Pokemon: Sandstorm Elite

"This is the level of an Elite Four trainer."

In the stands, a young man in a red jacket sighed in admiration. Beside him, a girl munching on potato chips shook her head. "Klein's strength is incredible, but his Pokémon's moves don't look very elegant. Still, I'll keep supporting him no matter what."

"At the level of the Elite Four, every Pokémon they command gives off an overwhelming presence. Their ability to control the finer details of battle is something ordinary trainers can never match."

The red-jacketed young man had once participated in an exhibition match against Lorelei, the Ice-type Elite. As he recalled that battle, the image that flashed through his mind was of Lorelei's elegant, slender—and massive…

This time, he had brought his younger sister to watch the match, thinking that the "fourth sister of the Cerulean Gym" would be a mature, elegant woman. But upon seeing that it was just a little blonde girl, he felt immensely disappointed.

Sensing her brother's thoughts, the girl covered her face in embarrassment. "You're disgusting. Big brothers like you always have dangerous thoughts. I just hope Klein doesn't turn out like you in the future."

"Relax. This Sandstorm Elite won't ever lack female fans. If you want to get close to him, you'd either have to train hard to reach his level… or grow into a mature, dominant woman."

"Hmph!"

"Look who's talking, Miss Flat-Chest."

"Go die!"

The girl's psychic energy flared up, instantly lifting the young man into the air and tossing him away.

While chaos erupted in the audience, Misty remained unfazed by the loss of her first Pokémon. Instead, she grew even more determined. She swiftly threw out her second Poké Ball. "Staryu, use Double Team!"

Countless afterimages filled the battlefield. As another Ice Ball shot forward, it failed to hit the real Staryu. The relentless Ice Ball attacks that had left Misty struggling to breathe earlier finally seemed to slow down.

Shattered ice fragments turned into floating snowflakes in midair. Just as Misty exhaled in relief, Klein calmly gave his next command. "Use Defense Curl."

At his order, Sandslash curled into a tight ball, rolling rapidly across the icy battlefield. The surrounding ice particles swirled around it, increasing its momentum. As its speed grew faster and faster, Sandslash's figure blurred, becoming increasingly difficult to track.

Although this wasn't a snowy battlefield, the fragmented ice scattered across the arena created a light snow effect. Within just a few rounds, this was enough to trigger Sandslash's Snow Cloak ability, making its movements even more elusive.

"Staryu, use Swift!"

Golden star-shaped projectiles shot out in all directions. However, the spinning Sandslash whipped up a vortex of ice and snow, skillfully deflecting the attack.

Using Defense Curl to block Swift?

This technique looked almost like something out of a Contest Battle. But Klein didn't care about aesthetics—his sole purpose was to push Gym Leaders to their limits and assess their potential.

Yet Sandslash didn't stop its rolling. Instead, it charged straight at Staryu. The sweeping motion of its claws shattered the afterimages as it grabbed hold of Staryu. With a powerful grip, Staryu found itself immobilized.

"Staryu, use Water Gun!"

A jet of water shot from Staryu's core, but Sandslash instantly countered by spitting out another Ice Ball. After being enhanced by Defense Curl, the new Ice Ball was significantly larger, and as the freezing energy spread through the water, Staryu itself began to ice over.

The massive Ice Ball struck Staryu head-on. The entire battlefield trembled from the impact, and cracks spread across the icy surface, a testament to Sandslash's terrifying combat prowess.

This is the power of an Elite Four?

With just a single Pokémon—using only the most basic moves like Ice Ball and Defense Curl—he had already forced her into such a desperate situation. This overwhelming difference in strength was utterly infuriating.

"What a letdown. This little girl only has this level of skill? No wonder the League wants to revoke the Cerulean Gym's status."

"Yeah, the Cerulean Gym Leaders are great at putting on flashy battles, but when it comes to real fights, they're just not up to par. Maybe the League should just open a new Gym in this area."

The audience's comments made Misty tremble slightly. Meanwhile, another Ice Ball attack was already on its way. Yet neither she nor Staryu could think of a way to counter it.

"Misty, don't give up! Keep using Double Team!"

Ash's passionate yell echoed from the stands. Misty's pupils contracted as she turned to see her simple-minded companion standing there, fists clenched, striking an over-the-top pose alongside Pikachu.

"You want to be the world's greatest Water-type trainer! How can you stop here?!"

So cheesy.

Klein shifted his gaze toward the eternally ten-year-old Ash, his expression showing a hint of amusement and curiosity.

Idiot.

A warmth filled Misty's heart. Gritting her teeth, her determination flared once more. "Staryu, keep using Double Team to dodge the Ice Ball! Then fire Water Gun from multiple directions!"

Countless afterimages reappeared, surrounding Sandslash. As Ice Balls streaked through the battlefield, multiple jets of water shot out from all angles. Sandslash tried to dive into the ice for cover, but Staryu burst forth from beneath the surface, spinning rapidly as it shot toward Sandslash.

This move made no sense from a physics standpoint, but the combined force of the Water Gun and rapid spinning created a unique new attack. The swirling vortex of water engulfed Sandslash, leaving it unable to move.

Unlike in the games, real battles couldn't be limited to rigid stats and mechanics. The sheer force of this spiraling Water Gun surpassed that of an ordinary Water Gun attack. Trapped in midair, Sandslash was sent flying.

With a final spin, Staryu launched Sandslash straight down toward the ice.

"That was a beautiful counterattack. But the battle's not over yet. Sandslash, use Metal Burst."

A blinding silver light erupted from Sandslash's body.

The instant Staryu's attack connected, a massive shockwave detonated outward. The spiraling Water Gun was instantly shredded apart.

Water droplets scattered across the battlefield, but Staryu refused to give in. Enduring the immense force of the Metal Burst, it kept spinning, using the last of its energy to slam into Sandslash.

A brutal double knockout.

Both Pokémon crashed into the ground, shattering the icy battlefield. Steam and mist rose, momentarily obscuring the scene.

While the audience focused on the outcome, Misty's only concern was Staryu's condition. She hadn't expected it to push itself so hard in the final moments to take Sandslash down.

"Staryu!"

"No need to worry. It's fine."

At some point, Klein had already stepped onto the battlefield, lifting both the unconscious Sandslash and Staryu in his arms.

"…Thank you."

Misty's face turned slightly red as she accepted the newly developed medicine Klein handed her. She had never expected someone as strict as him to personally tend to her Pokémon's injuries.

"Staryu and Sandslash together weigh over 90 kilograms. This Sandstorm Elite may look lean, but his physical strength is absurd—he's practically the second coming of Bruno."

In the broadcasting studio, Lorelei adjusted her glasses, astonished at Klein's raw strength.

"He massages over seventy Pokémon in a single day. Of course he's strong."

News of Klein's weekly Pokémon massages in Pallet Town had already spread throughout the League. Out of his seventy-plus Pokémon, the larger ones took more time, but for the smaller ones, he often massaged four or five at once, demonstrating impressive endurance and precision.

With Staryu and Starmie's teamwork, Misty had finally managed to defeat Sandslash.

But just as she prepared to send out her third Pokémon, something unexpected happened.