An Outrageous Three-Way Melee (Part 2)

"Did it take off? Still one step too slow."

Cynthia watched Metang successfully take flight and spoke with some regret. There was no helping it—if both of the opponent's Pokémon took to the air, Gible's Ground typing would be half useless.

"Good. I guessed right. Your Haunter hasn't been trained for physical attacks, has it? Metang! Zen Headbutt!"

Seeing Metang take flight, Steven knew he had gambled correctly. Haunter had not been trained for physical attacks, so even with type advantage, its attack would not be strong enough to interrupt Metang's move. And now, it was his turn!

"Rumble!"

Metang turned around and charged toward Haunter.

"Why am I always the target?! Haunter! Shadow Ball!"

"Gengar!"

Haunter did not dodge. A purple-black Shadow Ball formed in its hand, and it pressed it directly into Metang's face.

"Don't forget about me! Gible! Use Dragon Claw on Metang!"

"Grrraah!"

Gible refused to be outdone and charged toward Metang. Dragon-type energy gathered around its claws as it attacked Metang with the force to tear through anything.

"Bang!"

The three sides collided, and three kinds of energy immediately formed a hurricane across the field, kicking up dust so thick that no one could keep their eyes open.

"That Blake fellow is getting a little impatient. How can Haunter go head-to-head with a pseudo-legendary Pokémon?"

"Yeah, what a shame. That Haunter has been raised well, but it still falls far short compared to a pseudo-legendary Pokémon."

At that moment, besides James and the others, there were also guests from other hotels gathered in the spectator stands around the field. These guests were either wealthy or influential. Though they were mainly there to watch the excitement, years of watching battles had given them plenty of insight. They knew all too well the difference between pseudo-legendary Pokémon and other Pokémon.

"Hmph. They've fallen into that brat Blake's trap."

James smiled dismissively at the chatter of the spectators beside him and stared at the battle below. He knew his son's fighting style too well. A head-on clash? How could that be possible?

James looked toward a shadow on the field that no one had noticed, and the smile on his face grew even more obvious. So it had been hiding there?

"What?!"

"How is that possible?!"

As the dust settled, something unexpected happened. Haunter's figure actually became blurry and insubstantial, while Gible had somehow taken damage?

"It's a Substitute!"

Steven was the first to react. Metang was injured, but there was no damage on it from the Shadow Ball—only wounds caused by Gible's Dragon Claw. The one struck by the Shadow Ball had actually been Gible!

"Hiding in the shadows?"

Cynthia also noticed a patch of shadow on the ground. It was so conspicuous that they would never have missed it if the battle had not been so intense just now.

"You noticed quickly. As expected of a future Champion."

That was right. The one that had appeared after Phantom Force had not been Haunter at all, but Haunter's Substitute. That was also why Phantom Force had dealt so little damage. From the very beginning, Blake had never expected to interrupt Metang's move. It had all been an act. Blake and Haunter's true target had always been Gible. Metang was too slow and could be worn down gradually, but Haunter might genuinely be unable to take even one hit from Gible. Of all the opponents Blake had faced so far, aside from his own father, no one—not even Leon's Charmeleon—could match this Gible in pure attack power. Most importantly, it was fast too.

"Gengar!"

Haunter floated out from the shadows. Now that everyone had noticed it, there was no point in hiding anymore.

"You really are calculating. Did you plan all of this from the start?"

Steven looked at Blake and asked.

"Don't say that. I'm not that amazing. Your reactions were just too fast. This little trick was already the limit for me."

Blake and Haunter both spread their hands at the same time.

"What a brilliant tactic. As expected of a Ghost-type Pokémon. That unpredictable style of battle is truly impossible to anticipate."

Stone watched the battle on the field and sighed.

Humans and Pokémon influenced each other, and the same was true of Pokémon battle tactics. The Ghost type's unpredictability, the Steel type's straightforwardness, and the Dragon type's overwhelming offense were all displayed vividly in this battle.

"No, it would be more accurate to say that this is how Pokémon from the Gengar line fight. Blake is an excellent Trainer, able to maximize his Pokémon's strengths."

Professor Carolina said.

"You flatter him. That brat still has a long way to go. But one thing is true—he really is good at those strange and unusual tactics. Some of them are genuinely eye-opening, but others... I have no idea what he's thinking. Does he take battles for turn-based games or something?"

James said awkwardly.

"Simply having such ideas is already something ordinary people cannot achieve. Perhaps your son may even become a battle professor in the future. As far as I know, some people are indeed researching Pokémon moves and tactics now. Didn't Professor Oak propose that theory about certain 'people' a few years ago?"

Professor Carolina said.

"I remember that. If I'm not mistaken, it was when the Pokédex had just been introduced. The Battler—Red, and The Breeder—Blue. I know a little about both of them."

James said.

"Yes, both are exceptional figures. Perhaps your child might earn a title of his own someday."

Stone said with a smile.

"Don't praise him. That child refuses to move when led, yet backs away when pushed. If I hadn't brought him out here, he'd probably still be running that little shop at the scenic area. The only thing that can force him to do anything is probably Pokémon."

James said with a smile and a shake of his head.

"Isn't that a good thing? Love for Pokémon is the purest and most flawless kind. Only someone like that can receive Pokémon's sincere affection, isn't that so?"

Professor Carolina said with a smile.

"That's true. Whatever else may be said, this child truly loves Pokémon. It does not matter what kind of Pokémon they are. Even Trubbish and Muk, which most people dislike, are no different in his eyes."

Louise spoke up. She still remembered that when Blake had first become aware, he had been closer to Pokémon than to his own parents. Back then, James's Sableye and her own Azumarill had both slept in his arms.

"Come to think of it, Steven was much the same as a child. Though what he was obsessed with was all kinds of stones. Maybe he inherited it from me. I remember that whenever we couldn't find him, we only had to look in the open space outside the house, and there he would be, digging through the ground for stones. Hahaha!"

Stone said with a hearty laugh.

"Cynthia was much the same. Before she had even learned many characters, she would hug my old books and read them every day. Her favorite were those ancient mythological tales. She was more serious than my students. From that time onward, I knew that my field would have a successor."

While the spectator stands were filled with such harmonious conversation, the battle below continued.