Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 111 - Applying Pressure

Sabrina froze for a brief second upon hearing Asahi's words.

She had taken the precaution of driving Sird away, but she hadn't expected to be exposed through scent.

Damn Sird.

Though a slight panic flickered in her heart, her expression remained neutral as she feigned confusion.

"Sird? Are you saying the Rocket Executive Sird was in my gym?"

She was probing, trying to gauge how much Asahi actually knew.

If he truly suspected her connection to Rocket…

But instead of pressing further, Asahi simply smiled.

"Perhaps Eevee made a mistake."

Did Eevee actually pick up Sird's scent?

Of course not.

Eevee wasn't an Arcanine—it didn't have an extraordinary sense of smell.

This was simply a bluff.

A psychological trick to apply pressure on Sabrina and see if she would crack.

So far, his tactic had been half-successful.

Sabrina hadn't openly slipped up, but he could tell she was feeling the pressure.

Before she could push back, Asahi interrupted with a casual tone.

"But that's just a minor detail. Lady Sabrina, let's begin the Gym battle evaluation!"

A minor detail—yet he had deliberately brought it up?

Sabrina felt an almost uncontrollable urge to turn him into a doll right then and there.

Her fingers clenched behind her back, turning pale from the pressure.

But with this being an official Gym evaluation, she had no choice but to suppress her irritation and smile.

"Then let's begin."

Even though she tried to hide it, Asahi still caught a slight shift in her tone—an emotional ripple she hadn't masked well.

He smirked.

She's cracking.

He gave Eevee a quick pat before stepping into position.

No referees, no official oversight—just the two of them.

Both trainers released their Pokémon at the same time.

"Vee~?"

Eevee blinked in confusion as it landed on the battlefield, not expecting to be sent out first.

But Asahi had carefully considered his choice.

Sabrina was not an easy opponent.

If he opened with Swampert, it would be a repeat of his battle against Lt. Surge—an unnecessary handicap.

And Gardevoir, being both his ace and his personal guard, was best kept in reserve.

That made Eevee the ideal pick.

On Sabrina's side, she sent out Mr. Mime.

Its white body was connected by pink, ball-jointed limbs, and the red circles on its cheeks gave it a slightly comical look.

As soon as it entered the field, Mr. Mime started miming invisible walls, its fingers tracing the air.

Gardevoir's eyes flashed blue as it saw through the act.

[Be careful—Mr. Mime is setting up Psychic barriers.]

For the first time, Gardevoir included Eevee in the telepathic link, sharing the message with both it and Asahi.

[Vee…? Vee!]

Eevee, fascinated by the new experience, excitedly called out through the link.

Asahi sighed.

[Focus. We're in a battle.]

Only then did Eevee settle down.

Seeing Mr. Mime remain stationary instead of attacking, Asahi knew he had to take the initiative.

[Eevee, Swift!]

"Vee!"

Eevee's small legs propelled it forward with surprising speed. In an instant, it crossed half the battlefield and unleashed a barrage of glowing star-shaped projectiles.

Thanks to Gardevoir's warning, Eevee carefully avoided the invisible walls as it attacked.

Watching this, Sabrina, though distracted by her own concerns, realized that her Mr. Mime's strategy had been seen through.

Suppressing her worries, she briefly glanced at Gardevoir before issuing a command.

"Mr. Mime, block it."

Mr. Mime mimed another gesture, swiftly erecting a transparent barrier.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Swift projectiles struck the unseen wall, causing small bursts of light.

When the dust settled, Mr. Mime stood there, slightly disheveled, using invisible bandages to wrap its arms.

Sabrina wasn't particularly surprised.

She had already witnessed Eevee's strength during its fight against Sird's Persian.

"Mr. Mime, use Future Sight!"

Mr. Mime pressed two fingers against its temple, sending out a pulse of psychic energy toward an unseen location.

But before it could finish, Eevee lunged forward.

"Vee!"

Baring its small fangs, it attempted to Bite Mr. Mime.

The visual of a tiny Eevee trying to chomp down on a mime was amusing—except to Mr. Mime itself.

It had already felt the power behind Swift and knew this Eevee was no joke.

Following Sabrina's command, Mr. Mime swiftly conjured a Reflect barrier.

Thud!

Eevee's head smacked into the unseen wall, making a crisp sound.

[Vee…!]

The pained cry echoed through their telepathic link, and Asahi felt the impact through Eevee's distress.

Tearing up slightly, Eevee turned its most pitiful eyes on Mr. Mime.

For a split second, Mr. Mime hesitated.

And in that moment, Eevee's sorrowful expression shifted into a sly grin.

Twisting its body, it sidestepped the barrier and smacked Mr. Mime square in the stomach.

Mr. Mime doubled over, eyes wide in pain.

Eevee then darted away, swiping a bent spoon from Mr. Mime in the process.

Covet.

Mr. Mime glared, clearly upset that Eevee had stolen from it.

The entire exchange had happened in a blink—so fast that even Sabrina hadn't had time to react.

"You certainly live up to your reputation, Special Agent Asahi." She offered a polite compliment.

"You flatter me," Asahi replied with a modest smile.

While they spoke, the battle continued.

Eevee, spoon still in its mouth, taunted Mr. Mime, dodging its attempts to reclaim the stolen item while launching another Swift barrage.

"Forget the spoon—use Psychic!" Sabrina commanded.

Mr. Mime halted its pursuit, pushing its hands forward as a pulse of psychic energy surged toward Eevee.

At the same time, the air shimmered—Future Sight's delayed attack was about to land!

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