Chapter 96 - 96: Clash of Minds (2)

Gladion's mind raced as he adjusted his strategy. Nyx without Copycat was like a Machamp without fists—still dangerous, but missing a key weapon. Her Dark typing gave her an edge against Slowbro's Psychic moves. But she was not all about just her Copycat move. Nyx had much more in her arsenal. "Nyx, Fake Tears!" Gladion called, his voice sharp. Nyx's eyes widened dramatically, glowing rings pulsing as she let out an exaggerated wail. Black tears streamed down her face, and a wave of emotional manipulation washed over Slowbro. The dopey Pokémon blinked, its defenses visibly crumbling as its Special Defense dropped. The crowd ate it up. "Look at that drama queen!" a kid giggled. "She's crying? That's hilarious!" another laughed. "It's trick—Slowbro's wide open now!" a sharper fan noted. Sabrina didn't flinch. "Slowbro, Psychic," she ordered. Slowbro shook off its confusion, its eyes glowing as a telekinetic force seized Nyx, lifting her off the ground. She thrashed, snarling, but the grip tightened. The crowd held its breath—Nyx was a Dark type, immune to Psychic damage, but the move could still toss her around like a ragdoll. Gladion grinned wider. "Nyx, Toxic!" he shouted. Even mid-air, Nyx twisted, spitting a glob of venomous purple sludge. It splattered across Slowbro's face, sinking into its skin. The crowd gasped as the poison took hold, Slowbro wincing as its health began to tick down. "Poison? That's brutal!" a guy exclaimed. "Sabrina's Slowbro's tough, but that's gonna sting!" another predicted. "Nyx is savage—I love her!" a girl squealed. Sabrina's eyes narrowed. "Slowbro, Slack Off," she countered. Slowbro slumped, letting Nyx drop as it closed its eyes, healing some of the damage. The poison still gnawed at it, but Sabrina had bought time. Nyx landed with a huff, glaring at Slowbro with philosophical disdain. [A temporary reprieve,] Nyx muttered, audible to the psychics in the arena. [Like a fool clinging to a sinking ship, oblivious to the inevitability of decay.] The crowd didn't catch her words, but her attitude sparked more cheers. "That Umbreon's got sass!" someone yelled. "She's roasting Slowbro without even trying!" Gladion crossed his arms, his laughter fading into a sly smirk. "Not bad, Sabrina. You've got tricks—I'll give you that. But I'm just getting started." Sabrina met his gaze, her expression unreadable but her eyes burning with focus. "As am I," she replied. "This is merely the opening move." The referee's flags stayed raised, the battle poised on a knife's edge. Five Pokémon waited on each side, and the stadium trembled with anticipation. The announcer's voice cut through the din: "What a start, folks! Gladion's Nyx is down a move, but she's fighting dirty—Sabrina's Slowbro's holding strong, but that poison's a ticking clock! This is a 6v6 showdown, and we're only at the beginning!" The crowd roared, split between chants of "Glad-ion! Glad-ion!" and "Sa-bri-na! Sa-bri-na!" Somewhere in the stands. Sabrina had a mask of cool calculation on his face, though her clenched fist betrayed a flicker of frustration. Slowbro's Toxic poisoning gnawed at her strategy, and she wasn't about to let it fester despite having recovered some of his health. "Slowbro, return," she said curtly, her voice slicing through the tension. The Poké Ball's red beam enveloped the sluggish Pokémon, whisking it back to safety. Sabrina's hand moved with precision to her belt, selecting her next contender. "Girafarig, go." The Long Neck Pokémon materialized with a toss of its dual heads, its front half equine and elegant, its tail snapping with a mischievous grin. The twin minds locked eyes with Nyx, who crouched low, her rings pulsing faintly as she sized up her new foe. Gladion tilted his head, intrigued at seeing a Girafarig for the first time in this life. Sabrina didn't hesitate. "Girafarig, Twin Beam." The tail-head's eyes glowed, firing two jagged beams of purple energy. Nyx sprang to the side, her agility a blur of midnight fur, dodging the attack with a dancer's grace. The beams scorched the ground where she'd stood, kicking up dirt. Gladion smirked—Nyx was fast, but Sabrina wasn't done. "Girafarig, Nasty Plot," Sabrina commanded. The Pokémon's front head tilted upward, a sinister gleam in its eyes as dark thoughts swirled within. Its Special Attack surged, an invisible aura of menace rippling outward. Gladion's smirk faltered slightly. 'Boosting already? She's building something big.' Before he could react, Sabrina's next order came swift and sharp. "Baton Pass." Girafarig's body shimmered, dissolving into light as it swapped out, passing its enhanced power to another. In its place towered Exeggutor, the Coconut Pokémon, its trio of heads swaying like palm trees in a storm. The Nasty Plot buff clung to it, amplifying its Special Attack to dangerous levels. Gladion's eyes widened. 