Peter stared at his opponent, his mind racing as he rapidly calculated his options.
The gap between the two sides was enormous—so large it was almost laughable.
But giving up without a fight had never been part of his nature.
"Why aren't you throwing your Poké Ball?" Kahili asked, her elegant brows knitting together slightly.
"I'm just thinking," Peter replied calmly. His gaze burned like fire as he locked onto the Toucannon hovering across the field.
A moment later, detailed information surfaced in his vision.
This was the system's Scan function.
Peter rarely relied on it. Pokémon battles were meant to test a Trainer's adaptability and on-the-spot judgment. Leaning too heavily on raw data could dull one's instincts and ultimately hinder growth as a commander.
But this match…
This was a promotion battle that bordered on the impossible.
If he wanted even the slightest chance of victory, borrowing some external help was unavoidable.
…
Toucannon
Level: 35 — Advanced
Ability: Skill Link (Multi-hit moves always strike the maximum number of times)
Moves: Beak Blast, Bullet Seed, Rock Blast, Fury Attack, Supersonic, Feather Dance, Swords Dance, Steel Wing, Flame Charge
…
Peter narrowed his eyes.
From that pool of moves, he caught a faint glimpse of hope.
Without hesitation, he raised his arm and hurled a Poké Ball forward.
"Go, Dolliv! I choose you!"
At the same time, a complete battle plan had already taken shape in his mind.
It was risky—dangerously so—but it carried a real chance of clawing victory out of certain defeat.
"A Pokémon I've never seen before…" Kahili muttered. "And it's green… so it's Grass-type?"
"Grassy Terrain!" Peter declared, answering her doubt outright.
Grassy Terrain:
For five turns, the battlefield becomes covered in grass. Grass-type moves gain a 30% power boost, and Pokémon standing on the ground recover a small amount of HP each turn.
Lush, vibrant grass spread across the arena in an instant. Soft green light swirled around Dolliv, wrapping it in a life-filled aura.
"Hmph!" Kahili snorted coldly. "Toucannon, charge in and use Beak Blast!"
She didn't hesitate—straight to a finishing move.
With her experience, she could tell at a glance that Dolliv's level wasn't high.
Yet Peter dared to open with terrain setup despite being at both an elemental and level disadvantage?
That wasn't confidence.
That was blatant provocation.
Beak Blast was a Flying-type physical move with terrifying power.
On the first turn, the beak heated up. On the second, the cannon fired.
Any Pokémon that made contact during the charging phase would suffer a burn.
As Toucannon's massive beak began glowing red-hot, Peter showed no panic at all. Instead, a composed smile appeared—like a general who had already foreseen the outcome.
"This is it… everything hinges on this," he murmured.
"Dolliv —Leech Seed!"
"Mi-nyu!"
Several seeds shot out in rapid succession.
After rewatching the movie Parasite countless times with Peter, Dolliv's control over parasitic techniques had improved far more than anyone realized.
Vines quickly spread across Toucannon's body.
Kahili, however, didn't care in the slightest.
In her eyes, Dolliv wouldn't survive Beak Blast anyway.
One hit. That was all it would take.
Toucannon's beak burned brighter and brighter as it beat its wings and surged forward at incredible speed.
Peter squinted, recalling the move's description, and when Toucannon drew close, he gave his order with absolute confidence.
"Use Sweet Scent—and dodge to the left!"
"WHAT?!" the commentator shouted.
"Facing a super-effective attack, Peter actually chose Sweet Scent—an almost useless move in this situation?! This is his Bronze-tier promotion match! Has he already given up because the opponent is too strong?!"
The audience erupted.
"Even if he can't win, shouldn't he at least try?"
"How did someone like this get nine consecutive wins?"
"Unbelievable. My ticket money was completely wasted!"
Peter ignored it all.
His eyes never left the battlefield.
The seeds atop Dolliv's head bloomed, releasing an intense fragrance. Toucannon's movements slowed slightly—but the blazing orange-red energy cannon still fired.
"Now—left, dodge!"
"Mi-nyu!"
Dolliv reacted instantly, but the fully charged Beak Blast was simply faster.
Before it could fully evade—
BOOM!
The attack struck Dolliv's right shoulder head-on, slamming it into the scorched ground.
"Beak Blast hits!" the commentator cried.
"For a Grass-type Pokémon, this is devastating! Can Dolliv possibly stay standing?!"
Public opinion—both in the arena and online—was completely one-sided.
"That poor Pokémon… paired with such a terrible Trainer."
"Seriously, three useless setup moves before even attacking—what a joke."
"I'm done watching. Going home to finish my chores."
Smoke blanketed the field, obscuring the view. The cameras could only capture Peter and Kahili's expressions.
"He's kind of handsome… but clearly not very bright."
"That calm, confident look almost fooled me—I thought this was an Elite Four-level mind game."
"Give me a break. He probably doesn't even have a Gym Badge."
…
Then, amidst all the ridicule—
Peter spoke.
"Dolliv —Strength Sap."
"What?!" the commentator froze.
"The smoke hasn't even cleared! Can Peter actually see what's happening on the field?! Or does he truly believe Dolliv couldn't have been knocked out?!"
"…Isn't this commentator trying way too hard?"
"The way he's cooperating with this clown Trainer is killing me."
"Yeah? That's not devotion—that's being a sucker."
The noise was deafening.
Peter just smiled.
As a veteran Pokémon fan—and a streamer famous for showcasing unorthodox, borderline 'dark' strategies—his plays were never meant for ordinary eyes.
"Kahili," he called out boldly, a strange arrogance flashing across his face,
"your cannon is impressive… but it's still nowhere near enough to one-shot my Dolliv."
Her brows furrowed sharply.
The smoke finally cleared.
Toucannon hovered in the air, unharmed.
Below it, Dolliv knelt on one knee atop the charred earth.
Buzz—
A dense green glow burst from Toucannon's body. Along with the light that signified its Attack stat dropping, the energy rushed toward Dolliv.
Dolliv's battered body rapidly regenerated.
At the same time, Toucannon's aura visibly weakened.
"INCREDIBLE!!" the commentator roared.
"Dolliv actually tanked Beak Blast! And with the combined recovery from Leech Seed, Strength Sap, and Grassy Terrain—it restored a massive amount of stamina!"
"Hmph. Just a dying struggle," Kahili scoffed.
"Touckey—use Aerial Ace and finish it!"
She was a Flying-type specialist aiming for world dominance.
How could an Intermediate-tier Grass-type Pokémon possibly trade blows with her partner?
Peter raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly.
"Again—Strength Sap. Take it head-on."
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