Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

"Makoto sends out his third Pokémon, Venusaur!"

"This Venusaur looks formidable. Could it break Luo Yuan's winning streak?"

So far in this match, Luo Yuan had only used two Pokémon, neither of which were part of his main team.

The commentator and most of the audience didn't believe Makoto stood a chance of winning. The real question was whether Luo Yuan might get careless and suffer his first loss in the tournament.

Makoto, however, wasn't paying attention to the crowd's reactions or the commentator's analysis.

His previous defeat had taught him the importance of focus. Although Luo Yuan's overwhelming strength was the main reason for his loss, Makoto had also allowed external distractions to rattle him.

Now, Venusaur and Gabite faced each other in a tense standoff, each Pokémon sizing up its opponent.

Makoto kept his gaze on Gabite, running through potential strategies in his mind.

"Gabite is a Dragon and Ground-type. Its weaknesses are Ice, Dragon, and Fairy, none of which Venusaur can exploit. I can't rely on type advantages here."

His thoughts quickly shifted to tactics.

"Venusaur, use Stun Spore!"

The Grass-type's go-to control move was a natural choice.

"Venusaur!"

Venusaur crouched slightly, lowering its center of gravity.

A yellow mist sprayed from the massive flower on its back, drifting upward before descending to blanket the battlefield.

The spores spread rapidly, covering a wide area.

Luo Yuan raised an eyebrow at the sight.

"Gabite, use Twister!"

ROAR!

Gabite let out a fierce cry, opening its jaws wide and inhaling deeply.

With a powerful exhale, it unleashed a massive Twister, far larger than any it had used before.

The swirling winds sucked up the spores around Gabite, dispersing them harmlessly.

Makoto didn't look surprised.

He had anticipated Gabite's use of Twister, given its earlier performance.

The Stun Spore was merely a feint.

"Venusaur, use Magical Leaf!"

The large Pokémon shook its body, sending shimmering green leaves flying from its flower.

The glowing leaves curved in midair, homing in on Gabite.

This move, combined with the earlier Stun Spore, was a much more sophisticated tactic than Makoto's earlier direct attacks.

But Luo Yuan wasn't impressed.

"Magical Leaf alone won't cut it!"

Raising his hand slightly, Luo Yuan gave Gabite the signal.

Through their psychic link, Gabite immediately adjusted the Twister's trajectory, drawing most of the leaves into the vortex and shredding them to pieces.

The few that escaped were swiftly intercepted by Gabite's sharp fins, slashing through them with ease.

Makoto clenched his teeth as his strategy failed to land.

Yet he didn't let up.

Having learned from his earlier matches, he knew that giving Luo Yuan control of the battle was a surefire way to lose.

"Venusaur, use Vine Whip!"

Two thick green vines shot out from Venusaur's flower, snaking toward Gabite.

"Counter with Slash!"

Gabite crossed its arms and swung its sharp fins as the vines closed in.

SLASH!

The vines recoiled as if electrified, the pain causing Venusaur to retract them.

Despite its setback, Venusaur continued attacking, releasing a flurry of small seeds from its mouth.

Swish! Swish!

The seeds shot through the air like bullets.

"Makoto's Venusaur is keeping up relentless pressure! After its Vine Whip was thwarted, it's now using Bullet Seed to maintain its offensive!"

Gabite snarled in irritation, clearly annoyed by Venusaur's constant barrage.

Being on the defensive wasn't its style.

ROAR!

Gabite opened its mouth again, unleashing a Dragon Rage that detonated the seeds mid-air.

As the explosion sent debris flying, Gabite stomped its feet into the ground.

The impact generated a sudden, fierce wind.

"Gabite is using Sandstorm!"

The swirling sand quickly spread, enveloping the battlefield in a dusty haze.

"Venu..."

Venusaur squinted against the onslaught of sand, trying to protect its eyes.

The rough grit battered its body, dealing minor but constant damage, while the oppressive environment made it increasingly uncomfortable.

Luo Yuan's focus shifted to Gabite, whose silhouette flickered in and out of view within the storm.

He frowned slightly.

"If I remember correctly, when I got this Gible's egg from Silph Co., Professor Bill mentioned it had the Rough Skin ability. That trait was evident in its earlier fight against Scyther.

"But now... this Sand Veil effect is unmistakable. What's going on?"

Luo Yuan was genuinely puzzled.

He had never conducted serious combat tests with Gible before, so this was his first time noticing the phenomenon.

"Could it have two abilities at once?"

Considering the egg's heavily secured origins, it wasn't entirely implausible.

But this wasn't the time to dwell on such mysteries.

Whatever Gabite's abilities, they were clearly advantageous.

"Gabite, use Sand Tomb!"

The Sandstorm intensified as Gabite swung its arms, directing the swirling sand toward Venusaur.

The grains coalesced, forming a vortex around Venusaur, trapping it.

"Venu!"

Venusaur struggled against the encroaching sand, its movements sluggish.

The abrasive particles struck its body, dealing steady damage while encasing it further.

Already slow, Venusaur had become a sitting duck.

Feeling the danger, Venusaur thrashed its body, sending glowing Magical Leaves hurtling toward Gabite.

But before the leaves could land, Gabite vanished.

Makoto's eyes widened.

"What?!"

Gabite's form reappeared momentarily before disappearing again, its Sand Veil ability allowing it to blend seamlessly into the storm.