Jumpluff looked utterly miserable. Black scorch marks covered her body, and steam still rose from her cotton tufts.
Luther carefully had Marill use Water Gun to dampen Jumpluff before gently wiping her down.
"Does it hurt?"
He watched Jumpluff closely. She shook her head sharply.
"Really doesn't hurt?"
Luther pressed his hand a little harder on her body on purpose. Jumpluff instantly winced and bared her teeth.
Seeing her reaction, Luther smirked knowingly and raised a hand to shield his face. Jumpluff tried to pounce on him, but her sneak attack failed. Luther took the chance to grab her and begin applying healing spray.
"If you keep wriggling, the spray might get in your eyes or mouth. Then, you won't be able to watch the battle. Think about that."
That jab hit Jumpluff's weak spot. She went limp in his arms and let him handle her.
Hakuya hadn't rushed them. During the break, he checked on Kangaskhan's condition. Then, notebook in hand, he approached Luther with curiosity.
The most important thing to him was when the Poison Powder had been released.
"If it's part of a special training method unique to you, I won't pry further."
Finally, Luther understood why Hakuya had given him such a favorable impression.
He always considered every angle, anticipating your needs and avoiding putting you in an awkward position. He was the kind of person who avoided making situations uncomfortable.
Cradling Jumpluff, Luther pointed at the largest cotton ball atop her head.
"Through training, Jumpluff and I discovered that not all of the powder from her moves disperses. A small amount clings to her cotton."
"Each time she uses a powder move, Jumpluff shakes herself to fling off the leftovers so they won't accidentally fall on her and backfire. That made me wonder, couldn't this be used in battle somehow?"
"Then I thought that if Jumpluff pretended to be weakened and staggering, she would naturally accumulate more damage during the fight and lose effectiveness later on. So, she needed a way to strike back hard and turn the tables in a pinch. That's how the scene you just saw came about."
"The Poison Powder was the residue stuck to her cotton. She gathered some before diving into the smoke and scattered it into your Kangaskhan's face with a body slam."
When Hakuya's face lit up with sudden understanding, Luther chuckled. He hadn't mentioned that if Kangaskhan hadn't grabbed Jumpluff and threatened her with a Fire Punch, he had planned to throw in one more Parting Shot.
His backpack was stocked with berry-based stamina drinks for support specialists like Jumpluff and Chansey.
Hakuya returned to his battle position and recalled Kangaskhan.
Luther's relaxed expression hardened again.
Although he had forced Hakuya to switch with status conditions, his four Pokémon were essentially unharmed.
In the wild, Jumpluff could inflict statuses while wearing down an opponent's main fighters.
But Hakuya clearly understood his advantage. After accelerating the pace to seize momentum, he swapped decisively, denying Luther the chance to capitalize on status ailments.
Using the harmonica in sync with his Pokémon, he and his team seemed perfectly in tune, their hearts beating as one.
With solid all-around strength, his Normal-types could cover a wide range of matchups.
It's no wonder Cynthia, Bertha, the entire Elite Four, and the core Gym Leaders all held Hakuya in such high regard, he was truly powerful.
Luther didn't feel the same crushing pressure from Hakuya as he did when training against Gardenia's Exeggutor. Hakuya's oppressive aura didn't come from his Pokémon themselves.
It came from how he steadily seized control of the battle's rhythm, gradually shutting down every path to victory. That was Hakuya's suffocating presence.
Of all the trainers Luther had seen so far, only Cynthia commanded battle rhythm better than Hakuya.
He was the kind of trainer who knew exactly what to do at every moment: when to seize an advantage and consolidate it immediately; when to remain steady; and when to shift tactics, break rhythm, and gradually erode the opponent's edge when facing a disadvantage.
His battles might not look flashy, but anyone reviewing them would be impressed.
"Bertha, Cynthia . . . is this what you wanted me to learn?" Luther pressed Espurr's Poké Ball against his forehead. "But then, why didn't you give him a chance?"
"For a trainer who's worked this hard, what's so wrong with showing a little leniency? Recognizing him as a core Gym Leader wouldn't be an overreach. He deserves the title."
The battle reset to the same matchup as at the start, Espurr once again faced Ursaring.
The effects of Leech Seed were still active, drawing pure energy into Espurr and draining Ursaring's stamina.
Guided by Hakuya, Ursaring unleashed a Swords Dance. He clearly had no intention of dragging this out. If he could take down Espurr quickly, the drain from Leech Seed could be ignored.
Espurr opened with Reflect once more; Luther was still playing it safe.
However, Hakuya's smile gave Luther a sudden, sinking feeling.
Ursaring stomped down hard on the ground. The impact was immense, yet it did nothing to Espurr.
She effortlessly kept herself aloft with her psychic power. For her, that tiny expenditure of energy was negligible.
There was no way Hakuya didn't understand that. So, what was the real intent behind using Stomping Tantrum?
From the sidelines, Junna was already itching to scold Hakuya. His move was ineffective and a waste of energy!
"Unless..."
Luther realized Hakuya's plan, but it was far too late.
Ursaring endured the pain from Psyshock and stomped again.
After two stomps, the battlefield was in ruins, littered with rubble and uneven footing.
The trainers in the spectator seats whispered among themselves. They couldn't understand why Ursaring would take damage just to use two seemingly useless moves.
"Wasn't this just blatant throwing?"
They hadn't caught on. But Mai, with her wealth of battle and review experience, understood what Hakuya was doing.
"Hakuya is reshaping the battlefield to suit his final Pokémon while making it harder for Luther's remaining team to fight effectively."
Ursaring stomped once more, this time mustering enough strength to slash through Psyshock with a single-handed Shadow Claw.
By the third stomp, the battlefield was completely wrecked, filled with jagged boulders, deep pits, and rubble scattered across the remaining level ground. Cracks ran everywhere.
Luther's reaction had been far too slow.
Control of the battle rhythm included control of the battlefield itself.
In matches without terrain resets, seizing terrain advantage was just another way to win.
Luther's oversight allowed Hakuya to take complete control of the battle's rhythm.
(End of chapter.)
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