Venusaur stood as steady as a mountain. It had excellent control over its moves, and even from the rear, it served as a stable artillery platform.
Cacturne, a Grass/Dark-type Pokémon, naturally had the domineering nature of the Dark-type. Both its physical and special Attack were outstanding. It waved its arms, ready to attack at any moment, while the spikes covering its body made it impossible to let one's guard down.
Jumpluff was incredibly fast, and with its assortment of annoying moves, it was almost impossible to defend against. A single careless mistake would be enough to fall into its trap.
Meganium was well-rounded in every aspect and could fill any gap at a moment's notice.
Tetsuya slowly threw two Poké Balls. Golurk and Houndoom appeared before Kenny, exuding an invisible aura of intimidation.
Without his folding fan in hand, Kenny felt somewhat uncomfortable. He could only wave his arm before giving the order, "Go! Kill them! Venusaur, Meganium, use Frenzy Plant. Cacturne, attack with Needle Arm. Jumpluff, use Cotton Spore and Fairy Wind!"
The moment all four Pokémon unleashed their moves, their combined power was honestly extraordinary. Even Tetsuya could not help being startled.
Venusaur and Meganium stomped the ground fiercely with their forelegs. Immediately afterward, twenty to thirty thorn-covered deadwood vines burst from the ground, twisting and writhing as they lashed toward Tetsuya.
Cacturne kicked off the ground and launched itself forward, weaving back and forth through the Frenzy Plant while following the advancing vines toward Golurk and Houndoom.
Jumpluff manipulated the airflow as it scattered Cotton Spore. Then it shook its two white puffballs, releasing Fairy Wind.
The vast cloud of white Cotton Spore was swept forward by Fairy Wind, surging straight toward Golurk and Houndoom.
Kenny's assault was both measured and relentless, while Tetsuya only had two Pokémon. Every one of these moves had to be dealt with individually. He could only rely on Golurk and Houndoom's own abilities.
"Houndoom, use 'Howl'. This time, don't apply Sunny Day. Golurk, use Stone Edge against Jumpluff."
At this point, Tetsuya's commands were only meant to relieve some of the pressure. Houndoom's [Blazing Howl] carried the Dark-type energy of Snarl, but this time it absolutely could not make the mistake of using Sunny Day. Otherwise, all four of the opposing Pokémon would be able to fire Solar Beam without the slightest delay, instantly turning into artillery platforms.
That would be far too much to handle!
However, there was no way this move alone could stop the Frenzy Plant unleashed by Venusaur and Meganium.
The speed of Frenzy Plant was not reduced in the slightest. Only Cacturne was held back by the power of Snarl, forcing it to slow its advance.
That brief instant was enough…
"Inferno!"
Tetsuya practically roared the command. At the critical moment, Houndoom fired a ball of fire that exploded immediately afterward. Dead vines burned as soon as they came into contact with fire.
Inferno burned at an extremely high temperature and could easily inflict a burn, so even a single spark was enough to set those dead vines ablaze.
Venusaur and Meganium were forced to pull back the approaching Frenzy Plant for a moment.
However, in that brief instant, Cacturne had already rushed forward. Its Needle Arm came crashing down toward Houndoom's head!
Fortunately, Houndoom reacted quickly and sidestepped in time, preventing Needle Arm from striking its forehead directly. Even so, Cacturne's Needle Arm was indeed extremely powerful. It slammed into Houndoom's side, sending it flying several meters away.
Houndoom rolled across the ground to absorb part of the impact, avoiding serious injury. Now, Houndoom was facing three Pokémon by itself and had already been pushed into a perilous situation.
Golurk had to eliminate Kenny's nuisance, Jumpluff, as quickly as possible. The combination of Cotton Spore and Fairy Wind was not particularly powerful, but its purpose was to reduce the opponent's Speed.
Golurk fired Stone Edge. Fairy Wind was instantly shattered as the attack broke through the gale without losing any momentum.
This was Golurk's overwhelming power.
Although Jumpluff's moves lacked power, its ability to evade was truly first-rate. In an instant, it created more than a dozen Double Team clones, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow from Stone Edge.
The fact that this Jumpluff could create more than a dozen clones in an instant proved that its Speed could not be underestimated. It would indeed be difficult for Golurk to win quickly, yet Houndoom was already in grave danger!
'Oh…' An idea suddenly came to Tetsuya.
"Jumpluff! Keep using Cotton Spore and Fairy Wind!"
Kenny, however, grew more excited the longer the battle continued. More than a dozen Jumpluff surrounded Golurk completely, leaving it with no avenue of escape. As long as Golurk was tied down, Houndoom would soon be defeated by the other three Pokémon.
Driven forward by Fairy Wind, the Cotton Spore was about to completely surround Golurk…
"Phantom Force! Attack Cacturne."
Tetsuya's sudden decision caught Kenny completely off guard. Houndoom had just been knocked to the ground by Frenzy Plant, and Cacturne was preparing to deliver the finishing blow.
Golurk suddenly vanished. However, this time the rift into the dimension had been opened. Because of Jumpluff's encirclement tactic, the Cotton Spore and Fairy Wind also entered the dimensional rift the instant Golurk disappeared.
Just as Cacturne was about to attack, Golurk suddenly appeared and slammed it with a Fire Punch, leaving it completely dazed. However, Golurk did not follow up. It immediately swung both fists to meet the advancing Frenzy Plant.
As Cacturne struggled to get back on its feet, all of the Cotton Spore and Fairy Wind emerging from the dimensional rift swept over it. Although the moves were not powerful, they became the final straw.
Cacturne was the first to collapse!
The tide of battle changed in that instant. However, Houndoom had suffered considerable injuries and needed a moment to catch its breath.
Golurk possessed tremendous power. It originally had no trouble facing Venusaur and Meganium by itself. However, that annoying little pest… Jumpluff, came over once again to interfere!
Pale blue Sleep Powder drifted toward Golurk under the guidance of Fairy Wind. As irritating as it was, Tetsuya had to admit that this tactic was infuriatingly effective. If the Sleep Powder landed and Golurk fell asleep, it would be completely at the enemy's mercy.
"Use Magic Coat!" Even Tetsuya was growing frustrated by Jumpluff's relentless interference. He had to deal with this nuisance first.
Golurk stood motionless as its body became enveloped in a faint pink energy shield. This move could reflect all status moves, including Leech Seed, and naturally included Sleep Powder as well. However, it could not block offensive moves, meaning Golurk still had to prepare itself to endure the incoming attacks.
The Sleep Powder landed on Golurk but was held in place by the faint pink energy barrier, unable to advance even the slightest bit. Fairy Wind, however, continued striking Golurk with its power. Then the energy carried the Sleep Powder back toward where it had come from.
Wrapped in the power of Magic Coat, the Sleep Powder fell onto Jumpluff. Jumpluff coughed twice, though Grass-type Pokémon were unaffected by Sleep Powder. More importantly, Golurk had avoided the danger of falling asleep.
"Houndoom, Leer!"
At the exact moment Jumpluff coughed after inhaling the Sleep Powder, Houndoom's eyes flashed with a fierce glare as Tetsuya gave the timely command…