'She's chaining combos—clever. Psychic powers really enhances your mind and let's you think such strategies. But I am a psychic too. Why don't I feel sharper than my previous life? Are my Psychic powers somehow different than hers? Something to think about later.' Gladion thought "Exeggutor, Leaf Storm!" Sabrina snapped. The palm-tree Pokémon reared back, leaves spiraling around it in a verdant tempest. With a guttural cry, it unleashed the onslaught—a roaring cascade of razor-sharp foliage that swept across the field like a green tsunami. Nyx braced herself, but there was no dodging this. The storm engulfed her, blades slicing through her defenses. A critical hit landed—one of Exeggutor's heads must've smirked at the perfect angle—and Nyx yelped, tumbling backward in a heap of dark fur. The boost from Girafarig's naty plot making the move stronger. Gladion clenched his jaw as Nyx struggled to rise, her legs trembling. She glared at Exeggutor with fury, her rings flickering defiantly, but her strength was spent. With a final, dramatic collapse, she fainted, her last words before collapsing being [Existence is pain.] This made Gladion chuckle a little. The referee raised a flag. "Umbreon is unable to battle! Sabrina takes the first knockout!" Gladion exhaled sharply, recalling Nyx with a flicker of pride. "You did good, Nyx. Rest up—your next psychological lecture's gonna be legendary." He slipped her Poké Ball back to his belt, his mind already racing. Sabrina had outmaneuvered him, chaining Girafarig's boost into Exeggutor's raw power. But he wasn't shaken—he was rather thrilled. This was the challenge he'd craved. "Alright, Sabrina," he said, grabbing his next Poké Ball. "Let's heat things up. Arsenal, you're on!" The Magmar burst onto the field in a blaze of orange flames, its tail roaring with fire. Arsenal flexed its clawed hands, steam hissing from its body as it eyed Exeggutor with a predator's grin. Sabrina's eyes flicked over Arsenal, assessing. "Return, Exeggutor," she said, recalling the towering palm-tree Pokémon. She'd used her second and final switch—Baton Pass didn't count under League rules, a technicality she'd exploited brilliantly. "Starmie, go." The star-shaped Water-Psychic Pokémon spun into existence, its gem core pulsing with an eerie red light. It hovered above the ground, radiating menace despite its delicate form. Gladion grinned. 'Water versus Fire—classic.' But Arsenal wasn't just any Magmar. "Arsenal, Flame Charge!" Gladion shouted. The Magmar roared, flames cloaking its body as it surged forward, a fiery comet streaking toward Starmie. The heat warped the air, and the ground beneath Arsenal's feet smoked with each step. Sabrina didn't blink. "Starmie, Hydro Pump." A geyser erupted from Starmie's core, a high-pressure torrent aimed straight at Arsenal. The water slammed into the Magmar mid-charge, steam exploding where fire met liquid. The crowd winced as the blast rocked Arsenal back, soaking its fiery hide. But Gladion's grin widened—Arsenal wasn't stopping. With sheer grit, the Magmar pushed through, its Flame Charge burning hotter as water evaporated off its scales. The move boosted its Speed, and it closed the gap, now inches from Starmie. Sabrina's composure cracked—just a hair. "Starmie, Harden!" she ordered. The starfish's body gleamed as its defenses solidified, a desperate bid to blunt the inevitable. "Arsenal, Low Kick!" Gladion called. Arsenal pivoted, its leg sweeping low with surprising agility for a Fire-type. The blow struck Starmie's base, knocking it off-balance. "Low Sweep!" Another swift kick followed, sending Starmie spinning. "Now, Brick Break!" Arsenal's fist ignited with Fighting-type energy—a move it had learned from Guy, the Machamp, back when it was a tiny Magby. Guy wanted the tiny Magby to build muscles and embrace the path of youth. The punch landed square on Starmie's hardened shell, cracking through the defense like a sledgehammer through glass. Starmie wobbled, its gem flickering, and a pained hum echoed from its core. Sabrina's eyes narrowed. She'd underestimated Arsenal's versatility—Fire-types didn't usually brawl like this. Gladion seized the moment. "Finish it, Arsenal—Thunder Punch!" Arsenal's fist sparked with electricity, a trump card honed for Water-types like Starmie. It roared, driving the electrified punch into Starmie's center. Lightning arced across the field, and Starmie's gem flared once before dimming. The starfish crashed to the ground, motionless. The referee's flag shot up. "Starmie is unable to battle! Gladion evens the score!" Gladion pumped a fist, adrenaline surging. "That's my boy, Arsenal!" The Magmar turned, giving him a smug nod as flames licked its tail. Sabrina recalled Starmie with a faint scowl, her fingers tightening around the Poké Ball. One Pokémon down on each side—five remained, and the battle was only heating up. Gladion locked eyes with Sabrina, his grin daring her to push harder. "Your move, prodigy. Don't hold back now—I'm just getting warmed up." Sabrina's gaze was steel, but a spark of something—respect, maybe?—flickered behind it. "Nor am I," she replied, her voice low and lethal. "This is far from over." Sabrina reached for her next Poké Ball. The crowd held its breath, sensing the tide could turn at any moment. Meanwhile, the announcer's voice roared over the speakers. "What a turnaround, folks! Sabrina's combo with Girafarig and Exeggutor took down Nyx like a champ—boom, Leaf Storm critical! But Gladion's Arsenal just lit up the field, folks—punched through Starmie with Thunder Punch! One down each, and this psychic showdown's tied up!" The crowd buzzed, voices overlapping in a chaotic symphony. "That Magmar's a beast!" a guy shouted, pumping his fist. "Sabrina's still got this—she's too smart!" a girl countered, clutching a Girafarig plushie. -----Author Notes------ I thought there were too many crowd comments in this chapter. I would try to reduce it from the next battle. What do y'all think? Y'all can read 15 extra chapters on my pat*reon. 3 more than what was offered earlier!! https://pat reon.com/mrmime24 [No Space]