This kind of self-satisfied, "look-how-cool-I-am" behavior looked nothing but idiotic to Kael. He had never been a Trainer—at least, not a proper one. He was a bounty hunter. In his book, as long as you won and completed the job, any method was fair game.
Throwing out a Pokémon on your own initiative without the referee even confirming the start of the match? That was either deliberately provoking trouble—or a sign your brain wasn't working.
In Gym battles, Gym Trainers were required by the rules to send out their Pokémon first, giving challengers a chance to counter with a Pokémon of a favorable type. Gym Leaders were usually stronger than challengers, but the purpose of League Gyms was never simply to defeat people. Their real responsibility was to assess a challenger's potential, holding back to varying degrees as needed.
Unlike his opponent's exaggerated showmanship, Kael remained calm. He casually removed a miniature Poké Ball from his belt and pressed the button. The ball instantly expanded from ping-pong–ball size to the size of an apple.
"Come on out, Sneasel. Stretch your legs."
A red flash burst from the yellow-and-black Ultra Ball. When it hit the ground, it rapidly took shape into a sleek black figure—lean, streamlined, and bristling with aggression, its twin claws long and razor-sharp.
"Snea—sel—!"
Facing an opponent far larger than itself, Sneasel showed not the slightest hesitation or fear. Instead, it wiped its nose and made its signature throat-slitting taunt.
Seeing Kael send out Sneasel, the burly man Iwayama secretly let out a sigh of relief. He immediately sneered loudly, "Kid, are you joking with that runt? My Rhydon will smash it to pieces in three moves!"
How did an idiot like this even survive to adulthood? To Kael, the taunts were nothing but clownish noise. Judging a Pokémon's strength by size alone—was that how this guy supposedly made it into the top eight of the Indigo League? By running his mouth?
Rhydon, with its Ground- and Rock-type attributes and thick armor plating, did indeed boast frightening defensive power. A normal Sneasel might have struggled. But Kael's Sneasel had already learned Ice Punch and Brick Break—both dealing double damage to Rhydon's types.
"Kid, since we've got a beauty refereeing today, I'll let you make the first move," Iwayama declared, arms crossed, striking what he clearly believed was a gentlemanly pose, confidence written all over his face.
Hearing that, Kael's lips curled into a faint smile.
"If you're looking for death," he said lightly, "don't blame me."
"Sneasel—Swords Dance!"
"Snea!"
Sneasel responded sharply. Crossing its claws over its chest, it began spinning in place like a ballet dancer. Seconds later, the dance came to an end. Its blood-red eyes gleamed with a terrifying intensity, fur standing on end—after Swords Dance, Sneasel's condition had reached a near-peak state.
Through repeated data comparisons and research pulled from official databases, Kael knew that each use of Swords Dance boosted a Pokémon's physical attack by roughly two stages—about a 20% increase. The move rapidly stimulated muscle tissue, dramatically amplifying raw physical power.
Research records showed that the number of times Swords Dance could be used depended on a Pokémon's physical constitution. Most could manage once or twice; exceptionally powerful specimens could theoretically reach the limit of three times.
Because Swords Dance placed heavy strain on muscle tissue, Pokémon with weak physiques—such as Psychic-types—or those without physical bodies, like Ghost-types, simply couldn't learn it.
At this moment, Iwayama finally felt a trace of threat emanating from the cat-sized Pokémon before him. But words spoken couldn't be taken back, and water already splashed couldn't be gathered up again. With so many people—and especially a beauty—watching, he had no choice but to go through with it.
"Ice Punch!"
"Snea!"
Sneasel locked onto the slightly restless Rhydon. The instant Kael gave the command, it vanished in a flash—moving at a speed the naked eye couldn't track. In a heartbeat, it appeared beneath Rhydon's abdomen, its frost-wreathed fist driving upward in a brutal uppercut.
Rhydon felt a chill in its belly—then an explosion of icy pain. Its massive body staggered backward several steps before crashing heavily onto the rocky battlefield.
Ice countered Ground for double damage. On top of that, its Trainer had been an absolute fool—handing over the initiative without understanding the gap in strength. After Swords Dance, Sneasel's already excellent physical attack had reached terrifying levels. Accelerated by Quick Attack, that single Ice Punch was more than enough to instantly finish a mid-to-high–tier Rhydon.
"The match is over! The winner is Kael from Viridian City!"
Violet, delighted to see the handsome Trainer she favored take the win, immediately announced the result.
Iwayama stood there in disbelief, eyes bulging like copper bells, mouth hanging open—unable to close it for a long time.