2nd bout commences

After the quick break provided by Mayor Samsa, we face each other in the stadium once more and exchanged words..

"Simply... Even I can't find a way to beat yer team young lad. You definitely did your homework..."

Mayor Samsa smirks and looks at me with his sharp eyes... clearly being impressed with my team's setup.

"Its only been around a week since University started no? You got quite the guts to challenge your first Gym this early on...."

Truthfully... i did rush a bit, since my starter. Thwakey had a 7x level multiplier It was possible for me in just a bit more than a week... but those who had I to F rank starter Pokémon usually took a whole semester to get to the minimum level of 15,

Though its generally agreed upon that evolving your starter is the best strategy for the boost in firepower. So like me, most challenge their first Gym around level 16

Overleveling for your Gym battles is actually a detriment. Since teams of the Gym leaders change on 5 level incriments and the levels of the Pokémon are based on the challenger's highest level Pokémon, but the Gym Leader's Ace Pokémon has a 1 to 3 level advantage.

(like for Shoto's current battle, his Pokémon are level 16, and Mayor Samsa's are too. Though his Ace, Durant is level 17.)

(and if Shoto challenged this gym at level 20, he'll have to fight a harder team.)

So a trainer with 0 badges that has a level 80 team...They need to beat the 8 gyms at their strongest...

"Well sir.... I've enjoyed this match so far.. (even if I still have not moved on from Durant's survival)"

"Lets start the battle please... I'm ready!"

I then wait for Mayor Samsa's first Pokémon, already devised sa game plan if he changed up his lead.

"Go Lokix!"

The Jet Black Bug once again faces me, now with a vendetta against me... Atleast that's how I see it..

"Lo- lo!"

Yeah... Definitely angry.

Since Lokix is the first Pokèmon sent out.. I Throw out a Pokèball that I planned to send first always anyways..

"Go and show him up! Thwakey!"

Upon settling down the field, the Monkey set forth the Grassy Terrain. And consumed its Grassy Seed.

"Thwakey, use Fake-Out and cancel out that First Impression!"

While First Impression does indeed have a high priority, Fake-Out has a higher one... So this is the best move for this occasion..."

"Lokix! Protect!"

Though you know what has higher priority than Fake-Out? Protect.. a white barrier materialized in front of Lokix and it blocked the Fake-Out.

"Thwakey, use U-turn and return!"

Thwakey was about to move, but then...

"Lokix. Use U-turn as well!"

Thwakey gets intercepted by a faster U-turn before it could get its own U-turn off. Taking a Super-Effective hit. Taking it close to fainting before hitting its own U-turn.

The Lokix then swaps out Pineco and it takes Thwakey's U-turn and received a chunk of damage.

Thwakey swaps out Hawlucha from my hand the Grassy Terrain Consumed Hawlucha's Grassy Seed activating its Unburden ability once more and its Speed got doubled.

I immediately order Hawlucha to use a move.

"Hawlucha! Use Acrobatics! Knock out that Pineco!"

Hawlucha speeds up to Pineco... Thats when I see what Mayor Samsa had in his hand..

"Ah sh*t..."

Mayor Samsa then Terastalized Pineco into the normal type, the process completing before Hawlucha could hit it with the Super-Effective Move. Regardless to say... Shoto definitely got outplayed.

"Pineco. Use Self-Destruct!"

With glee, it took on the Acrobatics... But the Pineco didn't get knocked out. Now that it's neutral to the Acrobaticts it lived but barely

The Pineco then Exploded into a bright white light, the STAB boosted Self-Destruct instantly knocked out Hawlucha....

"Haahh...."

I recalled Hawlucha as I smirked. The battle is now getting exciting...

Despite being hard countered. Mayor Samsa still made the board neutral...

While Mayor Samsa already burnt his one use of a battle gimmick, he did it in exchange for my main damage dealer and taking Thwakey into the red. While Mayor Samsa still had two healthy Pokèmon at the back.

"Well.. I get why the rules have Gym leaders unable to switch and making their teamsheets worse... Even with such a bad sheet and being hard countered you managed to make the fight even.."

I smirked in satisfaction... I've got to admit that I still have a long way to go before I reach his level of mastery...

"Well now young lad... Don't be too hard on yer self. You've managed to devise such a strategy so quickly.. that in itself is talent.."

Mayor Samsa really does seem to be interested in me, and offered me a nice compliment.. but the battle still goes on.

"Go and come back to the battlefield. Lokix!"

The bug returns to the battlefield and looked like its smirking.

"Go in again... Thwakey!"

Thwakey again enters the field, the Grassy Terrain still active, the terrain will only be active in the next two turns...

We call out our first moves.. though its another clash of Fake-Out and Protect, but i decide to change my move on the second exchange. Although...

"Lokix use Sucker Punch, end it.."

The Lokix intercepts.. and finally knocks out Thwakey once more.. its now a 2 against one. Though I still have a trick at my sleeve..

"Go Honedge! Lets win this."

I throw out the Luxury Ball and the Red sword comes out.. ready to fight again.

Lokix.. traumatized, losses its confidents and looks back at its trainer with pleading eyes

Mayor Samsa is forced to use U-turn anyways since Shoto is just going to use Toxic again..

"Honedge. Use Toxic!,"

Honedge prepares the Toxic, though Lokix was a lot faster.

"Lokix use U-turn and swap out!"

The Lokix hits Honedge, still the defence of Honedge with Eviolite is still massive, barely denting Honedge's HP

Lokix swaps out to Durant, getting hit by the Toxic, though as a Steel type... It was immune.

The two steel-types then face off once more...

But Shoto's face goes into a smirk as the battle went all according to plan. (All according to keikaku)

Mayor Samsa looks at this and smiles... Already acknowledging Shoto's victory. Shoto's strategy was just too good...

Shoto then takes the Luxury Ball in his hands and returned Honedge.

"Kekeke... Its my turn now..."

I then focus the Dynamax energy on the Luxury Ball turning it giant, though unlike Mayor Samsa, I had to throw it behind me with two hands...

Out comes ... A giant red sword. Looming menacingly as it stared down the once giant ant, now literally but an ant to the size of the red sword's dynamax form.

The Honedge had a look, of superiority.. finally getting the spotlight.

"Time to get squashed little bug!"

Honedge said to the Durant, mocking it for not being able to dynamax thanks to that explosive stunt earlier.

TO BE CONTINUED

(Authors notes: i forgot about Pineco's spikes the last 2 chapters, and it gone over my head that flying type pokèmon aren't affected by spikes. Though i did intentionally make Pineco not know Stealth rock because of the whole 'noone could beat Mayor Samsa that he needed to nerf his own set' thing going.)

(Authors note 2: I changed how U-turn and i guess any switching move by how they work... They now instantly swap out the next Pokèmon, sorta like Iris's Emolga when it uses Volt-Switch, though a trainer can hold out the Pokèball that the U-turn user needs to release. Also edited the last 2 chapters, though its not really necessary to go back on it.. sorry for the edits :p)