They met each other's eyes, understood their own hearts, and stood firm in their convictions!
Both threw their Poké Balls at the same time!
"Show yourself! Nosepass!"
"Come on out! Onix!"
"No~sepass~!"
"Roar!!"
Dazzling light blossomed across the battlefield!
Before Yong, Onix finally appeared again, his enormous body coiled over nine meters long! His dark, heavy-metal appearance radiated immense pressure, and the straight scar across his head only made him look more imposing!
After being cooped up for so long, he could finally battle!
In front of Roxanne, Nosepass appeared once again, hovering just above the ground!
Her arms and legs looked short compared with the rest of her body. Apart from her large red nose, she was blue all over.
There was a black hole in the center of each palm and the sole of each foot.
Nosepass's red magnetic nose never failed and always pointed north, making her an excellent companion for traveling Trainers.
Pokémon: Nosepass, Lv26, Compass Pokémon. Her large nose is a powerful magnet, and its direction can be used to determine bearings. Gender: Female Type: Rock Nature: Lonely Ability: Magnet Pull. Prevents opposing Steel-type Pokémon that are not Ghost-type from switching out or fleeing. Moves: Tackle (proficient), Harden (proficient), Block (proficient), Rock Throw (proficient), Thunder Wave (mastered), Spark (mastered), Rest (mastered), Rock Slide (proficient), Power Gem (proficient) Egg Moves: Double-Edge (proficient), Bulldoze (proficient) TMs: Hidden Power (proficient), Protect (mastered), Explosion (beginner)
Nosepass
What an impressive lineup! At level 26, she already had four mastered moves! Clearly, the effort she had put in was nothing short of staggering.
Of course, Nosepass was strong, but Onix was no pushover either!
Pokémon: Onix, Lv27, Rock Snake Pokémon. When he burrows through earth and stone underground, he causes rumbling that shakes the ground. He travels underground at eighty kilometers per hour! Gender: Male Type: Rock + Ground Nature: Adamant Ability: Rock Head. Prevents recoil damage from his own moves. Affected by Ability suppression! Moves: Tackle (proficient), Screech (proficient), Bind (proficient), Dig (mastered), Return (mastered), Harden (proficient), Slam (proficient), Sand Tomb (proficient), Rock Throw (proficient), Rock Slide (mastered) Egg Moves: Dragon Tail (proficient), Iron Tail (mastered), Head Smash (proficient) TMs: Protect (proficient), Dragon Breath (proficient)
Roxanne gazed at Onix with shining eyes.
"What a wonderful Onix! His whole body embodies the hardness and weight of rock. He's beautiful!"
Uh... Yong watched her, somewhat speechless. Suddenly, this Gym Leader seemed rather less composed than he had imagined.
"Um, can we start?"
"Ahem! Very well, let's demonstrate the power of Rock-type Pokémon!"
Quickly regaining her composure, Roxanne put on a serious expression.
"Then I won't hold back! Onix, Screech!"
Strike first and lower the opponent's Defense!
A piercing sound swept across the battlefield, racing toward the other side.
"Not so fast! Nosepass, Magnetic Shield!"
Roxanne gave a casual wave and spoke calmly, as though she had anticipated this.
Yellow arcs of electricity spread over Nosepass's body and the surrounding battlefield. Guided by her red nose, she began spinning rapidly, producing violent changes in the surrounding magnetic field as tremendous magnetic force erupted!
"Holy shit! What is that?"
Yong simply couldn't help himself.
Everyone knew sound traveled through air, but could not travel through a vacuum, such as outer space.
And yet!
Using her own magnetic body to generate magnetic flux, Nosepass had actually produced a field exactly opposite to the planet's original magnetic field, then superimposed them! She electrolyzed the air and used the magnetic field to guide the ions out of that space, creating a vacuum!?
Was this for real? Just how precise was her control over magnetism and magnetic fields?
This was truly extraordinary talent!
Roxanne smiled proudly.
"Surprised? My Nosepass was born in a chaotic region where magnetic storms rage all year round. Control over magnetism and magnetic fields comes naturally to her!"
She looked at Nosepass, utterly unaffected by Screech, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Sound-based moves won't work on us! Nosepass, Power Gem!"
Vivid, gemlike energy gathered in Nosepass's hands, and dazzling light shot toward Onix with tremendous power!
"Dragon Breath!"
"Roar!"
If Screech hadn't worked, they would meet her head-on!
Green, flame-like breath surged from Onix's mouth, slamming into the incoming attack!
The powerful energies collided with a thunderous boom. The blinding light forced everyone to shut their eyes as dust billowed across the battlefield!
"Charge in with Electromagnetic Induction! Bulldoze!"
Roxanne's confident command suddenly rang out from the other side!
Yong reacted swiftly.
"Onix! Dig!"
Boom!
A series of loud crashes came from the obscured battlefield, like heavy objects colliding.
Before long, the dust cleared. Nosepass stood where Onix had been, with an enormous crater beneath her, but Onix was nowhere to be seen. It seemed he had dodged just in time.
Breathing a slight sigh of relief, Yong knew there was no hiding from an opponent who controlled magnetic fields. Better to attack relentlessly!
"Onix, burst out! Dragon Breath!"
The ground exploded, and Onix appeared beside Nosepass. Dragon Breath energy gathered once more, and a fierce blast shot from his mouth.
"It's no use. Electromagnetic Barrier!"
Nosepass spun rapidly again. Electricity flashed, and the barrier of electric arcs surrounding her blocked the breath attack.
Not only could she create a vacuum, but spinning could also protect her against energy attacks?
In that case...
"Onix, show her your fighting spirit! Iron Tail!"
"Roar!"
With an enormous roar, Onix, now thoroughly fired up, swung his tail. Silvery-white energy coated it, gleaming with a metallic sheen as he smashed it toward the great magnet before him!
"Oh? That's quite powerful. Nosepass! Protect!"
"No~sepass~!"
Her cry was leisurely, but her movements were anything but slow. Light enveloped her, blocking the powerful assault once again!
However, Iron Tail was the trump card Onix had trained relentlessly, and its fully mastered power broke through Nosepass's Protect. It struck her body and sent her flying!
Roxanne was startled by the sight.
"He actually broke through Nosepass's defenses?"
She clapped her hands and spoke in earnest.
"He really is strong! But it's no use. Defense is this girl's greatest strength!"
Nosepass suddenly stopped in midair, floated up as though nothing had happened, and returned to Roxanne's side.
"What's going on?"
Yong was astonished. Watching closely, he suddenly noticed cracks appearing across Nosepass's body. The increasingly dense cracks began breaking apart, turning into clumps of black iron sand that circled her once before clinging to her body again.
"Wait, could that be..."
Roxanne smiled and nodded.
"Noticed it? That's right, it's iron sand. Covering her body with it through magnetism greatly improves her physical defense and close-combat capabilities!"
Seeing Yong's astonishment, Roxanne explained with a slightly instructive air.
"This is the Absolute Defense I developed! A defensive counterattacking style created by making the fullest possible use of magnetism! It brings out all the hardness and durability of Rock-types. In battles against opponents at her level, very few can break through this girl's defenses!"
Three layers of defense. Breaking through that would be a miracle!
Yong nodded solemnly to show he understood. This battle was going to be a tough one!