"Milotic, use Tackle!"
The moment Wallace gave that decisive command, the entire battlefield fell silent.
No one could imagine what kind of suffering Wallace had gone through to resort to having his beloved ace Milotic use Tackle.
Tackle—something every rookie trainer used when they first started—a move that was quickly abandoned as Pokémon grew stronger.
But today, Hoenn's Champion!
The "Artist of Water,"
The trainer who upheld honor and elegance in battle,
The trainer who believed water illusions were the pinnacle of beauty,
Was now, in front of a crowd, using Tackle.
Milotic let out a soft cry, its long, serpentine body flicking forward, glowing faintly with white light as it rushed toward Smeargle.
A Normal-type Tackle!
"Huh? Steven, what are you doing?"
Lillie could barely hold back her laughter, especially after seeing Wallace's determined and solemn expression—it was too much.
But then, from the corner of her eye, she noticed something surprising—
Steven was recording a video on his phone!
"Huh? Oh, well… this battle is just too iconic. It has to be recorded."
Steven blinked, then coughed lightly, trying to look serious.
This was a legendary moment—his best friend's finest hour.
It had to be saved.
"Lillie, Cynthia… I know what you're thinking, but I must do this."
Steven adjusted his phone's angle.
"Steven…" Cynthia fell into deep thought.
"?"
"Send me a copy." Cynthia said seriously.
"Of course! Though I regret not recording from the very start…"
Steven sighed, deeply regretting his mistake. He should have recorded the whole battle!
But then, his sharp eyes scanned the crowd—until he spotted a girl with a camera recording everything.
His eyes lit up as he immediately approached her.
"Excuse me."
"Eh? Oh—Steven!"
The girl turned around, her eyes lighting up when she saw Steven.
"May?"
Steven blinked. He actually recognized her.
On the battlefield…
Seeing Wallace actually make Milotic charge forward, Dylan's smirk grew even wider.
This was hilarious—he was having the time of his life~!
"Wallace, your determination is admirable, but a simple Tackle won't cut it."
Dylan teased.
"Dylan! Don't underestimate my Milotic!" Wallace's beautiful face was dead serious.
"A mere Smeargle—let's see if it can withstand my Milotic's strength head-on!"
Wallace trusted his Milotic completely. Sure, most of its moves had been sealed—which meant it could only use Tackle.
But who cares?!
This was just a Smeargle. Even if Dylan let it use Giga Impact, it still wouldn't overpower Milotic!
"Oh?" Dylan raised an eyebrow.
Smeargle's body flashed white—Moody activated again.
Its Defense increased by two stages, while its Special Attack decreased by one.
Milotic was fast, and it was already closing in on Smeargle.
Compared to Smeargle, Milotic was a giant.
Milotic was gorgeous, but in reality, it was a large-sized Pokémon.
The average Milotic was 6.2 meters long, but Wallace's Milotic—after years of careful training—was at least 6.8 meters.
But size doesn't decide battles.
"Spiky Shield." Dylan commanded calmly.
"!!!" Wallace's pupils shrank.
"Wait—Milotic, stop!"
Grass-type move—Spiky Shield!
Like Baneful Bunker and King's Shield, it was a protective move.
Smeargle swished its tail, summoning a green, spiked barrier around itself.
As Milotic crashed into the shield, sharp green thorns pierced into its body.
Milotic let out a pained cry and immediately recoiled.
Spiky Shield not only blocked attacks but also inflicted damage if the opponent made contact.
Because Milotic had Safeguard active, Dylan couldn't use Fire Pledge or Baneful Bunker—but Spiky Shield still worked!
"…"
Wallace's normally flawless, graceful face was now dark and grim.
He felt… nauseous.
How is this guy even real?!
This battle style—how had no challenger ever smashed his Gym doors down in rage?!
Wallace was now 100% convinced that the high ratings for the Rota Gym were fake.
Dylan was rich—if he wanted to, he could easily fake reviews.
Otherwise, how could anyone survive this nonsense?!
Unless… Kanto trainers were all masochists.
And this was just Dylan's Normal-type team.
What if he used Dark, Ghost, or Poison-types—all known for their toxic playstyles?
Wallace fell into deep, painful silence.
"Dylan, aren't you going to attack?"
Dylan, seeing Wallace frozen in place, asked politely.
Wallace said nothing.
