Under the blow of Thunder Punch, a move that countered its type, combined with Combusken's strength far beyond that of its kind, Poliwhirl was battered backward again and again in the rain.
"Hold on, Poliwhirl! Hit it back with Mega Punch!"
Kajiyama shouted anxiously at Poliwhirl.
"Low Sweep. Destroy its balance completely," Tetsuya ordered.
From the moment Kajiyama had been forced into a mistake because he did not know about Combusken's Speed Boost Ability, allowing Combusken to get close to Poliwhirl, Tetsuya knew he had won the first match.
He had long anticipated Kajiyama's command.
The two Pokémon reacted differently to their respective Trainers' instructions.
After taking Combusken's Thunder Punch, Poliwhirl's body tilted slightly backward with the force of the attack. White Light slowly gathered around its fists as it prepared to use the momentum to unleash Mega Punch.
After landing its hit, Combusken crouched low and swept its long leg swiftly at Poliwhirl with Low Sweep.
Normally, Low Sweep would not have been enough to trip Poliwhirl. At the very least, it would have taken a move specifically meant to knock an opponent down.
After all, while Combusken was quite strong, Poliwhirl was also known for its strength. At most, it could slightly disrupt its balance and reduce its speed a little.
But Poliwhirl had just taken a Thunder Punch. It was also trying to lean back with the force of the blow to avoid further damage while charging Mega Punch.
Its balance had already been unstable. With Combusken targeting its feet with Low Sweep, it completely lost its footing and fell backward onto the ground.
Bang.
The White Light gathered in Poliwhirl's hands scattered apart, interrupting Mega Punch.
"Finish it with Thunder Punch."
Naturally, Tetsuya chose to kick it while it was down.
Before Kajiyama could react, Combusken's