The colorful energy cube surrounding the battlefield flickered out, signaling the end of Trick Room!
Sato had been waiting for Trick Room to wear off; but he also knew that one Pokémon on the field could still use it!
"Zoroark, Night Slash! Umbreon, Dark Pulse! Focus everything on Slowbro!"
Space manipulation tactics had been too restrictive for Zoroark.
Sato immediately decided to eliminate Slowbro!
"Medicham, High Jump Kick! Slowbro, Trick… Protect!"
Not good!
Both Trainers had given their commands simultaneously, but Lucian deliberately paused for half a second before switching moves!
Slowbro, despite its dazed expression, activated Protect with incredible speed!
Night Slash and Dark Pulse both collided with the protective barrier, completely negated!
Meanwhile, Medicham's High Jump Kick soared forward with blinding speed… Umbreon had no chance to dodge!
Boom!
"Umbreon is unable to battle! Trainer, send out your next Pokémon!"
"Zoroark, Darkest Lariat! Sharpedo, Crunch!"
As Sato recalled Umbreon, he immediately threw out another Poké Ball!
Zoroark unleashed Darkest Lariat, forcing Medicham and Slowbro to retreat!
At the same time, Sharpedo lunged forward, its jaws radiating dark energy, aiming directly for Slowbro's throat!
"Medicham, Drain Punch!"
"Zoroark, Aerial Ace, block it!"
Slowbro was too slow to evade, and Crunch naturally gained extra damage due to Sharpedo's unique jaw structure!
Meanwhile, Medicham's Drain Punch was intercepted by Zoroark's Aerial Ace!
"Slowbro is unable to battle! Trainer, send out your next Pokémon!"
"Sharpedo, Poison Fang! Zoroark, Flamethrower!"
Rather than fighting Medicham head-on, Zoroark forced it backward with Flamethrower, forcing it to retreat toward Sharpedo!
Sharpedo's Poison Fang was deadly, its sharp fangs dripping with venom, sending a chill down the spine of everyone watching!
"Medicham, Substitute! Alakazam, Miracle Eye!"
Lucian, even after losing two Pokémon, remained calm and collected, immediately sending out his final contender: Alakazam!
At the cost of a quarter of its health, Medicham's Substitute absorbed both attacks, allowing Alakazam's Miracle Eye to land!
Sato's brows furrowed… Alakazam's speed was too fast!
The instant it appeared, Miracle Eye activated, ensuring there was no chance to evade!
And the worst part?
Elite level Alakazam is… near Pseudo-Elite Four level!
"Psychic! Zen Headbutt!"
With Miracle Eye in effect, Dark-types were no longer immune to Psychic moves!
Up until now, Lucian had been holding back, yet he had already pushed Sato to his limits.
Now, Sato's small advantage vanished completely as Alakazam's Psychic energy surged forth!
Zoroark, already exhausted from battle, had been wounded badly against Bronzong earlier. Now, Alakazam's Psychic locked it in place, preventing it from dodging or counterattacking!
Seconds later, like a sandbag, Zoroark was hurled into the ground!
At the same time, Medicham intercepted Sharpedo's support attack with Zen Headbutt!
"Zoroark is unable to battle! Trainer, send out your next Pokémon!"
Sato pressed his lips together, recalling Zoroark before sending out Weavile!
Now that he thought about it… it had been a long time since Zoroark had lost a battle…
"Medicham, Drain Punch! Alakazam, Miracle Eye!"
"Hmph! Sharpedo, Crunch! Weavile, Ice Shard!"
Sharpedo's speed had already increased, surpassing even Alakazam's, Lucian's biggest mistake was not eliminating it earlier!
Before Alakazam could react, Crunch sank deep into its shoulder, dealing massive damage!
At the same time, Weavile's Ice Shard -a priority move- landed another heavy blow!
After so many battles, Medicham was heavily injured, its stamina nearly depleted. It lunged forward with Drain Punch, but Sharpedo spun mid-air, dodging it with ease!
It was barely a scratch.
"Alakazam, hold down Sharpedo! Medicham, High Jump Kick!"
Lucian had finally realized Sharpedo was the real threat; his eyes locked onto it, determined to eliminate it next!
"Sharpedo, Protect! Weavile, Night Slash!"
Sato grinned; if Lucian could bait an attack, then so could he!
Just like Slowbro's Protect had stalled for time earlier, Sharpedo would now return the favor!
At the same time, Weavile's explosive speed allowed it to close the distance in an instant, Night Slash striking directly at Alakazam's abdomen!
After taking Crunch, Ice Shard, and Night Slash in quick succession, even an Peak Elite Alakazam couldn't escape its natural frailty!
"Alakazam is unable to battle! The match continues!"
…
The defeat of Alakazam left the battlefield silent for a moment.
The outcome was clear: Sato chose to stop attacking.
A few seconds later, Lucian sighed and recalled Medicham, giving a small smile.
"I've lost…"
"Trainer Lucian has forfeited. The victor of this battle is Yuga Sato!"
The referee announced the result decisively, a hint of admiration in his gaze!
On the fifth day of the Gym Leader Qualification Tournament, the two undefeated Trainers had been matched in the very first round… and had drawn the difficult 4v4 Double Battle format!
For a match to have a clear winner, there would inevitably be major losses on both sides.
Most spectators had assumed that one of them would choose to forfeit after some probing.
And the one expected to surrender… was Sato!
Yet both Trainers fought relentlessly, pushing the battle to the point where all four Pokémon from both sides entered the battlefield!
By the end of the match: Sato's Zoroark and Umbreon were knocked out. Lucian's team had suffered even greater losses; Bronzong, Slowbro, and Alakazam were defeated, while Medicham had barely any energy left!
"How's Will doing?"
As the match concluded, both Trainers met at the center of the field for a sportsmanlike handshake.
"He's doing great. Both he and Lance have gotten a lot stronger."
Sato nodded, responding politely.
"You're strong! If we get the chance, let's have a full 6v6 battle!"
"Sounds good!"
…
The result of Sato and Lucian's match quickly spread among the contestants.
Some admired and respected them, while others mocked and gloated!
For those with more strategic minds, the battle was an opportunity; if they were lucky enough to face Sato or Lucian in a later round, they might be able to defeat them and make a name for themselves!
But then…
Lucian sent out a Pseudo-Elite Four level Gallade and proceeded to utterly demolish his next opponent.
At that moment, Sato finally understood what Lucian really meant when he suggested a full 6v6 match.
In the end… He simply wasn't satisfied with the result.