Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

Scyther vs. Gible

On paper, there was no contest—Scyther had the upper hand.

With a base stat total of 500 compared to Gible's 300, the gap in raw power was significant.

Moreover, Scyther's Flying type rendered Ground-type moves completely ineffective.

The disparity seemed insurmountable.

But Luo Yuan never fought battles he wasn't confident of winning.

If Ground-type moves wouldn't work, then he simply wouldn't use them.

Under Luo Yuan's command, Gible launched the first attack.

The little dragon opened its oversized mouth—a mouth that looked almost comically large on its round head, making it resemble a miniature Pac-Man.

ROAR!

A bright yellow energy ball began forming in Gible's maw.

Makoto, observing from across the field, didn't immediately issue a command.

He used the brief pause after the Pokémon switch to reflect on his earlier mistakes.

In the first match, he'd lost control of the battle early when his Nidoking's Poison Sting was countered by Slowbro, allowing Luo Yuan to dictate the rest of the fight.

This time, he planned to adopt Luo Yuan's strategy—observe first, then counterattack.

Gible tilted its head back slightly, and with a sharp motion, it hurled the glowing energy ball toward Scyther.

Makoto reacted instantly.

"Scyther, use Air Slash!"

Whoosh!

Scyther's blade-like arms glowed as it slashed through the air, creating two razor-sharp blades of compressed wind.

The Air Slashes streaked toward the incoming energy ball, colliding in mid-air.

BOOM!

The resulting explosion lit up the field, a burst of smoke and flames rising into the air and obscuring the battlefield.

"Blocked it?"

Makoto blinked, surprised.

He had expected Scyther's Air Slash to slice through Gible's Dragon Rage and continue toward its target.

The fact that Gible's attack could withstand such a powerful move caught him off guard.

But Makoto quickly shook off his surprise—it didn't matter.

"Scyther, go in!" he commanded.

Scyther's wings began vibrating rapidly, the green mantis surging forward with incredible speed.

It zipped through the smoke, its twin scythes raised high, slashing toward Gible.

But as Scyther emerged from the smoke, it froze for a split second.

Instead of panicking, Gible sat calmly, its mouth open as if inviting Scyther to come closer.

Something's wrong!

The thought flashed through Scyther's mind, but it was already too late.

Gible's eyes glinted mischievously as a blast of purple Dragon Breath erupted from its mouth, engulfing Scyther.

Scyther twisted its body mid-air, using its impressive speed to evade most of the attack.

Only a portion of the Dragon Breath struck it, but the paralysis effect began creeping through Scyther's body.

While it wasn't fully paralyzed, its movements were noticeably hindered.

Luo Yuan seized the moment.

"Gible, charge!"

The small dragon darted forward on its stubby legs, closing the distance between itself and Scyther in seconds.

With a powerful leap, Gible rocketed upward like a cannonball, slamming into Scyther's midsection.

"Take Down!"

Weighing nearly 30 kilograms, Gible's body struck Scyther's slender frame with brutal force.

The impact sent Scyther reeling, its body wracked with pain as Gible's Rough Skin ability activated, adding further damage.

"SCYYAH!"

Crying out in pain, Scyther instinctively retaliated with a powerful Slash, knocking Gible off and forcing it to retreat.

The two Pokémon separated, each assessing the other.

The exchange, while brief, was electrifying.

From Scyther's charge to Gible's ambush and subsequent counterattack, the entire sequence lasted mere seconds.

The audience and commentators struggled to keep up.

Makoto, however, felt the pressure more acutely than anyone else.

"How is this possible?"

He stared in disbelief.

If not for Scyther's quick Slash breaking Gible's momentum, his Pokémon might already be down.

Hovering in mid-air, Scyther panted lightly but didn't waste time recovering. Instead, it lunged forward, aiming to capitalize on Gible's momentary disorientation after being knocked down.

A green blur streaked toward Gible, scythes glinting dangerously.

Scyther planned to end the battle quickly before Gible could recover.

But what Makoto didn't realize was that, with Luo Yuan's psychic link aiding Gible, every one of Scyther's movements was being tracked.

The same predictive advantage that had allowed Gible to set its ambush earlier was now helping it evade Scyther's furious onslaught.

As Scyther's scythes descended, Gible rolled aside with surprising agility, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Its round body, despite appearances, moved with deceptive speed.

Makoto's jaw tightened.

No matter how fast or precise Scyther's strikes were, Gible dodged each one with uncanny precision.

To the untrained eye, it almost seemed as if Gible were toying with Scyther, its movements more reminiscent of an experienced Garchomp than a newly-hatched Gible.

Scyther's frustration mounted with every failed attack.

And Luo Yuan, sensing this through his psychic link, smirked.

He waited for Scyther's emotions to affect its movements.

The moment a minor hesitation crept into Scyther's form, Luo Yuan gave the command.

"Now! Gible, attack!"

The small dragon lunged forward, jaws wide open, aiming for Scyther's exposed flank.

For Gible, biting moving targets was an instinct as natural as breathing.