The Pokémon journey begins in Galar

"Sisi, Hypnosis!"

"Ralts!"

The moment Marie saw the Gloom tumble across the field, she gave her next command. Though Sisi had been grazed by Acid Spray, she was still in better shape than the dizzy Gloom.

Thanks to their training over the past ten-plus days, Sisi reacted instantly.

Teleport plus Hypnosis.

This combo they'd drilled over and over finally paid off today, delivering its intended result in a real match for the first time.

"Acid Spray again!" Milo shouted.

His command came just as quickly, but Gloom hesitated just one beat behind. That delay shifted the momentum.

Sisi teleported into midair. As soon as her psychic energy locked onto her opponent, she didn't hesitate her mind reached out, weaving a wave of drowsy suggestion.

"Nya…"

Gloom, who had just rolled a good ten meters across the ground, had barely gotten to its feet when it felt a wave of sleepiness wash over it again and again.

"Raaalts~"

"Your Ralts has some real skill," Milo commented as he scratched his head. Then he withdrew the dozing Gloom with a tap of his Poké Ball and threw out another.

"Switch."

Marie's jaw tightened when Flapple landed on the field.

She'd been hoping for another pure Grass-type. She had mentally prepared for the possibility of a switch like this, but actually seeing it made her want to sigh.

This Flapple clearly wasn't just any Pokémon it looked like the kind that could hold its own even in the final elimination rounds. Maybe not Milo's ace, but definitely second string.

"…Then I'll switch too."

She didn't have much of a choice. Keeping Sisi in would only mean a one-sided beatdown.

She returned Sisi to her ball and tossed another.

With a flash of light, the massive frame of Dragapult Barro landed on the field.

In terms of stats, Barro had a clear advantage over Flapple. Both were Dragon-types, meaning mutual super-effective hits. Their defenses were comparable, but Barro's speed was significantly higher.

"Raaaargh! Finally, it's my turn!"

Barro roared upon entering the field, clearly fired up and eager.

Milo adjusted the brim of his hat and called out boldly, "Dragon Pulse!"

"Phantom Force, dodge it!"

Marie flinched at the sudden aggression. She had considered Leech Seed or even Iron Defense as the opening move, but a direct attack? That caught her off guard.

Still, she had no intention of trading blows. Instead, she had Barro disappear into the shadows.

"Iron Defense."

Flapple wasn't about to let the opportunity go to waste. The move was executed instantly, a clear sign it had been well-drilled. There was no room for Dragapult or Marie to respond. This was one of Flapple's polished signature moves.

It highlighted the gap between her Pokémon and the Gym Leader's. Barro was a little better, but Eevee's proficiency with its techniques lagged significantly behind these seasoned contenders.

Marie remained silent.

She continued to leave Barro's timing up to him. Giving an instruction now would only alert the opponent and let them regain control.

Whoosh.

Barro didn't disappoint.

He burst from another dimension and darted at Flapple like a bullet. Before the dragon-apple could react, Barro slammed into it with tremendous force, launching it into the air.

"Dragon Pulse! Keep the pressure on!"

Marie gave the order quickly. She wanted to leverage Barro's speed advantage to the fullest. With Flapple's boosted defenses, physical attacks wouldn't do much now. The earlier Phantom Force had proven that clearly enough.

"Dragon Pulse, fire back!"

"Raaaargh! Go down already!"

"Screee! Not happening!!"

Boom! Boom!

Flapple wasn't going to let itself get smacked around like a ball. Milo understood that too. When you had a Pokémon this size, you had to use that advantage. If they tried to shield against Barro's next Dragon Pulse with a basic move like Protect, it would only knock Flapple further back and give Dragapult more control.

The two Dragon Pulses collided in midair, erupting into a massive shockwave that rippled across the stadium. Marie instinctively raised her arm to shield herself then quickly stopped.

She couldn't afford to block her own line of sight at a moment like this.

Milo's timing was precise. Even though the backlash from the energy clash was intense, it was still far better than taking a direct hit.

"Quick Attack! Keep up the pressure!"

Marie abandoned long-range attacks altogether. If they weren't going to land, then she had to go all in. The only way to win was to completely disrupt the opponent's tempo.

Milo understood what she was aiming for. With Dragapult's unmatched speed, Marie didn't need to play tricks.

Flapple simply couldn't keep up. That much was obvious. In terms of training and raw stats, the two Pokémon were close but not when it came to speed. It was Dragapult's trump card.

Still, Milo wasn't out of options. As his hat was blown off by the shockwave, he ignored it and shouted at the same time as Marie:

"Meteor Shower!"

"Skreeee! Got it!"

Even before it landed, Flapple understood its trainer's plan. Take the hit, and then fire back with everything it had!

The wind didn't faze Barro. He had already caught on to Marie's intent. The moment she spoke, he launched forward, wrapped in streaks of white light, vanishing once again.

"Raaaargh! Don't think that's all I've got!"

As he closed in, Barro raised a claw already glowing with condensed Dragon energy and slashed hard at the still-airborne Flapple.

Flapple tilted its head back, eyes that were usually half-lidded snapping wide open. It locked onto Barro's face with a fierce glare as Dragon energy exploded around its body.

"Screeeee! Right back at you!"

Rip!

Barro's Dragon Claw landed, slamming Flapple to the ground and pinning it into the dirt as it skidded across the field. But despite the blow, Flapple's face twisted into a grimace of defiance. Even as it lay beneath Dragapult, its eyes turned upward.

It didn't just see Dragapult.

It saw the sky above.

The meteors were already falling.

A storm of glowing, energy-laced meteors rained down with terrifying speed. The whole exchange had happened so fast that Marie hadn't even had time to call for a proper response.

"Dodge! Now!"

The Meteor Shower crashed toward the arena with a roar. Marie wasn't even sure if Barro had heard her. All she could do was watch helplessly as the sky came down.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The explosions ripped through the battlefield like thunder, unleashing shockwaves far stronger than anything seen before. The impact kicked up a blinding cloud of dust and smoke, filled with chaotic streams of energy.

The force even activated the protective barrier on Marie's Dynamax band. A flash of violet-red light sprang up, shielding her from the fallout and the suffocating cloud of smoke.

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