Whether it was the current Anabel or the future Anabel of the International Police, she was never an easy opponent to deal with.
In the anime, Ash only defeated her on his second visit, after specifically training for a rematch because he had lost the first time. That alone showed how strong she was. Also, Anabel was known for her unusual bond with Pokémon and her ability to command them without speaking during battle.
Since she was young, this androgynous Anabel had been able to sense Pokémon's emotions very clearly. She could communicate with wild Pokémon and understand them in a way most people could not. It was not exactly psychic power in the usual sense, but more like an extraordinary level of empathy. Even so, most people still saw her as some kind of psychic.
Scott had said that when Anabel became fully focused during a battle, she could sometimes send commands directly to her Pokémon without saying a word, almost as if she were using telepathy. In those moments, even Scott regarded her as one of the most dangerous Frontier Brains.
Of course, that was only Scott's view. Different people would always have different opinions about who the strongest Frontier Brain really was.
Still, Anabel was unquestionably one of the strongest.
However, Natsui had never felt that same power from the Anabel of the International Police. It seemed that whatever happened after she lost her memories had also changed part of that bond.
Natsui looked at the Alakazam on the field and took out the Poké Ball he had already prepared.
A flash of blue light appeared, and Dragonite emerged.
Natsui had planned this lineup before he even arrived here. It was simply Dragonite's turn to battle. Even if Anabel had chosen a different first Pokémon, he still would have sent Dragonite out.
When a Trainer reached Natsui's level, type advantage was no longer the most important thing. As his Pokémon kept getting stronger, they had to learn how to fight even in unfavorable matchups. He wanted his whole team to improve together, not depend on easy pairings.
Dragonite and Alakazam had no obvious advantage over each other. That made this opening round fair enough.
Once the green-haired referee confirmed that both Pokémon were ready, he waved his hand and officially began the match.
At the very start, Dragonite shot up into the air and took the high ground, searching for an opening from above.
Anabel saw how quickly Dragonite moved and had Alakazam stay calm, defend first, and wait for the right moment to counter. Her style was clearly centered on control.
The two Trainers had chosen completely different approaches. One side pressed the attack, while the other waited and defended. That alone made the battle tense from the beginning.
Dragonite opened with Wing Attack to test the field. Alakazam answered with Psybeam, aiming to stop Dragonite's movement and break its rhythm. But Dragonite's flying skill was excellent, so it avoided the attack. When Dragonite closed in immediately afterward, Alakazam used Psychic to force it back and create space again.
You could often tell how strong a Trainer was from the first exchange alone.
After that first clash, both Natsui and Anabel already understood that the other side was a real threat.
Natsui was fine with that because he had expected it. He already knew how dangerous Anabel was. But Anabel was still surprised by how smoothly Dragonite reacted to every change in the battle.
She understood right away that this would not be an easy match.
Then Dragonite began its second wave of attacks.
This time, the pressure was much stronger, and the battle immediately became more intense.
Alakazam repeatedly used its psychic attacks. Those attacks were invisible and difficult to avoid, but Dragonite was highly skilled in aerial combat and managed to keep away from Psychic and Psybeam alike.
However, Alakazam was not easy to break through.
It was one of Anabel's main Pokémon and had tremendous battle experience. On top of that, it could sense Anabel's intentions without spoken commands. As the fight went on, it began adjusting to Dragonite's flight path and gradually made Dragonite's movements harder to predict.
Natsui quickly realized that long-range pressure alone would not be enough, so he changed his approach. He had Dragonite close the distance and force the battle into close combat.
Unexpectedly, this Alakazam was also highly dangerous at close range.
Most Psychic-type Pokémon preferred to keep their distance, attack, and reposition.
So at first glance, people naturally assumed Alakazam would struggle once someone got in close. Its body did not look built for direct combat.
But just when Dragonite moved in to finish the exchange, Alakazam suddenly struck with Focus Punch and blasted Dragonite backward.
Natsui was caught off guard, and even May in the stands was stunned.
That was not what most people expected from an Alakazam.
An ordinary Trainer might have panicked at that moment. After working so hard to get into close range, being hit by a move like that could completely ruin the flow of a battle.
But against a top Trainer, one surprise was not enough to decide the match.
Natsui and Dragonite were only startled for a moment.
Dragonite quickly regained control of the pace because, in true close combat, its natural fighting ability was still far above Alakazam's. Alakazam might have known how to fight at short range, but its body still was not meant to trade blows with Dragonite.
On top of that, Focus Punch was a Fighting-type move, and Dragonite's Flying type reduced the damage.
