It was Xia You's first time battling a Slakoth.
During his previous travels, whether in street battles or other official matches, he had rarely seen Pokémon Trainers send this kind of Pokémon into battle.
The main reason was that it was simply too lazy.
Its evolved forms, Vigoroth and Slaking, were another matter, but Slakoth's few advantages were overshadowed by its laziness, leaving it with nothing outstanding in battle.
Most people also lacked the patience to raise one. After all, this Pokémon disliked moving to an extreme degree and would only stay in one fixed spot, while Pokémon Trainers needed to keep traveling from place to place. They simply could not accommodate it.
Especially when it was asleep, no amount of calling would wake it. If a Pokémon Trainer sent it out to battle someone at a time like that, it would make a laughingstock of them.
Only a Gym Leader like Norman would devote such care to raising it.
Facing this Slakoth, Xia You sent out his own Pokémon as well.
As the Poké Ball opened, his Metang appeared on the battlefield.
In terms of typing alone, although Metang had no offensive type advantage over Slakoth, Slakoth's Normal-type moves would deal only half damage to Metang because of its Steel typing.
Moreover, Slakoth was only in its initial form, while Metang had already evolved into its second form and was much stronger physically.
Judging by those two points alone, Metang certainly held the advantage.
Likewise, however, although Xia You's Metang had undergone some private training, this was its first Gym battle. It seemed somewhat lacking in experience, which appeared to put the two Pokémon back on equal footing.
Seeing that both of them were ready, the referee signaled, and the match officially began.
"Metang, use Confusion!"
"Slakoth, use **Shadow