He didn't want to fight anymore.
Dylan's battle tactics were insane.
How was he supposed to win?!
Smeargle sealed all his attacks.
Milotic couldn't even use Water Gun.
Tackle was useless.
And now, it was taking free damage from Spiky Shield.
If battle rules allowed substitutes, Wallace would have begged Steven to take over.
But as Hoenn's Champion, he couldn't just forfeit in front of a crowd—especially after talking so much at the start.
Wallace's silence was deafening.
"Alright, I get it. Smeargle's low offensive stats make it hard to finish off your Pokémon."
Dylan nodded in understanding. Maybe he had gone too far.
But he was very satisfied with Smeargle's performance.
"Let me switch to a more direct fighter."
"Smeargle, use—actually, never mind. Just Parting Shot."
Dylan considered using Baton Pass, but that might ruin Wallace's experience even more.
Smeargle waved its tail like a microphone, roasting Milotic with a nonstop barrage of insults.
Milotic tilted its head in confusion.
A mysterious energy spread outward—Milotic's Attack and Special Attack dropped by one stage.
Then, Smeargle glowed white and disappeared into its Poké Ball.
"!!!" Wallace's eyes shone with newfound hope.
That damn dog was finally gone!
For the first time in this battle, Wallace's entire aura changed.
Vitality. Confidence. Determination!
"Dylan is too kind." Steven sighed.
Cynthia's eyelids twitched. She glanced at Steven.
This man was sighing… because Wallace was no longer suffering?
So he wanted to keep watching Wallace suffer?!
"I wonder which Pokémon Dylan will use next." Cynthia was more curious about Dylan's next choice.
If Dylan wanted a strong physical attacker in his Normal-type team…
"Slaking, let's go!"
Dylan threw out his second Poké Ball.
With a flash of light, a huge, powerful gorilla-like Pokémon landed heavily on the battlefield.
It let out a yawn and stretched lazily.
Slaking—Dylan's main physical powerhouse in his Normal-type team!
[Beep—Slaking, Normal-type, the Lazy Pokémon]Ability: TruantMoves: Hammer Arm, Mega Kick, Counter, Abyssal Thrust, Crush Claw, Sucker Punch, Thunder Punch…
Description: Although it is the laziest Pokémon in the world, it can unleash all of its accumulated energy at once, displaying astonishing power.
Hearing Rotom's Pokédex entry, Cynthia and Steven were certain of one thing—this Slaking was incredibly strong!
"Dylan, I'll make sure to experience your Slaking's strength firsthand."
Dylan smiled as he spoke.
Slaking was the physical powerhouse of his Normal-type team!
"Slaking, huh?"
Wallace pondered for a moment. Slaking shouldn't have any tricky tactics, right?
"Return, Milotic."
Wallace still recalled Milotic, knowing that Slaking—despite its Truant ability—was an extremely formidable opponent.
If Truant wasn't active, a rampaging Slaking could overpower most Pokémon.
"Let's go, Gyarados!"
Wallace sent out Gyarados, testing Slaking's capabilities.
The moment Gyarados appeared, fierce flames surged from its body—it was still burned.
The burns seared through Gyarados, making it groan in pain.
"Charge in!" Dylan commanded without hesitation.
Upon hearing his trainer's command, Slaking's once lazy, drowsy expression sharpened instantly.
With a wild, beast-like roar, it rushed forward on all fours, launching a ferocious charge at Gyarados.
Its brutal, violent aura was overwhelming!
"Gyarados, fly!"
Wallace reacted immediately—he had chosen Gyarados because of its ability to fly.
Gyarados flapped its fins, trying to ascend.
"Grab it."
A deep growl erupted as Slaking's massive hand latched onto Gyarados's tail, preventing it from taking off.
Gyarados looked down—right into Slaking's menacing grin.
A grin that resembled a demon's.
"Gyarados! Water Pulse!"
Wallace quickly ordered an attack.
Gyarados turned its head, gathering blue energy in its mouth—Water Pulse!
"Thunder Punch!"
Slaking growled, its right fist crackling with electricity, and in the shocked eyes of the crowd, it lifted Gyarados into the air—
And slammed it into the battlefield.
BOOM!
The entire arena trembled from the impact, showing just how much power Slaking had put into that slam.
Gyarados let out a painful roar—even though the attack wasn't a registered move, it still hurt— a lot.
