As the two powerful Pokémon took the field, the audience immediately burst into discussion.
"These two… don't feel like Iron-tier at all…"
"Same here… my Skitty started crying just from watching!"
"Let's go, Miss Whitney!"
"Whitney is OP! Crush him!"
"Huh? Peter's other half? What kind of meme is that?"
"Don't question it—just shout it!"
"…."
The battle had already begun.
Whitney raised her hand.
"Mil Mil, charge!"
"Na!"
The pink dairy Pokémon leapt forward, curling itself into a rolling sphere as it sped toward Sceptile.
"Bullet Seed!"
"Zha-ai—!"
Sceptile opened its mouth and fired a rapid barrage of seeds, striking precisely along Miltank's path and forcing it to constantly change direction.
However—
As Whitney's signature Pokémon, Miltank excelled at rolling across the ground.
It nimbly avoided the attacks, weaving through the barrage, and in mere moments—
Closed the distance.
"Mil Mil, use Ice Punch!"
"Double Team!"
Chris remained calm under pressure.
Sceptile instantly split into six afterimages, dodging the frost-laced punch.
"Now—Energy Ball!"
"Zha-ai!"
The illusions dissipated.
Sceptile reappeared behind Miltank and fired a glowing green orb straight into its back.
"Na—!"
Miltank staggered but quickly regained its footing.
Meanwhile, Sceptile had already retreated, perfectly executing a kiting strategy.
"Woooah—!"
The crowd erupted into cheers.
"What an incredible exchange! Both sides are showing impeccable timing and precision. Sceptile currently holds the advantage!" the commentator announced.
"Tch… a special-attack-focused Sceptile, huh…" Peter muttered, shaking his head.
"Isn't Sceptile naturally better suited for special attacks?" Corvin asked.
"Technically, yes…" Peter replied—but didn't elaborate further.
After all—
That legendary moment of slicing through destiny with a single Leaf Blade hadn't happened in this world.
But in his mind—
That strike was engraved deep into his very DNA.
…
As they spoke, several more exchanges unfolded on the battlefield.
Whitney's Miltank kept trying to close in—
But was repeatedly forced back by Sceptile's ranged attacks.
Bullet Seed.
Energy Ball.
Though Miltank dodged some, Sceptile steadily gained the advantage in stamina.
"Looks like Miss Whitney is going to lose. This Chris guy has some real skill," Corvin said, shaking his head at Miltank's increasingly battered condition.
"Is that so…" Peter narrowed his eyes, noncommittal.
"Boom—!"
Another Energy Ball exploded, shrouding Miltank in smoke.
Sceptile panted heavily.
Even with its advantage, the continuous high-intensity attacks were draining its stamina faster than expected.
Chris stared intently at Whitney.
Even now—
Miltank had only revealed one move: Ice Punch.
Meanwhile, Sceptile had already shown Bullet Seed, Energy Ball, and Double Team.
"Sceptile, use Synthesis!"
Synthesis: absorbs sunlight to restore HP.
To play it safe, Chris chose recovery as his final move.
"Finally… I've been waiting for this."
A smile curled on Whitney's lips.
"Mil Mil!"
"Na—!!!"
…
In the next instant—
From within the smoke, a pink-and-black rolling sphere burst forth at incredible speed!
The commentator shouted:
"Unbelievable! Miltank has been conserving its strength this entire time! It's using the opponent's recovery window to launch a counterattack!"
Chris's expression changed—
But when he saw Sceptile had already completed Synthesis, he steadied himself.
"Hmph… so what if you get close? You think you can one-shot me?"
"Really?" Whitney's pink eyes gleamed with mischief.
After watching Peter battle so often—
She had picked up his habit of hiding her moves.
And honestly…
Outsmarting opponents like this felt amazing.
"Mil Mil—use Headbutt!"
"NA!!!"
The rolling Miltank suddenly uncurled—
Its horns slamming directly into Sceptile's head.
"Use Double Team!" Chris reacted instantly.
"Too late!"
Whitney's voice rang out sharply.
"Mil Mil—Stomp, then Body Slam!"
After taking the Headbutt, Sceptile shook its head, just about to create clones—
But Miltank's hoof had already kicked forward, knocking it flat onto the ground.
Then—
Miltank leapt high into the air.
Its massive body came crashing down like a mountain—
"BOOM—!"
The ground trembled violently.
Dust billowed everywhere.
When the smoke cleared—
Sceptile lay motionless on the ground.
"The battle is over! The winner is Whitney and her Miltank!"
"WOOOOOO—!!!"
Thunderous applause filled the arena.
Whitney exited with a sweet smile, clearly enjoying the long-overdue battle.
Chris, on the other hand, shook his head with slight frustration as he recalled Sceptile.
"That's strange… why didn't Sceptile counterattack just now? Miltank should've been near its limit," Corvin said, confused.
"It was suppressed—mentally," Peter replied.
"…What?"
"A Pokémon used to long-range combat tends to panic in close quarters."
"And on top of that—Headbutt and Stomp both have flinch chances."
"First the head strike, then the chest stomp, and finally Body Slam…"
He smiled slightly.
"If you don't have enough physical durability, you can't escape that combo."
…
Whitney returned, her face glowing with joy.
"Honey~"
Clearly, the battle had lifted her spirits.
Peter gestured for her to sit, casually playing with her soft, chubby hand.
Maybe…
He should consider helping Whitney build a stronger team too.
With proper training, she could easily compete in Gym Leader tournaments—or even specialist competitions.
"Sigh… bad luck. Otherwise, if I had won, I might've gotten to smash you in a promotion match later~"
Chris walked over, hands behind his head, speaking to Corvin.
"We'll see who smashes who," Corvin rolled his eyes.
"Honestly, traveling isn't so bad, don't you think?" Chris suddenly asked.
"…Yeah. It broadens your horizons."
Only then did Corvin realize—
Chris was looking at him with a teasing smile.
"Cough…"
He straightened his posture.
"You're still a suspect. Don't try to get friendly with me."
…
"That's more like it, Officer Justice~"
Chris patted his shoulder, then took out medicine and carefully treated Sceptile's injuries.
"…."
Corvin fell silent.
His instincts told him—
This man didn't seem like a bad person.
And yet—
Everything pointed to his connection with Team Rocket.
"These two are pretty interesting…" Peter said, stroking Eevee with a smile.
"Huh? What about them?" Whitney tilted her head.
"They seem close… but they're actually enemies. What do you think?"
"Huh?? That's even possible?" Whitney looked completely baffled, unable to comprehend such a relationship.
"Not sure… just a feeling."
Peter's gaze lingered on Sceptile.
It seemed—
Even in that battle, it hadn't gone all out.
At that moment, the broadcast echoed again:
"Contestant No.168, Peter, and contestant No.221, Corvin, please proceed to the battlefield!"
Both Peter and Corvin looked up.
Their eyes met—
And in that instant—
They saw the same thing reflected in each other's gaze.
Fighting spirit.
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T/N:
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