Pokémon: Sandstorm Sovereign

Chapter 83: The One-Hit KOs Continue

"Marill is unable to battle! The winner is... Basalt!"

As the referee announced the result, the crowd finally snapped out of their stupor.

A one-hit KO! It was actually a one-hit KO!

Though it seemed unbelievable, Warren's Marill had indeed been taken out in a single blow by Drilbur. Dozens of pairs of eyes had witnessed it; there was no denying the fact.

As talented trainers from all across the Metro City region, it wasn't that they had never seen a one-hit KO before. On the contrary, many of them had been the ones dishing them out. A one-hit KO wasn't scary in itself. But when the one being KO'd was also a talented trainer... that was terrifying.

"Damn! That Drilbur is so fast! Its speed must have been rigorously trained and developed. It's almost breaking through its species' limits!"

"No kidding! In terms of explosive speed, I feel like it's even faster than my Pikachu. And its power is incredible, too!"

"For real! The move Drilbur used was Metal Claw, right? That's a Steel-type move, which isn't super-effective against Marill, yet it still got a one-hit KO. What kind of monstrous power is that?"

"Exactly! And don't forget, Marill had just used Defense Curl to boost its defense."

"No, that's not quite right. Marill's defense isn't that high, but after a boost, it shouldn't have been taken out so easily. I saw the white light around Marill hadn't fully dissipated when Drilbur's Metal Claw hit. That means it hadn't finished powering up!"

"Now that you mention it, I saw that too. Drilbur was so fast that Marill was defeated before it could even finish its move. Drilbur exploited that timing perfectly!"

The training camp was full of capable people, and the eyes of talented trainers were often the sharpest. In just a few moments of discussion, they had pieced together exactly what had happened.

In the crowd, a small smile played on Luna's lips. As expected of the man who defeated me, she thought, satisfied. In just two weeks, his strength has clearly grown.

Keep winning, keep winning. Fight your way up to Group B. That will make it all the more satisfying when I use you as a stepping stone to advance! She touched the two Poké Balls on her belt, her confidence soaring. This was the source of her strength.

In contrast to Hoffman's smile, Sheffield's face was grim. He hadn't expected this Basalt to actually have some skill. Not only had he won, but he had done it so decisively. A one-hit KO against another camp trainee, without a type advantage? That was no small feat.

"Drilburr!" ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

Drilbur was extremely pleased with its one-shot victory. Hearing the murmurs and gasps from the crowd, the smug look on its face grew even more pronounced.

A talented trainer? I one-shot talented trainers for breakfast!

"Round one, Basalt is the victor!" Hoffman announced once the chatter died down. He turned to Basalt. "You can now rest for ten minutes before deciding whether to continue. If you do, your next opponent will be from the lower tier of Group C. Do you wish to continue?"

"Of course I'll continue," Basalt replied without hesitation. He glanced at Hoffman with a grin. "And there's no need to rest. Drilbur barely broke a sweat. Right, Drilbur?"

"Drilburr!" The Drilbur on the field pounded its chest. That was it? That wasn't even a warm-up!

Basalt nodded in satisfaction. He then looked at the four trainers from Group C's lower tier who had stepped forward. The four of them shivered involuntarily under his gaze.

Please don't pick me, Felix thought desperately. We just had lunch together! We're on the same side! As one of the four, our old friend Felix was in the line-up. Although he knew it was unlikely Basalt would choose him, his heart still pounded in his chest when Basalt's eyes swept over him. Damn it! Has Basalt's presence become this intimidating already? The gap between us hasn't shrunk; it's gotten wider! A bitter taste filled Felix's mouth. 〒▽〒

Without much hesitation, Basalt casually pointed to another boy. "You're next."

"That's Sean from Group C. I think his Pokémon is a Seviper, right? As a Poison-type, it's at a huge disadvantage against a Ground-type Drilbur."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Don't forget, Sean's Seviper is incredibly venomous. Its Poison Fang and Venoshock are no joke, and even Haze can be very effective."

"That's true. Drilbur won't be immune to poison until it evolves into Excadrill."

