"I didn't expect you to figure it out so quickly, Lord Red," A.J. said, shaking his head with slight regret. He'd hoped to catch Red off guard with a surprise, but his strategy had been analyzed almost instantly.
Yet even as disappointment flickered through him, A.J. felt strangely relieved. If Red couldn't detect Parasect's ability, he wouldn't be the trainer A.J. aspired to become. The more formidable Red proved to be, the more it fueled A.J.'s determination to grow stronger.
Red noticed A.J.'s shifting expressions and wondered briefly what was going through his opponent's mind. His only regret at the moment was that Kabutops couldn't learn Sunny Day. If it could, Parasect would faint within eight turns without Red needing to land a single attack—the harsh sunlight draining its health through its own ability.
"Parasect, use Bullet Seed!" A.J. commanded.
Parasect spat a rapid-fire barrage of seeds from its mouth. Though small, the projectiles moved with machine-gun velocity, sweeping across the field toward Kabutops.
"Dodge!"
Kabutops leaped aside, avoiding the continuous stream of seeds. With quadruple type effectiveness, even one solid hit would spell serious trouble. Kabutops' Shell Armor ability wouldn't protect it from sustained physical assault.
"Parasect has launched a fierce offensive! Due to Bullet Seed's devastating effectiveness against Kabutops, Lord Red wisely chose evasion!" the announcer called out.
"Metal Sound!"
As the Bullet Seed barrage paused, Kabutops scraped its scythe arms together, producing a piercing screech that reverberated across the arena and significantly lowered Parasect's special defense.
"Kabutops, Stone Edge."
Sharp stone blades materialized around Kabutops, hovering momentarily before shooting toward Parasect with deadly precision.
"Parasect, use Rock Smash to counter!" A.J. commanded calmly, trusting his partner's capabilities.
Parasect's massive pincers glowed white as it shattered the incoming stone projectiles into harmless fragments that clattered to the ground.
But as Parasect celebrated its successful defense, A.J.'s urgent voice rang out from behind.
"Parasect, behind you! Move!"
Parasect whirled around, sensing the predatory intent radiating from behind. A blinding reflection of sunlight off Kabutops' scythes seared into its vision, temporarily blinding it.
Unable to see, Parasect couldn't evade the follow-up attack. Kabutops crossed its glowing scythes and struck with X-Scissor, targeting a vulnerable spot.
The impact sent Parasect skidding backward several meters, nearly knocking it off its feet entirely.
"Spectacular! Kabutops, the ancient predator, masterfully utilized the natural sunlight to create a blinding flash, temporarily robbing Parasect of its sight and opening it up for a devastating strike!"
The announcer's excitement echoed through the stadium as the crowd roared its approval.
Kabutops ground its scythes together, preparing to deliver the finishing blow. But before it could strike, Parasect absorbed natural energy from the surrounding grass, condensing it into a swirling emerald Energy Ball.
Wary of the super-effective attack, Kabutops abandoned its offensive and dodged to the side as the Energy Ball sailed past.
The sphere detonated against the arena wall with a thunderous boom. Using the distraction, Parasect executed Dig, burrowing underground and narrowly avoiding a Stone Edge that erupted from where it had been standing moments before.
"That was close! Parasect dodged just in time!" A.J. exhaled with relief, wiping sweat from his brow. Kabutops' attacks were relentless and precise—one mistake would end the match.
Sharp stone spikes now jutted from Parasect's former position like deadly spears. A single hit would have ended the battle instantly.
Kabutops moved forward, tracking Parasect's underground movements. Suddenly, the grass behind Kabutops rustled. The ancient Pokémon spun and raised its scythes defensively—only to find itself facing a cloud of Spore with hypnotic properties.
"Clever tactics. Using Spore as a distraction—well played," Red acknowledged with an approving nod.
To avoid falling asleep, Kabutops spun rapidly using Swords Dance. The resulting airflow dispersed the incoming spores harmlessly while boosting its attack power.
"Now! Parasect, X-Scissor!" A.J. shouted.
While Kabutops was occupied with the spores, Parasect burst from the ground directly behind it. Its pincers glowed with emerald energy as it drove them into Kabutops' back with a vicious X-Scissor.
Crack.
The sound of splintering armor echoed across the arena. Parasect watched in confusion as Kabutops' entire carapace began fracturing, shattering into fragments that scattered across the grass like broken pottery.
"What's happening?!" A.J. exclaimed, unable to comprehend what he was witnessing.
Before Parasect could process the situation, Kabutops vanished from its original position, leaving only a fading afterimage. Parasect fired Bullet Seed at the afterimage in panic, but the projectiles passed through empty air.
A.J. stared at the shattered shell fragments in bewilderment. His Parasect's attack hadn't been powerful enough to cause that kind of catastrophic damage—so why had Kabutops' armor shattered so easily?
"Don't overthink it, A.J. My Kabutops has the Weak Armor ability. After triggering it, Kabutops' speed increases by two full stages," Red explained casually, his tone almost apologetic for not mentioning it earlier.
A.J. opened his mouth to command Parasect to use Dig again, but before the words could leave his lips, Kabutops materialized as a blur of motion, closing the distance in an instant.
"Parasect, get out of there!"
A.J.'s warning came too late. Parasect felt the cold edge of a scythe pressed against its head. Under its terrified gaze, Kabutops crossed its razor-sharp arms and delivered a devastating point-blank X-Scissor.
The impact launched Parasect through the air like a ragdoll. It crashed into the grass several meters away, carving a deep trench in the soft earth before coming to rest in a crater of its own making.
"Parasect is unable to battle!" the referee announced, raising the red flag.
A.J. recalled his fallen partner with a mixture of respect and frustration. He'd given it everything he had, but Red's tactical prowess and Kabutops' raw power had proven insurmountable. Still, the match wasn't over yet—he had one more Pokémon, one more chance to prove himself against the trainer who'd inspired him to become stronger in the first place.