In Hisoka's eyes, this self-important behavior was idiotic. He had never been a conventional trainer or rather, he wasn't a "legal" one. He was a bounty hunter. In his world, as long as he achieved victory and completed the mission, any means were acceptable.
Directly throwing out a Pokémon without waiting for the referee's confirmation was either a sign of arrogance or mental instability.
In official Gym matches, the Gym Leader is required by rule to send out their Pokémon first, giving the challenger a chance to choose a Pokémon with a type advantage. Generally, Gym Leaders are stronger than challengers, but the duty of a League Gym is not merely to defeat challengers, but to assess their potential and hold back accordingly.
Contrasting his opponent's exaggerated performance, Hisoka calmly removed a miniaturized Poké Ball from his belt. He pressed the button, and the ping-pong-sized ball instantly expanded to the size of an apple.
"Sneasel, come out for some fresh air!"
A red light flashed from the yellow-and-white Ultra Ball. Upon hitting the ground, the light transformed into the black silhouette of a Sneasel. It had a lithe, streamlined body and exaggerated, aggressive two-fingered claws.
"Sneasel"
Facing an opponent many times its size, Sneasel showed no hesitation or fear. Instead, it rubbed its nose and performed its signature provocative throat-slit gesture.
When Iwayama saw Hisoka bring out a Sneasel, he breathed a secret sigh of relief. He mocked loudly, "Hey kid, are you trying to be funny with that little shrimp? My Rhydon will break every bone in its body within three rounds..."
How did an idiot like this live to be so old? To Hisoka, the man's taunts were the antics of a clown. Did he really think Pokémon strength was judged solely by size? How did this guy even make the Top 8 of the Indigo Plateau Conference? Did he talk his way there?
Rhydon possessed the Ground and Rock attributes. Combined with its thick armor and hide, its defensive power was indeed impressive. A normal Sneasel might have trouble dealing with it, but Hisoka's Sneasel had mastered Ice Punch and Brick Break. Against Rhydon's attributes, both moves would deal double damage.
"Kid, for the sake of the beautiful referee, I'll let you have the first move!" Iwayama continued to play the part of a "gentleman," crossing his arms as if victory were already his.
Hearing this, the corner of Hisoka's mouth curled into a smirk. "You brought this on yourself. Don't blame me."
"Sneasel, Swords Dance!"
"Snea~"
Sneasel gave a sharp cry in response. It crossed its claws over its chest and began to spin on the spot like a ballerina. A few seconds later, the dance of war ceased. Its blood-red eyes shimmered with a light so intense that others dared not look directly at them. Its fur stood on end. After the Swords Dance, Sneasel's condition had reached its peak.
Based on Hisoka's data comparisons and research gathered from official websites, a single Swords Dance increased Physical Attack by roughly 20%. The dance rapidly stimulated the Pokémon's muscle tissue, greatly enhancing its strength to amplify physical strikes.
Research indicated that the number of times a Pokémon could perform Swords Dance depended on its physical constitution. Usually, it was once or twice, though some exceptionally powerful Pokémon could theoretically reach a limit of three.
Because Swords Dance heavily stimulates muscle tissue, Pokémon with weak musculature such as Psychic types or those without a physical body such as Ghost types cannot learn the move.
At this moment, Iwayama felt a trace of a threat from the cat-like little creature before him. However, words once spoken were like spilled water. It would have been fine if no one had heard him, but having made such a claim in front of a beauty, he had no choice but to stand his ground.
"Ice Punch!"
"Snea~"
Sneasel glared hungrily at the restless Rhydon. The moment it heard Hisoka's command, it used Quick Attack, moving at a speed nearly invisible to the naked eye. It lunged beneath Rhydon's belly and slammed a fist wrapped in bone-chilling frost upward in a brutal uppercut.
Rhydon felt a sudden chill in its abdomen, followed immediately by a wave of frigid, agonizing pain. Its body staggered backward before it crashed heavily onto the rocky field.
Ice counters Ground it was double damage by default. Furthermore, the opposing trainer was a fool who dared to give up the first move without knowing the true strength of the combatants.
After a Swords Dance, Sneasel's already excellent Physical Attack had reached a terrifying level. An Ice Punch accelerated by Quick Attack was more than enough to instantly kill an average-strength Rhydon.
"The match is over! The winner is Hisoka from Viridian City!" Violet announced the result loudly, clearly delighted that the handsome trainer she admired had won.
Iwayama seemed unable to process the result. His eyes bulged like brass bells, and his mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time.
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