Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

Luo Yuan knew all too well what was going through Slowbro's mind.

This Pokémon was a master at goofing off but utterly reluctant when it came to battle.

Ignoring Slowbro's sulky expression, Luo Yuan looked over at Gary's Arcanine, who stood poised for action. Gary, too, glanced at Slowbro, a bit puzzled.

After a moment's hesitation, he asked tactfully, "Luo Yuan, are you sure you want to use… that Slowbro?"

While Slowpoke had bested his Golduck back in the Safari Zone, Gary still didn't believe Slowpoke had outclassed it by much.

And now that it had evolved into Slowbro, Gary doubted it could keep up with his powerhouse Arcanine.

"That's right, I'm using Slowbro." Luo Yuan gave Slowbro a look that said, You know what to do, then nodded at Gary.

It wasn't arrogance—Luo Yuan had been working with Slowbro over the past few weeks, frequently summoning it and using his Psychic Affinity to enhance Slowbro's own psychic abilities.

Now, while Slowbro still carried that characteristic laziness, its strength had grown leagues beyond the lackadaisical Slowpoke it once was.

With Luo Yuan's mind made up, Gary didn't protest further.

Although Slowbro was technically a good counter to Arcanine's Fire-type, Gary was confident in his Arcanine's speed, believing it would carry him to victory.

"Alright then… Arcanine versus Slowbro, battle continue!" Professor Oak announced.

At the sound of Oak's cue, Gary wasted no time. "Arcanine, Extreme Speed!"

Opening with Extreme Speed was a tactic Gary had fine-tuned in battles with other Trainers. Most opponents were thrown off balance by the speed and momentum of Arcanine's ambush.

Arcanine was already familiar with the plan. As soon as it heard Gary's command, it launched forward on all fours, transforming into a streak of fiery orange barreling straight at Slowbro.

"A surprise attack, huh? Seems like you've picked up some new tricks." Luo Yuan raised an eyebrow at Arcanine's approach.

But he stayed calm.

With a flicker of psychic energy, he linked minds with Slowbro, sharing Arcanine's movement trajectory and relaying it to Slowbro.

"Slowbro, dodge!"

Though Slowbro wasn't keen on fighting, it didn't like getting hit, either.

Reluctantly snapping into action, it rolled lazily to one side.

Whoosh!

Arcanine sped past, missing Slowbro by mere inches.

Having trained rigorously under Gary, Arcanine had become far more agile, and it wasn't taken aback by the dodge.

There had been times when other nimble Pokémon managed to dodge its Extreme Speed, so it wasn't too surprising Slowbro could evade in its own slow-motion way.

And Arcanine had a follow-up plan.

Reaching the edge of the field, it abruptly skidded to a halt, whirling around with a sharp turn. It drifted back in a 180-degree arc, accelerating faster than before as it rushed back at Slowbro.

This maneuver even impressed Professor Oak—Gary's training with Arcanine had clearly paid off, surpassing his expectations.

But Luo Yuan remained unfazed. "Slowbro, Reflect!"

Slowbro's eyes gleamed with a blue light.

Swish!

A transparent barrier materialized directly in Arcanine's path.

"Now, Harden!" Luo Yuan instructed the moment Reflect was up.

By this point, Arcanine was closing in fast.

Even though it could see the barrier ahead, it was moving too quickly to stop in time and had no choice but to charge right into it.

Bam!

Arcanine collided headfirst with the Reflect barrier.

Crack!

The barrier shattered under the force, scattering shards in all directions.

The impact left Arcanine dazed, but it had broken through Slowbro's defense.

However, just as it stumbled forward, nearly colliding with Slowbro, Slowbro raised both arms, meeting Arcanine's gaze with its now-glowing eyes.

Buzz!

An invisible psychic force radiated from Slowbro's mind, and Arcanine felt its entire body suddenly weighed down.

It was as if it were trapped in wet cement, with every movement demanding tremendous effort.

By this point, Arcanine's initial momentum from Extreme Speed had been entirely neutralized by Reflect and Slowbro's psychic restraint.

It could only watch as Slowbro's psychic power lifted it and slammed it forcefully into the ground.

Bam!

A cloud of dust rose around the impact.

"Arcanine!" Gary shouted, worried that it might meet the same fate as Pidgeot, taken down in just a few moves.

But Arcanine was tougher than Pidgeot, and Slowbro wasn't quite as powerful as Mimikyu.

Rooar!

A roar erupted from the dust cloud as Arcanine, barely injured, unleashed a Flamethrower, a fiery jet shooting straight at Slowbro.

"Water Gun!"

Pssh!

While not quite a Hydro Pump, Slowbro's Water Gun was stronger than an average one.

With a lazy but potent spray, Slowbro met the Flamethrower head-on.

The collision between fire and water filled the air with steam, and as sunlight hit the rising vapor, a small rainbow formed over the battlefield.

This time, neither side gained the upper hand.

For a Water-type like Slowbro, ending in a draw meant that Arcanine had the upper hand in terms of power.

As the steam dissipated, Arcanine emerged from the smoke with only minor scuffs.

Seeing that his Arcanine was unharmed, Gary's eyes lit up with determination.

Learning from his earlier battle, Gary decided to avoid a close-range fight with Slowbro, at least for the moment.

"Arcanine, Fire Spin!"

He intended to trap Slowbro in a swirling vortex of fire, hoping to wear it down bit by bit.

Gary's strategy was obvious—Luo Yuan didn't miss it.

"Planning to trap Slowbro with Fire Spin?" Luo Yuan called out. "Alright then, Slowbro—use Water Pulse!"

Slowbro extended its arms forward and released a ring of rippling water, sending it rolling towards the approaching fire vortex.

Hiss—!

More steam filled the air as water and fire met, saturating the field with a thick, humid heat.

---

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