"I'm counting on you two."
With a toss of the Poké Ball, two powerful and robust Mudsdale appeared before Silas. They snorted deeply, white vapor spraying from their nostrils and condensing into a faint mist in the air, while their heavy, boot-like hooves stamped against the ground, kicking up fine dust.
The eldest Mudsdale let out a long neigh toward the second one, and the latter immediately understood. The two positioned themselves in a flanking formation, guarding each other's blind spots.
Their muscles tensed all over, waiting only for Silas's command.
Lifting his gaze, Silas looked at the Pokémon sent out by Olympia. As expected, they were the two Meowstic that had been following her.
The appearance of Meowstic differed by gender. The one on the left was male, its body primarily indigo, while the one on the right was female, predominantly white. Their differences were not merely visual, as the moves they mastered were entirely distinct. The male leaned toward support, while the female specialized in offense.
"Focus on the female Meowstic first," Silas commanded swiftly. "Use Sandstorm and Bulldoze."
The eldest Mudsdale rapidly stomped its hooves, sending out rippling waves of earth that spread across the battlefield. At the same time, a swirling sandstorm infused with grit and debris quickly formed, ready to engulf the entire arena.
While Meowstic were not particularly fast, their psychic powers allowed them to maneuver within small spaces with great agility. However, a large-scale sandstorm directly countered this advantage.
"Helping Hand, then Sucker Punch."
Olympia's commands followed almost instantly. The male Meowstic glowed with a faint blue psychic light, and two small spectral hands appeared above its head, clapping together. A portion of its power was transferred to the female Meowstic, boosting the strength of her next attack.
The female Meowstic darted forward, leaving behind several afterimages. Empowered by the boost, she flashed to the side of the eldest Mudsdale, her claws glowing purple as she lunged toward its flank.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
At the critical moment, the ground-type shockwave from the second Mudsdale's Bulldoze spread outward, causing a tremor beneath the female Meowstic's feet. As the wave passed, her speed visibly decreased. Even so, her Sucker Punch still struck the eldest Mudsdale's side.
The eldest Mudsdale let out a pained cry but endured the pain. Its thick tail swept out with tremendous force, generating a powerful gust. With her speed reduced, the female Meowstic had no chance to evade.
A heavy impact rang out.
Like a ball being kicked across a field, the female Meowstic was sent flying backward. If not for the male Meowstic intercepting her, she would have been knocked straight out of the battlefield.
Farmers might not have many tricks, but they certainly had strength to spare.
The eldest Mudsdale shook its head as the roaring sandstorm fully enveloped the battlefield. The two Meowstic on the opposing side were forced to use their psychic powers to resist the storm, constantly draining their psychic energy. This alone was enough to disrupt their rhythm for the remainder of the fight.
Silas snapped his fingers and spoke with confidence. "Now, begin your performance. Double High Horsepower."
This move was also jokingly known as a head-on charge, one of Mudsdale's specialties.
One horse alone might be average, but two working together doubled the power, and with three, the force could reach its peak.
"Mud!"
Acting as the leader, the eldest Mudsdale let out a commanding cry. Both it and its brother became enveloped in a layer of earthy yellow energy.
In the next instant, the battlefield seemed to sink as the two Mudsdale charged forward through the sandstorm, unleashing their full power in a direct assault.
There were no complicated tactics, just straightforward and overwhelming force.
But that did not make it any less dangerous. The Mudsdale had simply abandoned energy-based attacks in favor of pure physical strength. Even powerful Pokémon like the Noivern from the ranch would have to face such a combination with extreme caution. A single misstep and being struck even once would lead to disastrous consequences.
Moreover, the Mudsdale could afford countless mistakes, while their opponent only had one chance.
"Future Sight, Reflect."
Olympia remained calm, not allowing herself to be dragged into her opponent's tempo. She continued issuing composed commands.
The male Meowstic immediately focused, its oval eyes radiating immense psychic power. Invisible walls formed one after another, stacking between them and the charging Mudsdale.
Though the female Meowstic had suffered heavy damage, she had not yet lost her ability to battle. Psychic energy surged from the inner sides of her ears, forming glowing orbs that were cast into the future, ready to strike at a decisive moment.
'Still going for Future Sight,' Silas thought. It was a dangerous move that could turn the tide of battle.
Fortunately, its weakness was equally clear. It could not activate instantly.
As long as the battle ended before Future Sight landed, the move would fail entirely.
"Mudsdale, maximum power High Horsepower!"
"Mud!" ×2
The two Mudsdale responded with steady, powerful neighs. As they ran, their muscles swelled, unleashing all the strength hidden within their bodies.
Charging through the sandstorm, they raised their front hooves in unison and brought them crashing down.
A deep, heavy impact echoed, followed by the sound of shattering glass.
The first Reflect barrier was instantly broken by the sheer force.
The Mudsdale did not slow down. The second and third barriers only lasted for a fleeting moment before shattering like paper.
One after another, the Reflect walls crumbled beneath their hooves. The sandstorm was split into two yellow torrents by their charge, and the distance between both sides closed in an instant.
The male Meowstic stepped forward, ears raised high as near-tangible psychic force surged from all directions, pressing down on the Mudsdale.
"Mud!"
With a powerful push from its hind legs, the eldest Mudsdale forced its way forward, resisting the crushing pressure that could have flattened a ten-ton truck.
With a thunderous crash, it tore through the psychic force, slamming directly into the male Meowstic. The latter's entire body went numb, and its psychic power collapsed instantly.
After holding on for a few seconds, the male Meowstic could no longer endure and fell forward, losing its ability to battle.
Before the second Mudsdale even needed to follow up, it snorted and locked onto the female Meowstic.
Just as they closed in, the surrounding space twisted. Psychic orbs suddenly appeared and descended all at once.
Future Sight activated.
The attack dealt significant damage to the Mudsdale, causing them to cry out in pain. But enduring the blow, they continued forward and struck the female Meowstic head-on.
She was sent flying out of the battlefield and, upon landing, was clearly no longer able to continue fighting.
The raging sandstorm gradually subsided. As the referee, Charlotte quickly assessed the situation, her heart filled with shock.
Both of Madam Olympia's Meowstic had been defeated just like that.
The difference in strength was overwhelming.
This made her recall Madam Olympia's earlier prophecy, the crisis that would envelop the Kalos region, and the one who would resolve it standing right before her.
With that in mind, it suddenly felt only natural that this challenger could so easily defeat Madam Olympia's two main Pokémon.
"Both Meowstic have lost their ability to battle. Therefore, the two Mudsdale win. Gym Leader Olympia, please send out your next Pokémon."
(End of Chapter)