Machamp had been holding back!
Sato had wanted to command Honchkrow to evade, or even use Substitute… but the reality was that Honchkrow had already been mentally locked on and had nowhere to hide.
Was this an advanced use of the No Guard Ability?
Staring at the fallen Honchkrow, Sato furrowed his brows. In the end, he could only sigh and recall it, while instructing Zoroark to put some distance between itself and Machamp.
"Machamp, Mind Reader!"
Even with No Guard, Orin still ordered Machamp to use Mind Reader to improve its accuracy.
"Night Daze."
"Zoro~"
Zoroark steadied itself on all fours as Night Daze spread outward from its center, rapidly engulfing the entire field.
"Machamp, Dynamic Punch!"
Seeing Zoroark once again using a wide-area move, Orin sensed danger and quickly ordered an attack.
From the moment Night Daze swept across the field to when Machamp launched its assault, there was practically no pause.
Machamp charged into the wave of Night Daze without hesitation. With Mind Reader and No Guard activated, it unshakably hurled a Dynamic Punch toward a specific location.
Pop~
The sound of a balloon bursting rang out. Orin's heart skipped a beat!
He was stunned by the terrifying realism of Zoroark's Illusion.
Or perhaps… it was practically a hard counter to Machamp!
"Zoroark, Aerial Ace."
Screech!
Owl!
Croo…
Suddenly, countless bird cries echoed overhead. The moment Night Daze faded, the entire field was suddenly filled with hundreds of Flying-type Pokémon!
Pidgeot, Fearow, Noctowl, Crobat… amid the gasps of the crowd, even Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno could be seen on the battlefield!
In the next instant, all those Flying-types, accompanied by flashes of white light, lunged at Machamp from every possible direction.
"MACHAMP, FORESIGHT!"
"MACHAAAMP!"
Machamp's eyes widened abruptly. A faint red glow shot from its pupils, rapidly scanning the approaching Flying-types.
No effect!
Even as the Foresight glow passed through them, the flock of Flying-type Pokémon continued moving undisturbed. For once, the battle-hardened Machamp couldn't hide the panic in its expression.
Swoosh~ Swoosh~ Swoosh…
The Aerial Ace barrage began landing one by one, and each strike visibly damaged Machamp, as if it were truly being mobbed by hundreds of Flying-types.
"They're fake… ALL FAKE! MACHAAAAMP, USE KARATE CHOP TO KNOCK THEM ALL AWAY!"
Orin shouted in desperation. With both No Guard and Mind Reader disabled, he couldn't find a way to counter this illusion.
"CHAAAMP!"
Machamp let out a roar, barely managing to focus itself. But as it kept getting hit by Aerial Ace, and the "opponents" it knocked away kept coming back, it could no longer see any hope of winning.
Two minutes later, covered in wounds from head to toe, Machamp was knocked down for the tenth time… and at last, it couldn't stand up again.
"Machamp has lost the ability to battle. Trainer Orin, please send out your next Pokémon!"
At the moment the referee announced the switch, all the Flying-type Pokémon on the field vanished into illusions.
And the wounds on Machamp's body began disappearing rapidly, leaving only five relatively visible marks.
Clearly, Machamp hadn't actually taken that much damage. But under the illusion, its mind couldn't take it anymore, it blacked out and entered a self-protection state.
Orin took a deep breath and slowly recalled Machamp. He originally intended to immediately send out his next Pokémon, but in the end, he couldn't help asking Sato from across the field.
"…Why can't even Mind Reader see through your Zoroark?"
Sato blinked, thinking to himself, 'Are all Fighting-type Trainers this straightforward?'
This was part of his core strategy, why would he just tell him casually?
In the end, Sato pretended to ponder seriously for a moment, then solemnly replied, "If you believe it, it's real. If you don't, it's not."
Hearing that, the confused look in Orin's eyes clearly told everyone: he didn't understand a word!
Just as he was about to ask more, the referee reminded again, "Contestant Orin, please send out your next Pokémon!"
Orin suddenly came to his senses and quickly sent out his next Pokémon…
Azumarill!
Azumarill, though not a Fighting-type, had the Ability Huge Power, which made it quite suitable for learning Fighting-type moves.
"Battle, continue!"
"Zoroark, Night Daze."
"Azumarill, close your eyes, Supersonic!"
Seeing the third Pokémon Orin sent out and the move he commanded, Sato pursed his lips. 'Was that question earlier… really just to buy time?'
If Machamp's eyes weren't good enough, was he switching to Azumarill's ears?
But… it actually worked!
Night Daze swept across the field again, and Zoroark used it to construct its Illusion field.
However, even after being hit by Night Daze, Azumarill successfully pinpointed Zoroark's real location using Supersonic.
"Azumarill, Aqua Tail!"
"Azuma~"
Without hesitation, Azumarill charged at Zoroark's real body, its tail rapidly forming into a giant spiraling torrent of water.
Seeing this, Sato immediately chose to abandon the Illusion field and have Zoroark engage Azumarill directly.
"Night Daze, offensive mode."
"Zoro!"
Once again, Zoroark braced both paws on the ground as Night Daze surged upward. The pitch-black energy swelled like a monstrous beast, barreling toward Azumarill.
Compared to the previous Night Daze attacks, this one was on a completely different level. The energy radiating from it was so intense that even spectators nearby felt a chill in their hearts.
"AZUMARILL, ATTACK QUICKLY!"
Orin shouted, and Azumarill didn't hesitate. Twisting its body, it slammed its long-charged Aqua Tail directly into the incoming Night Daze.
A massive, surging water tornado collided head-on with a pitch-black semicircular energy blast at the center of the battlefield. For a moment, the two clashed in deadlock, neither overpowering the other.
Compared to Zoroark's fierce and overwhelming presence, the cute yet slightly dazed Azumarill held its ground with shocking power… even Sato couldn't help but take a second look.
Huge Power!
Truly terrifying!
BOOOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted as Aqua Tail and Night Daze triggered an energy collision that blew both attacks apart.
Sato looked at the seemingly harmless Azumarill in front of him, knowing full well it had a hidden Fairy typing.
Most of Zoroark's attacks would be not very effective against Azumarill. The only usable one was a not-yet-mastered Grass Knot.
Now with a plan in mind, Sato didn't hesitate and had Zoroark rush toward Azumarill.
"It's coming! Azumarill, wait for the right moment, use Superpower!"
Seeing that Sato seemed ready to engage head-on, Orin grew excited and had Azumarill prepare to counter.
A golden aura enveloped Azumarill as it charged forward, surrounded by an overwhelming wave of energy aimed straight at Zoroark.
And in the very next second, Sato's command finally came…
"Zoroark, U-turn."
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150 PS - CHAP