Umbreon suddenly appeared behind Vileplume. Its speed was on an entirely different level from Machamp's.
"Feint Attack!"
Mixed with a trace of Moonlight's power, Umbreon slammed directly into Vileplume.
The interval between attacks was too short this time. Vileplume didn't have time to use Substitute.
The attack landed cleanly.
Vileplume was sent flying before crashing heavily onto the battlefield.
Erika's expression became more serious.
"Leech Seed!"
Countless vines suddenly sprouted from Umbreon's body, attempting to bind it.
However, Umbreon immediately used Refresh. Moonlight enveloped its body, and the vines snapped one after another before falling away.
Karen smiled.
"I'll be taking this first Badge."
As soon as she finished speaking, Umbreon let out a piercing cry before launching a Quick Attack, instantly appearing in front of Vileplume and knocking it to the ground.
The high-pitched cry from earlier had affected not only Vileplume but even Erika herself.
It was Umbreon's sound-based move, Screech.
Vileplume collapsed and lost its ability to battle.
Karen won the match.
Although Erika lost to Karen, her overall performance still placed her among the strongest Gym Leaders present. Very few challengers managed to earn the Steadfast Badge from her.
Since this was merely a qualification tournament for the Masters, Erika wasn't fighting at full strength. She was simply battling normally.
Soon, the competition reached its middle stages.
The next match was Misty versus Erika.
Misty stood up excitedly.
"I'm going to battle Sister Erika! I'm so nervous!"
Sam smiled.
"Just do your best. Erika won't make things difficult for you."
Misty nodded and walked onto the battlefield.
Once she arrived, the usually gentle Misty showed an unexpectedly determined expression.
"Go, Munchlax!"
A Poké Ball opened, and Munchlax appeared immediately.
Sam had witnessed Munchlax's strength before. Although it looked like a chubby little Pokémon that was always half asleep, he knew just how powerful it could be.
Across from them, Erika released her Pokémon.
It was a Charmeleon.
Although Charmeleon was a common Pokémon, this fully evolved second-stage Fire-type was still quite powerful.
Sam looked at Erika's choice and complained inwardly.
"Didn't you say you weren't going easy on her? You're not holding back a little—you're practically releasing the entire Pacific Ocean."
Charmeleon clearly wasn't Erika's strongest Pokémon. Using it against Misty was obviously a form of restraint.
Erika smiled.
"Misty, you have to beat me!"
As she spoke, she commanded Charmeleon to attack.
A burst of flames shot from Charmeleon's mouth and headed straight toward Munchlax.
Munchlax, who had looked half asleep moments ago, suddenly became much more alert.
"Be careful, Munchlax!" Misty shouted anxiously.
Despite looking chubby and slow, Munchlax proved extremely reliable at a critical moment.
Its body suddenly curled into a ball and rolled directly into the incoming flames.
After enduring the blazing heat, it emerged completely unharmed.
Watching from the sidelines, Sam immediately recognized the move.
That was Defense Curl.
By curling its body tightly, Munchlax had greatly increased its defensive power and resisted the attack.
"Nice!" Misty cheered.
Munchlax twisted its round body and flashed Misty a proud grin.
The already adorable Pokémon somehow became even cuter.
Then Munchlax's expression suddenly turned serious.
It stared fearlessly at the much larger Charmeleon.
"Come on, Munchlax!" Misty encouraged.
Munchlax cried out happily before shrinking into a compact ball.
Its body became smaller but noticeably tougher.
The next moment, it launched itself forward like an arrow released from a bow.
Rollout!
Boom!
The impact was tremendous.
Charmeleon's large body was sent flying backward.
Munchlax returned to its normal shape and happily bounced back toward Misty, looking as though it were asking for praise.
"Great job, Munchlax!"
Misty laughed as she cheered.
"This Munchlax is incredible," Erika said, her expression becoming slightly more serious.
Even if she was holding back, she couldn't make it too obvious.
"Charmeleon, get up and defeat it!"
Erika shouted as Charmeleon climbed back to its feet and prepared to continue the battle.