A flash of blade light; Gogoat and Clawitzer crossed paths.
Gogoat held its head high and didn't look back. Its horn-shaped greatsword still shimmered with a soft green glow.
In the next moment, Clawitzer's frantic movements suddenly froze, and its massive dragon-head claw slammed heavily into the ground.
[Leaf Blade Greatsword]…
One-hit KO!
"Clawitzer has lost the ability to battle! Gogoat is victorious! First Young Master, please send out your next Pokémon!" The referee finally said the line he was supposed to say all along.
Gogoat -strictly speaking, Joseph's first Pokémon- was the Starter Pokémon his uncle had carefully selected and prepared for him.
Aside from Florges, the Pokémon left behind by his mother, Gogoat had accompanied Joseph the longest.
To Joseph, its importance was no less than what Zoroark was to Sato. Naturally, Joseph had put in 120% effort into training Gogoat.
Its strength couldn't be denied.
And that one-hit KO had instantly reversed the disadvantage; now the gap was just one Milk Drink away.
"Didn't expect that counterattack at all. They say your talent isn't low, and it's clear that Gogoat's Leaf Blade was specially trained…
You've been putting in work too, Joseph!"
"You too, brother. That Water Pulse from Clawitzer wasn't something just anyone could pull off, right?"
The two brothers began trading polite compliments, and Mars couldn't help but feel pleased as he listened.
'Yes, this was exactly how family should treat each other… lifting each other up!'
"Alright then, watch closely… here comes my next Pokémon!"
A flash of red light; and a black-and-red, bipedal Fire-type Pokémon appeared on the field.
A head shaped like bullhorns, thick red claws. Everything looked acceptable.
But that tail… a tail which resembled a chimney and was puffing out black smoke, made Joseph feel that this one would definitely be useful in a kitchen.
Siebold's third Pokémon turned out to be a rare Fire-type Pokémon that was extremely uncommon even in Kalos and only occasionally seen in Unova.
Heatmor!
And not just any Heatmor…
A Shiny Heatmor!
"BATTLE CONTINUES!"
The moment Heatmor appeared, the referee shouted without even pausing.
"Heatmor, Fire Lash!"
"Gogoat, use Rock Slide!"
Though a Grass-type, Gogoat could learn quite a few moves from other types; Rock Slide, for instance, had been taught by "The Future Pseudo-Legendary, Pupitar" back in the day; perfect for countering Fire-types.
But in the next moment, Heatmor's Fire Lash defied all logic, knocking away every rock that Gogoat summoned with Rock Slide!
Multiple whip shadows danced, and a sky full of firelight erupted from just one Fire Lash; it blocked every single rock.
What terrifying control!
Crack!
"Gogogooo~"
A sharp whip crack rang out; Gogoat couldn't dodge in time, and its front left leg was struck by the Fire Lash!
Joseph frowned slightly.
Something wasn't right!
"Gogoat, use Surf!"
A wave rose from beneath Gogoat, mysteriously lifting it up, and then surged toward Heatmor like a tidal flood.
Surface overwhelms the line!
If Fire Lash was so hard to dodge, then why not use a wide-area move and bulldoze through it?
Joseph didn't believe that even a full-field Surf could be blocked by Fire Lash.
And the reality was…
It really couldn't be blocked!
"Heatmor, use Sucker Punch!"
'DAMN IT!'
Joseph's heart tensed. After living so long at Shadownight Gym, he was all too familiar with those strange and sneaky Dark-type moves.
Riding on the waves, Gogoat stared closely at Heatmor's every move while controlling the flow of Surf, crashing it forward in a single massive sweep.
But in the next instant, Heatmor vanished!
When it reappeared, it had already darted behind Gogoat; its red claws now completely black.
Slash~
Gogoat's back was raked by a brutal strike; three deep black claw marks remained, filled with lingering Dark-type energy that caused Gogoat immense pain.
Perhaps the attack had been too savage… Heatmor's Sucker Punch only served to enrage Gogoat.
In an instant, four Vine Whips burst out from Gogoat's neck and tightly wrapped around Heatmor.
"GOGOOO!"
Gogoat let out a cry and immediately raised its horns, slamming its bound opponent backward in a violent headbutt!
"Use Inferno!"
At the critical moment, Siebold realized Heatmor had no way to dodge, so he commanded it to unleash Inferno.
While Gogoat's vines restricted Heatmor's movement, they also hindered Gogoat itself in return.
At this point, neither side could retreat; they both gave it everything they had.
Horn Smash vs. Inferno!
In slow motion, Gogoat's two sharp horns were the first to land a blow on Heatmor.
The full force of the strike was concentrated on two points and Heatmor was severely injured almost instantly.
But at that moment, Heatmor's Inferno was already fully charged. At such close range, it didn't even need to aim, flames engulfed both of them entirely.
BOOM!
The fireball crashed to the ground. Gogoat and Heatmor fell to the floor with heavy thuds and didn't move again!
"Gogoat and Heatmor have both lost the ability to battle. Both sides, please-"
"HOLD ON!"
Down in the audience, Mars suddenly stood up and halted the match from continuing.
"Let's end it here. Siebold just got home and hasn't had proper rest. Even in a full battle, it's hard to give it your all.
And Joseph, you too… there's no need to rush a practice match like this. There will be plenty of chances in the future."
Once Mars finished speaking, many people were left confused. Only a few other family heads seemed thoughtful, their eyes on Joseph grew noticeably deeper.
Ending the match now meant… it was a draw.
A draw between the First Young Master and the Sixth Young Master; if word got out, it would undoubtedly benefit Joseph more.
And Mars choosing to intervene at this exact moment… that definitely meant something.
After a moment of thought, Joseph also understood the reason and couldn't help sneering to himself.
'To elevate his status and reputation, did Mars not even consider what Siebold might think? All these years, no matter how the outside world mocked his dream of becoming a chef, Siebold had still held the line for the Narcissus Family's younger generation.
Among his peers, Siebold's strength had always ranked near the top. His win rate in battles against fellow Trainers was high. And more importantly, Siebold's Starter Pokémon, Greninja, and his ace, Blastoise, hadn't even been used yet. But now, Mars had discarded him without hesitation.'
Joseph looked at his brother Siebold, only to find that he was smiling… freely, even with a hint of relief.
Siebold gave Joseph a light nod. In his eyes, there seemed to be a silent message, something entrusted.
Then, without hesitation, he stepped off the battlefield. He didn't greet a single person and simply walked away from the training grounds with ease.
.
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200 PS-CH