Chapter 94 – Mimikyu vs Rapidash

The moves it could learn were mostly Psychic-type and Fairy-type.

"A rare Pokémon… I didn't expect to run into one here," Nathan murmured.

Compared to a regular Rapidash, this Galarian form looked much more like a unicorn.

"Battle, begin!"

The referee raised his flag and shouted.

At the sound of the referee's call, Nathan took a deep breath. Determination gleamed in her eyes.

As the command to begin the battle rang out, a glint flashed across Serene's eyes.

"Rapidash, let's begin the fight!"

A wave of psychic energy surged into the air, like a thread linking Serene and her Rapidash.

An even more terrifying aura erupted from Rapidash's body.

If it had previously been at a mid-tier Gym level, then now, it had clearly jumped to the high-tier Gym level.

The power boost was substantial—borderline terrifying.

"Rapidash, Agility, then use High Horsepower!"

Rapidash's hooves struck the ground. As a Psychic-type, it usually stored psychic energy in its limbs, which gave this Rapidash incredible speed.

Now, having entered an accelerated state, it charged toward Mimikyu with overwhelming momentum.

Dust flew everywhere.

Its speed was astonishing, and the attack was paired with a fearsome intensity.

High Horsepower was a Ground-type move, similar to a charging attack but even more powerful.

Add in Rapidash's natural horn, and its destructive potential needed no further explanation.

"Mimikyu, wait for the right moment and jump!"

Nathan's face remained calm, showing no sign of panic.

Though Rapidash's boosted strength surpassed Mimikyu's, it was still within the Gym-level range and hadn't reached Elite-tier. Mimikyu still had a fighting chance.

Not to mention, Mimikyu had a natural advantage over Psychic-types.

"Q~!"

Mimikyu nodded, its eyes locked on the charging Rapidash.

Just as Rapidash was about to strike, Mimikyu leapt—gracefully dodging the attack.

Interestingly, "Jump" could actually be considered a move.

Though it had no offensive power, sometimes it could produce unexpected results.

Like now—when used well—it allowed Mimikyu to easily dodge Rapidash's fierce assault.

"Mimikyu, our turn now! Shadow Ball, then Hone Claws, followed by Shadow Claw—and attach Shadow Sneak!"

"Q~!"

Mimikyu respectfully nodded.

Dark spheres formed in both its hands and were hurled at Rapidash.

"Rapidash, dodge—now!" Serene commanded.

Rapidash neighed and swiftly evaded.

But Mimikyu had already finished using Hone Claws, increasing both its attack and accuracy. Shadow Claws formed in each of its hands as it rushed toward Rapidash.

And more importantly, as Mimikyu approached, the shadow behind it surged toward Rapidash as well.

A dual attack.

From two directions.

This was the power of multitasking.

"Rapidash, use Light Screen!"

Serene frowned and gave a quick command, noticing the incoming Shadow Sneak. Her eyes showed a flash of surprise.

Buzz—

A shimmering wall of light appeared before Mimikyu.

Slash!

Shadow Claw tore through the air and shattered the Light Screen instantly, but also dissipated with the blow.

At the same time, Mimikyu's shadow had snuck up behind Rapidash and struck—sending Rapidash flying with a cry of pain.

The type advantage kicked in, causing double damage.

Even so, Rapidash wasn't down yet and quickly scrambled back to its feet.

"Keep up the Shadow Balls—then use Phantom Force!"

Nathan's voice rang out.

"Q~!"

Mimikyu responded loudly, forming another Shadow Ball in its hands and hurling it forward.

Then again. And again.

Three Shadow Balls were launched in a row.

Rapidash narrowly dodged the barrage, and as it looked up—

Mimikyu had vanished from the battlefield.

Rapidash immediately went on high alert, scanning its surroundings.

"Calm Mind, then Heat Wave!"

Serene's brows were tightly knit.

At her command, Rapidash's eyes glowed.

Calm Mind, a Psychic move, significantly boosted its special defense.

Then—Rapidash stomped forward.

A blast of searing wind burst from its body in a wide cone shape.

A slight smirk tugged at Nathan's lips.

"Mimikyu, attack."

"Q!"

Mimikyu's voice echoed out.

And suddenly—it appeared right in front of Rapidash, just a short distance away.

It launched an attack without hesitation.

Dark energy erupted with force.

At the same time, from behind Rapidash, its shadow attacked as well.

The twin strikes landed almost simultaneously—slamming into Rapidash.

Rapidash howled in pain.

"How is this possible?"

Serene's eyes widened in disbelief.

What shocked her wasn't that Mimikyu could use two moves at once—it was that based on where Mimikyu had appeared, it should've been caught in the Heat Wave from earlier.

But Mimikyu didn't show a single scratch.

It didn't even become visible until now.

"Wait… Mimikyu…"

"I see."

Serene seemed to realize something. Her face showed sudden understanding, followed by a bitter smile and a shake of her head.

At that moment—

Nathan gave her final command.

"Mimikyu, finish it—Shadow Ball!"

"Q~!"

Mimikyu nodded.

Another Shadow Ball formed in its hands and was fired straight at the heavily injured Rapidash.

The explosion kicked up a massive cloud of dust.

When the smoke cleared, Rapidash was sprawled on the ground—incapacitated.

"The battle is over! Challenger Trainer Nathan Vesper wins!"

The referee immediately declared the result.

"Come back, Rapidash," Serene sighed, recalling her Pokémon into its Pokéball. She looked over at Nathan.

"That was unexpected. I didn't think I'd lose that fast… but it was my own negligence. As a Gym Leader, I completely forgot about Mimikyu's abilities.

Plus, your Mimikyu is quite special—being able to multitask like that really surprised me."

In this world, some Pokémon awaken special powers or abilities—what Trainers refer to as "Special Pokémon."

But such Pokémon are incredibly rare.

Mimikyu, however, is one of the few well-known Pokémon with a unique ability recognized by many powerful Trainers.

Most experienced Trainers know that all Mimikyu have a special trait: thanks to their disguise, they can completely negate the first attack in battle.

Only strong Trainers tend to know this, since Mimikyu are uncommon and usually stay hidden.

On top of that, Mimikyu isn't exactly a popular pick among Trainers, so even those who know its trait often forget about it.

That was the case with Serene.

She did know about Mimikyu's special ability—she just forgot. It only came back to her after the match ended.

If she had remembered earlier, she wouldn't have let her guard down.

"Guess I got lucky. I once received guidance from an old Pokémon," Nathan said with a smile.

"An old Pokémon?" Serene raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yeah, an elder who could multitask too. But unfortunately, it didn't want to stay with me," Nathan replied with a helpless shrug.