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"What Vileplume used just now wasn't Stun Spore, but Sleep Powder?"
Eddie finally realized what had happened, staring at Snorlax who was now trapped in both Toxic and Sleep status conditions. The corners of his mouth twitched in frustration.
He had never expected that the same "anything goes in battle" tactic he had used against Misty before would now come back to haunt him through Erika's strategy.
"Misty, didn't you tell me that she explained the whole process of my battle with her?" Eddie looked at Erika, who was wearing a satisfied smile, and asked with a hint of exasperation in his voice.
"Who knows? Why don't you ask Misty yourself?" Erika responded, though there was a slight edge to her tone. After all, Eddie was currently battling her, yet here he was talking about Misty instead of focusing on their match.
She didn't show her dissatisfaction too openly, but her cryptic response carried an unmistakable message.
Eddie instinctively sensed something was off when he heard her reply. He immediately dropped the topic and turned his attention back to the battlefield, where the situation was becoming increasingly dire.
Snorlax had fallen asleep and was still suffering from the Toxic status condition. If Eddie didn't take immediate action, Snorlax might literally "sleep itself to death" from the poison damage. Moreover, Erika's Vileplume wasn't just going to stand there and watch—it was already preparing its next move.
"Snorlax, use Snore!" Eddie commanded, hoping to force the approaching Vileplume to retreat while giving his Pokemon a way to attack despite being asleep.
This move, like Sleep Talk, could only be used while the Pokemon was resting. Snorlax began producing loud snoring sounds that formed a special sound-based attack aimed at Vileplume.
However, the attack passed right through Vileplume, causing the image to disperse completely. It had been another Double Team clone.
"Since Snorlax is resting, Vileplume has already moved to the back of the arena," Erika explained with a knowing smile. "Now, while Snorlax is sleeping, I need to set up my strategy."
Vileplume had positioned itself at the far edge of the arena, well out of range of Snorlax's attacks. Unless Snorlax woke up and moved closer, its moves wouldn't be able to reach Vileplume from that distance.
At that moment, Vileplume fired a beam of energy toward the sky above the battlefield.
As with most Gym arenas, Celadon Gym's battlefield had been specially designed to accommodate the Gym Leader's Pokemon type and battle style. Since Erika was a Grass-type specialist, her arena was naturally filled with lush flowers and grass creating a vibrant green field.
For such an environment to thrive, the gym's ceiling had to be transparent and openable. Without access to natural sunlight and rain, the plants would have withered long ago. During battles, these skylights remained open, allowing Erika to employ the weather-based tactics she was now preparing to use.
"That move is Sunny Day, isn't it?" Eddie recognized Erika's strategy immediately. Many Grass-type moves became significantly more effective when combined with specific weather conditions.
"No choice then. Snorlax, try Sleep Talk!" Eddie called out desperately.
Vileplume was too far away for Snore to reach, so Eddie had to rely on the other move Snorlax could use while sleeping. However, the unpredictable nature of Sleep Talk made it a risky option that Eddie rarely relied on, but he had no other alternatives in this situation.
Unfortunately, Eddie's concerns about Sleep Talk proved justified. The move's randomness was working against him as Snorlax ended up using Defense Curl instead of something useful.
Eddie could only stare in speechless frustration.
"Haha, while that is rather amusing, I won't let such an opportunity slip by," Erika laughed melodiously, but she was also quick to capitalize on the opening. "Sunny Day is now in effect. Vileplume, use Synthesis to restore your health!"
Thanks to Sunny Day, the sun's rays had become particularly intense, creating ideal conditions for Vileplume. The Grass-type Pokemon basked in the enhanced sunlight, continuously absorbing solar energy to rapidly heal its injuries.
Under normal weather conditions, Synthesis would restore half of the user's maximum HP, but in the bright sunshine created by Sunny Day, it could restore up to two-thirds of maximum HP instead.
"Excellent. Now it's time to attack. Vileplume, use Solar Beam!" Erika commanded once she saw that Vileplume had fully recovered from its earlier damage.
Meanwhile, Eddie hadn't given up on finding a way out of this predicament, but the situation was clearly deteriorating. He continued ordering Snorlax to use Sleep Talk in hopes of disrupting Erika's strategy, but the move's randomness kept working against him.
Snorlax used Block at one point, then Screech at another, neither of which helped the current situation.
Taking advantage of the Sunny Day conditions, Vileplume was able to use Solar Beam without needing to charge up first. The powerful Grass-type move launched immediately toward the sleeping Snorlax.
In response, Sleep Talk caused Snorlax to use Protect, but because the move had been used multiple times earlier in the battle, it failed to activate this time.
Snorlax was already taking continuous damage from the Toxic condition. Even with Leftovers slowly restoring its HP each turn, the recovery couldn't keep pace with the poison damage. In this weakened state, taking a direct hit from a full-power Solar Beam was devastating.
"Come back, Snorlax," Eddie said quietly, recalling his Pokemon to its Poke Ball.
Although Snorlax still had some fight left in it, the outcome was already clear. It was better to withdraw it now while it was still conscious, ensuring it would still receive experience points from the Exp. Share even though it hadn't fainted.
"Vileplume's combination of moves is quite powerful, but it's not impossible to counter," Eddie mused aloud, analyzing the situation. "The key is avoiding its attacks entirely. I have plenty of fast Pokemon, but there's one that hasn't had a chance to battle a strong opponent yet."
Eddie reached for another Poke Ball with renewed determination. "Then it's your turn! Come out, Gabite!"
He released Gabite, his Dragon-type Pokemon that hadn't yet evolved into its final, pseudo-legendary form. Eddie was confident that after this Gym battle, Gabite would have gained enough experience to evolve into the fearsome Garchomp.
Before that evolution though, Eddie wanted to give Gabite one final battle in its current form, especially since it hadn't faced any truly challenging opponents yet.
"Roaaaaar!" Gabite let out a powerful roar as soon as it emerged from its Poke Ball, as if releasing all of its pent-up fighting spirit at once.
Just as Eddie had mentioned, Gabite hadn't had the opportunity to battle against strong opponents. Now, seeing Erika's formidable Vileplume, it could barely contain the fire of battle burning within its heart.
"Gabite—a Dragon-type Pokemon from the Sinnoh region," Erika observed, her expression becoming more serious. "It appears to be on the verge of evolving into one of those pseudo-legendary Pokemon that trainers both fear and respect. This won't be an easy opponent to handle."
As a trainer of Gym Leader level, Erika's experience allowed her to immediately assess Gabite's condition and potential. She could tell at a glance that this Pokemon was incredibly close to reaching its final evolutionary stage.
Facing a pseudo-legendary Pokemon, even one that hadn't reached its ultimate form yet, caused Erika's demeanor to shift noticeably. Her casual confidence was replaced by focused concentration.
After all, the title of "pseudo-legendary" wasn't just an empty designation—it was a reputation these Pokemon had earned through countless battles and demonstrations of their incredible power.