Breloom and Zangoose

Kaiji now held two Poké Balls in his hands, and the Kecleon on his shoulder had fully materialized. He was no longer afraid of a sneak attack.

At that moment, Aoki stepped out of the woods.

A mere ten-meter distance—at Aoki's speed—was covered in just a few strides.

His Pokémon's quick adaptability impressed him, especially the split-second decisions Slowking had made.

But now wasn't the time for admiration.

With a faint smile, Aoki looked at the boy standing before him. At first glance, Kaiji seemed around the same age as Aoki, but Aoki knew better—this person was much older despite his youthful appearance.

Seeing Aoki, Kaiji's expression tightened.

He was clearly surprised by how young Aoki looked. Unlike himself, who merely appeared young, Aoki was actually young.

Kaiji's voice was cold, his eyes fixed on Aoki.

"I am Kaiji, the right-hand man of Void's Kenan, and soon to be a cadre in Verdanturf Town. Do you have any idea what it means to cross us?"

Aoki chuckled.

These types always did the same thing—dropping the names of their superiors, hoping to intimidate their enemies.

Whether or not it worked, at least it bought them a psychological edge.

"You think I'd go after you without knowing exactly who you are?" Aoki's tone dripped with sarcasm.

Kaiji's face darkened.

Two of his subordinates were dead, and now he was being mocked? Unacceptable.

Without another word, he flung his Poké Balls forward.

Two Pokémon appeared before him.

A Zangoose.

A Breloom.

Aoki's eyes flashed as data filled his vision.

Pokémon: Zangoose (Dark Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 38

Type: Normal

Ability: Toxic Boost

Held Item: None

Egg Moves: Double Kick, Quick Guard, Metal Claw

Basic Moves: Scratch, Leer, Quick Attack, Slash, Pursuit, Hone Claws, Crush Claw, Revenge, False Swipe, Detect

Learnt Moves: Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Snore

TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Flying), Shadow Ball, Poison Jab

Pokémon: Breloom (Dark Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 38

Type: Grass/Fighting

Ability: Poison Heal

Held Item: None

Egg Moves: Wake-Up Slap, Bullet Seed, Drain Punch

Basic Moves: Mach Punch, Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Headbutt, Feint, Counter, Force Palm, Mind Reader

Learnt Moves: Snore, Thunder Punch, Synthesis, Iron Tail

TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Fire), Toxic, Energy Ball, Venoshock

Aoki fell silent for a moment.

Compared to Sakagi's Pokémon, these two weren't particularly high in potential. But in terms of training and synergy, they were leagues above the haphazardly gathered Pokémon of the previous two subordinates.

These two had been raised from scratch by Kaiji himself.

That made all the difference.

Their movesets complemented each other almost perfectly, turning them into a lethal duo. Against weaker opponents, their combination of abilities and skills could easily create an overwhelming advantage.

Aoki had to admit—it was a clever pairing.

Breloom's Poison Heal ability allowed it to recover HP when poisoned instead of suffering damage, making it immune to all but the most extreme toxic effects.

Against Poison-type opponents, it was an outright nightmare.

Meanwhile, Zangoose's Toxic Boost thrived on poison. The more poisoned it became, the stronger its physical attacks.

A deadly synergy.

No wonder Kaiji was so confident about his upcoming promotion. If these two Pokémon reached level 40 or higher, they could qualify as elite-tier threats.

Aoki was relieved he had eliminated the other two grunts first.

If all three of them had attacked together, sheer numbers alone would've made this battle far more difficult.

Kaiji smirked.

He didn't summon any other Pokémon.

In his mind, his two aces were already on the field—there was no need for anything more.

Both Trainers locked eyes.

They knew this battle would be different.

Neither side underestimated the other.

Aoki spoke first, his commands sharp and precise.

"Slowking, Psychic!"

"Honchkrow, charge up and use Brave Bird!"

"Sneasel, Agility—get in close and use Frozen Claw!" (Ice Punch + Metal Claw).

"Skorupi, intercept Zangoose!"

Aoki had already devised a strategy.

Breloom was the greater threat—despite its durability, it had glaring weaknesses.

It was 4× weak to Flying and 2× weak to Ice and Psychic—three attack types Aoki's Pokémon specialized in.

If he could take it out quickly, the fight would turn in his favor.

But first, Zangoose had to be contained.

Kaiji, however, didn't order a counterattack right away. Instead, he gave a different command:

"Zangoose, Poison Jab Breloom!"

"Breloom, Venoshock Zangoose!"

Aoki's eyes narrowed.

They were poisoning each other.

The moment Zangoose's claws grazed Breloom, a thin layer of purple toxin coated its body.

But Breloom didn't flinch. Instead, it launched a ball of venom straight at Zangoose.

The normal-type Pokémon roared, pain flashing across its face.

Yet almost instantly, its muscles tensed—its body bulking up as raw power surged through its limbs.

Zangoose's Toxic Boost had activated.

Meanwhile, Breloom's Poison Heal kicked in, its wounds closing up as the poison fueled its regeneration.

This wasn't just strategy.

This was experience.

Kaiji had trained them for this exact scenario.

Zangoose's physical strength had skyrocketed, while Breloom's endurance had just doubled.

Their synergy had reached its peak.

And the battle was only beginning.