Chapter 538: Pokemon master of tactics - 538

Chapter 538: Pokemon master of tactics: Chapter 538

The referee swung his arm downward and shouted, "Release your Pokémon!"

Both trainers immediately threw their Poké Balls.

Two flashes of light appeared on opposite sides of the battlefield. Crobat and the shiny Metagross appeared almost simultaneously.

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Pokémon: Crobat

LV: 58

Type: Poison / Flying

Abilities: Inner Focus

Gender: Male

Potential: Shallow Diamond (0%)

Moves:

- Absorb, Supersonic, Astonish, Bite, Wing Attack, Confuse Ray [M], Swift, Haze, Leech Life [E], Mean Look [E], Venoshock [E], Air Slash, Cross Poison [M],

- ( Perfect Talent) Shadow Ball [M], ( Perfect Talent) Fly [M],

- (TM) Protect [E], (TM) Toxic [M], (TM) Taunt [E], (TM) Sludge Bomb, (TM) Facade, (TM) Roost [E], (TM) Substitute, (TM) Thief, (TM) Double Team [E], (TM) Aerial Ace, (TM) Torment, (TM) Steel Wing (TM) Payback, (TM) X-Scissor, (TM) Giga Impact

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Pokémon: Metagross (Shiny)

LV: 61

Type: Psychic / Steel

Abilities: Light Metal (Hidden Ability)

Gender: Genderless

Potential: Diamond (98%)

Moves:

- Take Down [E], Confusion, Magnet Rise, Metal Claw, Pursuit, Bullet Punch [E], Miracle Eye, Zen Headbutt, Scary Face, Psychic [M], Agility, Meteor Mash [M], Hammer Arm [M], Iron Defense [M], Hyper Beam

- (Perfect Talent) Earthquake [M], (Perfect Talent) Rock Polish [M]

- (TM) Ice Punch [E], (TM) Thunder Punch, (TM) Light Screen [E], (TM) Reflect, (TM) Protect [E], (TM) Sandstorm [M], (TM) Facade [E], (TM) Brick Break, (TM) Rock Slide [M], (TM) Psycho Cut, (TM) Rest [E], (TM) Sleep Talk [E],

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Alex studied Metagross’s infos closely and had to admit that it had hardly any weaknesses and possessed many moves capable of hitting most Pokémon types effectively.

Combined with a three-level advantage, Alex stood no chance of defeating this Pokémon in a fair fight using any of his own.

Alex knew this Pokémon extremely well and had already prepared a plan for it.

It wasn’t a perfect plan—it was even a bit risky—but it was the best strategy Alex had against such a monster.

The referee raised his hand and shouted, "3, 2, 1, Go!"

Alex and Steven said nothing, but both Pokémon began preparing new moves without waiting for commands.

Crobat, with his superior speed, started flying away from Metagross, which immediately gave chase upon seeing the movement.

Both Pokémon prepared moves as they maneuvered through the arena, but Crobat’s speed allowed it to quickly open up a gap.

Once out of immediate range of almost all range moves, Crobat did something that caught Steven and Metagross off guard.

He immediately unleashed a Shadow Ball, sending the ghostly projectile flying rapidly toward Metagross.

Metagross was somewhat surprised by the sudden attack and tried to dodge a bit late.

However, a slightly delayed reaction meant the Shadow Ball still grazed it and exploded from the impacked, dealing a significant amount of damage.

Since Metagross was weak to Ghost-type moves and possessed only average Special Defense, the attack hit hard.

Seeing the first part of his risky strategy succeed, Alex smiled. Most trainers are vaguely aware of this concept but rarely apply the knowledge effectively.

Ranged moves can be classified into two categories based on their range:

1: Moves like Shadow Ball, which have a long range but can only reliably hit a Pokémon within a specific effective range or are easily dodged by a Pokémon of a similar level.

2: Moves like Psychic, which cannot be used beyond a certain distance due to the move’s inherent limitations.

Most ranged moves fall into one of these categories, though the distinction is rarely noticeable since the effective ranges almost always overlap, making the difference negligible in practice.

Alex leveraged this knowledge in his strategy by having Crobat use Shadow Ball, even though the shot was fired from outside the move’s optimal effective range.

This tactic wouldn’t work against a more agile Pokemon or one who anticipated it, but because it was a new trick, it succeeded against Steven’s Metagross.

However, Alex knew the trick would only work once; Metagross wouldn’t be caught off guard by it again.

Crobat prepared a new move as he flew closer and closer to the edge of the arena.

Metagross was slightly surprised by the trick but continued to pursue Crobat, eventually moving within range of the move it was preparing.

Crobat could only utilize his speed effectively when flying in a straight line. However, the arena layout prevented this for extended periods, forcing it to take suboptimal paths that allowed Metagross to close the gap.

Metagross—able to easily intercept Crobat from the center of the arena while the latter was near the edge—moved into range and unleashed its moves without hesitation.

It used Psychic; with no chance to dodge, the move struck Crobat, dealing heavy damage.

Two more hits would be enough to defeat it.

Anticipating this hit, Crobat immediately flew straight toward Metagross. For a moment, Metagross didn’t know what to do; it was sticking to Steven’s original plan and preparing a move while it remained stationary.

Crobat flew over Metagross’s head, darting straight from one side of the arena to the other.

Metagross reacted instantly and pursued Crobat.

However, Crobat finished preparing his move and unleashed it immediately while the two Pokémon were still in close proximity.

It used Confuse Ray, and because Metagross was so close, the move easily hit its mark.

A strange beam of shimmering light struck Metagross squarely.

Metagross’s body froze for an instant.

The battlefield seemed to spin around it as conflicting sensory signals flooded its mind. Even Metagross’s incredible intelligence couldn’t completely resist the sudden wave of confusion. Its thoughts became disordered, and its movements momentarily lost their precision.

However, the confusion didn’t interrupt the move Metagross had already begun preparing after using Psychic.

Despite its disoriented state, it continued charging the attack. Even while confused, Metagross instinctively understood that stopping now would only put it at an even greater disadvantage.

Its thoughts may have been clouded, but its battle instincts remained remarkably sharp.

However, keeping up with Crobat proved far more difficult. Flying in a straight line, Crobat immediately accelerated to his maximum speed, rapidly widening the distance between them.

To Metagross’s confused mind, several identical Crobats appeared to be flying across the arena at once. Unable to tell which one was real.

Seeing this, Alex allowed himself a small smile. His plan had unfolded almost perfectly so far. Now, all he needed was a little luck.

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