The King Engine.
This wasn't something that belonged to the Pokémon world—it was a signature move from One Punch Man, specifically the "Earth's Strongest Hero" King's ultimate technique.
Of course, whether you've read the manga or not, everyone knows—
This "move" didn't actually exist. It was just the exaggerated sound of King's heartbeat caused by his overwhelming nervousness, later mythologized into this fictional trademark.
This similarity struck Aiden immediately, and he couldn't help but draw a parallel between King's so-called "King Engine" and Eevee's current state.
However, it wasn't a perfect match. Eevee didn't have the ability to summon a terrifying bald head at critical moments, making the situation somewhat awkward.
If anything, it was more like the Ability Pressure.
Pressure was an interesting Ability, almost exclusively found on legendary Pokémon, symbolizing their dominance over ordinary Pokémon.
But at the same time, its effect was essentially negligible…
Although Pawmi had been momentarily intimidated by Eevee's apparent advantage, prolonged staring would eventually reveal the bluff.
But precisely because of this, Aiden decided against issuing further commands to Eevee.
In its current state of extreme tension, any command from him might push its stress to the breaking point.
Whether Eevee could overcome its timid nature would determine the outcome of this battle.
So, he should do his best to support it.
"Pawmi, summon your courage and charge forward!"
Following Aiden's realization, Nemona quickly reacted as well, resuming her aggressive command.
"Paw!"
Hearing its Trainer's voice, Pawmi visibly calmed down.
It shook its head, preparing to push off with its hind legs, its gaze refocusing on Eevee.
But at that moment, Eevee made its move first.
Still leaning forward, it subtly raised its front paws in a barely noticeable motion, completing a small yet detectable action.
Aiden's pupils widened for a split second before returning to normal.
Eevee's forward-leaning posture caused its center of gravity to shift slightly. If the opponent was observant enough, they'd notice it immediately.
At this range, using Quick Attack would leave Eevee with no chance to dodge.
Nemona was also confused.
Why does this Eevee look so unbalanced, as if it's about to fall over at any moment?
Could a Gym Leader's Pokémon really make such an obvious mistake during a battle?
Thump, thump-thump-thump!
The frenzied war drums grew even faster, showcasing the opponent's peak condition.
Impossible, absolutely impossible.
Nemona quickly dismissed her initial reaction.
She was indeed a rookie Trainer driven by passion, but she wasn't completely inexperienced in battles.
She could confirm that this was deliberately giving Pawmi an opportunity to approach Eevee.
"Before embarking on your journey, I want to confirm whether your heart and your Pokémon's are aligned."
Nemona suddenly recalled Aiden's words before the battle began.
At first, she hadn't understood, but upon noticing that Aiden had completely stopped issuing commands and left all decisions to Eevee, she suddenly realized the deeper meaning.
He was reminding her not to blindly issue commands without considering Pawmi's feelings!
And Pawmi clearly didn't want to get closer to its opponent…
I understand now, I understand everything!
So this is Mr. Aiden's way of testing me!
Nemona Confuse Rayed a confident smile, pointing at Eevee with one hand on her hip.
"Pawmi, use Thunder Shock!"
Her Pawmi had the Iron Fist Ability, making it better suited for close combat, but Electric-type Pokémon always have to have some special attacks up their sleeves, right?
The distance between the two Pokémon wasn't great, so when Pawmi's cheeks began to emit a faint electric hum, Eevee reacted instantly.
A bolt of lightning shot out from Pawmi's electric sac, but Eevee's reaction speed was nearly instantaneous—it leaped into the air, dodging the attack with ease.
Seeing this, Aiden immediately understood.
According to the Pokédex, the Anticipation Ability allowed a Pokémon to sense dangerous moves from its opponent.
Was it so afraid of getting hurt that every move seemed fatal to it…?
Why did it seem like his Eevee breaks every rule?
If it weren't for its Timid nature, he'd suspect it was hacked.
Under intense focus, its reaction speed had surpassed even Quick Attack—utterly absurd.
If properly utilized, the Anticipation Ability could be terrifyingly powerful!
But for now, the more pressing matter was winning this battle and helping Eevee build confidence in combat.
"Eevee, Confuse Ray!"
Taking advantage of the gap after the opponent's attack, Aiden finally issued a command just as Eevee landed.
Before it could catch its breath, Eevee heard Aiden's voice and acted almost instinctively.
Its tail quickly emitted an eerie glow, which it swung sharply through the air, aiming straight at Pawmi.
Pawmi couldn't react in time. As the Confuse Ray entered its body, it felt dizzy and disoriented, as though the world was spinning around it.
Confuse Ray took effect, and Pawmi immediately fell into confusion.
"Pawmi, hang in there!" Nemona's panicked voice rang out again. "Use Thunder Shock once more!"
The Trainer's voice reached Pawmi's ears, and it instinctively began charging electricity.
However…
Thump-thump, thump-thump-thump!
The already relentless heartbeat reached its peak in this moment, suffocating pressure causing Pawmi's eyes to swirl uncontrollably.
Its actions became erratic, releasing electrical energy in all directions.
As a result, it quickly exhausted almost all of its stamina, failing to hit Eevee, who remained stationary.
"Bui?"
Noticing that its opponent seemed mentally unstable, Eevee let out a puzzled cry.
"Encore!"
Seizing the opportunity while Pawmi was still confused, Aiden decided to press the advantage.
Another burst of energy struck Pawmi, causing its body to release electricity uncontrollably once again.
The two moves Eevee had mastered during its intensive training—if used effectively in battle—were far more potent than a simple sum of its parts.
What Aiden hadn't anticipated was that Eevee's "King Engine" further amplified Pawmi's confusion.
Especially against weaker Pokémon, the impact was devastating.
"Stop, Pawmi!"
Nemona tried to snap Pawmi out of its confusion with words, but to no avail.
After repeatedly discharging electricity, Pawmi's electric sac, which stored its power, was completely drained, leaving it with no stamina. It soon collapsed, unable to rise again.
In this state, expecting it to stand up and fight was impossible.
"Pawmi has lost the ability to battle."
Aiden exhaled in relief and quickly declared the verdict.
"Since the challenger's Pokémon has fallen, the Sunshine Gym wins this battle."
"Bui?"
Only then did Eevee, still on high alert and fearing another Thunder Shock at any moment, finally realize what had happened.
Had it… won?
And not only that, but it had achieved a flawless victory without taking a single hit, exhausting its opponent with just two moves?
Am I really that good?
Eevee's lips curled into an involuntary grin, its round little head held high as it turned to look at Aiden, its eyes filled with pride.
Hmph, so battles aren't that hard after all!
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