Rapidash galloped across the waves, wrapped in surging electricity. It looked majestic, brimming with "heroic" flair.

In contrast… Sharpedo's gaping jaws were bone-chilling. Its uneven body shape held no elegance; looking every bit like a villain from the start.

'So… does that mean villains are meant to be defeated?'

That's what countless spectators were thinking. After all, Sato was the outsider, while Flint was one of Sinnoh's stars.

Unfortunately, reality hit them like a cold rain.

Rapidash was fast…

But Sharpedo was faster!

And more importantly, on top of the waves, this was Sharpedo's territory. Even if Rapidash could "ride" the waves, it couldn't compete with Sharpedo, who could summon another massive wave in a flash of thought.

No way to catch up!

Flint couldn't help but clench his fists. Watching Rapidash struggle to keep up, he didn't even dare to call out for it to stop.

At this point, Sharpedo's Surf was blanketing the entire field. If Rapidash stopped now, it would definitely be swept up by the raging waves.

But Sharpedo was naturally faster than Rapidash, and now swimming through its own waters, there was simply no catching it.

So Rapidash's flashy counterattack ended up putting it in a very awkward position.

In the stands, Bertha lightly shook her head. Flint, though one of the top Trainers she'd personally trained for a short time, always tended to be a bit too aggressive tactically.

And the problem was his strength wasn't quite high enough to ensure every bold "tactic" would end well.

And then, things got awkward for Rapidash. After leaping over another wave, its Speed dropped slightly, just enough to make it unable to keep "galloping" the waves.

SPLASH~

Rapidash fell into the water, completely submerged by Surf. Only the rising steam from the high heat proved it had just been there.

And in the water, Sharpedo reigned…

Rapidash, worse than a Magikarp in this environment, flailed a couple times in the current before fainting.

"Sharpedo, stop."

"Shar!"

The waves gradually receded. Rapidash lay on the ground, soaked and helpless, not moving at all. The flames on its body had weakened to the point of nearly extinguishing.

A flash of red light… Flint didn't even wait for the referee's call before recalling Rapidash and handing its Poké Ball directly to the nearby medical team.

"Rapidash has lost the ability to battle. Sharpedo wins. Trainer Flint, please send out your next Pokémon." The referee's call finally rang out, but hardly anyone was paying attention.

---

"Boss's Sharpedo just keeps getting more intense. That much water and it still kept going so long…" Mark couldn't help but hype Sato up again, also quietly wondering when Phione would reach Sharpedo's level…

Phione: 'Isn't being the mascot good enough? I'm the adorable Phione… not Manaphy, "The Prince of the Sea"

---

At that moment, Flint had already recovered from Rapidash's defeat. His excitement from earlier had cooled, and he now seemed much calmer.

Clearly, Sharpedo's cold wave had been very effective.

"Sato, you really are something else. When I was your age, I had only just reached the Ace wall…"

Flint sighed with emotion. He had always thought he was one of the best among his peers, that his rivals were Trainers older and more experienced than him.

When Sato challenged him, Flint had honestly believed it was his responsibility -as the "senior"- to offer some coaching.

Even if he had already defeated his good friend Volkner!

But now Flint understood… maybe he was a genius, but that guy Sato? He was a damn monster!

"I'm going to give this battle 100%! Sato… watch yourself!" Flint declared like he was taking an oath, then immediately sent out his second Pokémon.

Cannon-like arms, a flaming punk hairstyle, and a nearly two-meter-tall body that exuded serious intimidation.

What Flint sent out was none other than the evolved form of Magmar: Magmortar!

"Battle continues!"

"Sharpedo, Hydro Pump."

"Magmortar, Clear Smog!"

Hydro Pump roared out and smashed straight into Magmortar, even blasting it back a good distance. But there wasn't a trace of joy on Sato's face.

Clear Smog: a Poison-type move with average power, but it resets all of the opponent's stat changes. And since it's a gas-based move, it almost never misses.

In other words, all the Speed Sharpedo had built up was about to vanish.

On the other side, Magmortar didn't even blink as it took the Hydro Pump head-on. Then its cannon-like arms suddenly raised high, launching two purple smog-like poison bombs toward Sharpedo's half of the field.

Right as the two "bombs" approached Sharpedo, they collided mid-air.

Poisonous gas and dust burst out instantly. Sharpedo had already started trying to escape, but it was nowhere near as fast as the incoming Clear Smog.

Clear Smog hit!

Sharpedo's Speed visibly dropped, the abrupt change making it hard for it to adjust right away.

It had trained hard to develop lightning-fast reflexes, perfectly synced with its Speed Boost increases.

Now, its mind was still racing, but its body was dragging behind.

"Magmortar, Thunderbolt!"

"Stay calm. Aqua Jet, dodge it."

Sato's steady voice rang in Sharpedo's ears, snapping it back to attention. It instinctively summoned water around itself and surged forward a bit.

And just that slight movement allowed Thunderbolt to graze just above its head.

"Sharpedo, Agility."

Sato could tell: Sharpedo had totally lost its rhythm. Its Ability was inactive, and move-based Speed boosts weren't working either.

Then Sato regretted it…

Clear Smog hadn't dissipated. Under Magmortar's control, the smoke lingered invisibly in the air, still floating around the battlefield.

Agility…

FAILED!

This time, Sharpedo wasn't lucky. A second Thunderbolt, even more powerful than before, crashed down and hit it square on.

After the flash of electricity, the fragile Sharpedo couldn't even stay afloat. Just before it hit the ground, Sato recalled it with its Poké Ball, avoiding unnecessary damage.

"Sharpedo forfeits," Sato said to the referee, raising its Poké Ball before withdrawing it.

Referee: '…You guys are both big shots. Do whatever you want (メ｀[])/'

Thunderous applauses erupted from the crowd, clearly thrilled that Flint had managed to even the score in no time.

Sato ignored the noise around him and held Sharpedo's Poké Ball up to his lips, whispering, "That one's on me. I'll get payback for you…"

The Poké Ball gave a slight shake in response, as if encouraging for Sato and the partners still to come.

"…Sharpedo has lost the ability to battle. Trainer Sato, please send out your next Pokémon," The referee finally announced lazily, clearly just going through the motions.