'Such overwhelming pressure!' A bead of cold sweat trickled down Wattson's forehead...
He recalled his unconscious Manectric into its Poké Ball and looked up at the young man across from him, asking, "Are you also from Oldale Town?"
Caleb nodded, "Yes."
"Excellent! Let's continue!" Wattson laughed heartily, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
With a flash of white light, a Magneton resembling a cluster of magnets appeared opposite Mimikyu.
Wattson looked at Mimikyu and asked, "Are you going to switch Pokémon?"
Hearing this, Mimikyu turned its head and firmly shook it at its trainer.
Caleb understood its meaning and said, "No, Mimikyu can still fight."
Wattson waved his hand dramatically and commanded, "Go, Magneton! Use Electric Terrain!"
"Seize this chance! Use Swords Dance again!" Caleb calmly ordered.
Crackling arcs of electricity surged across Magneton's steel body, and the surrounding air instantly grew dense, flickering with faint yellow light as if shrouded in a hazy electric mist.
- Electric Terrain: Prevents Pokémon on the ground from falling asleep and boosts the power of Electric-type moves...
As Magneton set up the Electric Terrain, Mimikyu once again began its fierce dance.
Its rising aura made it resemble a sharpened blade, gleaming with a cold, deadly edge from head to toe.
Wattson's expression darkened, "Don't let it finish! Use Zap Cannon!"
'Too late!' Caleb mentally calculated the time it would take for Mimikyu to complete its Swords Dance.
Magneton had already gathered a thick beam of electromagnetic energy in front of it. The already formidable Zap Cannon, amplified by Electric Terrain, had reached a terrifying level of power.
Just three seconds before the Zap Cannon fired, Caleb rapidly ordered, "Splash to the left!"
Mimikyu's movements halted abruptly. Without fear, it stared at the incoming Zap Cannon and, following its trainer's command, jumped to the left.
The devastating Zap Cannon grazed the cloth covering Mimikyu's body before striking the rubber battlefield.
A small crater was blasted into the sky-blue rubber surface... The surrounding material was scorched black and emitted wisps of smoke.
Seeing this, Wattson inwardly cursed.
With the boost from two Swords Dances, the opponent might only need one move to take down his Magneton!
Realizing this, he decisively ordered, "Magneton, float into the sky!"
Magneton emitted a buzzing sound as its body slowly levitated into the air under electromagnetic force.
The height it reached was far beyond what Mimikyu could achieve with a simple leap.
Caleb calmly looked up at Magneton.
Wattson laughed heartily at the sight and commanded, "Magneton, use Lock-On!"
- Lock-On: Locks on to the target, ensuring the next attack will hit without fail.
Magneton's three eyes rapidly rotated, locking onto Mimikyu on the ground. The next second, its eyes abruptly stopped... signaling that the target had been successfully marked.
"This time, you won't escape!" Wattson's eyes gleamed with excitement, "Now, fire Zap Cannon at full power!"
*Bzzzt!*
Yellow electric particles rapidly gathered in front of Magneton.
Caleb remained expressionless, calmly ordering, "Mimikyu, use Destiny Bond."
If Mimikyu were to faint from this Zap Cannon, the opponent would also faint.
And if it didn't, even better!
A purple orb shot out from Mimikyu's body toward Magneton in midair.
At the same time, the terrifying Zap Cannon blasted forward, striking Mimikyu with pinpoint accuracy.
A torrent of electromagnetic energy instantly engulfed Mimikyu.
The next second, a ghostly light flickered over Magneton's body as Destiny Bond took effect. Its eyes filled with pain before it plummeted from the sky, collapsing to the ground and fainting alongside Mimikyu.
Brawly and Roxanne stared unblinkingly at the live broadcast on the screen.
Roxanne sucked in a sharp breath and turned to Brawly, asking, "Are we really watching an ordinary Gym challenge?"
The intensity of this battle was no less thrilling than the annual League Championships!
Brawly gazed solemnly at the young man, a faint sense of foreboding creeping into his mind.
After a moment of silence, he spoke, "Do you think… he'll come challenge our Gyms next?"
The thought struck Roxanne, leaving her momentarily speechless...
"You did well, Mimikyu. Leave the rest to Dragonite!" Caleb gently recalled Mimikyu into its Poké Ball.
Across the field, Wattson wore a strange expression, "Are you really a rookie trainer from Oldale Town?"
Caleb thought for a moment. Technically, this was his first Gym challenge, right?
So he nodded honestly, "Yes, this is my first Gym challenge."
Wattson refused to accept it, "Then were you also trained by that Bug Catcher named Caleb Chase?!"
Caleb: "…?"
The real Caleb Chase hesitated for a second before asking, "Why do you say 'also'?"
Wattson scratched his head sheepishly, "Because you're not the first rookie trainer to wipe the floor with me…"
Caleb instantly understood what had happened.
He didn't respond, instead, he calmly took out Dragonite's Poké Ball and released it.
Wattson stared at Dragonite, suspicion in his eyes, "Are you really a rookie trainer from Hoenn? This Pokémon… isn't it a Dragonite from the Kanto Region?"
Caleb thought to himself, 'I'm a Bug Catcher without a single Bug-type Pokémon, so what's strange about a Hoenn rookie trainer without any Hoenn Pokémon?'
He gave an affirmative hum and casually replied, "It was a gift from my dad, who brought it back from Kanto."
Wattson gazed enviously at Dragonite, his voice tinged with jealousy, "Nice."
'Must be nice to have a rich dad...' he mused.
Without another word, he sent out his final Pokémon... a bipedal creature covered in soft, dense fur, with a red orb glowing atop its head.
It was an Ampharos...
The final battle had officially begun!
Wattson immediately switched tactics, ordering, "Use Confuse Ray!"
Caleb was even more direct, "Dragon Rush!"
A twisting beam of purple light shot from the gem on Ampharos's head, arcing toward Dragonite.
Meanwhile, Dragonite spread its wings and soared high into the air before suddenly accelerating, its body radiating a fearsome red aura as it crashed toward Ampharos on the ground.
Wattson inwardly cursed and hastily commanded, "Use Cotton Guard!"
Ampharos reacted swiftly, its soft fur rapidly elongating to wrap around its body like a protective cocoon...