Whoosh—
With a sharp sound slicing through the air, Pangoro's figure suddenly vanished and darted straight toward Kingler.
"Kingler, use Hail and drop it around yourself!" Warren immediately commanded.
"Kingg!"
Kingler responded loudly and swiftly used the move Hail. A barrage of hailstones formed in the sky and came crashing down—not aiming directly at Pangoro, whose speed was simply too fast to track. Instead, the hail fell densely around Kingler, creating a defensive perimeter to prevent Pangoro from closing in.
"Not a bad idea," Nathan said, lips curling slightly in a calm tone. "Pangoro, time it right and use Shave again!"
As soon as Nathan's voice rang out, Pangoro halted mid-charge.
His sharp eyes locked onto Kingler, fists clenched tightly.
When the hail subsided, Pangoro once again used Shave, instantly appearing beside Kingler in a blur.
"Pangoro, Thunder Punch!"
Nathan shouted.
Inside the secret realm, Pangoro had already mastered Thunder Punch. As its name implies, it's an Electric-type move—perfectly countering Kingler's Water typing. Paired with Pangoro's ability Iron Fist, the power of this punch was dramatically enhanced. If it hit, even if Kingler didn't faint on the spot, it would at least suffer serious injuries.
Bzzzzt!
Yellow electricity flickered across Pangoro's fist, and without hesitation, it slammed forward.
"Kingler, Protect, then follow up with Razor Shell!" Warren's expression changed, but his voice remained calm as he gave orders.
"King~"
An invisible barrier quickly appeared around Kingler's body, absorbing the impact of Pangoro's powerful punch.
Immediately afterward, Kingler's massive claw swung like a blade, slashing down toward Pangoro.
"Iron Body, then use Shave to reposition and follow with Thunder Punch again!"
Nathan called out quickly.
"Roar!"
Pangoro let out a loud roar as his blood surged and muscles tensed.
Clang!
When Kingler's Razor Shell attack hit, it made the sound of metal clashing with metal, even sparking slightly on impact.
Still, a deep gash was left on Pangoro's body.
This was a new Fighting-type move.
Had Nathan been paying attention, he would've heard the commentators' shocked voices and the audience gasping.
But right now, all of his focus was on Warren across from him. He had to admit, this was a remarkably calm opponent—and for a Trainer, staying calm was one of the most important qualities.
"Roar!"
Pangoro winced from Kingler's strike, but he quickly regained his stance. Before Kingler could react, Pangoro leapt behind him. His right fist clenched, crackling with yellow lightning, and he launched another Thunder Punch.
"Kingler, Protect again!" Warren called out firmly.
"King~"
The invisible barrier appeared once more—but after just a second or two, it suddenly flickered and vanished.
"Damn it."
Warren's face changed. He cursed under his breath, but he'd anticipated this. Using Protect consecutively was always a gamble.
The move had a built-in risk—using it multiple times in a row could cause it to fail.
Meanwhile...
Pangoro's punch connected.
The electric blast slammed into Kingler and sent it flying, crashing hard into the distant ground.
That single punch inflicted heavy damage, leaving Kingler struggling to get back up.
"Pangoro, finish the battle. Shave, then Thunder Punch again." Nathan said calmly.
"Roar!" (AN: Let's just use "Roar" for Pangoro's cry. I listened to its in-game sound—it kind of sounds like a roar... yeah, kind of weird, right?)
Pangoro roared and burst forward like a phantom, appearing in front of Kingler just as it began to rise—and slammed another punch down.
This time, Kingler fainted on the spot and lost the ability to battle.
"Looks like I miscalculated," Warren muttered. He took out a Poké Ball and recalled Kingler.
Facing a Pangoro that had mastered Thunder Punch, Kingler's defeat was understandable. Although Kingler had an advantage against Fighting-types, that was only true if the opponent didn't know Electric moves. A move like Thunder Punch was devastating against Water-types. While it's still classified as a physical move, the energy-based damage from Electric-type attacks was undeniably real.
Warren had bet that Nathan's Pangoro didn't know Thunder Punch—and clearly, he lost that bet.
Shaking his head and taking a deep breath, he drew another Poké Ball and threw it.
"Come out—Cloyster!"
