Seeing the Blizzard engulf the entire field, Ryoko didn't even need to hear Sato's command, she instantly knew he had sent out Weavile.
This time, without hesitation, she recalled Haxorus and sent out her final remaining Pokémon: Torkoal.
It wasn't until then that the Blizzard finally subsided. But upon entering the field, all Torkoal could see was a hole in the ground, Weavile was nowhere to be seen.
"Torkoal, Ir-"
"Weav!"
Before Ryoko could finish her command, the ground beneath Torkoal split open. Weavile leapt up from the hole and punched the hefty Torkoal straight into the air.
Clearly, Sato had chosen Weavile even knowing Ryoko still had Torkoal. There was no way he didn't have a plan.
Fortunately, Haxorus had used Earthquake earlier, loosening the ground under the battlefield, allowing Weavile to Dig quickly.
And a Ground-type move like Dig was especially bad news for Torkoal, especially when it hit its soft, least-defended underbelly.
"Weavile, Night Slash."
"Weav!"
Landing a direct hit, Weavile didn't stop there. It chased after the fallen Torkoal and immediately struck at its head again without hesitation.
"Torkoal, Rapid Spin!"
"Koo~al!"
Torkoal quickly pulled its limbs and head into its shell and began spinning at high speed. The resulting cloud of dust momentarily interrupted Weavile's assault.
In the next moment, Torkoal used the momentum of its spin to launch itself into the air!
-- --
"Another Pokémon that can fly!"
Someone in the audience blurted it out, and those nearby couldn't help but chuckle in agreement.
'Yep… must be from Hoenn¹[1].'
-- --
Torkoal soared across the battlefield, then thrust its limbs and head out and landed firmly on the other side.
"Torkoal, Heat Wave!"
"Weavile, Sucker Punch."
Sato deliberately delayed his command by a second, allowing Weavile to rush in with Sucker Punch to close the distance first.
A flash of darkness, Weavile darted across half the field and reached Torkoal, ready to strike… only to find Torkoal had already withdrawn into its shell.
"Weav-" Sato immediately sensed something was wrong, but by then it was too late.
Fwoooosh~
A burst of Heat Wave exploded from the furnace-like opening of Torkoal's shell, sweeping outward in every direction with no clear target.
Even at top speed, Weavile couldn't outrun the sweeping flames.
"W-WEAA!"
A sharp cry rang out. Weavile, whose Defense was already low, was nearly knocked out by that close-range Heat Wave.
When Sato saw Torkoal release Heat Wave while still fully retracted, he couldn't help but feel like a thousand Arceus had just trampled through his mind.
There was no way that wasn't meant to catch him off guard, Torkoal had already appeared in a previous round and used Heat Wave…
And back then, it hadn't ducked into its shell!
What Sato didn't know was: if Torkoal hadn't taken so much damage earlier, that move wouldn't have been Heat Wave at all.
It would've been Eruption, with nearly double the power!
"Weavile, Blizzard to cool things down."
"W-Weav!"
Weavile fought through the burn and began spinning rapidly. Blizzard erupted from the center of its motion, forming a violent vortex that took over half the battlefield, going head-to-head with the Heat Wave.
For a moment, the field became a clash of fire and ice. Spectators seated in the middle began to sneeze from the alternating hot and cold air.
All they could think was… 'this is just a Pokémon battle, why are we suffering like this?'
Finally, Torkoal, who had started with Heat Wave, couldn't hold out any longer. The moment the Heat Wave stopped, Weavile also ceased its Blizzard.
But the large amount of vapor created by the temperature clash lingered, and neither Pokémon could be seen where they originally stood!
"Torkoal, use Earthquake quickly!"
"Tor~koo!"
Torkoal's cry came from the other side of the field, and the ground immediately began to tremble violently. Deep craters opened up everywhere, and many people wondered: Could Weavile have been buried underground?
"WEAVILE!"
Just then, Weavile's cry echoed across the field!
But it didn't sound like a scream of pain.
"KOAL…!"
A second later, Torkoal's cry rang out. Ryoko's face changed; she realized Sato must have set her up again.
"TORKOAL, RAPID SPIN!"
Rapid Spin wasn't particularly strong, but for Torkoal it was a jack-of-all-trades move; a solid technique that offered defense, counterattacks, escape, field control, and recovery all in one.
Whoosh~ whoosh~ whoosh…
Within the lingering vapor, flashes of a spinning black figure occasionally appeared. It seemed Torkoal had no intention of stopping until the mist fully cleared.
Fortunately, the steam dissipated quickly, and the battlefield became clear again.
Weavile, panting heavily, watched the spinning Torkoal flying back and forth. It thought to itself: 'Sure, you can fly… but aren't you worried you'll get dizzy spinning like that?'
But of course, Torkoal had been professionally trained. It landed steadily once again.
Though it was now breathing heavily as well.
Torkoal's Defense may be high, but it had taken two direct hits from Weavile, both landing on its soft underbelly. The damage wasn't light.
The match entered a temporary stalemate, and both Sato and Ryoko took the chance to let their Pokémon catch their breath.
Maybe a minute passed… or maybe just ten seconds. When the two Pokémon locked eyes again, the battle reignited!
"Torkoal, Gyro Ball!"
"Weavile, Sucker Punch."
Weavile dashed in again using Sucker Punch, but this time Torkoal retracted into its shell even faster, giving Weavile no opening at all.
Clang!
Sucker Punch struck Torkoal's shell with a crisp metallic ring. The recoil actually knocked Weavile back two steps, staggering.
The next moment, Torkoal spun again, transforming into a silver-white Gyro Ball and hurtled straight at Weavile!
Gyro Ball: the slower the user compared to its target, the more powerful it becomes!
And the Speed gap between Torkoal and Weavile…
Boom!
Weavile was blasted away and crashed heavily onto the ground, completely motionless.
"Weavile has lost the ability to battle! Torkoal wins! Trainer Sato, please send out your next Pokémon!"
"…She really did." Sato let out a quiet sigh of surprise, then recalled Weavile.
After using Rapid Spin so many times, Ryoko had held Gyro Ball in reserve until now, completely catching Sato in a mental trap.
Now, Sato was down to his final two Pokémon.
"…Ryoko, I've never underestimated you," Sato muttered softly to himself, then tossed out his next Poké Ball without hesitation.
A flash of red light…
And instead of Cacturne, Sato sent out one of his strongest aces: Tyranitar!
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¹.Poor Groudon…
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250 PS - CH
[1] Poor Groudon…