Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [224]

Gible charged in, teeth bared, ready to strike.

Scyther, mid-swing, hadn't anticipated that Gible would lunge at it despite being under attack.

In its brief moment of hesitation, Gible closed the gap and clamped its powerful jaws onto Scyther's arm.

The sharp pain coursing through Scyther's limb was immediate. Gible's bite strength, developed as its primary attack method, was no joke.

A regular Gible could easily crush a solid wooden bat in one chomp.

For Scyther, the pain of Gible's teeth sinking into its blade-arm was excruciating.

"SCYYAH!"

Scyther thrashed, trying to shake Gible off.

But no matter how violently it swung its arm, Gible refused to budge, its jaws locked tight.

Scyther's design worked against it. With blade-like arms that couldn't bend, it struggled to use its free arm to dislodge Gible.

"Makoto's Scyther seems to be in trouble! After Gible landed a solid bite, Scyther looks completely unable to shake it off. Could this mean Makoto is about to lose the second match as well?"

The commentator's words fueled the audience's excitement but piled immense pressure on Makoto.

Few trainers, outside of those like Luo Yuan with nerves of steel, could entirely ignore external distractions.

Makoto hadn't yet figured out how to remove Gible when Luo Yuan called out, "Gible, use Iron Tail!"

"GIB!"

Gible braced against Scyther's trapped arm, pivoting in mid-air to slam its short, strong tail against Scyther's head.

THWACK!

The impact made Scyther's head ring, throwing it off balance.

But Scyther wasn't done. Despite the daze from the Iron Tail, it instinctively lashed out with a counterattack.

"Slash it!" Makoto shouted.

Through Luo Yuan's psychic synchronization, Gible had already detected the trajectory of Scyther's blade.

Still, suspended mid-air, Gible couldn't dodge. Instead, it hardened its head, using Iron Head to absorb the blow.

BAM!

The force sent Gible flying backward, but not without consequence for Scyther. Thanks to Gible's Rough Skin ability, Scyther sustained additional damage from the contact.

While Scyther staggered in pain, unable to follow up its attack, Gible twisted mid-air and landed firmly on the ground. Its claws dug into the soil, dragging along the dirt as it slowed to a halt.

"GIB!"

Shaking off the soreness in its head, Gible didn't hesitate. It opened its mouth wide, inhaling deeply before unleashing a swirling gust of wind.

The move was smooth, fluid, and powerful—a demonstration of practiced precision.

"That's... Twister! Not only does Luo Yuan's Gible know Dragon Rage, but it also knows Twister! This doesn't bode well for Scyther."

Makoto realized the same.

Still reeling from the Iron Tail, Scyther couldn't avoid the sudden attack. The Twister slammed into it, spinning it through the air like a ragdoll.

"Scyther!" Makoto called out, relief washing over him as Scyther shakily rose to its feet.

"Scyther is still standing! Makoto's Scyther is showing incredible determination. Could this be the start of an amazing comeback?"

"Comeback?" Luo Yuan chuckled, shaking his head.

The fact that Scyther was still standing was sheer luck.

It had already taken a half-hit from Dragon Breath, a Take Down, a bite from Gible, and an Iron Tail.

Now, after enduring a Twister, Scyther was running on fumes.

The only reason it hadn't gone down was due to its significantly higher base stats compared to Gible's.

Still, Luo Yuan thought it was a shame.

Had Scyther been airborne when Twister hit, the move's power would have doubled, finishing the fight then and there.

But such thoughts passed quickly.

In its current state, Scyther was no longer a threat to Gible.

"Finish it," Luo Yuan said calmly.

Understanding its trainer's intent, Gible charged forward.

After a brief struggle, Scyther finally fell to the ground, unable to continue.

The referee raised a flag.

"Scyther is unable to battle. Gible wins!"

"..."

Makoto stared at the victorious Gible, standing triumphantly over Scyther, and began reflecting.

Where had he gone wrong?

Throughout the battle, he hadn't made any obvious mistakes. Every decision had seemed optimal at the time.

Yet, he'd been led to defeat step by step.

"No," Makoto thought, clenching his fists.

"This isn't my fault. Luo Yuan's just too strong! Even if Scyther was stronger than Gible, his commanding skills closed the gap entirely."

Makoto had once believed Luo Yuan's win streak was mostly due to the overwhelming strength of his Pokémon.

But now, he saw the truth—it was Luo Yuan's unparalleled skill as a trainer that made him unbeatable.

As Makoto wrestled with his thoughts, a sudden burst of white light drew everyone's attention.

"What's that...?"

The crowd watched intently as Gible's body began to change.

Its small, round form stretched and grew, its once stubby legs elongating, and its overall posture becoming sleek and powerful.

In moments, Gible had evolved into Gabite.

"It evolved."

Luo Yuan's expression remained calm, as though he had anticipated this.

Given Gible's accumulated experience, the evolution was merely a matter of time.

"Gabite!"

The newly evolved Gabite turned to Luo Yuan with an excited roar, waving one of its claws as if to show off.

Then, it turned back toward Makoto, its predatory eyes glinting with renewed vigor.

Gabite was clearly eager to continue the fight.

Makoto hesitated as he withdrew Scyther and reached for his final Poké Ball.

If he couldn't beat Gible, how could he possibly handle Gabite?

Still, surrendering felt like giving up halfway.

Makoto gritted his teeth and made his decision.

"Go, Venusaur!"

THUD!

With a heavy stomp, a massive Venusaur appeared on the battlefield.

Its sharp gaze locked onto Gabite, the large flower on its back swaying slightly as it released a fine mist of pollen into the air.