[Your Pokémon "Pangoro" has won the battle and gained EXP. Level up! Current Level: 28]
Name: PangoroAbility: Iron Fist (Boosts power of punching moves)Typing: Fighting + DarkDescription: Pangoro, the Daunting Pokémon, evolves from Pancham. It has a fierce temper and is quick to pick fights. The bamboo leaf in its mouth acts as a sensory tool, able to detect movements in the surroundings.Level: 28 (Advance Tier: 20–30)Moves: Shave, Iron Body, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Crunch, Hammer Arm...
Just one battle and Pangoro leveled up!
Clearly, Kingler wasn't weak.
Facing Warren's second Pokémon, Nathan had no intention of switching. Pangoro would continue.
Though Pangoro had taken some damage in the last round, it was still fit to fight.
Cloyster, a Water/Ice-type Pokémon and the final evolution of Shellder, had higher base stats than Pangoro—especially in physical defense.
However, its special defense was even lower than Kingler's.
"Cloyster, strike first—Icicle Spear!" Warren commanded coldly.
Cloyster immediately acted, summoning a barrage of icicle projectiles and firing them at Pangoro.
"Dodge, then Shave and follow with Thunder Punch!" Nathan ordered.
Having experienced many battles with Nathan in the secret realm, Pangoro trusted his Trainer's commands implicitly.
It reacted instantly to Nathan's voice, evading the icicles and vanishing with a burst of speed—so fast it kicked up dust beneath its feet.
It reappeared right in front of Cloyster and unleashed Thunder Punch.
Crackle!
Electricity sparked brilliantly.
A smirk crept across Warren's face. "That move won't work on my Cloyster. Cloyster, use Blizzard and retreat into your shell!"
In this realistic world, Pokémon weren't limited like in games or anime—they could use multiple moves at once if trained and commanded properly.
Clearly, this Cloyster had been carefully trained and had excellent control over its abilities. Upon hearing Warren's command, it cried out, launching a freezing Blizzard to engulf both Pokémon—then instantly retreated into its shell, locking itself in with double-layered protection.
Boom!
Even though the Thunder Punch landed, Cloyster's defense reduced the damage considerably—but electric sparks still flickered across its shell.
At the same time, the howling Blizzard swept through the arena, battering Pangoro with freezing winds and drawing a grimace of pain.
"Cloyster, stay in your shell—use Rest!" Warren shouted, his voice reaching into the shell.
An irritating strategy—retreating into the shell for defense and using Rest to recover health and remove conditions.
Nathan frowned but stayed calm. "Pangoro, continue with Thunder Punch!"
Without pause, Pangoro obeyed—slamming another electrified punch into Cloyster's shell. Even with enhanced defense, damage still got through.
"Cloyster, as soon as you come out, use Giga Impact!" Warren called. Cloyster was nearly done resting and ready for a full-power attack.
In battles, Trainers must give constant instructions. Unless the Pokémon has extremely high combat instincts, lack of guidance leads to confusion.
Cloyster, being a Water/Ice Pokémon, had many such moves—but against Pangoro, Warren had avoided using them.
They were too slow.
Actually, not slow—Pangoro was just too fast.
For such a bulky Pokémon to move this quickly—it was almost as fast as Scyther.
With that speed, any Water/Ice moves were easy to dodge. That's why Warren chose Giga Impact, a Normal-type move.
Although Cloyster would be left vulnerable after using it, the move's raw power—especially against an already injured Pangoro—could be enough to end the match.
Then, he could face Nathan's second Pokémon…
Wait.
Nathan has a second Pokémon. Beating Pangoro doesn't end the match.
Why am I even happy?
The thought hit Warren, and he shook his head with a bitter smile.
This opponent is too strong.
He'd forgotten that Pangoro was just Nathan's first Pokémon.
Back in the arena, Nathan's eyes stayed locked on Cloyster.
Then suddenly, as if waiting for this moment, he gave the order:
"Pangoro—finish it. Hammer Arm!"
Hammer Arm—a powerful Fighting-type move with 100 base power. It was also a punching move, so boosted by Iron Fist.
"Roar!"
Pangoro let out a mighty roar. Though he hesitated briefly—Cloyster was still inside its shell, and even he knew its defense was sky-high while withdrawn—he didn't doubt Nathan.
Right hand clenched, he unleashed Hammer Arm without hesitation.
"Not good!" Warren's expression shifted.
Just as Pangoro's punch was about to land...
Cloyster's double-layered shell... suddenly opened.