"Mr. Mime, Galarian Form. The Barrier Pokémon. It excels at tap dancing. It can create an icy floor with cold air and kick it up to form protective barriers."
That familiar mechanical voice of the Pokédex sounded by Silas's ear. Turning his head, he saw a rookie trainer holding up a Pokédex and scanning the Pokémon.
Alright, so it wasn't his imagination.
The Galarian Mr. Mime was not drastically different in overall appearance from the regular one.
The Galarian form had an extra black nose on its face, ears shaped like icicles, and cobalt blue spheres on its shoulders.
Its hands were smaller, resembling white gloves. On its chest was a blue, ice crystal structure shaped like a tie, and its shoes were larger, designed specifically for tap dancing.
Regular Mr. Mime specialized in mime performances and were masters of silent acting.
Galarian Mr. Mime, however, specialized in tap dancing. It could release cold air from the soles of its feet, dancing all day long on an icy floor.
Leon's Mr. Mime was no exception. The ground around it froze over, and it began tapping its feet rhythmically.
"Galarian Meowth, I'm counting on you for this match."
"Meowr~"
The cat's claws extended, three dark, metallic nails rubbing together with a sharp clanging sound.
Galarian Meowth had secretly used Hone Claws. Grooming and sharpening its claws daily had long become part of its routine.
"Taunt it."
Silas took the initiative, ordering Meowth to act first.
Mr. Mime was a Pokémon that leaned toward support. It naturally learned moves like Light Screen and Reflect, so it was best to seal those options first.
As soon as Silas finished speaking, Galarian Meowth mimicked Mr. Mime's tap dance, making exaggerated and ridiculous movements before finally curling a finger provocatively at its opponent.
A vein bulged on Mr. Mime's forehead as it was successfully taunted, rendering it unable to use status moves.
"Close in. Use Metal Claw."
Steel-type Galarian Meowth had a clear advantage over Mr. Mime. Being the stronger side, they had every reason to press the attack.
Just as Meowth rushed forward, Mr. Mime suddenly stomped the ground. The icy floor it had created shattered and was kicked toward Meowth.
Meowth swung its claws rapidly, slashing out six arcs of light in front of it.
Crack, crack.
With several crisp sounds, the incoming ice slabs were cut into pieces, scattering across the ground.
At that moment, using the shattered ice as cover, Mr. Mime lunged forward like a cannonball.
Its left leg lifted first, the tip of its shoe coated in a thin layer of ice, striking fiercely at Meowth's side. The right leg followed immediately, ready to chain into a second strike.
A Fighting-type move, Double Kick.
With the clear speed disadvantage, Galarian Meowth could only defend, crossing its arms to block.
It endured the first kick, but the cold seeped into its claws, freezing them slightly. Its body staggered back several steps.
Rolling backward, Meowth narrowly avoided the second kick.
The ground where Mr. Mime's kick landed froze over instantly, releasing a burst of cold air.
Mr. Mime had been a bit greedy. It had charged the second kick for too long, slowing it down just enough for Meowth to escape.
"Are you alright?"
Silas asked with concern. Facing Leon, he could clearly feel the pressure.
Leon did not rely solely on moves. He used everything on the battlefield to create an advantage.
"Meow…"
Litten, resting in Silas's arms, let out a soft sound, declaring that if Galarian Meowth won, it would gift it the biggest fish it had discovered upstream a few days ago.
"Meowrr!"
Galarian Meowth's eyes immediately sharpened, licking its lips.
For that incredibly delicious fish, it absolutely could not lose.
With that firm determination, its body was suddenly enveloped in a pure white evolutionary light.
"So it's finally evolving."
Galarian Meowth had long accumulated enough strength to evolve. It had only been missing the right trigger. Silas had not expected it to happen now.
In his arms, Litten struggled free and jumped down, its claws swiping the air in jealousy.
It was clearly the strongest one, yet first Clauncher had evolved ahead of it, and now Galarian Meowth had done the same.
The little cat was practically going crazy with envy. It wanted to evolve and grow stronger too.
Looking up at Silas, it let out a soft, pleading "meow."
Picking Litten up, Silas scratched its warm little belly.
"Don't worry. You'll evolve soon too."
"Meow…"
Litten lightly scratched him in dissatisfaction. He had said that kind of comforting thing many times already.
Watching its companions grow stronger one by one while it remained the same only deepened its desire to evolve.
Because of the evolution, the battle was temporarily halted as everyone waited.
A moment later, as the white light faded…
Galarian Meowth had evolved into Perrserker. Its voice had deepened, becoming more powerful.
There was no time to observe in detail. That could wait until after the battle.
Mr. Mime's attack came swiftly. Shards of ice shot out like bullets toward Perrserker.
"Meowrr!"
Perrserker had a naturally combative personality. A sharp glint flashed in its eyes as its enhanced strength after evolution exploded forth.
Its elongated claws, hard as steel, became like short swords, slashing out in rapid succession.
Without even looking back, Perrserker pushed off the ground like a rocket, its Metal Claw crashing down fiercely.
The ice shards burst apart like scattered petals, and Mr. Mime was sent flying along with them.
It barely stabilized itself at the edge of the field, looking rather battered. Two deep slashes ran vertically across its chest, and the ice crystal "tie" was covered in cracks.
Perrserker's evolution had brought far more than a minor boost. It had unleashed its full potential, displaying overwhelming strength.
"Impressive, Perrserker!"
Silas praised from behind.
Perrserker gave a slight nod, its gaze never leaving Mr. Mime.
With a snap of his fingers, Silas confidently commanded,
"Iron Head. Finish it."
"Meowrrr!"
The Viking-like helmet on Perrserker's head gleamed with metallic light as it lowered its head slightly and charged forward.
It was worth noting that the helmet-like structure on Perrserker's head was actually hardened fur.
And this particular Perrserker had the Battle Armor ability, making its fur even tougher than usual.
Seeing the charge, Mr. Mime hurriedly tried to kick up another ice slab to block.
But the newly formed ice was blown away by the force of Perrserker's momentum before it could fully take shape.
Bang!
Perrserker's Iron Head struck with immense force, slamming directly into Mr. Mime.
Mr. Mime was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, crashing onto the icy ground.
Just as everyone thought it had been defeated, it stubbornly forced itself back up, responding to Leon's call.
Alright, so the power of bonds had kicked in.
"Another evolution…"
Before Silas could even finish his command, Mr. Mime was suddenly enveloped in an evolutionary light.
Silas stared at Leon with a strange expression.
So you're the real protagonist too… even pulling off a last-second evolution when on the brink of defeat.
(End of Chapter)