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This was Kai's first time battling a Slakoth.
Throughout his previous travels whether in casual street battles or formal matches he had rarely seen Trainers send one into combat.
The reason was simple.
It was too lazy.
If it were Vigoroth or Slaking, that would be another story. But Slakoth's few advantages were completely overshadowed by its lethargic nature, making it largely unimpressive in battle.
Most Trainers simply didn't have the patience to raise one. Slakoth disliked moving, preferred staying in one place, and clashed badly with the constant travel required of a Trainer's lifestyle.
Worse still, when it fell asleep, it was nearly impossible to wake. Sending a Slakoth into battle in that state would be nothing short of a joke.
Only someone like Norman, a Gym Leader with time, experience, and discipline, would devote the effort needed to train it properly.
Facing the Slakoth, Kai released his own Pokémon.
A flash of light and Metang appeared on the battlefield.
From a type standpoint, Metang held no offensive advantage. But Slakoth's Normal-type moves would deal only half damage against Metang's Steel typing.
More importantly, Slakoth was still in its base form, while Metang had already reached its second evolutionary stage. In terms of raw physicality, Metang clearly held the edge.
However—
This was Metang's first official Gym battle. Despite some private training, its combat experience was limited, placing both Pokémon closer than expected in actual battle readiness.
With both Trainers prepared, the referee signaled.
The match began.
"Metang, use Confusion!"
"Slakoth—Shadow Ball!"
As expected of a near–Elite Four–level Trainer, Norman had read Kai's intentions perfectly.
An invisible psychic force collided head-on with the dark-type projectile, erupting into a violent explosion midair.
He'd predicted the opening move and countered it immediately.
But within the thick smoke—
A metallic silhouette burst forward.
Metang had already closed half the distance under cover of the explosion, charging straight at Slakoth.
Its steel claws gleamed as it swung down with Metal Claw.
Fast. Precise.
Yet at the last moment, Slakoth shifted aside with an oddly fluid step, slipping past the attack with ease.
Kai raised an eyebrow—but remained calm.
"Again."
Metang pressed forward, Metal Claw flashing once more.
Slakoth sidestepped again. Cleanly. Casually.
This time, Kai's expression sharpened.
Something was off.
He focused on Slakoth's movements—and only then did he see it.
Contrary to common belief, this Slakoth wasn't slow at all.
It swayed and drifted, its movements loose and seemingly unstructured, yet each dodge landed perfectly on rhythm—as if it were lazily dancing out of harm's way.
So that was it.
Norman had trained it specifically to compensate for its weaknesses.
No wonder it performed like this.
In that case, close combat was no longer an option.
"Metang, fall back!"
But the moment Metang retreated, Norman reacted.
"Don't let it escape! Slakoth—Feint Attack!"
Slakoth lunged unexpectedly.
Anticipating this, Kai had Metang rise sharply into the air, narrowly avoiding the strike.
Just as Norman had read Kai's strategy, Kai understood Norman's as well.
Defense into counterattack.
Simple—but effective.
Using the opening, Metang finally returned to its side of the field.
Slakoth didn't pursue.
Despite its agile footwork, its overall speed remained unchanged. Chasing a hovering Metang across an open battlefield simply wasn't realistic.
"Metang, Confusion again!"
Kai wasn't convinced Slakoth could block it every time.
One mistake was all he needed.
Norman, however, had already prepared another answer.
"Slakoth—Blizzard!"
Slakoth exhaled sharply.
Snow burst forth, rapidly expanding into a howling ice storm that engulfed Metang.
The Ice-type attack dealt reduced damage—but that was never the point.
Within the swirling snow, the invisible psychic waves of Confusion became visible.
Tracking the trajectory, Slakoth twisted aside effortlessly.
And then—
Frost clung to Metang's metallic body.
Its joints stiffened. Ice crept along its limbs.
Only then did Kai fully grasp Norman's plan.
Metang wasn't a living organism in the traditional sense. Its body temperature was low, its circulation minimal. Once frozen, it couldn't melt the ice on its own.
The effect was immediate.
Metang wobbled midair, struggling just to maintain its hover.
Impressive.
A supposedly weak Pokémon, trained to this level—evasive movement, Ice-type coverage, layered tactics.
Norman had raised it superbly.
But—
This still wasn't enough.
"Metang—Zen Headbutt!"
Psychic energy surged, forming a concentrated barrier around Metang's head as it launched forward.
Despite the setback, this was still Kai's best option.
With the distance allowing full acceleration, Metang's momentum surged to its peak.
For the first time—
Slakoth didn't dodge.
At Norman's command, its lazy demeanor vanished. Its aura shifted sharply as it charged forward to meet the attack head-on.
Under the watchful eyes of Kai, Norman, Caroline, and Misty—
The two Pokémon collided violently at the center of the field.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
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