Poison Heal and Toxic Boost

Both Breloom's Poison Heal and Zangoose's Toxic Boost activated simultaneously.

Breloom reveled in the cooling sensation of its regenerative ability, while Zangoose grit its teeth, enduring the burning pain of its poison-induced power surge.

But in the end, the result was the same—both Pokémon's fighting strength had significantly increased!

At that moment, Slowking's Shadow Ball was already soaring toward Breloom.

The swirling mass of dark energy smashed directly into Breloom's head.

Right behind it, Sneasel, moving at lightning speed, closed in. Its claws shimmered with a metallic luster, a thin layer of ice crystals coating the surface. This was a fusion of Ice Punch and Metal Claw, though not yet fully mastered.

Because Sneasel lacked proficiency, the ice energy wasn't particularly dense, forming only a thin frost on the metal-clad claws. However, in terms of sheer damage, this combination surpassed a standard Ice Punch.

A regular Ice Punch relied on surface contact, whereas this attack, with its metallic coating, would allow the ice energy to seep deeper into the opponent's body, increasing its impact.

Breloom, despite the incoming onslaught, did not panic. The Grass/Fighting-type Pokémon crossed its arms in a defensive stance, preparing to absorb the hit.

But things didn't go as it expected.

Aoki's Pokémon were not attacking in isolation.

Slowking's Psychic exploded on impact, causing Breloom's body to stiffen under the psychic pressure—Fighting-types were naturally weak to Psychic moves, making it even more susceptible.

Sneasel capitalized on this opening. Dodging Breloom's attempted guard, it drove its Frozen Claw straight into its target, landing a solid hit and knocking Breloom backward.

Boom!

Overhead, Honchkrow had finally finished charging its attack. Brave Bird was ready.

A quadruple-effective Flying-type move, combined with the sheer force of Brave Bird, meant that if the attack connected, Breloom would be out instantly—Poison Heal wouldn't save it.

But Kaiji wasn't about to let that happen.

"Zangoose, Thunder Punch—take out Honchkrow!"

Zangoose, still close to Breloom, immediately reacted.

Lightning crackled around its claws, and in a split second, electricity surged through its fist, forming a devastating attack.

Kaiji had clearly prepared for matchups like this—both Breloom and Zangoose knew Thunder Punch, a direct counter to Flying-types.

Zangoose locked onto Honchkrow with cold, calculating eyes. The poison surging through its veins only heightened its focus, fueling its rage.

But Aoki had already planned for this.

Before Zangoose could strike, Skorupi intercepted.

With a burst of speed, Skorupi launched itself at Zangoose, blocking the path between it and Honchkrow. Since Poison Jab would only enhance Zangoose's power, Skorpi instead used Bug Bite.

Its massive pincers latched onto Zangoose's arm, halting the Thunder Punch mid-swing. Zangoose struggled, trying to shake free, but Skorupi's strength pushed it back several meters.

Skorupi's jaws snapped down, glowing with Bug energy, biting into Zangoose's body.

Kaiji's face darkened. He knew Skorupi was well-trained, but it was still far weaker than Zangoose.

"If you want to stop Zangoose, you'll have to defeat it first!" Kaiji spat. "Zangoose, forget Honchkrow—Crush Claw that Skorupi!"

Meanwhile, Kaiji turned his attention to Breloom.

"Breloom, use Counter—take the hit and strike back with double the force!"

Zangoose's sharp claws gleamed as it lunged at Skorupi, its Crush Claw aiming to tear through its defenses.

However, Kaiji had underestimated one thing.

Skorupi was a Poison/Dark-type.

It was immune to Fighting-type attacks.

The knowledge gap between the two trainers became painfully obvious. Kaiji didn't have a deep understanding of Skorupi, a Pokémon from the Sinnoh region, while Aoki was fully aware of both Zangoose's and Breloom's weaknesses.

Know your enemy.

That was how you secured victory.

Boom!

Honchkrow's Brave Bird slammed into Breloom's defensive stance, its energy shield barely holding up before shattering on impact.

Despite its Poison Heal ability working to recover previous damage, it was meaningless against an overwhelming attack like this.

At the same time, Zangoose's Crush Claw struck Skorupi, sending a shockwave through the ground.

Even though Skorupi resisted the move, the sheer power from Zangoose's boosted attack was immense, causing cracks to form in the earth beneath them.

As the dust settled, Skorupi was still standing—but green blood trickled from its mouth.

Even with a four-times resistance, Zangoose's attack, enhanced by Toxic Boost, had left a mark. After all, their level difference was nearly twelve.

However, Skorupi wasn't about to let go.

Despite the pain, its pincers tightened around Zangoose's arm, refusing to release its grip.

It had one job: to restrain Zangoose.

With Zangoose immobilized, Skorupi's Tail Stinger flared up. A barrage of poison-laced needles shot forward, piercing into Zangoose's exposed body.

Although these didn't carry toxins, the sheer force still caused pain.

Kaiji clenched his fists. The battle was tilting out of his favor.

Aoki smirked. Now the real fight begins.