"Kukuku~" Kingler swung his massive claws, exuding full confidence.
After the initial nervousness, Kingler had calmed himself down. No matter what kind of opponent he faced, as long as he performed well and showcased his style, that was all he needed.
But this time, the opponent turned out to be much weaker than he had imagined...
Although the battle hadn't started, and he couldn't, like Ash, see through the opponent's level of power, the pressure from the other side was far from what Charizard and Pikachu gave...
Kingler usually sparred with the main Pokemon like Blastoise, Venusaur, Charizard, and Pikachu. Although he was always beaten to within an inch of his life, his growth in strength was quite remarkable!
So he didn't have any complaints.
And this opponent's aura couldn't even compare to a single hair of Ash's main Pokemon!
Because not only did Ash's Pokemon completely surpass the opponent's Exeggutor in level, but they also dominated in all ability values.
The aura they exuded was on a different level.
Facing such an opponent, even Kingler, who rarely won, felt a surge of confidence from the heart — he'd win this round!
"Haha! I knew you'd definitely use Water Types in the Water Field, so I prepared a Grass Type Pokemon to counter you! This is reverse thinking!"
"And your Kingler should not be your main Pokemon, right? Its aura isn't on the same level as the ones you sent out before. As expected, for the first battle, you chose to train Pokemon, so I do have a chance to defeat you!"
Mandi analyzed for a moment, seemingly even guessing the color of Ash's underwear, but only Ash would know how much of his guess was correct.
"Exeggutor, Razor Leaf!"
With Mandi's shout, Exeggutor swung its head, and several sharp green blades shot out!
The rapidly spinning sharp blades seemed to slice through the air!
Ash, who was dizzy from the opponent's analysis, was suddenly awakened by the shout of Razor Leaf and instinctively yelled, "Kingler, Crabhammer."
"Kuku!!"
Kingler's claw was enveloped in a layer of water, then suddenly swung out!
The air echoed with sharp whistling sounds!
The massive crab claw covered with water ruthlessly shattered all the incoming Razor Leaves!
The green blades fell powerlessly, like autumn's withered leaves.
This time, Ash didn't use Aura Power but relied purely on Kingler's own strength because the opponent wasn't particularly formidable. Although Exeggutor had an attribute advantage over Kingler, its level was similar to Kingler's, both at the Elite Junior Level.
All of Ash's Pokemon received the most meticulous training, and even at the earlier levels, they only improved after maximizing their ability values. Over time, each of Ash's Pokemon had the power to fight beyond their level, even without relying on Aura Power.
"Elite Junior Level... on par with my Exeggutor in terms of level. However, as long as it's commanded well, given Exeggutor's attribute advantage, there's hope in securing this match!"
Seeing Kingler's move, Mandi also saw through Kingler's level — Elite Junior Level.
This level was somewhat challenging for Mandi, but not insurmountable, certainly more hopeful than facing a Pokemon like Charizard.
The fact that the opponent used a Water Type move to forcefully break through a Grass Type move puzzled Mandi. Normally, with both sides being of similar levels, even if a Grass Type move didn't completely suppress a Water Type move, it shouldn't be so easily shattered.
Perhaps this Kingler had something he didn't know about? Whatever, let's win this round first before figuring it out!
"Exeggutor, Magical Leaf!"
Exeggutor swung its head, sending several leaves imbued with peculiar light shooting towards Kingler like sharp blades.
Magical Leaf, like Aura Sphere, is a homing move. Once used, the move locks onto the target, making it nearly impossible to dodge.
"Kingler, dive into the water!" If dodging isn't possible, just exhaust the opponent instead.
Upon hearing the command, Kingler jumped directly into the water. The Magical Leaves followed Kingler into the water, but the water in the pool significantly cushioned the impact. Underwater, Kingler swung his big claw, instantly shattering the Magical Leaves.
The Water Field offers substantial boosts to Water Type Pokemon. Unless it's a battle strong enough to cut through the water, the Water Field can alleviate most moves, allowing the Pokemon to break them underwater.
However, Mandi had also considered this point. He chose Exeggutor not just for the attribute advantage but also because Exeggutor possessed a Psychic Type Attribute.
"Hmph... do you want to leverage the field's advantages? No way! Exeggutor, use Psychic!"
Mandi took a deep breath, then commanded Exeggutor to use Psychic, transforming the entire Water Field into a massive whirlpool!
Kingler was revealed in the whirlpool but remained unmoved, staying perfectly still amid the vortex with immense strength, unaffected by the terrifying whirlpool.
"Kingler, Guillotine." (A one-hit KO, Guillotine.)
Compared to the water currents created by Blastoise, this level of water flow was like a shower to Kingler. Thus, even a fierce-looking whirlpool posed no challenge for Kingler, who could easily stand atop it.
Now, since the opponent used Psychic to control the water, intending to trap Kingler, but instead used Psychic's vortex without controlling Kingler. For Exeggutor, that's incredibly dangerous!
Controlling so much water is quite challenging for an Elite Junior Level Pokemon. If the goal is not achieved, the backlash would be fatal, making Exeggutor a sitting target for any move.
Thus Ash directly opted for a one-hit KO move — Guillotine!
Guillotine is a one-hit KO move, typically with a low hit rate, due to sluggish actions, slow energy buildup, etc...
But if it hits the opponent, it can ignore defenses and deal massive damage. Unless there's an enormous level gap, such as a Heavenly King Junior Level against a Champion Junior Level, or an Elite Junior Level against a Heavenly King Junior Level, it usually results in an instant KO.
However, if the level gap is too significant, even if the move can ignore defense, it can't guarantee a one-hit KO. Otherwise, against a Legendary Beast, one could easily dispatch a few Pokemon to use one-hit KO moves and catch it effortlessly.
This world's rules aren't that absurd.
But when levels are equal, a one-hit KO move truly is a one-hit KO. In singles, there are rarely opportunities to create an environment for using such a move, but now, that environment has appeared.
Even if Exeggutor retracted its Psychic powers, it was too late to dodge.
At the vortex's base, Kingler gathered his strength and, with a powerful thrust, leapt from the vortex toward Exeggutor within two seconds, clamping his massive claw around Exeggutor's neck.
Under Exeggutor's terrified gaze, Kingler's internal energy surged, applying force with its single claw, producing a crisp sound.
"Crack!"
The next moment, Exeggutor closed its eyes and fell to the ground, losing its ability to fight.
The whirlpool on the battlefield dissipated once Exeggutor's Psychic effects ceased, returning to normal. Kingler stood silently beside Exeggutor, exuding an aura of expertise without speaking.
All this happened in a flash, leaving spectators around the arena struggling to comprehend what just occurred as the battle abruptly concluded.