Juan hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
Juan thought Dragonite would be his toughest opponent and planned around handling Milotic first. Even so, Juan still underestimated how strong Dragonite really was.
Dragonite's performance was amazing!
From Juan's viewpoint, facing two opponents at once, Dragonite became even fiercer as the battle went on. Rather than backing down, it pushed forward and forced his two Pokémon to retreat!
Even though Dragonite sometimes took hits from Whiscash and Politoed, Juan could tell—and so could anyone watching—that Dragonite was in control the whole time.
But from Juan's perspective, how could Dragonite be this strong?
He thought, It's definitely a Pokémon that could completely fight in the Ever Grande Conference right now and at least break into the top eight!
Juan wondered, Is this his strongest Pokémon?
Seeing his two Pokémon knocked out and floating on the water, Juan sighed and called them back.
Even though Juan lost, there was a silver lining.
After fighting two tough battles and going up against two Pokémon at once, even Dragonite looked exhausted to Juan. He thought Dragonite couldn't keep going for another round.
Next, Juan would send out his own strongest Pokémon. In his mind, without Dragonite, how would his opponent stand a chance?
Thinking about this made Juan feel a little better.
But then Juan remembered his opponent still had three fresh Pokémon. That meant his Milotic would have to fight one-on-three, and his confidence faded again.
By now, Juan wasn't dreaming of an easy win or showing off. He just hoped to get lucky and win—or at least end in a tie.
Juan realized his mood had changed that quickly.
After just two matches, Juan was already feeling worn out.
Natsui first recalled Milotic into its Poké Ball. When Dragonite landed back beside him, Natsui patted its big belly.
"Well done, take a good rest now."
Recalling Dragonite into its Poké Ball too, Natsui looked up and saw Juan on the other side releasing his final Pokémon.
The next third round would be a one-on-one duel.
And needless to say, Juan was destined to go all out at this time. Naturally, the Pokémon he sent out would only be his ace Pokémon—Milotic!
Since arriving in Hoenn, Natsui had encountered three Milotic, including his own.
Besides Juan's, the other was the Milotic of the Pokémon Coordinator, Robert, at the Slateport City Pokémon Contest, as Natsui recalled.
His own didn't need mentioning; it had just evolved not long ago and couldn't be compared with theirs for the time being.
He just didn't know which of Milotic's between Juan and Robert was stronger!
But soon, he would have a clear understanding!
Once released, Juan's Milotic displayed a graceful posture just like its Trainer, slowly stretching its body on the platform.
It had to be said, under the Gym lights, its scales seemed to be sparkling; it was indeed very dazzling!
This also showed that like Trainer, like Pokémon. Thinking about it, Juan must have relied on it to capture the favor and hearts of a large number of ladies!
So what should I use to deal with it?
Natsui's fingers slid over his Poké Balls. Finally, he decided to take advantage of the fact that he still had three chances for error and use this Milotic for practice!
After all, this was a rare chance, so he wanted to get the most out of it!
Thinking of this, he raised a Poké Ball and released his Metang.
When Metang appeared, Juan looked at this Pokémon that hadn't evolved to its final stage yet and was surprised for a moment, somewhat unsure of Natsui's intention.
Recalling the Milotic that had just evolved not long ago, which this man had also sent out to the field, and now seeing him send out this Metang, Juan wondered if it was because Natsui had no other powerful Pokémon in his hand.
Or did Juan think Natsui believed he could defeat him just by relying on such a Pokémon?
Although Juan didn't understand what Natsui was thinking, obviously, what lay before him right now was undoubtedly a good opportunity!
To redeem his image in front of Lisia, or to turn defeat into victory, it all depended on this battle!
As the butler referee signaled the start of the match again, the two Pokémon launched attacks simultaneously in the next second.
Metang floated above the platform, using Zen Headbutt to attack first. But on a battlefield surrounded by water, it was hard to land a solid hit.
Milotic simply dove into the water, easily dodging the attack, then quietly approached Metang from underwater and launched a surprise attack.
Natsui had naturally been guarding against this move, so he didn't let Juan succeed. But inevitably, the two Pokémon closed the distance, allowing Milotic to leverage its terrain and strength advantages.
After that, the battle turned into a fierce clash.
One could only say, after all, it was Juan's ace Pokémon. Although Natsui commanded properly and Metang performed excellently, after a few rounds of exchanging blows, it was still knocked down by Milotic when it found an opportunity!
Metang fell from the air, plummeting straight toward the pool below. But before it could hit the water's surface, Natsui recalled it with its Poké Ball.
Hearing that the butler referee confirmed that he won the victory in this round, Juan finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the pressure wasn't as great as it had been just now.
Very good, defeated another one. Moreover, Milotic's condition remains stable. Looking at it this way, as long as I defeat the next Pokémon, I am getting closer and closer to victory!
Compared to Juan's elation, Natsui's expression didn't change at all; even his heart didn't fluctuate a bit.
After all, he also knew that the battle just now was destined to be lost.
This wasn't a lack of confidence in his Pokémon. It was just that through the battles of the first two rounds, he could see that the Pokémon trained by Juan were actually quite outstanding, not that vulnerable to a single blow. It was just that meeting his Dragonite led to the battle failure.
And with Juan's team being so strong overall, Milotic's power was even more overwhelming. Putting Metang up against it was a real stretch.
Then next...
Without hesitation, Natsui took out a Poké Ball again. As the blue light flashed, his Eevee appeared on a platform!
Watching this Eevee jumping excitedly between various platforms, Juan couldn't help raising his eyebrows.
Why is it getting more and more outrageous?
The Metang just now was understandable; at least it was in its second evolution and had some strength. But the Eevee in front of me hasn't chosen an evolutionary direction yet. Sending such a weak Pokémon, is he really seriously challenging me?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but suspect Natsui's motives.
