It was actually Poliwrath!
Xia Chi frowned deeply at the Pokémon Red had chosen to lead with.
Of course he knew this Pokémon. It was Red's starter Pokémon in Pokémon Adventures, and the two shared a deep bond.
Back when it was still a Poliwag, it had evolved into Poliwhirl to save Red from drowning.
Later, while investigating the incident aboard the S.S. Anne, it had evolved into Poliwrath at a critical moment, once again saving Red after he was thrown into the sea.
Its bond with Red was arguably second only to Pikachu's.
But none of that was the main issue.
It could learn a somewhat obscure yet incredibly powerful move: Haze-
An Ice-type status move that reset all stat increases and decreases for every Pokémon on the field!
Xia Chi wasn't sure whether it could erase the stat boosts granted by the system's bonds.
But if Misdreavus's [Stored Power] benefited from those boosts, there was no reason [Haze] couldn't remove them.
Xia Chi was certain Red had sent out Poliwrath first for precisely that purpose!
Tch. This could be troublesome.
Before the battle had even officially begun, Xia Chi already felt the pressure exerted by the "Battle Man."
"Poli, charge in! Close Combat!"
"Grab that rock beside you! Bullet Seed!"
The two commands reached the battlefield one after the other.
Poliwrath's powerful legs kicked off the ground, instantly unleashing astonishing speed that belied its muscular build!
Like a blue shell fired from a cannon, Poliwrath hurtled toward Floragato with terrifying momentum.
Floragato calmly shot its flower-stem vine toward a nearby rock.
At the same time, Grass-type energy gleamed inside its slightly opened mouth!
With a hum, countless emerald points of light burst from Floragato's mouth at tremendous speed.
Whether Poliwrath used [Haze] later or not, Floragato had to