Yamamino's command was also Psyshock.
This special move, which targets the opponent's physical defense, was the perfect tool to deal with a physically frail Chansey. As long as she stayed on the field, spamming it was a brainless but effective strategy.
Meowstic's folded ears flipped upward, and blue light waves instantly condensed into countless orbs of psychic energy.
As Chansey attempted to channel her mental power once more, Meowstic fiercely unleashed the barrage. Once again, the two moves collided mid-air. Dust drifted, then quickly dissipated.
"The two contestants have engaged in yet another invisible clash of wills! These unseen battles are truly nail-biters!" the announcer's passionate voice echoed through the speakers.
Kashiwagi frowned. He was now certain Meowstic wasn't holding back; those ears were specialized organs for explosive psychic discharge—once they were open, there was no "mercy" possible. This proved that the mental strength of Chansey and Meowstic was roughly equal. In fact, Meowstic's might even be slightly lower, considering it was using a dedicated offensive move while Chansey used a utility one.
Meowstic's level isn't high.
That was the only logical conclusion, and it left him feeling a bit frustrated. The strength Yamamino had displayed previously was far beyond this level. Why choose such a low-level Pokémon to face him? Was his high-level team being disobedient?
Or... did he think he didn't need his powerhouses? Did he think a Meowstic was enough to handle him and his team?
Regardless of Yamamino's reasoning, Kashiwagi felt a twinge of regret that he hadn't forced his opponent to go all out. While this parity created a window for victory, it wasn't what he wanted. As a Trainer, it was his own failing if his opponent felt they didn't need their full strength to win.
Fine then.
If that's how it is, I'll use my strength to force your hand!
Kashiwagi pulled out his Poké Ball and withdrew Chansey. Before the smoke had even fully cleared, he quickly swapped in Lairon.
"Sand Tomb!"
"Lai-ron!"
Lairon let out a muffled roar, as if sensing its Trainer's indignation. From the black holes peppering its armor, a tidal wave of yellow sand erupted. Its scale and volume far exceeded Lairon's own physical size. This surging sandstorm soon slammed into the multicolored light waves unleashed by Meowstic.
Yamamino, of course, wasn't going to sit idly by while his opponent switched. The moment Lairon hit the field, he launched an attack. However, Lairon's startup speed was incredibly fast. Its Sand Tomb intercepted the Psybeam before the light could reach its mark.
Thump!
The multicolored beam detonated a portion of the swirling sand but failed to pierce through. Instead, it was swallowed whole. The reason was simple: Lairon was still pumping out a relentless stream of sand from the back, instantly replenishing whatever the Sand Tomb had lost.
Whirrr—
The dust roared as it spun, its radius expanding massively in an instant. Caught in the gale-force winds, Meowstic was sucked into the disastrous vortex of the Sand Tomb. Yamamino crossed his arms to shield his face, quickly stepping back several paces to avoid being caught in the swirling grit himself.
Inside the Sand Tomb, the fine grains of sand, propelled by the fierce winds, tore at Meowstic's body like tiny knives. The Pokémon's expression twisted in pain.
Suddenly, a pale pink barrier flickered into existence, rotating around Meowstic. The ferocious sand passed through the barrier, but its speed and force were noticeably dampened. Leveraging the breathing room provided by the Reflect, Meowstic's ears twitched, its eyes glowing blue as it used its psychic power to propel itself upward and out of the sandstorm, successfully escaping the trap.
But just as its head popped out of the top, a dark shadow lunged through the air!
"Meow-aw!"
Meowstic flinched, instinctively opening its ears to release a powerful psychic shockwave. However, at the exact moment it acted, a command came from its Trainer behind it—one that stood in stark contrast to its own impulse.
"Stop!"
The arrow was already on the string; the psychic blast had been fired and could not be taken back. But to Meowstic's horror, the shadow was faster!
A dark red glow suddenly manifested into a pair of gargantuan, ferocious jaws. The psychic wave collided with the glow, but the dark red energy tore a massive hole right through it. The giant jaws lunged through the gap and crunched down hard on Meowstic's body!
BOOM!
A dull explosion followed. The pink barrier in the void shattered—whether it had reached its limit or was simply crushed by Mawile's bite was unclear.
Meowstic was blasted back into the Sand Tomb, spinning like a garment in a washing machine before being violently spat out. After tumbling twice across the dirt, it came to a stop with a pair of dizzying spirals in its eyes.
Beep—!
The piercing alarm sounded alongside the roar of the crowd.
"Meowstic is unable to battle! The first knockout of the match has occurred! Surprisingly, it's Yamamino who has suffered the first loss!"
The announcer's voice was thick with shock. Looking at Mawile, who had returned to Kashiwagi's side, he handed the commentary over to the guest beside him. "Mr. Fukuyama, why do you think Meowstic was taken down so decisively?"
The guest named Fukuyama smiled. "It's simple. First, we must admit Kashiwagi is very clever. Realizing Chansey couldn't secure a breakthrough, he switched her out immediately for Lairon to pin Meowstic with Sand Tomb. But in reality, the Sand Tomb's true target wasn't Meowstic—it was Yamamino."
"Ah! I see it now!"
"Exactly. The scale of the Sand Tomb Lairon unleashed was enormous. Yamamino's starting position couldn't effectively protect him from the abrasive sand, so he was forced to retreat to a safer distance."
Fukuyama paused. "During that window, Kashiwagi switched again, bringing in Mawile. Using Magnet Rise, she hovered above the vortex, waiting for Meowstic to escape. He then used the high speed of Sucker Punch to shatter Meowstic's psychic wave and secure the knockout."
Using a move to interfere with the opposing Trainer might be considered "dirty" in other regions, but in Orre, no one cared. As long as you weren't intentionally attacking the human, being affected by the collateral was considered your own problem. Neither the announcer nor the audience saw any issue with Kashiwagi's tactics.
Yamamino didn't see an issue with it either.
This guy really is something else.
He had intended to use a Pokémon of a similar level to prove his tactical prowess was just as sharp, but his own overconfidence had allowed his opponent to draw first blood. No wonder his father had said this boy possessed an exceptionally powerful talent for Pokémon cultivation.
As Yamamino withdrew Meowstic, he decided on his next strategy. A Luxury Ball flew out.
Pop!
"bro!"
A dopey-looking pink hippo-like Pokémon wagged its tail—which was clamped firmly by a massive spiral shell—and flashed a harmless smile. The Hermit Crab Pokémon, Water/Psychic-type: Slowbro!
Sharp rocks materialized in the air, but Slowbro acted as if it didn't even see them. It allowed the Stealth Rocks to explode against it in flashes of white light, ignoring the jagged shards of stone that pelted its hide.
When the white smoke cleared, Slowbro stood there nearly unscathed, that same vacant smile still plastered on its face.