"But I remember Drilbur are natural diggers. I wonder if this one knows Dig. If it does, Seviper could be in trouble."

"Dig? That's definitely a tricky move. But I know Sean has a way to deal with it. Don't underestimate him!"

"Yeah, that kid is sneaky! Go, Sean!"

After a wave of discussion, Sean finally stepped onto the field and threw his Poké Ball.

Out came a black serpent. Its underbelly was gold, and it had gold armor-like plates on its head and back. It had six small gold knobs on its abdomen, sharp red fangs, and a blade-like tail. It was the iconic Pokémon from the Hoenn region, Seviper. It was the mortal enemy of Zangoose.

"Ssevi..." Seviper flicked its forked tongue, its red eyes fixed on Drilbur, its expression relaxed. A mole? That's on my menu. I should have a natural advantage here. This should be an easy win.

"Both trainers, ready! Battle, begin!"

At the referee's command, the battle started.

"Seviper, Venoshock!" Sean attacked first. His Seviper's poison was exceptionally potent, thanks to a steady diet of poisonous herbs. Its venom not only caused rapid bleeding but also paralysis. This Drilbur might be fast, but once it was poisoned and paralyzed, its speed would plummet. Victory would be within his grasp.

"Ssevi..." Seviper opened its mouth, and a glob of dark purple venom shot out, spreading like a wide net as it flew towards Drilbur.

"Dig," Basalt said calmly.

Fwoosh! Drilbur's body spun into its drill form and instantly bored a hole into the ground, disappearing from sight.

Sizzle...

Seviper's venom missed, splattering on the ground and causing the earth to smoke and sizzle. The toxicity was clearly not to be trifled with.

"It's Dig! That Drilbur really knows Dig," someone in the crowd exclaimed. Dig was a very difficult move to counter in the early stages of training. Without a specific strategy, it was tough to deal with.

"Don't worry! Sean's Seviper knows Haze. It can just spray it into the hole and smoke Drilbur out."

"Smoke it out? That's a good idea!"

"Wait, Seviper is moving! But it's not using Haze. Its tail is glowing... is that Poison Tail?"

"No! Poison Tail is a Poison-type move; the light should be purple. The light on its tail now... it looks like... a Ground-type move?"

"I know! It's Bulldoze! Sean's secret weapon is Bulldoze!"

The crowd gasped. A Poison-type Seviper knew Bulldoze? Drilbur was in serious trouble. When a Pokémon was underground using Dig, moves like Bulldoze, Earthquake, and Earth Power dealt double damage. If Drilbur was hit, the consequences would be dire.

On the field, a smug look appeared on Sean's face. He had spent a great deal of effort to teach his Seviper Bulldoze, precisely to counter moves like Dig. As an ambitious and talented trainer, he couldn't allow his Pokémon to have any blind spots. Now, it was finally paying off.

"Seviper, maximum power... Bulldoze!"

At Sean's roar, Seviper's tail, glowing with an earthy yellow light, rose high into the air and then slammed down. The terrifying Ground-type energy in its tail was about to make contact with the ground and resonate with it, creating a devastating shockwave.

But just then, the unexpected happened.

A large hole erupted directly beneath Seviper. A massive claw shot out from the hole and slammed into its body.

"Ssevi!"

Under the immense force, Seviper cried out in pain as it was launched into the air. Its tail, which had been about to strike the ground, never got the chance.

"How is that possible?!" Sean's eyes widened in disbelief.

Drilbur had been over ten meters away. After it disappeared, Seviper had immediately started gathering Ground-type energy for Bulldoze. Not a single second was wasted. While Seviper wasn't a natural Ground-type and would be slightly slower at using the move, it should have taken two seconds at most.

Two seconds! You dug over ten meters in two seconds? That speed is ridiculous!

BAM!

Seviper was launched several meters into the air before crashing heavily back to the ground. Its eyes were already swirling.

Seviper, another one-hit KO!

Seeing the stunned, petrified faces of everyone present, a small smile touched Basalt's lips. My Drilbur is naturally fast at digging. Add the Sandscale Berry and the Sand Rush ability... a digging speed like that is perfectly reasonable, right?

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