Sharpedo had the upper hand!
Within the ring of Surf, Poliwrath couldn't locate Sharpedo's position at all! But Sharpedo was relentlessly unleashing its tormenting Snarl.
And with Snarl's side effect of lowering Special Defense, Poliwrath -already weak in that stat- was now pushed to its absolute limit.
Even though it resisted Dark-type moves, at this point, it probably wished it could just cut off its own ears…
"Poliwrath, retract the Surf! Speed up the current to trap Sharpedo!"
At the critical moment, Dominic didn't sit still. Instead, he ordered Poliwrath to reverse and pull the water currents inward.
The flow of Surf quickly began to accelerate, forming a dense barrier. Far harder to pierce than before.
As Sharpedo's movement range rapidly shrank, Sato was already thinking fast.
"Sharpedo, Aqua Jet, get out of there!"
{Move down, Zen Headbutt.}
Sato called out a smokescreen with his spoken command while transmitting the real tactic to Sharpedo via synchronized resonance.
Time to put on a performance!
Sharpedo's near-invisible form suddenly trailed a line of foamy bubbles behind it; typical of Aqua Jet's effect.
But just before it collided with the ring-shaped Surf, Sharpedo suddenly changed direction, using the reverse air current generated by Surf to accelerate toward Poliwrath.
Move: Zen Headbutt!
Compared to Sharpedo, Poliwrath looked like a ninety-year-old grandpa in terms of speed. It saw the attack coming… but its body just couldn't react in time.
BOOM!
A thunderous sound erupted as the ring of Surf collapsed instantly. In its center, Sharpedo tore out as a blue blur.
As the water completely dissipated, Poliwrath lay flat on its back. A visible impact mark stood out on its pale belly.
"Poliwrath has lost the ability to battle. Trainer Dominic, please send out your next Pokémon!" the referee declared in his usual formal tone, though he couldn't help but glance up at the airborne Sharpedo.
What a fast shark!
"YAY YAY YAY! Idol, that was amazing! Sharpedo is insane~ THAT SPEED IS UNREAL!"
Satoru Rei cheered without restraint. Though his vocabulary wasn't the most refined, Sato found the praise surprisingly satisfying.
After all, that kind of enthusiasm felt more genuine, didn't it?
"Your Sharpedo is impressive, but my next one won't be so easy. Be careful."
Dominic didn't seem particularly shaken by the loss of his first Pokémon, he even gave Sato a friendly warning.
Then, accompanied by the blue light of a Poké Ball, a round, purple Pokémon appeared on the field.
High Elite Four level, Flying/Ghost type… Drifblim!
Seeing Drifblim bobbing smoothly in the air, Sato frowned slightly. A possibility crept into his mind.
"Battle, continue!"
"Sharpedo, Night Slash."
'Whatever it was, best to probe first…' Sato thought.
Just as he finished speaking, Sharpedo had already zipped to Drifblim's side, jaws wide, biting down hard on one of its tendrils.
Yet Drifblim showed no special reaction. Sharpedo's Night Slash had completely missed.
"Microburst!"
Without hesitation, Sato immediately recognized the technique Drifblim had used.
"Good eye. But that's not all!" Dominic smiled and snapped his fingers.
The next second, blue flames suddenly flared up across Sharpedo's body, making it cry out in pain.
Burned!
When did that happen?
"My Drifblim is a little special. Its mastery of Fire-type moves is even better than most Fire-types. What it excels at most is triggering flames from afar."
Dominic explained casually, clearly full of confidence in the battle.
Sato tugged at the corner of his mouth, scoffing at the claim of "triggering flames from afar."
If his observation was correct, this Drifblim had the Aftermath Ability and was extremely proficient in Will-O-Wisp. With both complementing each other, it could instantly inflict Burned status on Sharpedo.
More importantly, using the attacker's own microbursts as cover to evade attacks was the perfect counter for a Pokémon like Sharpedo: blazingly fast but lacking close-range maneuverability.
"Sharpedo, Snarl."
Sato wasn't convinced yet and wanted to try again.
But Drifblim began spinning on its own within the air currents produced by Sharpedo's Snarl.
Even sound waves could be deflected?
This Drifblim's control of microbursts had clearly reached a masterful level.
The next moment, blue fire ignited again on Sharpedo's body. The Burned's damage was escalating rapidly.
"Gym Leader Sato, you might want to switch Pokémon. At this rate, Sharpedo won't hold out."
Dominic offered the advice "kindly". Though there was no mockery in his tone, his posture still carried the air of a superior lecturing a junior.
Sato said nothing. He glanced at the still-struggling Sharpedo, and without hesitation, pulled the Key Stone from around his neck.
"Sharpedo…"
"S-Shaaa!"
"Mega Evolution!"
The colorful light of Mega Evolution shimmered brightly, enveloping both Sato and Sharpedo as if they were channeling their energy into each other.
When the evolution glow faded, Sharpedo had returned, now covered in jagged blades and radiating a savage aura.
"SHAAAAAR!"
Mega Sharpedo roared skyward. When it turned its gaze back toward Drifblim, its eyes were filled with mockery.
Let's see if you can still dodge now.
"Sharpedo, Crunch!"
"Shar!"
A flash of silvery-blue light streaked forward. Mega Sharpedo, with extreme cutting force, slashed viciously toward Drifblim.
Drifblim tried to slide away as usual, but Sharpedo's extended blades created almost no microburst s at all.
And without microbursts, Drifblim couldn't keep dodging!
Ssshhhkk…!
A silver flash cut straight across. Sharpedo's slicing Crunch tore directly through Drifblim's body.
Eerie ghostly wind poured from Drifblim's wounds, and the moment it touched the air…
It ignited.
...BOOOOOOM!
A powerful explosion erupted. Drifblim, with its Aftermath Ability, had been sliced to detonation by Sharpedo!
"D-DRIFBLIM!"
The battle had flipped so fast. Just a moment ago, Dominic had been full of confidence, and now he was red in the face. More worried about Drifblim's condition than anything else.
When was the last time Drifblim had taken a hit that devastating?
Probably not since reaching Ace level.
This boy in front of him… his decisiveness was brutal. Detonating Drifblim like that… 'Sharpedo must have also-'
Fwooooshhhh…~
Through the smoke, Mega Sharpedo burst forth, leading the charge. Aside from a bit of charred skin, it seemed almost untouched by the explosion.
Dominic: ...
Sharpedo: As long as I'm fast enough, the explosion can't catch me!