"RAMPAAAAAAAARDOS, DON'T GIVE UP AND USE HEAD SMASH!"
Even though he was over fifty years old, Forge was still ablaze with passion in battle. His roaring voice sounded like it gave Rampardos a Blue Buff boost.
"RAAAAM"
Rampardos let out a deafening roar as if something within it had burst free.
A blue energy flared from its head, extending outward to form two massive horns. The energy then spread across its body, completely covering it.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, Rampardos, empowered by the force of Head Smash, actually burst out of the Sand Tomb's restraints by brute force.
With incredible momentum, it charged viciously toward Krookodile.
"Use Dragon Tail!"
At that crucial moment, Sato didn't have time to issue any other command. He could only shout the move's name and hope Krookodile remembered the technique they had specifically trained before.
Before Sato even finished speaking, the charging Rampardos had already reached Krookodile.
Just as they were about to collide, Krookodile spun around and swung its tail, now wrapped in a faint purple glow.
Head Smash vs. Dragon Tail!
In terms of power, Head Smash outclassed Dragon Tail by several leagues. Coupled with Rampardos' terrifying Attack, Dragon Tail should've stood no chance.
However, while Dragon Tail didn't have high base power, it carried an incredibly forceful knockback effect.
It was this unique secondary effect that caused the clash to reach a stalemate!
The next second, Krookodile's footing slid rapidly across the sand, shifting its position sideways as Dragon Tail deflected the momentum.
Boom!
Rampardos barreled forward, unable to stop its charge in time, and slammed headfirst into the ground.
On the other side, Krookodile also spun uncontrollably several times before finally dispersing the force. The whole croc was left dizzy.
The battlefield returned to calm. On the surface, Krookodile didn't seem injured, but Sato quickly noticed something off… Krookodile's tail, which normally swayed slightly, was now lying flat on the ground.
Its tail was injured!
Sato furrowed his brows slightly. Krookodile's tail wasn't just a powerful weapon, it was also crucial for its balance.
Furthermore, moves like Sand Tomb and other Ground-type techniques also relied on tail movements to channel energy.
Rampardos' desperate strike had inflicted significant damage after all.
Fortunately, Rampardos had completely collapsed. Even though the referee hesitated to announce the result, the truth was clear for all to see.
"Rampardos has lost the ability to battle… Gym Leader, please send out your next Pokémon!"
The young man from Oreburgh Gym announced the result with slight dejection, but was quickly met with a stern glare from Forge.
Startled, the young man realized his Leader was displeased. He immediately dropped his sulky attitude, focused on the battlefield, and resumed his referee duties earnestly.
"Sato, you seem to know quite a bit about Rampardos?" Before sending out his second Pokémon, Forge took the opportunity to ask.
"Most Rock-type Pokémon aren't strong in Special Attack. And when I saw how confident you were having Rampardos close the distance, I knew I had to be cautious."
Sato answered with surface-level politeness. His reasoning sounded convincing enough, but Forge still had a feeling he wasn't telling the whole truth.
"My next Pokémon… Rhyperior!" Without further hesitation, Forge sent out his second Pokémon.
"Krookodile, com... keep going!"
Sato had initially planned to switch Krookodile out, but upon seeing how excited it looked when the new opponent appeared, he hesitated and returned the Poké Ball to his belt.
Thanks to Moxie, Krookodile's Attack had increased significantly after defeating Rampardos.
It was also important to let Krookodile gain more experience in rotation battles to fully develop the ability's potential.
"Then... begin battle!"
"Krookodile, Dark Pulse."
"Rhyperior, Stone Edge!"
The purple-black Dark Pulse collided with sharp stones jutting from the ground, but was instantly scattered without resistance.
Seeing the Stone Edge about to land, Krookodile grit its teeth, swung its tail, and used the shifting sand beneath it to slide sideways just in time to narrowly evade the lethal strike.
"Rhyperior, Megahorn!"
In a head-on fight, Krookodile was clearly at a disadvantage. Forge wasted no time and ordered a full-power follow-up!
Megahorn, a powerful Bug-type move, not only countered Krookodile's typing but came with immense impact, making it perfect for a heavy powerhouse like Rhyperior.
With nearly 300 kilograms of weight, Rhyperior charged forward, shaking the ground beneath it. Coupled with the momentum from Megahorn, the force it generated was overwhelming.
Against other Pokémon, dodging this terrifying charge under such pressure might have been nearly impossible.
But Krookodile with Moxie… it didn't even know the meaning of fear.
"Krookodile!"
Sato shouted, but didn't give any command.
Krookodile didn't look back, it just raised a claw and gave Sato a confident thumbs-up.
In the next moment, Rhyperior's charge suddenly halted, and its massive body plunged to the ground with a loud crash, the exact same pose Rampardos had made earlier.
"RHYPERIOR!" Forge cried out. Looking closer, he noticed thick vines had wrapped around Rhyperior's tail at some point.
Grass Knot: a Grass-type status move whose power increases with the opponent's weight.
For a nearly 300-kilogram Rhyperior, Grass Knot hit with power comparable to Fire Blast or Blizzard.
Even worse, Rhyperior's Rock + Ground typing meant a 4x weakness to Grass!
As everyone watched Rhyperior lying there unable to get up, the battlefield fell into a prolonged silence.
Neither Forge nor the young referee said a word… they were too stunned by Sato's unexpected tactic. But none of them believed Rhyperior had taken serious damage.
And yet... Rhyperior couldn't get up.
Type advantages don't change based on level. In fact, the higher the level of battle, the more decisive type matchups become.
Grass Knot might just look like a few tough vines tripping the opponent.
But it was a Grass-type move.
And that meant extreme danger for Rhyperior.
In the end, the referee had to run up to check on Rhyperior himself. Only after confirming it was truly down did he reluctantly and in shock announce the result.
"R-Rhyperior... has lost the ability to battle. Krookodile wins. Gym Leader, please send out your next Pokémon."
With a flash of red light, Rhyperior was recalled. Forge stood still for a moment, staring blankly at the Poké Ball in his hand.
"As expected... I really am getting old..."
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150 PS=ChapBonus