Zzzzt!
Crackling lightning surged around Slaking's massive fist, and with a vicious snarl, it swung down—
THUNDER PUNCH!
BOOM!
The electrified fist struck Gyarados's body, causing it to convulse violently.
Gyarados arched in pain, but within seconds, its body slumped to the ground, completely still.
"Gyarados is unable to battle! Slaking wins!"
Cynthia announced the result.
"Whoa!! That was insane!"
"It's mostly because Gyarados was burned—its full power wasn't unleashed."
"But honestly, even if it wasn't burned, I think Slaking still would've won. Wallace is completely outmatched…"
"At this rate, there's no way Wallace can defeat this Gym Leader."
"See? I always said Steven is stronger than Wallace."
"Dylan is incredible!"
The crowd erupted into lively discussions.
After defeating Gyarados, Slaking immediately flopped onto the ground, supporting its head with one arm, and let out a loud yawn.
Its Truant ability had activated.
The terrifying battle-hardened beast from earlier vanished—leaving only a lazy gorilla lounging on the battlefield.
But everyone understood—
This seemingly harmless Slaking harbored a sleeping monster within.
"That Slaking is scary strong!"
A girl in the crowd—May—couldn't help but click her tongue in awe.
Her father, Norman, was known as the strongest Slaking trainer in the world.
May had seen Norman's Slaking fight before, but somehow, this Slaking felt different.
This Slaking's ferocity in battle was overwhelming!
"Slaking's combat ability has always been top-tier. In a direct fight, it's even stronger than pseudo-Legendary Pokémon."
Cynthia furrowed her brows. Slaking's strength was well-known.
Nobody denied how powerful Slaking was.
However, its Truant ability severely held it back—unless in Double Battles, where its ability could be swapped or removed, very few trainers actually used Slaking in serious battles.
After all, having to take a break every other turn was a major drawback.
Wallace frowned deeply before sending out his fourth Pokémon.
A strong, blue Pokémon landed before him—
Hoenn's Water-type starter—Swampert!
(Yes, Wallace had a Swampert in the Black & White 2 Tournament—this isn't made up.)
"Swampert! Hammer Arm!"
Wallace immediately ordered.
Swampert rushed forward, raising its massive arms before bringing them crashing down toward Slaking.
Fighting-type Hammer Arm!
Since Slaking was weak to Fighting-types, this attack was highly effective!
BAM!
Swampert's Hammer Arm slammed into Slaking's body, making it roar in pain—the damage was significant!
"One more Hammer Arm!" Wallace pressed the advantage.
Swampert lifted its arms again, preparing another attack.
"Grab it."
At that moment, a giant hand shot out—clamping onto Swampert's ankle.
Swampert winced—the grip was too tight!
Looking down, Swampert saw Slaking's menacing grin.
"Did you enjoy that hit?"
"Swampert!" Wallace's expression hardened.
Swampert's fists glowed white—another Hammer Arm!
But before it could attack—
Slaking roared, twisting its monstrous strength to hurl Swampert into the ground.
BOOM!
Swampert groaned in pain, the battlefield cracked beneath it.
Slaking was too strong.
The crowd shivered—Slaking's ferocity was downright terrifying.
"Swampert! Use Earth Power!"
Wallace quickly called out.
Swampert gritted its teeth, summoning golden energy as the ground beneath them began to glow.
"Seed Bomb!"
Slaking ignored the attack, grabbing Swampert and hurling it again—left, right, then straight into the air!
"HULK SMASH!!!"
BOOM!
Earth Power detonated, sending tremors through the battlefield—Slaking roared in pain.
But it powered through.
A green glow gathered in its mouth—
And then—
A massive Seed Bomb blasted straight into Swampert's face.
Slaking immediately flopped onto the ground, taking a break.
"Swampert! Use Protect!"
Wallace panicked.
But it was too late.
The Seed Bomb exploded on impact—four times effective against Swampert!
When the dust settled—Swampert was knocked out cold.
"Swampert is unable to battle! Slaking wins!" Cynthia announced.
"…This…"
Wallace stared at Slaking, then at his fallen Swampert.
This Slaking was beyond ridiculous.
First, Smeargle had tormented him.
Now, Slaking was brutally overpowering him.
Dylan wasn't using tricks anymore—he was just crushing him outright.