It wasn't that Juan thought Natsui was just using the battle to train his team, but Juan's own ideas about Natsui made him feel he was being mocked by such a weak choice!
Just perfect!
Juan couldn't help thinking—Natsui, just keep fighting this way. Wait until I defeat all your Pokémon, let's see how you regret it then!
However, when the second battle of the third round began, Juan found he had somewhat wronged Natsui.
It turned out he discovered this Eevee performed even better than Metang!
Whether in attack, defense, or jumping ability, it was extremely outstanding compared to its peers. It wasn't as harmless as it looked; instead, it was very threatening.
Even if it unfortunately fell into the water under Milotic's attack, it could use the 'doggy paddle' to swim back to the steps quickly!
This also caused certain trouble for Milotic. But fortunately, in the end, Milotic was still a cut above and could move freely in the pool. Although it spent more effort, it finally defeated this energetic Eevee.
However, seeing such a result, Juan couldn't muster a smile.
Although he won the battle, Milotic's condition looked even worse. Although there were no major issues, it was basically on par with Dragonite, which had already rested for two matches. If it met Dragonite at this time, there would absolutely be no chance of winning!
Juan sighed...
Even Juan himself felt it. This Gym battle could be counted as the most heart-wrenching one he had encountered since becoming a Gym Leader. Mainly because his mood went up and down several times; his heart really couldn't stand such torture!
Under his gaze, Natsui recalled the unconscious Eevee and moved his hand to his waist again.
And as Natsui held a Poké Ball in his hand, Juan's heart also rose with it!
With a forceful throw, Natsui's fifth Pokémon finally appeared at this moment.
But what made him breathe a sigh of relief was that Natsui's participating Pokémon wasn't Dragonite, but a Combusken!
What exactly is he up to!?
Seeing this Pokémon that was completely unsuitable and shouldn't appear on the field, Juan couldn't figure out Natsui's thoughts.
Using a Fire-type Pokémon to fight a Water-type Gym?
What strategy is this!?
Could it be that, like the Eevee just now, this Pokémon's strength is also very high? So high that it can completely ignore type matchups?
But thinking about it, he knew this must be impossible.
Let alone the second-stage evolved Combusken in front of him, even if Blaziken came, would it dare say it could defeat his Milotic in such a venue?
Wait...
Glancing at Milotic, whose condition was extremely average at this time, Juan's heart skipped a beat.
Maybe... It's really possible...
On this side, after sending out Combusken, Natsui's gaze also became sharp.
In fact, after Metang and Eevee had been defeated earlier, he sent out Combusken to decide the battle with Juan right now!
It was time to put an end to it!
And when the battle started, compared to the previous two battles, Juan suddenly felt Natsui's intense desire to attack!
Although just now, in the battles with Metang and Eevee, he could also feel this man was looking for opportunities to win, that was just a normal feeling, far less obvious than now!
Under Natsui's command, Combusken jumped from one platform to another, looking for any possible opportunity while moving.
Actually, if Juan calmed down, he could completely stay in the water and use Water-type moves to slowly wear down Combusken. As time passed, with Combusken's stamina declining, he would definitely defeat it easily.
But Juan was simply too impatient. Or rather, he wanted to defeat Natsui's Pokémon in front of Lisia to prove himself too much.
Knowing clearly that Natsui sent out a Fire-type Pokémon at this time just to anger him, he just couldn't calm down. In his eyes, this man who abducted Little Lisia was so annoying that no matter what he did, it was simply unbearable!
This also led him not to hide in the water for long-range attacks, but to half-submerge and tangle with Combusken platform by platform!
Looking at that stance, it was an imposing way to compete with Natsui!
Actually, judging by common sense, this method wasn't wrong either.
After all, Water counters Fire, and in such a venue, he had the advantage no matter how he fought. But the mistake was that Juan shouldn't have given Combusken any chance to get close!
Of course, this was also related to his serious underestimation of Natsui's command.
Just a fleeting opportunity, but it was immediately seized keenly by Natsui. Using Double Kick while jumping, Combusken kicked Milotic onto the steps!
"What!?"
Juan was in his own rhythm, still thinking about ordering continuous attacks. Suddenly seeing Milotic kicked out of the water, he was stunned first, then his face changed drastically!
Milotic was out of its element, and Combusken was right where it wanted to be—ready to fight up close. Still, Milotic was tough, so the battle wasn't over yet.
Moreover, this chicken specialized in Fighting-type moves; close-quarters combat was exactly what it excelled at!
Seeing this, Misty and Lisia in the stands also knew the match had reached the most critical moment and couldn't help standing up.
Under their gaze, after landing, Combusken rushed to Milotic's side. Before Milotic could get back in the water, Combusken hit it with Quick Attack, then followed up with Slash and Brick Break for a powerful combo!
Suffering continuous attacks caused Milotic's condition to drop sharply. Its originally beautiful scales were covered with scars. Where was even a bit of the elegance from when it first took the field?
Milotic tried to shake off Combusken and get back to the water to recover, but Natsui wasn't about to let that happen.
Flashing to block Milotic's path, Combusken delivered a Double Kick right to Milotic's face, completely finishing it off!
Splash!
Milotic fell into the water as wished.
It was just a pity that this wasn't voluntary, but was kicked down by Combusken!
Seeing such an ending, Juan moved his lips, his face full of disappointment. And what made him feel even worse was that after defeating Milotic, this Combusken was actually enveloped by a white light!
As a Trainer, he naturally knew what this was.
This was the light of evolution, representing that the Pokémon had met the evolution conditions and triggered it naturally.
But who could have thought that having his strongest lineup defeated was already hard for him to accept, but to make matters worse, Combusken actually evolved using this!!
Truly double the pain!
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