Lian's Flame Spiral, although momentarily resisted by Pangoro using Arm Thrust and dispersing some of its flames, ultimately overwhelmed the panda Pokémon. It was sent flying, nearly exiting the battlefield boundaries.
Using physical attacks to counter Special Attack moves is generally disadvantageous, as any contact on the body leads to unavoidable damage.
Therefore, when Lian faced unavoidable Special Attack moves, he often countered with his own physical attacks. Once engaged at close range, Special Attack moves become difficult to defend against or quickly execute.
Pangoro lay on the ground, its fur charred from burns, slipping into unconsciousness.
This outcome did not surprise Lian. Despite Pangoro's high Stamina base stat, evident from its robust physique, it had weak resistance to Special Attacks, boasting only a 71 Special Defense value. Additionally, its dense fur exacerbated the damage from Fire-type moves, compounded further by having already endured a weakened Air Slash earlier.
Pokemon with thick fur, unless they are Water-types, tend to suffer greater harm from Fire-type moves due to their fur amplifying the damage. In extreme cases, this trait can manifest as an Ability called Fur Coat.
While Pangoro's Fur Coat Ability could weaken attack moves, it also increased vulnerability to Fire-type attacks, potentially spreading flames across its entire body.
Having defeated Pangoro, Takeshi was left with only one Fighting-type Pokémon remaining. For Lian, this battle against Pangoro wasn't even on his level; his base stats were comparable to those of Legendary Pokemon. In contrast, Pangoro's base stats fell significantly short compared to Sceptile, with its highest attribute being Attack at 124 points, which is still impressive among regular Pokémon.
The disparity in levels was easily compensated by Lian's superior base stats, making high-level battles routine for him.
"Wow, she took down Pangoro with just two moves!"
"Who is she? How can she be so powerful? Gym Leader Takeshi is a mid-level Trainer."
"As fellow Trainers, the difference is staggering! We barely defeat one Medicham to earn a badge, but she seems poised to beat all of Takeshi's Pokémon."
Defeating Medicham had already surprised many spectators, but now witnessing Lian decisively overcome Pangoro left them utterly astonished.
Without comparison, there's no understanding of disparity. The Trainer who barely defeated Medicham had almost no chance against Pangoro, whereas Lian effortlessly overpowered Pangoro.
Takeshi smiled despite Pangoro's defeat because, as Gym Leader for quite some time, he finally encountered a Trainer capable of forcing him to deploy his last Pokémon.
Throughout his tenure, Takeshi never altered the order of his Pokémon lineup. However, until now, none managed to overcome Pangoro. Typically, after defeating Medicham, their Pokémon were significantly weakened and subsequently lost to Pangoro, ultimately settling for the badge before leaving.
No Trainer ever displayed the determination to defeat all of Takeshi's Pokémon, even local Trainers from Rockcliff City viewed him as an insurmountable peak, content with reaching just halfway up the mountain.
Finally, here was a powerful enough Trainer to compel Takeshi to send out his final Pokémon, potentially giving them a chance to defeat his entire team, albeit still only a slim possibility.
As Lian soared through the air, observing Takeshi, he initially thought of him as a stern and ascetic Trainer who rarely smiled. Surprisingly, Takeshi did laugh, albeit with a somewhat awkward expression.
Takeshi turned to Kalia and spoke for the first time voluntarily, "You are the first Trainer to defeat two of my Pokemon. Achieving this level of strength at the beginner stage is truly remarkable."
"However, prepare yourself for the next battle. Its power far surpasses the previous two; it is my personal Pokemon."
Kalia was slightly taken aback that Takeshi planned to deploy his own Pokemon. Typically, most Gym Leaders use Pokemon assigned by the League rather than their personally trained ones.
Tamagawa Naoki's three Pokemon were exceptions, as they aligned perfectly with the Grass-type Gym. However, among other gyms, it was rare for Gym Leaders to utilize their true personal Pokemon due to their often overwhelming strength, exceeding what trainers could typically challenge.
Lian was surprised to hear about Takeshi's self-trained Pokemon. He had assumed Medicham and Pangoro might also be Takeshi's personally trained companions, but now it seemed unlikely. At best, they may have simply undergone many years of cultivation alongside him.
Considering Takeshi's age, likely around forty to fifty, if this Pokémon was truly his own trained companion, it must be incredibly powerful—beyond imagination.
Kalia's expression turned serious as she pondered what type of Pokémon could surpass even Medicham and Pangoro.
While Kalia speculated, Takeshi opened the final Poké Ball, releasing the last Pokémon onto the battlefield.
"That's...a Mienshao!"
"I didn't expect that Pokémon."
Kalia clearly recognized the Pokémon—a Mienshao dressed in ancient attire, resembling a traditional martial arts master from bygone times.
Mienshao evolves from Mienfoo, which naturally possesses exceptional martial skills. Upon evolving, these abilities further enhance, making Mienshao formidable.
Lian was somewhat taken aback; he wasn't well-versed with Mienshao, but its base stats exceeded 500, classifying it as a high-speed, high-attack Pokémon with outstanding agility and offensive capabilities.
As soon as Mienshao landed, its piercing gaze locked onto Lian, seemingly seeing through him instantly.
Meeting Mienshao's eyes, Lian felt an overwhelming sense of its complexity, conveying a feeling of unmatched superiority.
Lian shook his head slightly, sensing Mienshao's formidable strength, likely surpassing any previous Pokémon he had faced.
Unlike typical Fighting-type Pokémon, Mienshao possessed long-range Special Attack moves, including Aura Sphere—a signature Fighting-type technique. Although Aura Sphere might not be as effective against Lian due to its Fighting type, its emitted aura allows it to track and hit opponents directly until impact, making it difficult to evade without using moves like Protect.
Similar to Swift, Aura Sphere has a high likelihood of hitting accurately under normal circumstances, posing a significant threat to Lian.
However, Mienshao may not withstand multiple attacks from Lian either. Just like Medicham, Mienshao masters the Detect move, making it relatively easy for it to dodge Lian's attacks.
With Mienshao having reliable long-range moves that guarantee hits, while Lian's moves could potentially be evaded, coupled with Mienshao's exceptional martial arts prowess and agility surpassing even Sceptile, this Pokémon poses a serious challenge. Despite possessing Legendary Pokémon base stats, Lian cannot confidently assure victory over Mienshao.
"Mienshao, full-force attack!" Takeshi gave a single command and then left it to Mienshao, as his Pokémon had a better understanding of combat than he did.
In their younger days, Takeshi and Mienshao challenged various Pokémon, defeating more Charizards than one could count on two hands, not to mention numerous Flying-type Pokémon.
His Mienshao, except for Ghost-type Pokémon, could effortlessly ignore any other elemental weaknesses.
"Go, Charizard, you can do this!" Kalia also cheered, knowing that Mienshao's strength might surpass expectations, but all she could do was encourage her Pokémon.
Switching to Ninetales would be disadvantageous, and the opportunity had already passed. Besides, Charizard possessed the Sunny Day move; given its extensive battle experience, it wouldn't need Kalia's reminder to use it if the chance arose.
As both trainers issued their commands, the battle ignited instantly. Mienshao performed a backflip right away, catching Lian off guard with an Air Slash before even Takeshi realized what happened.
However, Mienshao evaded the attack, and Lian detected no energy fluctuations, indicating that Mienshao relied purely on instinct to dodge.
This showcased the exceptional skill of this Mienshao, suggesting its agility stat may have reached its maximum potential.