The break was fleeting.
As the announcer's voice echoed through the stadium, Tetsuya and Raiji were already standing on the podium.
The referee raised the flag.
"This will be a 3v3 battle between Tetsuya Tamaki and Raiji. Each trainer may switch their Pokémon once during the match. The first to have all three Pokémon knocked out will be declared the loser. Now, let the battle begin! Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"
"Go, Boldore!" "Go, Swalot!"
A sturdy, rock-like Pokémon and a round, green, gelatinous Pokémon appeared on the field.
"Mud-Slap!" "Acid Spray!"
Both trainers gave their commands at nearly the same time.
As the attacks launched, clumps of brown mud and glowing green acid collided mid-air.
A sizzling sound followed as the acid completely dissolved the mud. Not only that, but the remnants of the Acid Spray continued forward toward Boldore.
Tetsuya remained calm as he watched the scene unfold.
There was no way around it. His Boldore was at a lower level compared to the opponent's Pokémon
However, thanks to Boldore's typing, the Acid Spray attack wouldn't deal direct damage after neutralizing the Mud-Slap.
Sure enough, the green acid droplets lost their momentum and fell harmlessly to the ground, leaving patches of corroded dirt in their wake.
"Gravity! Stealth Rock!"
Tetsuya executed a familiar strategy.
Boldore was swiftly setting up the field. It was going to be a battle of endurance. Neither of these Pokémon were close-combat specialists, and Raiji would be cautious about closing the gap—Boldore's Ground-type moves were devastating at short range.
Raiji knew this well, which was why he opted for a safer approach. "Toxic!"
Swalot released a thick, purplish gas that slowly drifted toward Boldore.
"Sand Tomb."
Tetsuya remained composed as he continued his setup.
The slow-moving Toxic attack barely reached Boldore by the time it had already cast a second Sand Tomb, turning more of the battlefield into a treacherous landscape.
At first glance, nothing seemed to change on the field. Gravity, Stealth Rock, Sand Tomb—none of them were visually striking moves.
But that was the beauty of Tetsuya's strategy. His traps were hidden, waiting for Raiji to step into them.
Raiji furrowed his brows. His opponent hadn't even flinched at the spreading poison gas.
Fine. He'd just force the issue.
"Sludge Bomb!"
As long as he could poison Boldore, time would be on his side.
Swalot hurled dark purple sludge in rapid succession, each glob pulsing with toxic energy.
"Iron Defense. Then, Rest."
Boldore's body glowed briefly as its defenses hardened. Then, as the Sludge Bombs made contact, it closed its eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Raiji's expression darkened.
Rest would not only restore a large amount of health but also remove any status conditions. Combined with Iron Defense, the poison and sludge attacks were effectively nullified.
He hadn't expected a Rock-type Pokémon to know Rest. It was an unconventional choice.
But he had a solution.
"Yawn."
Since his opponent wanted to sleep so badly, he'd make sure it stayed that way.
Swalot let out a deep yawn, releasing a wave of drowsy energy toward Boldore.
Raiji smirked. Once Yawn took effect, Boldore would fall into an even deeper sleep. Too much sleep, and the referee would call Tetsuya for passive battling.
"Encore."
Raiji's eyes glinted.
Swalot's attack locked Boldore into its previous move—forcing it to use Rest repeatedly.
At this rate, the match would be decided before Boldore could even wake up.
Tetsuya remained quiet as Raiji executed his plan. He simply watched, waiting for the right moment. Then, with perfect timing, he gave his next command.
"Sleep Talk."
Boldore, still deep in slumber, suddenly let out an ear-splitting roar. The entire stadium flinched.
Even the referee, well-experienced, calmly took out a pair of earplugs and put them in.
But Swalot wasn't so lucky.
It wobbled unsteadily, looking utterly dazed by the deafening sound waves.
Raiji stared in disbelief.
"You're Resting and using Sleep Talk? What are you, a Snorlax?! What kind of strategy is this?!"
He had been so focused on trapping Tetsuya that he had trapped himself instead.
Now, Swalot was the one taking steady damage while Boldore continued to recover.
Raiji clenched his teeth. He needed to break this cycle.
"Shadow Ball!"
Swalot fired a barrage of dark spheres at Boldore.
Now Raiji was the one hoping for an early wake-up.
Three minutes later, the results were clear.
Swalot collapsed, unable to continue.
Across the field, Boldore—though visibly worn—remained standing.
Raiji's face darkened as he returned his Pokémon.
The audience exhaled.
That battle had been exhausting to watch—one Pokémon snoring, the other repeatedly attacking, neither giving in.
Raiji muttered under his breath as he tossed his next Poké Ball. "Damn you, Swalot. That was pathetic."
But he knew the truth—Swalot had potential. He wouldn't discard it just because of one loss.
"Go, Skorupi!"
A small, scorpion-like Pokémon emerged, letting out a sharp cry.
Unfortunately, thanks to the Stealth Rocks already set up, Skorupi took damage immediately upon entry.
"Poison Fang!"
Still frustrated, Raiji had Skorupi charge forward with a venomous bite attack.
"Smack Down! Block it!"
Tetsuya commanded Boldore to counter with thrown rocks.
Sharp, jagged stones clashed against Skorupi's fangs. Though the attack was somewhat weakened by its type resistance, the sheer number of hits took a toll.
"Pin Missile!"
Skorupi fired off a barrage of sharp, needle-like spikes.
Boldore tried to endure, but there were too many projectiles. One by one, they broke through, striking its body.
At last, Boldore wavered, then collapsed.
"Boldore is unable to battle!"
Tetsuya recalled it, nodding slightly. It had done its job.
"Combusken, you're up."
A burst of fire erupted as Combusken emerged onto the field.
"Flamethrower!" "Cross Poison!"
Flames surged toward Skorupi as it dashed forward with glowing, toxic claws.
The moment it reached the center of the battlefield, its legs sank into the Sand Tomb trap.
Raiji's heart sank. "Damn it!"
"Flamethrower."
Tetsuya wasted no time.
Trapped in place, Skorupi could do nothing as it was engulfed in flames.
Moments later, the charred scorpion let out one last cry before falling silent.
The flames cleared, revealing its motionless form.
"Skorupi is unable to battle! Combusken wins!"
The referee raised the flag.
Raiji clenched his fists as he returned his fallen Pokémon.
The battle wasn't over yet—but Tetsuya had complete control.