Chapter 366: Fame in a Single Battle

Sato immediately understood.

At that moment, everyone's attention was on the big screen. Who would bother noticing a tanned man standing quietly in the corner?

So, the next opponent definitely wouldn't be simple. It was clear that Don George had arranged this match deliberately.

"Defender, please select your challenger!" Don George, serving as referee, suddenly reminded him, breaking Sato from his thoughts.

"…Stop."

Sato curled his lip, not even bothering to fake a polite smile.

"Whoa, did I just see who I think I saw… is that Marlon?"

"Looks like it really is. I didn't even notice him at the Battle Club earlier."

"This is amazing! I actually get to see Marlon in person today!"

Sato stared at the tenth challenger stepping onto the stage. To be placed in this specific match by Don George meant this person was definitely someone special.

Flowing blue hair, but paired with big swim trunks and flip-flops, his skin deeply tanned from the sun; he looked about the same age as Sato, clearly another "prodigy-type" Trainer.

Only when the opponent sent out his Starter, Samurott, did Sato finally realize who he was.

Marlon: the man said to be "deeper" than the ocean. Future Gym Leader of Humilau City. Recognized as maybe the strongest Gym Leader in the Unova Region, second only to Drayden of Opelucid Gym.

And judging by Marlon's popularity, he was clearly a Trainer who had risen to fame early. His strength was likely not much different from Sato's.

The real problem was, Zoroark had already battled nine times and was completely out of breath. Facing Marlon's Samurott now… winning wouldn't be easy at all.

"Battle Start." Don George declared coldly, not giving Zoroark even a second to rest.

Nine straight wins was already enough. The 8,000 points earned from this were more than sufficient to bring attention to the Battle Club again in a short span.

Now was the time to cut losses.

"Zoroark, Dark Pulse!"

"Samurott, slice it with Razor Shell!"

Strictly speaking, as long as the battle hadn't been interrupted, boosts like Nasty Plot or Agility wouldn't decay much for Zoroark.

So Dark Pulse was just as powerful as ever. But Samurott met the strike with fearless dominance.

It rose onto its two hind legs, crossed its forelegs, and with a flourish, drew two short blades made of overlapping shells from both sides of its legs.

Blue energy swirled over the blades like twin electric saws. Then, as Dark Pulse surged toward it, Samurott slashed in an X-shape.

Dark Pulse was cleaved into four pieces, brushing past Samurott without causing any damage.

"Samurott, use Aqua Tail!" Marlon didn't hesitate, issuing the next command the instant Dark Pulse was cleared.

"ROOOTT!"

With a roar, Samurott dropped to all fours, then flipped forward. Its flat tail whipped through the air, forming a vortex of water, surging toward Zoroark with great force.

Marlon clearly understood that Zoroark was running on fumes, its reaction speed much slower than before. No tactics were needed at this point.

Just constant, overwhelming pressure: relentless assault. Once Zoroark could no longer keep up, victory would be his and Samurott's.

"Don't take it head-on, dodge and use Grass Knot to break Samurott's balance!"

This was a quadrupedal Pokémon. Though it could use its hind legs to balance nimbly, it was ultimately only temporary.

Zoroark sprinted across the battlefield, dodging the massive force of Aqua Tail, then immediately used Grass Knot, grabbing one of Samurott's front legs and yanking it hard.

Thud~

Samurott face-planted. Grass Knot had easily broken its balance, causing Aqua Tail to fail, and the fall itself did considerable damage.

This particular Samurott had clearly been trained well. Its weight easily exceeded 100 kilograms. To be yanked and slammed onto its face… that had to hurt.

"Zoroark, follow up with Extrasensory to keep it restrained." Sato pressed the advantage, trying to maximize the damage.

"Samurott, break free with Hydro Pump!"

Although the commands were given one after the other, Zoroark was simply too exhausted. Its body reacted a beat slower, causing Extrasensory and Hydro Pump to fire almost simultaneously-

Both hit!

The STAB-boosted Hydro Pump clashed with Extrasensory, a move prone to disruption.

There was no contest in power.

Zoroark's Extrasensory lasted only a moment before the sheer force of Hydro Pump shattered it and sent Zoroark flying.

Sato pursed his lips. Though he didn't want to admit it, Zoroark was now a spent force.

The only fortunate thing was that Marlon didn't have Samurott follow up with another attack. Instead, he quietly watched as Zoroark struggled to its feet.

"This is the last move… Zoroark, Night Daze sphere!" Sato nodded at Marlon, grateful that he allowed Zoroark one final attack. Even if they lost, it would end with dignity.

"Hahaha, bring it on! Samurott, Hydro Cannon!" Marlon laughed, commanding his Samurott to unleash its strongest move as well.

Starter Pokémon were prized not just because of their three-stage evolution, ease of training, or natural talent.

But also because they could learn their elemental-type ultimate moves.

Hydro Cannon, Frenzy Plant, and Blast Burn… three attacks with power rivaling Hyper Beam and Giga Impact.

As for Zoroark's Night Daze sphere, it was an advanced form of its signature move. Extremely hard to control, easy to backfire, but in terms of sheer power, it was devastating.

Night Daze sphere vs. Hydro Cannon.

PING~

For a moment, everyone present experienced ringing in their ears. The intense light was so blinding they couldn't open their eyes.

Only the searing wind that swept through the air told them just how terrifying this clash had been.

Yes, the two attacks met in the center of the battlefield… and exploded.

After enduring ten straight battles, the arena finally gave out; covered in terrifying cracks, on the verge of collapse.

As the explosion's light faded, staff members quickly released several Unfezant to blow away the dust.

The scene on the battlefield gradually came into view: Zoroark lay motionless on the ground, and Samurott was far more battered than expected.

Sato, Marlon, and Don George were all covered in dust, but luckily, none of them were injured.

The result was now unmistakably clear: Zoroark had, unsurprisingly, lost the ability to battle. Marlon had stopped Sato's ten-win streak.

In the end, Defender Sato concluded his first tournament at the Battle Club with an impressive record of nine consecutive wins.

Fame earned in a single battle!

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150 PW= Extra chap

Patr/Romeloff :*