This Houndoom's strength was truly Elite-tier!
"Awoooo!"
Houndoom threw its head back and howled, a devil's aura rippling out. Its whole body looked demonic as it stalked forward under a crushing pressure.
Ssszz…
Heat rolled in waves; the air around its paws began to warp.
It tensed, baring white fangs; a faint metallic tang rode the heat.
Like it would pounce on Blaziken the next second and tear in with a savage bite.
"Awoooo!"
Even if the opponent was Grey—the one who'd given it those perfect scratches—it still bared its most ferocious face!
"Dojo Master Grey, my Houndoom isn't something an ordinary Gym Leader can handle. Your Blaziken is impressive, but it's still a bit short."
Karen offered the warning in good faith, worried Grey might misread the gap between them.
She hadn't taken the Gym selection examiner job just for a sightseeing trip.
She was building her résumé—so in a couple of years she could step up as a Johto Elite Four Trainer!
Rumor had it Kanto's Bruno and Gym Leader Koga were also on the short list.
For now, she and Will were newcomers. They had to rack up experience.
All for one goal: to make Dark-type Pokémon greater than ever!
Watching Houndoom's back, a mild glow softened Karen's eyes.
"Awoooo!"
Flames licked from Houndoom's jaws. It stared at Blaziken, then barked a few times toward Grey.
The gist:
This scrawny chicken? Switch it out.
Oh, and not the rookie in the Great Ball—use the very first Poké Ball, the strong one.
(Articuno: ???)
Dragged into the mud out of nowhere, Articuno was deeply offended. Why did every Pokémon have to dunk on it?
Just wait till this bird gets stronger—first thing is freezing you all into statues!
"Don't rush. Hot tofu burns the mouth."
Grey took Annihilape's ball from his belt, but didn't recall Blaziken right away.
"Round three—begin!"
Will slashed the flags down.
"Houndoom—Smog!"
Karen still liked to open with moves that cut off vision.
A foul, murky poison fog jetted from Houndoom's maw.
In an instant, most of the arena was shrouded!
"Get clear—Swords Dance!"
Grey used the window to stack more buffs on Blaziken.
"Chaoh!"
As the Smog rolled in, Blaziken broke into a fierce dance; spectral blades spun around it, whipping the air into a little cyclone!
Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh!
The Smog surged on and met Blaziken's pressure field—paused for a heartbeat—then crushed through it completely!
One exchange was enough to show the huge gap between their power.
Before the poison cloud could touch it, Blaziken skipped back several times, barely opening some space.
Karen's pale finger stabbed forward—no room for carelessness. She'd take every chance to finish Grey. "Dark Pulse!"
"Awoooo!"
Houndoom raised its head, jaws yawning wide—then a lance of pitch-black energy roared out!
Where it passed, the sturdy wooden floor gave way, punched into nothingness as if it had never been there at all!
Compared to a "leaky-faucet Elite" like Petrel, Karen's Houndoom was on a different level entirely.
Grey said softly, "Detect."
A clear light ran across Blaziken's eyes. Facing the incoming Dark Pulse, it picked the perfect line and slipped by with a hair's breadth to spare!
With the dodge, Blaziken's speed hit its cap—no more room to climb!
And with that, Grey's setup was finally complete!
"Baton Pass!"
"What?!"
At those words, Karen's face changed. The cool pallor of her cheeks warmed toward red.
She was heating up.
Baton Pass—a move that isn't punished by Pursuit's switch-snipe effect.
And it hands the user's stat changes cleanly to the next Pokémon.
Meaning Grey's next battler would arrive with: +6 Speed, +2 Attack, and even a boosted shot at landing crits!
Karen hadn't expected that to be the reason Blaziken stayed on the field.
He'd hit a blind spot in her prep.
[Dun-dun-DON—the dojo's field marshal is coming out, huh?]
[One-Punch Ape! LET'S GOOO!!]
[If Karen gets punched into tears, does that make it "pear blossoms in the rain"?]
[Terrible pun. Pay the fine!]
"Houndoom—prep Will-O-Wisp!"
Karen's fundamentals were solid; she snapped to a counter fast.
Most Fighting-types lean on raw power; a burn from Will-O-Wisp halves Attack—round it and it's like erasing their buffs.
A white glow rose from Blaziken.
It strode back into its ball, and that lingering light flowed into Annihilape's ball!
Glup…
The ball trembled—and Annihilape landed solidly, an overwhelming presence rolling off it. Its fists slammed together, and the floor itself shuddered.
"Grr–uuu!"
Houndoom tossed its head; blue ghost-flames crawled along the white bones of its collar. They tore toward Annihilape in a rattle like a machine gun!
"Hraaah!"
Annihilape had just arrived. Will-O-Wisps streamed toward it, reflected in its eyes—and a primal, savage intent burst from within!
Pale fur rippled on the wind; ghostly energy cloaked its frame.
The blue fires tightened their circle, closing in from all sides!
Annihilape raised a black arm that bled into a wavering violet.
Ghostly fist-shadows shot from its forearm and smashed into the wisps, bursting them apart into drifting ash.
"Charge and use Cross Chop!"
The Will-O-Wisps died in Grey's gaze. Almost on the last syllable of his command, Annihilape sprang like a loosed bolt!
Its killing aura cracked the air; it wove through the dojo, hands crossing into an "X" as it drove straight for Houndoom!
"So Will-O-Wisp won't stick…"
Watching her "parlor trick" crumble, a bead of cold sweat slid down Karen's temple, traced her pretty cheek—and, as it fell from her chin, the pressure bursting from Annihilape crushed the droplet to mist!
Houndoom planted itself between Karen and danger like a guardian. Fire swelled in its throat; dark-red sparks spat between its fangs, thin black smoke curling from its jaws.
"Use—Fire Spin!"
Karen's voice snapped cold.
"Awooo-ooo!"
Houndoom threw its head up; a thick crimson column surged from its maw!
Fweee—fweee—fweee!
Heat-ripples twisted the blaze into lines; it spiraled tight in the air, becoming a vicious fire-serpent that constricted forward with smothering heat!
The floor it touched charred black behind it!
Annihilape met it head-on—but the Fire Spin unraveled and hooked around, corkscrewing in from the side!
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