Alakazam tried to stay in the match with Recover and kept resisting for a while, but in the end, Dragonite finished it with Thunder Punch.
"Alakazam is unable to battle. The winner of the first round is the challenger Natsui's Dragonite!"
Anabel lowered her gaze slightly after the loss.
She replayed the battle in her mind.
She had not made any major mistakes. Alakazam had performed very well. She had even used that special mental connection to fight at full efficiency. But she had still lost in a straightforward battle.
That could only mean one thing.
Natsui's Dragonite was simply stronger.
As a Frontier Brain, Anabel understood that kind of result immediately.
She had not expected someone to defeat one of her main Pokémon so cleanly.
He really was strong. It had been a long time since she had faced someone who made her feel this pressured.
Just who was he?
Anabel looked at Natsui again. He seemed strangely familiar, but she could not remember where she might have seen him before.
Since she lived so far from the cities and rarely met people, she thought hard for a moment but still could not place him.
That only made her more confused.
She felt like she should remember someone this strong.
But there was no time to dwell on it during a battle.
Anabel recalled Alakazam and took out her second Poké Ball.
Her second Pokémon was Metagross.
Natsui thought for a moment, then recalled Dragonite even though it was still in good shape. He chose to send out his own Metagross.
His Metagross was not as strong as some of his other main Pokémon yet, but that was exactly why he wanted to use it here. He wanted to see how it would perform against the Metagross of a top Trainer like Anabel.
Anabel was slightly surprised when she saw another Metagross appear.
"So you have a Metagross too." She studied it for a moment and then nodded. "I can tell yours is well raised. The metal on its body is in excellent condition."
Natsui thanked her for the compliment.
Both Pokémon took their positions.
The referee raised his hand, and the second battle began.
Since both sides had chosen the same species, and since their moves were likely to overlap, the outcome would depend even more heavily on timing, execution, and the decisions made by the Trainers.
Anabel appreciated how well Natsui had raised his Metagross. At the same time, Natsui could tell that Anabel's Metagross was one of her true main Pokémon. His own Metagross was not on Dragonite's level yet, and Anabel still had that silent command style that made her reactions especially dangerous.
So Natsui focused even more carefully.
He knew he was in a bad matchup in terms of overall polish, but that was exactly why this was worth testing.
The two Metagross moved almost at the same time and attacked together.
Both unleashed Psychic, and the two forces collided in the center of the field before exploding apart.
There was no smoke, only a violent burst of sparks and pressure.
The battle continued immediately through those flashing sparks.
This time, their actions split because of the Trainers behind them.
Anabel's Metagross rushed forward at high speed. Natsui understood right away that, like Alakazam, it was also strong at close range.
His own Metagross was not specialized for direct brawling yet, but it was still a proud and powerful Pokémon. It would not shrink back from a head-on clash.
What mattered now was the order Natsui chose.
He stayed calm and did not rush into the exchange. Instead, he had his Metagross use Iron Defense first.
At nearly the same moment, Anabel's Metagross closed the distance and slammed forward with Meteor Mash.
This was where Anabel's silent link with her Pokémon became so dangerous.
She could send an order instantly without saying a single word, which meant the timing of her commands was extremely fast.
But that same speed had a weakness.
Once the order had already been sent and the Pokémon had committed to the attack, there was no easy way to stop or correct it at the last second.
Anabel had committed to Meteor Mash. So when she saw Natsui's Metagross harden itself with Iron Defense, she was genuinely surprised.
How had he seen that coming?
And who opened with Iron Defense before even confirming what the opponent was about to do?
Still, the attack had already been launched.
A heavy crash rang through the hall as Anabel's Metagross struck Natsui's Metagross head-on.
The blow was powerful, but Iron Defense had already reinforced Natsui's Metagross enough to absorb most of the damage.
"Great!"
May shouted from the stands.
Natsui's decision had been brilliant.
He had read Anabel correctly.
Without stopping for even a second, Natsui had his Metagross counterattack with Psychic and blast Anabel's Metagross backward.
Anabel's Metagross had already been put on the defensive from the very start.
But it reacted quickly and retreated just enough to avoid being trapped in a worse exchange.
Only after seeing that distance open up did Anabel finally feel a little relief.
The first round had already shown her that Natsui's Pokémon were strong. This second round was showing her something else.
Natsui himself might be even more dangerous than his Pokémon.
He was simply too strong.
Only then did Natsui let out a quiet breath.
That opening Iron Defense really had been a gamble.
If he had guessed wrong, it still would not have been disastrous. Anabel's Metagross was going to attack eventually. But he would have lost the initiative instead of gaining it.
So yes, he admitted it.
He had been gambling.
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