Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Pidgeot swooped down from above, whipping up a fierce wind as it descended.

Under Gary's command, it readied its Steel Wing attack, intending to capitalize on the Steel-type move's advantage over Mimikyu.

But Gary had no idea what kind of opponent he was really up against.

As Pidgeot dove closer, Mimikyu's yellowish cloak began to shift, and a Shadow Claw emerged, swiping at Pidgeot from below.

Even as it attacked, Mimikyu kept Luo Yuan's instructions in mind.

It held back, using only half its strength.

But even at half power, Mimikyu's strike was incredibly fast.

The shadowy claw flashed through the air like a streak of dark lightning.

Gary's Pidgeot was confident.

Rather than dodge, it trusted in its momentum and the strength of its Steel Wing to break through the Shadow Claw head-on.

That was the plan, anyway.

But... plans are often different from reality.

With a powerful flap of its wings, Pidgeot collided with the Shadow Claw.

BAM!

The Shadow Claw bent back slightly under the force of Pidgeot's impact, straining and twisting as if about to break.

But to Pidgeot and Gary's surprise, Mimikyu's Shadow Claw withstood the blow.

"Not good—Pidgeot, pull back!" Gary shouted.

But Mimikyu didn't give them the chance.

Piiiii!

The Shadow Claw closed in around Pidgeot. Despite Ghost-type moves normally being weak against Flying-types, Mimikyu's physical claws pierced through Pidgeot's thick feathers and dug painfully into its body, making Pidgeot cry out in pain.

Then...

Bam!

With a swift movement, Mimikyu smashed Pidgeot to the ground with its Shadow Claw. Dazed, Pidgeot wobbled unsteadily, looking as if it had just been through a rough night out.

"Huh?"

Mimikyu looked puzzled.

Its opponent seemed weaker than it had expected.

Remembering Luo Yuan's instructions to hold back and prolong the battle, Mimikyu decided to switch to a move it wasn't as skilled with: a special attack.

Unlike its formidable Attack stat, Mimikyu's Special Attack was a meager 50.

Its head tilted back, and a Shadow Ball—about half the usual size—formed in front of it.

Whoosh!

The Shadow Ball arced toward Pidgeot.

To give it a fair chance to dodge, Mimikyu had intentionally slowed the speed of the attack.

Pidgeot, just beginning to recover from the dizziness, looked at the approaching Shadow Ball in terror, preparing to fly up and evade.

But as it flapped its wings, a sharp pain flared up where Mimikyu's Shadow Claw had struck, causing its wing to spasm.

In that brief moment, the "slow" Shadow Ball was upon it.

"Pidgeot!" Gary shouted.

The Shadow Ball exploded next to Pidgeot, sending a shockwave that engulfed it completely.

BOOM!

The blast echoed, and when the dust cleared, Pidgeot lay on the ground, its feathers scorched black, knocked out cold.

Mimikyu stood firmly in place, barely having moved.

"... Pidgeot is unable to battle. Mimikyu wins!" Professor Oak announced after a long pause.

He hadn't expected the first round to end so quickly.

To put it simply... Pidgeot swooped in, got hit, and then was out.

Mimikyu had only used two moves: Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball, and that was all it took to end the match.

Professor Oak glanced at Gary, momentarily speechless, unsure of how to console him.

As an experienced former Trainer, he knew Gary's tactics hadn't been wrong—the issue lay with Mimikyu's sheer strength.

Gary's Pidgeot was already outstanding for a new Trainer's team.

But even a well-trained Pidgeot couldn't withstand more than two moves from this Mimikyu.

While it was hard to gauge Mimikyu's exact level from such a short exchange, one thing was certain: Luo Yuan's Mimikyu was exceptionally strong.

Professor Oak fell into silent contemplation.

Luo Yuan, too, looked at the fallen Pidgeot, now feeling slightly awkward.

He'd overestimated Gary's strength.

He'd chosen Mimikyu for this battle partly to show it to Professor Oak, hoping to establish a reason for using it in future League matches.

The plan was for Mimikyu to hold back, give Gary a fair shot, and make the fight a bit more balanced.

But the win had turned out so one-sided that even Luo Yuan felt a little embarrassed.

Luckily, Gary's spirit had been toughened by all his prior defeats at Luo Yuan's hands.

Or rather, he'd reached the point of "well, it is what it is."

Quickly collecting himself, he looked at Mimikyu and asked curiously, "So, Luo Yuan, was it your Mimikyu that beat Giovanni's Beedrill?"

In Gary's mind, if this Mimikyu had taken on that Beedrill, then it seemed possible that Luo Yuan could've won.

Luo Yuan silently shook his head.

He knew his own Pokémon well enough. Though he hadn't had Mimikyu for long, he had a rough sense of its strength.

Mimikyu's power was around the same level as his Gengar's—a formidable Pokémon, yes, but still far from being a match for Giovanni's Beedrill.

On the surface, however, Luo Yuan merely nodded.

"What do you think of my Mimikyu?" he asked Gary with a grin.

Gary clenched his fists. "Even so, I won't back down!"

His goal was clear: to recognize the gap, learn what he could from Luo Yuan, and grow stronger.

Without hesitation, he reached for another Poké Ball on his belt.

"Go! Arcanine!"

With a powerful howl, Gary's Arcanine took the field.

Compared to the last time Luo Yuan had seen it, Arcanine's presence was significantly stronger.

Its glossy coat and proud stance were enough to make any Arcanine fan swoon with admiration.

"Oh? Your next choice is Arcanine, is it? Alright, I won't make it too unfair..."

Seeing Gary's curious expression, Luo Yuan recalled Mimikyu.

Then...

"Go, Slowbro!"

Slowpoke, with its usual dopey look, plopped onto the field.

"Slooow..."

Slowbro looked at the imposing Arcanine standing across from it, then turned to Luo Yuan, its face filled with quiet resentment.

All it wanted was to be a lazy, carefree Slowbro. Why did it have to endure all this?

---

T/N: I'm literally slowbro

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