"The Psyduck from before probably had a nimble body, but due to exhaustion, Rhydon's Take Down was able to land."
"But Kangaskhan is different. Its body is huge, the target too large. Even if it has decent speed, dodging attacks is nearly impossible."
Giselle quickly analyzed the situation in her heart before barking a sharp order:"Rhydon, Take Down!"
Even before her command, Rhydon had been pawing at the ground with its massive feet, already itching to charge.
The instant Giselle gave the order, it surged forward like a boulder rolling downhill, aiming straight for Kangaskhan.
"Kangaskhan, hold it back!" Yozora shouted.
"Hold it back? Impossible!"
Giselle froze for half a second at the order before sneering coldly.
Boom!
A thunderous crash rang out.
Rhydon smashed headlong into Kangaskhan's chest, forcing the larger Pokémon to stumble backward under the sheer force.
Yozora's Kangaskhan was at a high Senior level. Its strength exceeded its rank, and its defenses were also far sturdier than the average Pokémon of that tier.
But it was still not quite at the peak of the Senior level.
As a result, Rhydon's Take Down inflicted heavy damage. Cold sweat trickled down Kangaskhan's forehead as it gritted its teeth.
Yet after retreating several steps under the impact, Kangaskhan finally planted its feet and held its ground. It didn't fall.
"Tch."
Seeing Kangaskhan withstand the blow, Giselle snorted. In her mind, even if it was still standing, the beast was nothing but a spent arrow.
Little did she know, this was exactly Yozora's strategy.
Unlike Charmander or Psyduck, Kangaskhan had virtually no ranged attacks.
The only one it did have—Hyper Beam—was too slow and taxing to use effectively at its current level. Just charging the move would take several seconds. Practically useless.
So Kangaskhan could only fight up close.
Against the overwhelming power of Rhydon, dodging was not an option. It had to grit its teeth and take the hit—then strike back twice as hard.
"Now, Kangaskhan—Dynamic Punch!" Yozora roared.
With a fierce bellow, Kangaskhan's fist shot forward, slamming square into Rhydon's face.
The sheer force of the blow, well beyond its level, sent Rhydon reeling with a scream. Its massive claws gouged trenches into the dirt as it skidded backward.
"What?!" Giselle's eyes widened.
Her Rhydon was at the peak of the Senior level, raised meticulously since it was young. Unlike the hastily trained Pokémon she had used earlier, this Rhydon had solid foundations.
It wasn't just powerful in offense—it was a fortress in defense as well.
Yet Yozora's Kangaskhan, clearly lower-leveled, had heavily injured it with a single punch. That was unthinkable.
"Damn it… that Kangaskhan's talent is monstrous! Its strength exceeds its rank… Curse you, Yozora! Just a commoner, yet you somehow have all these rare Pokémon no one else can obtain!"
Her jealousy burned as she glared at Yozora. Then, with a sharp shout:"Rhydon, use Earthquake!"
Rhydon roared, gathering its remaining strength, then leapt high into the air.
When it crashed down, the shockwave would shake the battlefield to its core.
Yozora's eyes narrowed. "Kangaskhan, leap up to evade—and Stomp!"
Rhydon slammed down, splitting the earth with a thunderous quake.
But Kangaskhan had already sprung into the air, neatly dodging. Its massive foot came crashing down toward Rhydon.
"You arrogant fool!" Giselle snarled. "Rhydon, meet it head-on! Pierce it with your horn!"
Rhydon raised its massive steel horn, bracing itself.
If Kangaskhan stomped now, the outcome would surely be mutual destruction.
"Kangaskhan, avoid the point!" Yozora commanded, unwilling to see his partner gravely wounded.
Boom!
The impact kicked up clouds of dust, shrouding the battlefield in smoke.
When the haze cleared, Kangaskhan and Rhydon were locked in a raw contest of strength, grappling chest-to-chest.
Rhydon had even lifted itself onto its hind legs, pressing both arms against Kangaskhan.
"Push it back, Rhydon!" Giselle cried, confidence burning in her voice.
But Yozora was calmer—because he had even greater faith in Kangaskhan's strength.
"Kangaskhan, lift it up—and throw it!"
"What?!" Giselle's jaw dropped.
The students watching gasped as well. That was impossible!
Everyone knew how well Rhydon had been raised. Its physique far surpassed the average for its species.
Its body weight alone exceeded 180 kilograms. Nearly 200!
And most of the students had seen it measured themselves. There was no way it could be lifted.
Or so they thought.
To their shock, Kangaskhan seized Rhydon by the arms, lifted it high into the air with terrifying ease—and hurled it across the battlefield.
Boom!
Rhydon slammed into the ground, carving a crater into the once-flat arena floor.
"Rhydon!" Giselle's heart lurched painfully as she cried out.
Hearing her voice, Rhydon staggered back to its feet, its body swaying under the effort.
But its strength was spent.
Before it could steady itself, its body collapsed heavily into the dirt, raising another cloud of dust.
"Ah, what a shame!"
"Incredible! That Kangaskhan's raw power is terrifying!"
"This is bad for Miss Giselle. She's down to her last Pokémon, while Yozora has only lost Psyduck. He still has five left, including Kangaskhan and Charmander!"
The students' chatter filled the air. The battle had swung completely out of Giselle's favor.
And yet—her face remained calm.
She recalled Rhydon with a flash of red light, then swiftly enlarged another Poké Ball.
Not just any ball—a Luxury Ball.
Even Rhydon's Poké Ball had only been an Ultra Ball. That alone showed how much she valued the Pokémon inside.
"Go! I'm counting on you—Persian!"
Her final Pokémon appeared.
Unlike the ones before, this Persian was dazzling, its elegant presence surpassing even Rhydon's.
[Pokémon]: Persian
[Type]: Normal
[Level]: Peak Senior
[Potential]: Champion
[Description]: A gifted Persian with multiple powerful inherited moves.
…
(End of Chapter)