"This... how is this possible?!"
Nessa couldn't believe what she was seeing.
A Ghost-type Mimikyu using a Grass-type move so effortlessly? And not just any move, but Giga Drain, one that saps an opponent's strength to heal itself.
The earlier Work Up to boost its attacks, followed by Baby-Doll Eyes to weaken Drednaw's power... it was all part of a setup leading to this moment.
Watching Drednaw grow weaker and slower, Nessa knew it couldn't fight anymore.
"I lost right from the start." Her voice was filled with unwillingness, but she still withdrew Drednaw into its Poké Ball and reached for her next one. "Come on out, Toxapex!"
As a beam of red light recalled Drednaw, Mimikyu landed lightly on the ground, its crooked, broken head tilting like a puppet with broken strings.
"Sigh... This is what's so nasty about Allister's Mimikyu," Marvin sighed, scratching his head.
He had no idea how to deal with this thing either.
A Pokémon with the Disguise ability, granting it immunity to the first hit, combined with an absurdly wide range of moves. On top of that, Mimikyu was quick and packed a solid punch.
"It's practically an all-around fighter... how did he even train it like this?" Marvin tugged his hair in frustration, completely at a loss.
"Relentless training, combined with mastering as many moves as possible," Shiro murmured, his thoughts drifting to the ways Pokémon learn moves.
Aside from the moves a Pokémon learns naturally, the best way to expand their arsenal is through TMs—Technical Machines.
But he wasn't sure if Galar had the right ones. He decided to ask the staff after the match. If they did, then his Corvisquire, limited by its poor inherited movepool, could finally broaden its range of attacks.
Back on the battlefield, Nessa's newly-released Toxapex settled on one side of the arena, facing Mimikyu.
Toxapex resembled a spiked, dome-shaped tent, its tentacles curled inward protectively. It raised two front limbs, revealing its true form: a small, purple body with sharp teeth and yellow eyes, peeking out to observe the battlefield.
Inside its body were powerful poison sacs, capable of producing toxins strong enough to incapacitate most opponents.
This was Nessa's last Advanced-level Pokémon. If it couldn't defeat Mimikyu... she'd have no choice but to admit defeat.
Taking a breath to calm herself, Nessa commanded. "Toxapex! Use Acid Spray!"
Toxapex raised its tentacles high. The spikes at their tips glowed purple as toxic sludge began to form, condensing into a fist-sized blob.
The poison shot forward like a bullet.
But Mimikyu was too fast. It weaved through the air with ease, dodging every incoming glob of poison like they were moving in slow motion.
Allister's voice rang out again, unhurried and calm.
"Mimikyu, Giga Drain!"
The words barely left his mouth before Mimikyu lunged forward, green light bursting to life around its small, tattered form.
It streaked across the battlefield, heading straight for Toxapex like a tiny, glowing missile.
Seeing this, Nessa shouted, her timing razor-sharp.
"Toxapex! Poison Jab!"
Toxapex's tentacles glowed an intense purple. It lashed out just as Mimikyu came close, both tentacles striking its opponent hard.
The attack landed.
Mimikyu staggered, its body twitching as purple poison began to seep through its cloth, spreading a toxic glow. It was poisoned.
Even so, it didn't stop.
It pushed through the pain, the green light of Giga Drain still shining as it latched onto Toxapex, beginning to steal its energy.
Nessa's eyes narrowed. "Toxapex! Keep hitting it with Poison Jab!"
"Toxapeeex!"
Toxapex's poison-filled tentacles lashed out again, landing another Poison Jab on the already badly poisoned Mimikyu.
"Mimi…!"
Mimikyu let out a pained, high-pitched cry. Its cloth-like body collapsed, deflating like a puppet with cut strings. The ghostly form within shrank back, trembling in agony.
This Poison Jab hit far harder than the last one—it seemed to strike a critical point!
"What the heck just happened?" Marvin blurted from the sidelines, completely baffled. He turned to Shiro for answers.
Shiro paused, thinking it over before his eyes lit up in realization.
"It's probably Toxapex's Ability."
"Ability?" Marvin looked even more confused. He wasn't a Poison or Water-type specialist, so he had no clue about Toxapex's abilities or move set. In fact, he barely recognized the Pokémon at all.
Shiro explained calmly, "It's Merciless. When a Pokémon with this ability attacks a poisoned target, every hit is a critical hit."
"Every hit's a crit?!" Marvin gasped. "That's insane!"
"Only if the opponent's poisoned," Shiro reminded him.
Their conversation wasn't exactly quiet. Allister glanced their way, as he picked up on the explanation.
Meanwhile, from the referee's seat, Granny Shae smiled, her sharp eyes turning toward Shiro.
"Well now… he even knows about a rare Pokémon like Toxapex, and its ability too," she murmured to herself. The more she watched Shiro, the more he seemed like a seasoned trainer far beyond his years.
She found herself wondering where a boy like him had picked up such knowledge.
As she pondered, her gaze drifted back to the battlefield. Allister had already recalled his Mimikyu. Without wasting a second, he tossed his next Poké Ball forward.
"Come on out, Dusclops!"
A flash of light erupted, and Dusclops emerged onto the field.
Its entire body was wrapped in faded, gray bandages. It had large, five-fingered hands and ghostly, tattered ribbons draping from its body and head. Its single, oversized red eye stared out from the wrappings, glowing with a sinister light.
But more than its appearance, the pressure it exuded was overwhelming—even stronger than Mimikyu's.
"It feels like it's on the verge of reaching Gym level…" Nessa muttered to herself, her heart sinking.
Allister's strength was beyond anything she had anticipated. That Mimikyu might have been nothing more than a test. Her strongest Pokémon, Drednaw, had already been defeated at the start.
Now, Toxapex was her only remaining Advanced-level Pokémon that could battle effectively on land.
Her other Pokémon, Goldeen and Arrokuda, relied on water terrain to fight at full power. But this wasn't an official match, nor a seaside battle; she had no natural water source to use.
Her mind raced. If Toxapex fell, this match would be as good as over.
Gritting her teeth, Nessa took the lead. "Toxapex! Set up Toxic Spikes!"
Toxapex lifted its spiked limbs, scattering a hail of purple, toxic needles across the battlefield. The sharp spikes rained down like poison-tipped arrows, creating a deadly trap for any Pokémon that touched the ground.
Dusclops floated backward, narrowly avoiding the falling spikes.
Allister didn't flinch. His voice was as calm as ever.
"Dusclops, Shadow Sneak!"
Dusclops melted into the ground, becoming a distorted, slithering shadow. It twisted and slipped between the Toxic Spikes, darting toward Toxapex with alarming speed.
Nessa reacted quickly. "Toxapex! Poison Sting!"
Toxapex's spikes glowed a deep purple, launching a flurry of venomous needles toward the incoming shadow.
Even if Dusclops avoided the physical spikes, the Toxic Spikes' energy coated the field. Nessa was certain it had already been poisoned, and with Toxapex's Merciless ability, any attack against a poisoned target would land a guaranteed critical hit.
If she could just land this strike… she might still turn the battle around.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Your support means a lot, thank you!