BOOM—!
"Eevee—!!"
Dig was a Ground-type move with a base power of 80.
When Sandshrew smashed upward from underground, slamming straight into Eevee's soft, vulnerable belly, the little Pokémon's round eyes went wide as it let out a pitiful cry.
"Eevee…!" Gary shouted hoarsely from the command platform.
"Hahaha—!"
Seeing not only Wartortle fall into his trap earlier, but now Eevee as well, Fukuoka let out a triumphant, sinister laugh.
"Sandshrew, don't stop!
Teach it a lesson—use Fury Swipes!"
"Sand—!!"
Bursting from the ground and sending Eevee flying, Sandshrew followed its Trainer's command without hesitation.
Its claws flashed—this was a move it had clearly practiced countless times.
Slash—slash—slash—!
Blades of claw-light tore through the air, striking Eevee's small, fragile body again and again.
"Eevee—!!"
"Eevee!!"
Gary cried out desperately. He could no longer maintain the calm he'd shown earlier.
"Wartortle—quick, use Water Gun on Sandshrew!!"
"Sandshrew, Dig."
Just as Gary reacted and tried to rescue Eevee, Fukuoka was already one step ahead.
Pshhh—!
The Water Gun shot out in a straight line, but Sandshrew curled its body midair like a diver, tucked its knees, spun—and plunged straight back into the tunnel it had just created.
Thud!
Wartortle's rescue attack hit nothing but empty ground.
Eevee, however, crashed to the field—and didn't get back up.
It had lost its ability to battle.
…
Spectator Analysis – Player Waiting Lounge
"Fury Swipes is a Bug-type move," Ash murmured while watching the giant screen.
"It starts at only 40 base power, the same as a basic attack—but every successful hit doubles the damage of the next strike."
"Although the maximum single-hit damage caps at 160, you only need three consecutive hits to reach that ceiling."
"Three-hit combo:
40 + 80 + 160 = 280 total damage."
"That's already higher than the Normal-type ultimate move Self-Destruct, which caps at 250."
"And after three hits, even though single-hit damage stops increasing, the total still stacks:
40 + 80 + 160 + 160 + 160…
That kind of damage is something Eevee simply can't withstand."
"Of course, Fury Swipes is like an ancient swordsman's draw—
it requires focus, momentum, and buildup. Pulling off long combos isn't easy."
"But Sandshrew just landed multiple hits at incredible speed.
It probably sacrificed maximum power for faster execution."
"Even so—after taking Dig, then eating that full Fury Swipes combo, Eevee going down was inevitable."
Ash sighed softly.
"That Trainer, Fukuoka…
Even if he looks sneaky and unpleasant, anyone who can gain a reputation in the city arena clearly has real skill."
"Compared to him, Gary is still behind—
both in Pokémon strength and in battle experience."
"What started as a two-on-two has turned into a one-on-two.
This match… Gary's chances don't look good."
And just as Ash predicted—
With Eevee down, Fukuoka still had Ekans and Sandshrew, while Gary was left with only Wartortle.
The pressure skyrocketed.
But every loss came with its own trade-off.
Losing Eevee made the situation harsher—but now Gary only had to command one Pokémon.
And that allowed him to focus completely.
"Wartortle," Gary called out, voice steady and fierce,
"our opponent is strong—and their Dig strategy is troublesome."
"But we're no pushovers either."
"Now—let them see what we're really made of!"
Instead of despair, Eevee's defeat ignited Gary's fighting spirit.
"Being Professor Oak's grandson, Ash's partner—
those titles come with pressure."
"But don't underestimate me!"
He glared at Fukuoka and shouted:
"Wartortle—show them our trump card!
Use Rapid Spin + Water Gun—flood that tunnel!!"
"Wartor—!!"
Wartortle pulled its head and limbs into its shell and shot forward like a spinning disc—
clearly activating the Normal-type move Rapid Spin.
Whirr—!
As it reached the tunnel entrance, Wartortle's shell suddenly tilted sideways.
The crowd gasped—
From the shell's openings, streams of Water Gun sprayed outward in every direction.
Pshhh—pshhh—pshhh—!
Most of the water scattered wildly—but a significant portion poured straight into the tunnel.
Because Wartortle was spinning with its body fully protected inside the shell, Ekans could no longer strike its neck like before.
Water flooded the underground passages, forcing both Sandshrew and Ekans to burst back out.
…
Spectator Reaction
Ash stared at the screen, eyes wide.
"Rapid Spin + Water Gun…
Isn't this exactly the tactic Squirtle used in the anime during the Orange League Winner's Cup,
the Six-on-Six All-Out Battle against Rudy's Onix?!"
"Though back then it was Rapid Spin + Hydro Pump—
Gary's version is a scaled-down Water Gun variant."
Even as Ash marveled, the battle continued to shift.
Maintaining Rapid Spin + Water Gun, Wartortle descended to the ground, spinning like a top while spraying water in all directions.
The rotating jets struck both Ekans and Sandshrew repeatedly—
And after hitting them, the water flowed straight back into the tunnels again.
This brutal setup left Sandshrew with no way to gamble on another Dig.
Water-type attacks doubled against Ground-types.
Even though Water Gun was only a basic move—and there was a clear gap in raw strength—
Under type advantage and constant rotational pressure, Sandshrew was finally overwhelmed.
It collapsed onto the field, completely unable to battle.
--------------
T/N:
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