"Wow, after that incredible match, I think we all need a moment to catch our breath before the next one starts. And we've got to repair the crater Gengar left in the field with those Shadow Balls!"
A team of staff rushed out to patch up the battlefield. After all, this was the Baby Cup, and no one expected contestants strong enough to blow holes in a field that had already been reinforced once.
"Thanks to our hard-working staff, the field is fixed up and ready to go. Let's welcome our next contestants!" the announcer declared.
He couldn't resist a joke:
"What an incredible coincidence—the next two Trainers are named Mo Yan and Mo Ian! Don't worry, I'm not making a mistake—one is Yan, as in fire, and the other is Ian, as in rock. I promise it's not a typo!"
Both contestants looked at each other in surprise, then headed toward the arena.
"Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"
"Go, Meowth!"
"Go, Meowth!"
The crowd—and the commentator—burst out laughing.
"What are the odds, folks? Not only do these Trainers have nearly identical names, but they're both using Meowth! And not just any Meowth—Mo Yan's is the Alolan form, and Mo Ian's is the Galarian form! You couldn't make this up."
Even the two Trainers looked a bit stunned. Same name, same species, only the region was different. What were the chances?
Pokémon: Meowth (Alolan Form)
Gender: Male
Type: Dark
Ability: Rattled (Speed increases if hit by a Dark, Ghost, or Bug move; triggers with each hit of multi-strike moves and also when Intimidated.)
Potential: Purple tier
Basic Moves: Fake Out, Growl, Feint Attack, Scratch, Pay Day, Bite, Taunt, Pursuit
Egg Moves: Parting Shot, Thrash, Swagger, Dig
Pokémon: Meowth (Galarian Form)
Gender: Male
Type: Steel
Ability: Tough Claws (Boosts the power of contact moves.)
Potential: Purple tier
Basic Moves: Fake Out, Growl, Hone Claws, Scratch, Pay Day, Metal Claw, Taunt, Swagger
Egg Moves: Double-Edge, Thrash, Iron Head, Covet
"Meowth—Fake Out!"
"Meowth—Fake Out!"
Both Trainers called out the same command, and the two Meowth dashed forward at the exact same time, slapping each other across the face and both flinching in place.
Mo Ian: "...?"
Mo Yan: "...?"
They stared at each other in confusion, then shouted again in unison:
"Meowth—Taunt!"
"Meowth—Taunt!"
Both Meowth pointed at each other and curled a finger, as if saying, "Come at me!"
Even the commentator was cracking up.
"I swear, these two must be long-lost brothers! First they both use [Fake Out], then they both use [Taunt] to shut down status moves. Talk about being on the same wavelength!"
"But seriously, [Taunt] hurts Alolan Meowth more. That form relies on speed and disrupting the opponent with status moves, so getting Taunted really puts it at a disadvantage."
"Meanwhile, Galarian Meowth is Steel-type, less focused on status moves. It's got better attack and defense stats and is more suited for close combat."
Both Meowth looked back at their Trainers, clearly confused.
"Meowth—Bite!"
"Meowth—Iron Head!"
Alolan Meowth used its speed to dart in and chomp down, but Galarian Meowth managed to land an [Iron Head] right to the face, scoring a critical hit.
Alolan Meowth went flying. Steel-type defenses really do trump Dark-type in head-to-heads, and that Iron Head—boosted by Tough Claws—did a ton of damage.
Still, being hit by a Dark move like Bite triggered Alolan Meowth's Rattled ability, giving it a speed boost.
Mo Yan didn't want to go toe-to-toe—his Meowth just wasn't cut out for direct brawling.
But Mo Ian wasn't about to let up. With Taunt in play, Alolan Meowth couldn't use status moves. Why not keep up the pressure?
Besides, Steel-type resistance and Tough Claws gave him the edge for close combat.
"Meowth—Iron Head again!"
"Meowth, dodge—don't get into a slugfest!"
So began a wild chase: Galarian Meowth, claws glowing with energy, charged after Alolan Meowth, who used its boosted speed to dash around the arena, always keeping just out of reach.
Galarian Meowth grew more and more frustrated. No matter how hard it tried, it just couldn't catch up. With a snarl, it roared in frustration, while Alolan Meowth kept taunting—darting away, then pausing to wave, then sprinting off as soon as Galarian Meowth closed in.
Mo Ian couldn't help but shake his head. By now, Taunt's effect had worn off.
"Meowth—Hone Claws!"
"Meowth—Parting Shot!"
Galarian Meowth angrily sharpened its claws, while Alolan Meowth, hands on its hips, shot back a snide remark that sharply lowered Galarian Meowth's Attack and Special Attack.
Galarian Meowth's fur bristled, but its stats had just taken a big hit. Not only that—Alolan Meowth's taunting really got under its skin.
Mo Ian sighed. "How do you even fight someone this tricky?"
"Meowth—Pay Day!"
"Meowth—Swagger!"
Galarian Meowth gathered energy and launched a black coin, hitting Alolan Meowth right in the forehead and interrupting its next taunt.
Before Alolan Meowth could even get mad, Galarian Meowth gave a smug grin, turned around, and flashed a sign to Mo Ian.
"Meowth—Meowth meow!"
Mo Ian blinked in confusion. "Wait, are you…surrendering?"
Galarian Meowth nodded furiously.
Mo Ian smiled and signaled to the judge.
"Galarian Meowth forfeits. Alolan Meowth wins!"
With the judge's announcement, Mo Ian looked fondly at his Pokémon and pulled out the Pokéball to return it.
Before the red light reached him, Galarian Meowth pulled a funny face at Alolan Meowth and then vanished into the Pokéball.
Now it was Alolan Meowth's turn to throw a fit, pointing at Mo Ian's Pokéball and yowling in outrage.
Mo Yan dashed onto the field, scooped up Alolan Meowth, and hurried out, calming him down as they went.
The crowd roared with laughter—they'd never seen a battle quite like this.
(End of chapter)
----------------
Please Give me Power Stones support me on Patreon @ patreon(dot)com/SorenEclipse : Read 15 Chapters Ahead on Patreon