend with Iron Tail!"
Though Nakagawa didn't know what had just happened to Electabuzz, he immediately ordered a change in tactics. A metallic luster quickly coated Electabuzz's tail. With a sudden spin, it poured all its strength into the Iron Tail.
Against an Alakazam boosted by two uses of Nasty Plot, the power of a single Iron Tail was simply too weak. The psychic python struck, sending Electabuzz flying as intense pain radiated through its body. Simultaneously, a sense of crisis rose in Electabuzz's heart.
A multi-colored energy sphere shot out, heading straight for Electabuzz's back.
"Electabuzz, Thunderbolt!"
Just as Nakagawa's command rang out, Alakazam's Confusion coiled around Electabuzz first, interrupting the Thunderbolt. A second later, Future Sight swallowed Electabuzz.
Electabuzz screamed in pain, but Alakazam simply used Nasty Plot again, boosting its Special Attack to the limit. As the power of Future Sight dissipated, Electabuzz was seen kneeling on the ground. Its distorted expression clearly told the story of the agony it was enduring.
"Electabuzz, Thunder Wave!"
Nakagawa's command rang out again, but Electabuzz was already tightly bound by Confusion, which felt like venomous snakes. It couldn't release a move, let alone move its body.
"Alakazam, finish it with consecutive slams!"
Gu Yuan's voice echoed in Alakazam's mind. Electabuzz felt an irresistible force lift it into the air before slamming it heavily onto the ground.
Bang!
The sound of the impact echoed as a small crater was smashed into the floor, but this was only the beginning. The intense pain further weakened Electabuzz's ability to resist, leaving it powerless.
"Come back, Electabuzz!"
Nakagawa pulled out a Poké Ball, intending to swap Pokémon to deal with Alakazam. However, when the red light shot out, Alakazam manipulated Electabuzz to dodge it, giving Nakagawa no chance to recall it.
Eventually, under the repeated slams, Electabuzz finally lost consciousness and fainted. Only then did Gu Yuan have Alakazam stop the attack.
"I truly didn't expect Gu Yuan's Alakazam to be this strong. And that silent commanding technique is the Telepathy unique to Psychic-type Pokémon."
"I wonder, is Gu Yuan himself a Psychic as well?"
The announcer's voice helped clear up the confusion for the audience. On the field, Nakagawa released his second Pokémon. He chose Weavile, a dual Dark and Ice-type Pokémon from the Sinnoh region.
As a Dark-type, Weavile had a type advantage over Alakazam. With its extreme speed, it could also offset Alakazam's Teleport to some extent. Nakagawa's plan was sound, but reality would not follow his imagination.
The moment Weavile debuted, Alakazam vanished.
"Weavile, surround yourself with Blizzard! Prepare Dark Pulse!"
"Alakazam, Triple Psychic!"
Just as the bone-chilling wind rose, Alakazam appeared within the range of the Blizzard. Frantically mobilizing its psychic power, Alakazam managed to release Psychic three times in rapid succession.
The first Psychic tore through Weavile's Blizzard. The second dispelled Weavile's Dark Pulse and slammed into its body. The third sent Weavile flying backward.
Releasing Psychic three times consecutively was a significant burden for Alakazam. However, looking at the writhing Weavile struggling to stand, Gu Yuan knew the outcome of this battle had already been decided.