Chapter 675 - 675: 675. Relentless Tactics

Slaking was one of Norman's signature Pokémon.

Even without the reminder, Kai knew just how dangerous it was.

A powerhouse like Slaking was not something to confront recklessly at close range but looking at his remaining options…

He considered them carefully.

First, he eliminated Tyranitar.

True, its Rock typing meant Normal-type moves would lack super-effective pressure, and on paper, it could trade blows with Slaking in a raw power contest.

But Tyranitar was too slow.

Against something as deceptively fast as Slaking, it risked being worn down. Even using Rock Tomb to restrict movement might fail Slaking's simian agility made climbing and repositioning far too easy.

That left two choices.

Dragonite… or Scizor.

After a brief hesitation, Kai made his decision.

"Your turn—go, Scizor!"

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From a typing perspective, Slaking's Normal-type attacks were resisted by Scizor's Steel typing. Even if Slaking carried Fighting-type coverage, those moves were neutral at best.

More importantly—

Scizor's steel-hard body gave it outstanding durability.

It might not match Slaking in sheer strength or stamina, but its defensive resilience, offensive precision, and limited aerial mobility gave it room to maneuver.

Blue light flashed.

Scizor stepped onto the field.

Slaking merely lay there lazily, lifting one eyelid to glance at its opponent.

The indifference was obvious.

If Combusken had been here, it might have taken offense.

Scizor did not.

Calm. Focused. Emotionless.

A trait common among Bug-type Pokémon is cold efficiency.

"The third battle of the Petalburg Gym match begins!"

The referee's voice echoed.

Kai moved first.

"Scizor, X-Scissor!"

Rather than charge in recklessly, he opened with a mid-range strike.

Scizor crossed its bladed arms and slashed forward, sending a crimson X-shaped energy wave slicing toward Slaking.

"Block it," Norman said lightly.

Slaking lazily raised both hands—

And caught the X-Scissor head-on.

Bang!

The energy is dispersed in its palms.

Red welts formed across its thick skin.

It hurt.

Enough to make Slaking slowly rise to its feet.

Its eyes opened wider.

It was serious now.

Norman immediately recognized something else.

This Scizor was on a completely different level than Kai's previous Pokémon.

This was tournament-caliber strength.

"Slaking, Hammer Arm!"

Slaking's right fist glowed as it suddenly surged forward with explosive speed, crossing half the battlefield in moments before slamming downward.

Scizor crossed its steel arms to block.

CLANG!

The impact rang like colliding metal.

Scizor slid back two steps, arms tingling from the force.

Slaking's power was monstrous.

Yet—

That was all.

Scizor's defenses held firm. Thanks to typing resistance and durability, the damage was manageable.

Slaking pounded its chest repeatedly.

It was fully engaged now.

"Slaking, Earthquake!"

Of course, it knew Earthquake.

At this point, Kai was hardly surprised by Norman's unconventional coverage choices.

Slaking leapt high—

And crashed down.

The arena shook violently.

"Scizor, jump! Slash!"

Though Scizor had lost true flight due to its weight, its wings still aided jumps and short glides.

Using that lift, it launched upward, clearing the worst of the tremors.

From above, Scizor brought its blade arm down in a crushing Slash.

Slaking raised both hands to block—

But as it prepared to counter, Scizor split into multiple copies.

Double Team.

Several Scizor illusions surrounded Slaking.

Norman could offer no guidance here.

It would rely on instinct.

Slaking swung at the nearest image—

It vanished.

A slicing sound came from behind.

Without turning, Slaking's rear arm shot back—

And blocked the real strike cleanly.

Kai clicked his tongue internally.

Slaking was frighteningly sharp.

Even surrounded by illusions, it could react flawlessly.

And unlike typical Slaking burdened by its Truant nature—

Norman showed relentless drive once the battle began.

How he trained it this way remained a mystery.

If brute force was required—

Then so be it.

Kai pulled Scizor back and gave the next command.

"Swords Dance!"

Scizor began to power itself up, blades shimmering with rising energy—

Norman smiled.

"Don't let it set up. Slaking—Hyper Beam!"

Too fast.

Slaking opened its mouth—

A massive beam of destructive energy erupted forward.

Scizor, mid-Swords Dance, was caught in that vulnerable half-second.

There was no time to dodge.

The Hyper Beam struck directly.

The arena flashed white.

Scizor was swallowed up in the explosion.

Kai's expression tightened.

He hadn't expected Hyper Beam to be in Slaking's arsenal on top of Earthquake.

Still—

Scizor hadn't taken serious damage earlier.

If it could endure this blast—

The momentum might yet shift.

The smoke slowly began to clear.

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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter

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