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Akimoto's three main Pokémon had all been injured by Cynthia, so he could only send out his slightly weaker Machoke.
In Akimoto's view, since Luther was just a rookie, at best the kind who could challenge an average Gym, his Machoke was more than enough to deal with him.
Luther hesitated when it came to choosing a Pokémon. Akimoto generously told him to take his time, to think carefully, and choose seriously. The meaning was obvious: he didn't want Luther making excuses after losing.
But Luther was simply wondering whether he should continue testing Chansey's limits in withstanding damage against Akimoto.
Kirlia kept tugging at Luther's sleeve, and in the end, she simply leapt up and clung to him.
"You and Jumpluff have already battled so many Trainers on the road, let Chansey have a chance this time."
Luther hooked a finger under Kirlia's chin and picked her up.
'Hmm… why does she feel heavier again?' Luther casually gave her a discreet squeeze to check if she had put on weight.
Unable to watch any longer, Akimoto finally couldn't hold back and was about to demand an answer, just as Luther's Poké Ball rolled forward.
When Chansey appeared, Matsuto and Gym Leader Endou looked at each other in surprise.
"Chansey already fought against Machamp earlier, and she hasn't been treated yet. Can she still keep going?" Matsuto asked worriedly.
After all, Luther had defeated his own Gym, and naturally, Matsuto hoped he would win this match as well.
A Normal type?
Akimoto was quietly delighted. Just like Gym Leader Endou when he first saw Chansey earlier, he couldn't figure out what Luther was thinking. Why throw away the advantage of picking a better matchup?
There was no need for a referee, with a Gym Leader and a Champion present, either side losing the ability to continue fighting could be judged directly.
The rules were the same as a wild battle: no restrictions on moves.
Akimoto felt the scales of victory had tipped in his favor the moment the rules were set. How many moves could a rookie Trainer's Pokémon even have mastered?
The match began immediately. Following Akimoto's command of "Low Sweep!", Machoke charged at Luther.
By instinct, Luther shouted: "Defense Curl!"
The moment the words left his mouth, even he was a little stunned.
Gym Leader Endou and Matsuto were dumbfounded.
This scene… where had they seen it before? Wasn't this the legendary mirror opening?
Akimoto's thoughts were exactly the same as Endou's. Chansey's speed wasn't very high. As long as he could cripple her ability to move, Machoke could crush her one-sidedly, spamming moves at will.
If only Akimoto had arrived an hour earlier to watch Luther's battle with Endou, he would never have made such a choice.
Cynthia, however, immediately knew what was coming the moment Chansey tucked in her stubby legs and curled her body like a bowling pin planted firmly in place. Machoke wouldn't succeed.
Unless Machoke's strength was enough to outright topple Chansey and deal devastating damage to her lower body, his attack was better off being changed mid-move.
But Akimoto didn't change his command. Machoke's kick landed as if striking a springy iron plate. The moment he put strength into it, a jolt of pain shot through his foot.
Matsuto covered his forehead. Compared to this, his own Machamp really was far superior. Faced with the same situation, Machamp's leg had only stiffened for a moment before quickly adjusting.
Cynthia shook her head.
"You see, this is a mistake in decision-making. Since the opponent already used Defense Curl to boost its defense and clearly prepared to counter Low Sweep, then why didn't Akimoto immediately switch tactics?
Chansey was just standing there like a bowling pin. If Machoke had switched moves on the spot and used its arms to attack, there would've been an opening to exploit before Luther could give new orders. But Akimoto completely missed that chance. That's why I say Akimoto doesn't know how to seize those fleeting opportunities in battle."
Standing behind Luther, Matsuto listened to Cynthia's analysis and kept nodding.
This was the Champion personally breaking down a match, something he wouldn't have dared to even dream of.
Although Machoke's Low Sweep failed, it made Akimoto realize Machoke's physical advantage. With its long arms, Machoke could easily suppress Chansey's stubby little hands.
"Brick Break!"
Machoke raised its hand like a blade and chopped down toward Chansey with full force. But the next second, Akimoto's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Just as Luther ordered Chansey to dodge, Chansey's round, pudgy body moved with surprising grace, sidestepping lightly, hopping forward on its short legs, and landing half a meter away.
This nimbleness hadn't been shown earlier against Machamp.
And this was exactly what Luther wanted to see in this battle: whether Chansey's agility training could hold up under proper match conditions.
That light sidestep embodied nearly a month of training, being hit with move after move, learning to predict attacks, read opponents, and calculate landing points in advance. For a slow Pokémon like Chansey, this was crucial.
Even with training, their raw speed improves very slowly, so "dexterity" becomes the breakthrough point to survive this stage.
That earlier sidestep, that was "skill."
And now, as Machoke brought both arms down in a full-power Cross Chop, Chansey ducked forward, slipping right into the exposed gap at Machoke's ribs, that was "dexterity."
Machoke's Cross Chop struck nothing but air, and Chansey's little arms had already seized Machoke's sagging arm as its balance dropped.
"Seismic Toss."
Luther smiled, more than happy to accept the gift of such a wide-open mistake.
In an instant, Chansey's body burst with unimaginable strength. Grabbing the dazed Machoke firmly, it pulled forward a few steps until Machoke lost its balance and nearly collapsed to the ground. Then Chansey heaved it over its head and hurled it skyward with all its might.
The moment it let go, Luther realized something was wrong, Chansey hadn't practiced accuracy with Seismic Toss. Its throw seemed to be heading outside the battle area.
The dizzy Machoke was about to crash straight into the roof of Rockfist Gym…
But the freshly healed Machamp sprang into the air, intercepting just in time. With its four arms, it caught Machoke in midair before it could slam into the building.
Even so, the impact nearly cracked the roof. Machamp's heart raced at the close call. Landing back on the ground, it set Machoke aside and launched into a furious tirade at Luther.
Luther couldn't understand a word of it, but in this situation… an apology was definitely the right move.
Machoke's eyes were spinning; he was completely unable to battle.
Cynthia walked over to Luther, giving Chansey, who was happily celebrating, a light pat.
"Not bad, decent enough. But Seismic Toss wasn't the best choice. Your Chansey isn't skilled with that move yet, and it took far too long to adjust its stance. A sharper trainer might've seized that opening to counterattack while Chansey was preparing.
Even though your Chansey is tough, close-range grapples like that are always risky. The better choice would've been a quick, reliable counter move. For example, Egg Bomb, you throw it out instantly, it lands on the opponent, and it triggers right away.
Since you're developing Chansey in the direction of both dexterity and durability, you need to be extra careful about what moves you teach it."
(End of Chapter)