Pokémon: I Am a Dragon Tamer!

Ryuuske quickly discussed tactics with Sabrina—one-on-one seemed fair, but in reality, their opponents weren't Koga and Gary. Instead, they were facing Agatha, who was controlling them. This battle would serve as a perfect opportunity to gauge the true strength of an Elite Four. 

"Go, Gabite!" 

Ryuuske sprinted forward, leaping onto Dragonair's head. With Dragonair as his mount, he no longer needed to run around like before—controlling Dragonair was enough. 

"Boom—!" 

A muffled explosion erupted as Gary's Charmeleon whipped its tail, launching a massive fireball. Gabite didn't even bother dodging. With a vicious grin, it crossed its claws and charged straight through. 

"BANG—!" 

The fireball detonated against Gabite's body, scattering embers and sending waves of heat radiating outward. Yet aside from a light dusting of soot, Gabite's scales remained unscathed. 

"Hmph. A dragon's hide isn't something mere fire can penetrate!" 

Ryuuske maneuvered Dragonair to flank Gary, searching for an opening. Seeing Gabite closing in, the mind-controlled Gary swiftly hurled another Poké Ball, releasing a Scyther—also under Agatha's influence! 

The moment Scyther appeared, it lunged at Gabite—only to slam face-first into an invisible wall of air. The poor Scyther had been moving too fast to stop, and the impact sent a reverberating thud through the tower's fourth floor, shaking the entire structure. Unbeknownst to them, Sabrina had already deployed her Mr. Mime to create the unseen barrier. 

"Gabite, Dragon Claw!" 

Mid-charge, Gabite abruptly pivoted—its claws now aimed straight at Koga's head! 

Their earlier "discussion" had been nothing more than a ruse to mislead Agatha, who was undoubtedly observing them. Through their psychic link, Ryuuske and Sabrina had already coordinated this sudden switch in targets. Their goal was simple: take out Koga first. If severe injuries could snap him out of his trance, great. If not, rendering him unconscious would still secure victory. 

Gabite was too close for anyone to react. Its claws, now wreathed in draconic energy, slashed toward Koga—but neither Ryuuske nor Sabrina celebrated. 

"Squelch—" 

The sound wasn't of flesh being cleaved, but of something thick and viscous. The pauldrons on Koga's shoulders sprouted eyes—a Muk had unfurled from his body, expanding like a living tidal wave before engulfing Gabite whole! 

"Dragonair, Flamethrower!" 

Ryuuske was momentarily stunned to see a Muk wrapped around Koga but acted fast. Dragonair exhaled a searing jet of flames, scorching the air as it blasted toward the Muk encasing Gabite. 

At the same time, Gary's Charmeleon retaliated with its own Flamethrower. The two fiery streams collided midair, twisting and warping violently. But Dragonair wasn't a Fire-type—its flames were no match. After a brief struggle, Charmeleon's attack absorbed Dragonair's heat, morphing into a colossal fire pillar that roared toward Ryuuske! 

"BOOM—!" 

Dragonair twisted midair, narrowly evading the inferno. The flames struck the tower's stone walls, detonating with enough force to blast a gaping hole through the solid rock. 

Wind and rain howled through the breach, though the residual heat kept the chill at bay. 

"Psycho Cut!" 

Seizing the moment, Sabrina's Alakazam unleashed a blade of psychic energy, cleanly slicing through the Muk and freeing Gabite. The attack dealt significant damage, and as Sabrina prepared to press the advantage, the mist above them coalesced—revealing a grinning Gastly. 

A Shadow Ball shot from its maw. 

Sabrina barely had time to react. Mr. Mime hastily erected another barrier, but the impact still sent her stumbling back two steps, the dark energy crackling against the psychic shield. 

Ryuuske and Sabrina had nearly forgotten—this wasn't just a two-on-two. Agatha's Gastly was still lurking in the shadows. 

Sabrina teleported beside Ryuuske, hovering near Dragonair as they regrouped. Gabite retreated as well. Given Sabrina's Psychic-type advantage over Koga's Poison and Bug specialties, Ryuuske had been playing distraction while she focused on offense. Koga and Gary's defensive coordination had been flawless—but for a split second, there had been an opening. 

And Agatha's Gastly had shut it down. 

Seeing Koga and Gary reposition themselves into a defensive stance, Ryuuske frowned. 

"...By keeping them together instead of splitting up, Agatha must be struggling to multitask—controlling her Gastly while puppeteering two trainers at once. This defensive formation minimizes her mental strain." 

"...But what's up with that Muk? It took a direct Psycho Cut from your Alakazam and is still moving? And Koga actually lets it cling to his body?!" 

Ryuuske watched in disbelief as the bisected Muk writhed, its halves merging back together before reforming into Koga's "cloak." 

He'd encountered Muk before—games and animations couldn't do justice to its real-world stench, which was potent enough to knock someone unconscious. For Koga to willingly wear one as armor... Was this the legendary "ninja way"? Enduring unbearable stench?! 

"All of Koga's Pokémon have absurd vitality." 

Sabrina's brief explanation was all Ryuuske needed. 

This ninja specialized in turtling—his entire skillset revolved around not dying. 

"If we don't attack, they won't either. But lingering too long in this mist could lead to us being controlled like them. The problem is, their defense is too solid—and with Agatha's Gastly ambushing us, a quick victory is impossible." 

"...Plus, look at Koga and Gary. They're emaciated—probably starved for days. If this drags on, they might collapse from exhaustion." 

People in this world were hardy, capable of enduring far more than those from Ryuuske's original world. But even they had limits. Gary looked like he was on the verge of passing out. 

Sabrina, however, disagreed. 

"...Only your friend is at risk. Koga once trained for fifty days with only water. This level of starvation is nothing to him." 

Ryuuske had no retort. This ninja was the king of turtling. 

"But we can't just stall forever. Sabrina—let's find out how Agatha is observing and controlling this fight without being here!" 

Sabrina nodded. After a brief silence, they simultaneously commanded: 

"...Psychic!" 

"...Twister!" 

A cataclysmic storm erupted. The tower groaned like a chorus of wailing spirits, its pillars creaking under the strain as cracks spiderwebbed across the walls. The mist shrouding the fourth floor—under the combined assault of Alakazam and Dragonair—was finally, temporarily dispersed!

To be continued…

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