"Is that Mimikyu?"
Upon seeing the Pokémon that Okamoto had sent out, Aiden nodded.
Mimikyu's distribution range in Paldea is very small and they are also rare, so capturing it must have been quite a stroke of luck.
While he was observing the opponent's Pokémon, information about this Mimikyu appeared as several lines of text before his eyes.
[Mimikyu (Male)]
[Type: Ghost + Fairy]
[Ability: Disguise]
This Pokémon is incredible.
Its unique type combination makes it excel both offensively and defensively, and it possesses an unparalleled ability.
Disguise, which is the layer of Pikachu doll skin covering its body.
Since its true form can phase through matter as a ghost, this skin can help it withstand at least one attack in most situations.
In Pokémon battles, the strength of this ability is self-evident.
Especially in slower-paced single battles, getting an opportunity to use Swords Dance with almost no risk could potentially lead to a direct sweep...
However, for the tactic he intended to use today, it seemed that even if he gave it the chance to boost, it wouldn't matter?
While Aiden was thinking, Okamoto also quietly observed the opposing Eevee.
Eevee is a very timid Pokémon, so theoretically, he should command Mimikyu to launch a quick aggressive attack.
But...
"Dun, dun, dong!"
Staring at this "King Engine" roaring at full blast, Okamoto felt himself gradually being enveloped by an invisible immense pressure, making his breathing somewhat labored.
Better be cautious; somehow, Gym Leader Aiden's Pokémon doesn't seem that simple.
He had learned enough lessons from Breloom last time.
"Mimikyu, use Swords Dance to strengthen, then use Trailblaze to close in!"
First, he would take advantage of the gym battle rule giving him the first move to strengthen on the spot, then use Trailblaze to close the distance quickly while boosting speed.
Okamoto thought his command was flawless.
Mimikyu stood still, its tail wrapped in the doll skin raised high, covertly starting the motion for Swords Dance.
"Not bad."
Aiden smiled faintly.
This young student Okamoto has improved his commanding skills quite rapidly.
However, there's still room for improvement.
If you've already announced your moves, what's the point of hiding anymore?
"Since this is your second challenge at the gym, let's try some advanced battle tactics this time~"
After saying that, Aiden leisurely pulled out a Tera Orb. Under Okamoto's dumbfounded gaze, he slowly pulled the trigger.
"Show the power of Terastallization, Eevee!"
In the Champion Road assessment, each leader of the eight gyms can use Terastallization to enhance any one of their Pokémon.
It's said that President Geeta also intends to gradually popularize Tera Orbs among excellent students at Naranja Academy.
So to adapt to this change in advance, Aiden also needed to get familiar with incorporating Terastallization into battles and keep up with their pace.
And his choice was—
Countless shimmering Tera shards rained down from the sky, quickly forming a solid armor around Eevee's body.
At the same time, abundant Tera energy gathered above Eevee's head, swiftly forming a skull-shaped, menacing Tera Crown.
"Tera Poison?"
Okamoto quickly realized.
The Poison type is indeed a very good defensive typing, and coincidentally, the Trailblaze that Mimikyu was ordered to use would be resisted, causing minimal damage.
But it didn't matter; as long as they could get close.
Due to the temporary coverage of Eevee's Normal type by the Poison Tera effect, Mimikyu's ultimate move Shadow Claw could now deal normal damage to Eevee.
Not necessarily a bad thing.
As long as he could continuously hit a few Shadow Claws using the speed boost from Trailblaze, Eevee probably wouldn't be able to withstand it.
Just as he was thinking this, Nemona, who was silently spectating nearby, had already shown a look of pity.
Turns out I wasn't wrong.
This challenger has no idea what disgusting tactics he's about to face…
Although Disguise can block most attacks, what if Gym Leader Aiden never intended to win through offense from the start?
"Eevee, absorb the excess Tera shard energy."
No further commands were necessary; Eevee understood on its own.
Aiden timed his command perfectly, just as Mimikyu finished using Swords Dance and, following its trainer's command, made a big leap toward Eevee.
Without ground support, Mimikyu had no way to dodge before landing.
Eevee shook its body, gathering the excess Tera energy at its tail. Soon, the tip of its tail displayed a bewitching pink-purple hue.
This was Aiden and Eevee's new understanding of the Terastallization mechanism!
Logically speaking, absorbing Poison-type energy might also cause the user to become poisoned.
But due to the effect of the Tera Armor, the poison couldn't penetrate Eevee's body, only gathering rapidly on its surface.
Before long, Eevee casually swung its fluffy large tail.
Some venom was quickly flung off with its movement, and part of it stuck to Mimikyu's Pikachu Disguise due to inertia.
The highly corrosive venom instantly tore a hole in the cardboard, allowing the eerie, enchanting purple energy to seep inside.
And since Aiden hadn't given explicit commands and Okamoto could only see Mimikyu's back, he didn't notice this at all.
In the blink of an eye, Mimikyu had leapt in front of Eevee, using Headbutt to strike the opponent.
"Eee!"
Even without Aiden shouting "Dodge quickly!", Eevee, intensely focused due to nervousness, instantly jumped back a step, narrowly dodging Mimikyu's attack.
"Tsk… So nimble."
Okamoto clicked his tongue involuntarily, but his expression clearly showed delight.
From the previous performance, he was right; this Eevee indeed wasn't good at close combat.
With the dual boosts from Shadow Claw and Swords Dance, Mimikyu's combat power greatly increased and should easily defeat it!
Finally, he could conquer Sunlight Gym and gain recognition from Gym Leader Aiden!
Okamoto proudly raised his head.
"Mimiky—"
However, at this moment, Mimikyu suddenly let out a painful cry, and its previously raised doll skin drooped.
"Mimikyu?"
Okamoto's face instantly changed.
Only now did he notice the tear marks on Mimikyu's Pikachu cardboard.
And the faint purple glow emanating from it.
Was it… poisoned?
No, judging from the symptoms, it wasn't ordinary poison, but the more troublesome Toxic!
But when?
Okamoto quickly replayed the brief exchange in his mind, recalling every detail.
Finally, at the instant Mimikyu used Shadow Claw to jump, he got the answer.
So that's how it was; it used Toxic during Terastallization?
Being poisoned is already a troublesome status, continuously draining a Pokémon's HP until it collapses.
Toxic takes it a step further; the poison effect accumulates over time, eventually bursting completely…
Okamoto looked up, noticing Aiden's relaxed smile.
His slightly raised lips instantly plummeted, and he began twitching uncomfortably.
I understand the principle.
But shouldn't Eevee be unable to learn Toxic? Who would believe that!
Gym Leader Aiden, is your Eevee really legal…
As an excellent second-year student at Naranja Academy, Okamoto's fundamentals were still solid.
He quickly grasped the situation.
With Mimikyu now afflicted by Toxic, he only had one choice left—to defeat Gym Leader Aiden's Eevee in one fell swoop before the effects of Toxic fully erupted!
Thinking of this, Okamoto's eyes gradually became resolute.
After taking a deep breath, he decisively commanded again:
"Mimikyu, charge forward and use Shadow Claw!"
This was a race against time.
But as long as Mimikyu charged forward, everything would be fine!
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