For Bugsy to send out this Metapod after a loss proved that it must be unusually strong, and that he had great confidence in it. Normally, a trainer's second Pokémon should be stronger than the first, or have a type advantage. But Natsui didn't understand. A Metapod's moves were very limited; it basically only knew Harden. Some couldn't even move. Why would Bugsy send out a Pokémon with such a natural disadvantage?
Still, he figured Bugsy must have a reason and had probably put it through some special training.
When the battle began again, Pupitar attacked first. It shot out compressed air from its body, launching itself like an arrow toward Metapod. It opened its jaw, revealing a row of small, sharp teeth, and bit down hard. This wasn't Natsui's command; Pupitar wanted to test Metapod's hardness for itself.
Seeing the fierce attack, Bugsy shouted, "Metapod, use Harden!"
The motionless Metapod's body suddenly gleamed. It was the only move Metapod could use, a Normal-type move that made its body much harder to withstand enemy attacks.
In that instant, Pupitar's jaws clamped down on Metapod.
Screeeech...
The sound of sharp teeth scraping against the hard shell was like metal grinding against metal. Under the protection of Harden, Pupitar's teeth almost broke. It tried biting several different spots, but it couldn't get through Metapod's shell. It truly lived up to its name; its "iron shell" was incredibly tough.
Just then, Bugsy saw his chance. "Metapod, jump!" he ordered.
Metapod pushed off powerfully from its base, launching high into the air and freeing itself from Pupitar's grip. It soared toward the ceiling of the gym. Below, Pupitar looked up, and in the next second, Metapod shot down toward it like a cannonball.
Pupitar couldn't dodge in time and was slammed by the falling Metapod. With a loud BAM!, the two Pokémon crashed into each other and bounced apart. Luckily, Pupitar was also protected by a hard shell and was able to take the hit.
Seeing Natsui's surprised expression, Bugsy smiled. "What do you think? Surprised? This is my Metapod. It's different from the ones you've seen before, isn't it?"
Hearing Bugsy's proud tone, Natsui was indeed a little surprised. Most Metapod couldn't move at all because of their hard shells. He had no idea how Bugsy had trained his to jump and attack. He really was an expert on Bug-type Pokémon.
On the field, Metapod tried another high-altitude tackle, but this time Pupitar was ready and dodged it. From these few exchanges, Natsui could see Metapod's strategy: it was using its hard shell to ram into things, acting like a solid cannonball. It had no regard for offense or defense.
How can I stop this combo?
Natsui glanced at Pupitar, and an idea quickly came to him.
As Metapod leaped high into the air again, Natsui suddenly shouted, "Pupitar, use Stone Edge!"
At his command, Pupitar formed a giant, sharp rock in front of itself. Just as it did, Metapod came crashing down.
"This is bad!"
Bugsy had thought Natsui was going to shoot the rock at Metapod, but when he saw Pupitar just form it in place, his expression changed. He realized what was about to happen, but it was too late for Metapod to change course.
As everyone watched, Metapod smashed headfirst into the giant rock.
CRACK!
The force was just right. Metapod didn't shatter the rock, nor did it bounce off. Instead, it smashed a hole in it and got its entire body stuck inside. The sudden turn of events caught Metapod completely by surprise. It struggled and twisted, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't break free.
It worked.
A smile appeared on Natsui's face. "Finish it," he ordered.
With a burst of gas, Pupitar leaped in front of the rock, aimed at Metapod's back, and unleashed a Dark Pulse. A terrifying wave of energy shot from its body and hit Metapod, which was completely unable to dodge. As the Dark Pulse washed over it, the rock shattered, and Metapod was sent flying.
Clank, clank...
Metapod rolled several times on the ground and out of the battlefield. Seeing the swirls in its eyes, the referee raised his flag.
"Metapod is unable to battle! The winner is Pupitar!"
Before Bugsy could say anything, a bright white light suddenly enveloped Pupitar. Seeing this, not only was Bugsy surprised, but Natsui also raised an eyebrow.
Evolving again?
The same thing had happened with Dragonite at the Cianwood Gym. It seemed his Pokémon had a habit of evolving right after defeating an opponent in a gym battle. From a game perspective, it made sense. Gym Leaders' Pokémon were stronger than average, so defeating them gave a lot more "experience points."
Soon, the white light faded. A Pokémon over two meters tall, covered in hard, gray-green armor, stood on the battlefield. This was Pupitar's evolved form—Tyranitar.
As soon as it appeared, Tyranitar let out a deafening roar that echoed through the gym, scaring the distant Bug-type Pokémon into hiding. Its entrance reminded Natsui of his Gyarados back at Sakuragi Park. While not as big, Tyranitar was clearly just as ferocious.
This wasn't the first time Natsui had seen a Tyranitar. During the raid on the Team Rocket base in Kanto, one of the executives, Archer, had one. That Tyranitar had even made Erika bleed from the impact, leaving a very deep impression on him.
------------------------
Support my projects and get immediate access to hundreds of chapters of Bleach, Naruto, Pokémon, and more! ✨ Key Benefit: Your favorite novels, with my quality, and always up-to-date.
Featured Novels (with hundreds of chapters available NOW!):
The Heroine Wants to Join My Harem (1050 caps)
Goddess Training Manual (800 caps)
I Have Caught a Pokémon (700 caps)
Bleach Getting Stronger (330 caps)
Naruto: Saving the Uchiha (300 caps)
And many more!
Why subscribe?
🔥 Immediate Access: Read my new chapters before anyone else.
📚 Huge Library: Access my complete catalog instantly.
⭐️ High Quality: Enjoy the novels with a professional and well-crafted text written by me.