"Gengar, huh? Machamp, use Ice Punch!" Old Man Chang'an commanded sharply.
Whoosh—!
Machamp lunged forward at high speed.
By species standard, Machamp wasn't exactly known for speed, but this one's level was high enough that it had forced its way into moving faster than most would expect.
Unfortunately for it, even with that boost, its speed was nowhere near Gengar's. Calm and collected, Yozora gave his order:
"Dodge, then use Shadow Ball!"
Swish!
In the blink of an eye, Gengar's rotund figure vanished from Machamp's strike.
At the same time, it clutched its hands together, conjuring a swirling orb of shadowy energy the size of a palm, and hurled it straight into Machamp's chest.
Boom!
Dust burst outward. Machamp let out a sharp cry as it was sent staggering back, feet gouging furrows in the ground.
As expected of a high-speed assassin—Gengar's offensive output was terrifying. Just a single hit had already left Machamp badly injured.
Indeed.
Gengar was an assassin-type, like Beedrill: high attack, high speed, and frighteningly efficient at bursting down opponents. But also fragile—unable to withstand sustained blows.
The difference was that Beedrill specialized in physical offense, a physical assassin… while Gengar was a special attacker, a magical assassin.
And in terms of both raw power and speed, Gengar completely outclassed Beedrill. In short, when it came to assassin roles, Gengar's species was far superior.
Of course, that was speaking in terms of species averages.
Individual strength was another matter entirely. Yozora's Beedrill, for instance, had an exceptionally high level, talent, and potential—enough that in both power and speed it could crush his own Gengar without effort.
Species was species. Individuals were individuals. Two completely different concepts.
Even in strong species, there would always be weaklings. Even in weak species, prodigies could be born.
Take Dragonite, for example—a species overwhelmingly powerful. And yet, there were still Dragonite stuck at the Senior Level, lazy bottom-feeders of their kind.
"Such speed…" Old Man Chang'an muttered as he squinted at Yozora's chubby Gengar, his sharp eyes revealing faint surprise.
Level.
A Pokémon's level determined its baseline physical qualities. Each level increase boosted strength, stamina, defense, speed… everything.
By rights, Machamp's level far exceeded Gengar's. And yet, Machamp was being crushed in speed.
If it were just a small gap, that would be tolerable. But to be so thoroughly outpaced? That bordered on absurd.
"That Gengar may only be at early Commander-tier," Old Man Chang'an thought, "but its speed is absolutely unrivaled within that tier…"
For the first time, he realized that every Pokémon Yozora had sent out so far was astonishingly outstanding.
Meanwhile, Yozora pressed the advantage. "Gengar, fire Shadow Balls in succession!"
One after another, dark spheres burst from Gengar's hands.
"Machamp, Bulk Up! Block them!" Chang'an barked.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Machamp instantly tensed its entire body, muscles swelling as it forcefully resisted the oncoming orbs.
Again and again, Machamp used Bulk Up—three times in a row. Its power and defenses doubled, its physique ballooning, muscles bulging like layers of steel cables.
And with those buffs, it tanked three Shadow Balls head-on.
By the third, Machamp was even grinning, taking the hit without a scratch.
Now its defense was so strong that Shadow Ball's damage was almost entirely negated.
Three Bulk Ups—doubling both offense and defense. Terrifying.
And Machamp was already monstrously strong by nature. With its strength doubled? It was almost boundless.
Meanwhile, Gengar was notoriously fragile.
There was no doubt: if Machamp landed even a single blow, Gengar would be done for.
Yet Yozora remained utterly calm, confident in his ace: Gengar's speed.
Machamp simply couldn't keep up. And besides, Machamp's movepool didn't offer many area-wide attacks.
Even if it knew Earthquake, Gengar would be immune.
Because—immunity to Earthquake didn't come from typing alone, but from levitation itself.
And Gengar, floating effortlessly above the ground, naturally avoided all ground-shaking attacks.
Which meant, no matter how much Machamp buffed itself, Yozora still held the reins of the battle.
"Gengar, use Hypnosis!" Yozora ordered.
With a mischievous grin, Gengar drifted toward Machamp, releasing waves of purple psychic light that washed over the muscle-bound Pokémon.
In an instant, Machamp felt itself transported into a paradise.
Verdant hills. Birds singing in the trees. Peace everywhere.
A chorus of Jigglypuff singing lullabies. Bellossom dancing gracefully in the sunshine.
The warmth of the golden sun blanketed its body, easing every ounce of tension in its muscles. The layers of tautness from Bulk Up gradually melted away.
Its eyelids grew heavy.
The dreamlike world was too beautiful, too peaceful. How it longed to lie down, to rest, to finally ease the fatigue of endless training…
"Machamp! Don't you dare fall asleep!" Old Man Chang'an roared.
The shout cracked through the illusion like a whip. Machamp jolted awake, snarling in fury.
But Old Man Chang'an's heart was chilled.
What just happened?
How could a Gengar at such a lower level cast Hypnosis so effectively? If he hadn't snapped Machamp out of it, it would already be sound asleep.
Though Machamp had avoided slumber, the side effect was clear—its Bulk Up buffs had collapsed entirely. All that hard-earned advantage was gone. A devastating loss.
"Gengar, vanish!" Yozora commanded.
Cackling wickedly, Gengar melted into the ground like a true phantom.
Watching this, Machamp's face darkened. Veins bulged across its temples as it scanned the arena warily, fists clenched tight—
Old Man Chang'an's voice rang out again, low and commanding:
"Stay calm. Watch carefully… wait for your chance, then finish it in one blow."
(End of Chapter)