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Misaki gazed at Luther's serene expression, admiring his composure deeply. After all, she had completely shattered her opponent's mental state in their previous encounter.
She had seized control of the battlefield and the weather, areas in which Luther usually excelled in terms of rhythm control.
While everyone believed that Luther could execute his best teamwork in a six-on-six battle format, they failed to recognise that this was also his greatest weakness.
In every closely contested match that Luther had won, he had relied heavily on the coordinated synergy of his six Pokémon. However, his vulnerability was obvious: his team lacked a Pokémon capable of manipulating the weather.
Candice's meticulously crafted Ice-type team lost to Luther's unexpected Marill burst, but that was the only reason for her defeat.
Misaki wouldn't make such a mistake. Her strategy was to disrupt Luther's rhythm of Pokémon substitutions. She had half of a Sandstorm Team line-up, which would be more than enough to maintain the weather advantage throughout the match.
"I should have Crobat's file in the Pokémon League's database," Misaki called out to Luther with a smile. "Didn't you check it?" She was curious as to why Luther remained so calm despite being at such a disadvantage.
Luther watched Crobat taunt Mismagius with aerial attacks. "I did check it," he replied. "Your double battle at the Sun Heart City Gym was won by Crobat and Tyranitar."
"Your Tyranitar was just supporting Crobat. It was mainly responsible for Sand Stream and for disrupting the Gym Leader's rhythm."
"So you thought Crobat was the main attacker?"
Misaki ordered Crobat to continue using Poison Fang, then tossed the question back to Luther.
Luther signaled to Mismagius, who had been struck by Poison Fang, to retaliate with Thunder Wave. After the attack missed, he told Mismagius to watch Crobat's movements more closely.
The commentator marveled at how Mismagius, who had previously excelled in earlier matches, seemed to have lost all her form today, being completely outpaced in terms of speed.
Hearing the commentator's words, Luther smiled.
"It's true. For a Pokémon like Tyranitar to willingly serve as a subordinate without complaint, Crobat must surely be the primary attacker."
The two trainers were completely oblivious to their surroundings and maintained a relaxed battle stance, leaving the commentator astonished.
"Are they here to compete or just to catch up?"
"Misaki can afford to be so relaxed, but shouldn't Luther be more focused?"
"It's clear Misaki controls a vast number of Rhythm Points. Luther, you haven't reclaimed a single one!"
The commentator's booth was close to the VIP seats, and he was eager to observe the expressions of Cynthia and her teammates, hoping to discern the reason for Luther's relaxed demeanor. After all, he had heard that Cynthia and Luther knew each other.
Cynthia licked her ice cream, showing no sign of nervousness, as if the match had yet to reach a critical point.
"Cloyster handles the dirty work and heavy lifting, much like Jumpluff and Espurr on your team. But my Crobat is an all-rounder; he's the best brick in my wall.'
Under Mismagius's watchful gaze, Crobat vanished in an instant, reappearing behind her just as she sensed him again.
This time, Crobat didn't use Poison Fang. Instead, he beat his small wings in unison and forcefully spat out a massive blob of venom.
Venoshock doubles its power against Poisoned Pokémon.
"Crobat's like a brick... move him wherever he's needed."
Misaki watched the venom pierce Mismagius's body, her voice trailing off to a barely audible whisper. Having executed its move, Crobat retreated to a safe distance, only to find a 'hat' suddenly appearing behind it.
Sensing something was amiss, Crobat tried to turn, but its wings faltered mid-flap.
A numbing paralysis spread through its body, making every wingbeat feel excruciatingly heavy.
Thunder Wave had taken effect. The Crobat, which had just been showing off its extraordinary speed, now stared at the poisoned Mismagius, which wore a mocking grin. The irony was bitter.
Misaki froze for a moment, then realized what had happened.
She'd been caught off guard. Luther must have been waiting for the perfect moment to use Venoshock, timing it to allow Mismagius to close the distance.
Luther chuckled. 'You cleared the Gym with just four Pokémon: Cloyster, Tyranitar, Crobat and Gastrodon.'
"Gastrodon synergizes perfectly with Cloyster; Tyranitar single-handedly sustains the Sandstorm strategy; and Crobat is a versatile attacker and staller. You think I'd let this jack-of-all-trades Pokémon use its speed to bully my non-flying Pokémon?"
A series of melodious chimes rang out around Mismagius, gradually purifying the toxins clinging to her body until they could no longer affect her. Crobat's Dark Pulse failed to interrupt Mismagius's Heal Bell. Mismagius deftly dodged the Dark Pulse, narrowly evading the attack.
This was precisely why Mismagius had been brought out.
After all, every team needs a well-rounded Pokémon.
Second only to Darkrai, Mismagius had the most diverse move pool of any Pokémon in Luther's team. Compared to Mismagius, Crobat, with its Heal Bell and petty attrition tactics was utterly insignificant.
If Misaki hadn't realized she'd been outmaneuvered by this point, she might as well quit being a Pokémon trainer.
She had sent out Crobat, expecting Luther to send out either Darkrai or Mismagius, but Luther's plan had aligned perfectly with her expectations.
Luther had little chance of regaining the weather advantage, a tightly controlled advantage that a well-coordinated weather team could maintain indefinitely.
So Luther simply ceded the advantage to Misaki.
It was impossible for Misaki to disrupt Luther's Rhythm through brute force alone. Darkrai's mere presence exerted an inescapable pressure, and Tyranitar would only emerge when fully prepared.
The most likely Pokémon to disrupt Luther's Rhythm Point rotation was the astonishingly fast Crobat rather than the black-silhouette Pokémon that existed only in records with no recorded appearances.
"Were you and Mismagius acting just now?" Misaki finally realized, watching Mismagius flip through the air in the same teasing manner that Crobat had used earlier.
Luther chuckled. "Considering your close relationship with Cynthia, I'm surprised she never mentioned that my Mismagius spent over half a year at a famous actor's villa. After soaking up the atmosphere there, she picked up a few tricks."
"And you?" Misaki pressed.
"On a whim, I simply joined Mismagius in the act. I've always been easily swept up in things. I lost myself in the role as I went along."
Mismagius could actually keep up with Crobat's speed. Before the match began, Luther had instructed Mismagius not to reveal its true speed, which rivaled Crobat's, until it was hit with a status condition.
This gave Misaki a false impression. Although Misaki had personally witnessed Mismagius move like lightning after switching Abilities during her battle with Conway, she still couldn't gauge the full extent of the Ability boost.
After Mismagius was repeatedly struck by Poison Fang Bite, Misaki mistakenly believed that she had found the answer.
The situation then took a dramatic turn, leaving the commentator utterly bewildered.
Crobat, which had been relentlessly pursuing Mismagius, now found itself in a desperate state. Misaki desperately wanted to recall Crobat, but Mismagius cunningly engaged it in close combat, preventing the Poké Ball's beam from precisely targeting its body.
"Hey, this is just basic Pokémon Trainer skills. You need to improve your aiming Ability," Luther teased, commanding Mismagius to pursue Crobat while simultaneously mocking Misaki and trying to recall Crobat to his Poké Ball.
Misaki had Crobat endure Icy Wind at the cost of landing a swift Shadow Ball on Mismagius.
The battered Crobat darted straight toward Misaki outside the arena.
Shaking from the Icy Wind's chill, Crobat finally returned to Misaki's embrace.
(End of Chapter)
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