Haunter was among the list of fragile Pokémon.
For Hakamo-o and its evolution, Kommo-o, the biggest problem when fighting a Ghost-type like it was how to land a clean hit.
The former didn't have many moves yet. But once it evolved, it gained Clanging Scales, a wide-range attack.
If used correctly, it could take Haunter out of the match in a single strike.
Unfortunately...
"Shiro used Protect to block it."
Outside the battlefield, Bryan spoke calmly. The other observers had their arms crossed, fists clenched, feeling nervous for Haunter.
Kommo-o wasn't like the Hakamo-o from earlier. Facing a dragon Pokémon that had reached the Gym-level, the pressure was overwhelming. Even if spectating from a distance, many still felt fear from its dragon aura.
On the field, Rylan knew he couldn't drag out the battle against Haunter. The side effect of Clanging Scales was a drop in Kommo-o's defense. If it got hit by one of the Ghost-type's moves afterward, it would be a huge loss.
The best outcome would be Kommo-o landing a clean one-hit KO. Then, while Shiro was switching Pokémon, it could use a move to boost its stats and sweep through the remaining team.
Rylan's mind raced as he raised his voice and ordered:
"Kommo-o! Continue to use Clanging Scales!"
The moment he spoke, Kommo-o once again gathered energy. Its scales rattled violently, making a deafening noise. Along with the humming vibration, the sound waves erupted in a wide-area Dragon-type attack.
Protect was indeed a reliable way to block attacks, but if used repeatedly in a short span, it had a high chance of failing.
As long as Kommo-o kept using Clanging Scales, it would eventually strike Haunter, defeating the Pokémon easily.
Shiro, meanwhile, gave Haunter its command:
"Sucker Punch!"
Just as Kommo-o unleashed its Clanging Scales, Haunter turned into a swirl of black mist and vanished from sight. The dragon looked confused but didn't stop releasing the sound wave move.
"Hauunteer!"
Haunter's cry suddenly echoed near Kommo-o's ear, and a chill swept over the dragon as it instinctively turned its head to meet the Ghost-type's gaze. Psychic ripples passed between them through that eye contact, and Kommo-o felt its head grow heavier, its body starting to weaken.
Haunter pushed itself to the limit, forcing out one last Hypnosis.
It had acted swiftly. Before Clanging Scales had fully launched, it slipped behind Kommo-o and cast its move at top speed. But the sound wave ultimately caught up to it.
Now, it looked worn out and shaky, clearly on the verge of fainting. But still, it held on through sheer willpower and did not fall down.
"Come back," Shiro said as he recalled the Ghost-type into its Poké Ball.
By lowering Kommo-o's defense twice and landing Hypnosis successfully, Haunter had done everything it could.
He then pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it forward hard.
"Go! Corviknight!"
With those words, Corviknight soared onto the battlefield, wings spread wide. Its pure black feathers gleamed as it hovered in the air. With its wings fully extended, it was even larger than Kommo-o.
Across the field, seeing that Corviknight had been sent out, Rylan grew anxious and shouted in a hurry.
"Kommo-o! Wake up! Come on, wake up!"
Still under the effects of Hypnosis, Kommo-o's mind was heavy and clouded. Before it even realized it, its body had collapsed onto the ground. Though it could vaguely hear its trainer's voice, it felt as if the sound was coming from behind a wall.
At this sight, Raihan, who was standing among the audience, frowned slightly.
Kommo-o had already taken two defense drops, and now it had been put to sleep by Haunter's final Hypnosis. If Corviknight launched an attack right away and moved fast enough, it might be able to take the dragon out immediately.
Although Kommo-o had excellent physical stats and stamina, Raihan had no doubts about Corviknight's power.
The surrounding trainers began whispering among themselves again.
"Looks like that big guy's gonna lose, huh?"
"Yeah... he could've taken out Haunter in one hit, but it got predicted and dodged twice..."
"Big difference in trainer skill. His command style totally fell apart."
"Guess the Dragon Tamer family isn't all that after all~"
"Ahem... Let's just watch till the end, alright?"
Voices overlapped in the crowd. A few newer trainers, not quite understanding the situation, moved closer to Bryan. One handed him a cup of water and asked quietly:
"Old man, is that Rylan guy going to lose?"
Keeping a straight face, Bryan accepted the water but didn't directly answer the risky question. Instead, he said calmly:
"Just look at Corviknight's feathers and size. That tells you how well it's been raised. See how its feathers are dark and glossy? And those long, strong feathers at the tips of its wings? They're built to enhance flight. That means it's full of energy and highly skilled in aerial combat. Plus, its size is well above average for its kind. Meaning its physical traits, like defense, stamina, and attack, are much higher than the norm too."
After finishing, Bryan took a sip of water and glanced at Raihan.
Even faced with such a disadvantage, the man didn't seem too worried. That alone showed how much trust had in the Pokémon he had lent out. Confident it could take down Corviknight almost without injury, and still go on to defeat Shiro's next Pokémon—one likely at the Gym-level.
'He really deserves to be the leader of the Dragon Tamer family's current generation… I wonder, between him and Leon, who would actually win the championship...'
Bryan quietly observed. When he noticed Raihan sensing his gaze and starting to turn around, he quickly looked away and focused back on the match.
Despite Kommo-o being asleep, Shiro didn't rush to have Corviknight attack. In fact, he gave a different command.
"Corviknight! Use Hone Claws!"
The bird crossed its claws as its body began to glow with a soft white light, signaling a boost in its attack power.
Kommo-o still showed no signs of waking up.
Normally, a sleeping Pokémon on the battlefield could only be woken up in two ways. One, if it had strong mental power, like a powerful Psychic-type. Two, if it got hit and the pain snapped it out of the sleep.
If Corviknight attacked now, Kommo-o might wake up instantly. If it reflexively counterattacked, the bird could get hurt for nothing.
Shiro wasn't sure a single strike would finish it off, so he played it safe.
On the other side, Rylan was growing more and more anxious, but he didn't withdraw his Pokémon either.
Because even if he did, the time it took to switch would be enough for Corviknight to use another stat-boosting move. Besides, it wouldn't change the fact that Kommo-o was still asleep...
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