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Koga left and returned quickly.
Not long after he disappeared, the sound of a crying baby stopped, and soon after, the door opposite Liam opened. Koga stepped out with a grim expression.
"Uh... can I ask what's that on your back?" Liam pointed at Koga in confusion.
This time, Koga wasn't alone. On his back was a small baby with dark green hair, clinging tightly to him while holding a large milk bottle.
The baby was vigorously sucking on the bottle's nipple, looking incredibly adorable.
"...This is my younger sister, Aya."
Koga was silent for a moment before finally speaking.
Liam was at a loss for words. He vaguely remembered that Koga did have a younger sister, but he hadn't expected her to be this young.
Curious, he asked, "Why are you taking care of such a small child? What about your parents?"
Hearing this, a trace of nostalgia flashed through Koga's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by deep resentment. He let out a cold snort and said nothing.
Seeing Koga's reaction, Liam knew better than to press further. He glanced at the baby, who was holding the milk bottle in one hand while tugging at Koga's hair with the other, and let out a bitter smile.
"I think I finally understand why you built your gym deep in the mountains... That must be rough on you."
"You... you idiot! My personal affairs are none of your business! Just hurry up and surrender already! Golbat, Supersonic!"
Koga's face turned red at Liam's comment, and in a fit of embarrassed rage, he immediately commanded Golbat to attack.
Liam was caught off guard by the sudden move. "Yep, this is classic ninja behavior," he thought. "No hesitation, no warning—just attack immediately."
"Nidoking! Dodge it! Use Breaking Swipe!"
Liam quickly gave his command.
Supersonic was an annoying move, but it was slow enough to be dodged. As long as Nido avoided it, there wouldn't be any issues.
Following Liam's instructions, Nidoking swiftly sidestepped the attack and let out a low growl.
Its powerful legs propelled it forward in giant strides, while both of its thick arms gleamed with a white light, swinging toward Golbat in the air.
"A Ground-type Pokémon trying to attack my Golbat? What a foolish dream! Golbat, fly higher and use Air Cutter!"
Koga sneered at the approaching Nidoking and quickly ordered Golbat to ascend.
Golbat flapped its wings rapidly, easily dodging Nidoking's attack. Then, with a powerful flap of its wings, multiple sharp blades of air shot toward its opponent.
"Use Poison Sting!"
Liam reacted immediately.
"Nido!"
Nidoking lowered its head, and numerous purple needles shot out, colliding with the incoming Air Cutter.
The sheer number of poison needles overwhelmed the attack, and several of them pierced Golbat's body.
"Gol!"
Golbat cried out in pain from the piercing needles, flapping its wings wildly and twisting its body to escape the remaining needles.
"Golbat! Use Confuse Ray!"
Despite seeing Golbat take damage, Koga remained calm and issued his next command.
"Gol!"
Golbat swiftly dove down, flapping its wings a few times before releasing a dazzling, eerie light directly at Nidoking.
"Nido!"
As the light faded, Nidoking swayed unsteadily, clearly confused.
"Now! Golbat, Swift!"
Seeing that Confuse Ray had worked, Koga immediately pressed his advantage.
"Gol!"
Golbat opened its mouth and launched a barrage of sparkling silver stars, striking Nidoking's body and making it growl in pain.
"Hey, your Nidoking is confused. Are you really not going to switch Pokémon?"
Despite Golbat having the upper hand, Koga wasn't particularly pleased. He had noticed that Liam was standing still, watching the battle intently with sharp eyes, as if he were planning something.
"Heh, who said I'm the one switching Pokémon? Nido! Use Shadow Claw!"
At last, Liam issued his command.
Nidoking, who had been struggling under Golbat's attacks, suddenly snapped to attention.
A dark energy surged around its claws, forming long shadowy talons, which then swiped upward at Golbat with incredible speed.
Golbat had calculated a safe distance between itself and Nidoking, but it hadn't expected this sudden attack.
Taken off guard, it was struck hard by Shadow Claw and sent crashing to the ground.
Liam had been waiting. Since Nidoking was confused, attacking recklessly might have resulted in self-inflicted damage. Instead, he had remained patient, waiting for a decisive moment to strike.
"Golbat!"
Koga was stunned by the sudden reversal. He watched as Golbat struggled to get back up, its body trembling with pain. Clenching his teeth, he pulled out its PokéBall and recalled it.
"I underestimated you… I didn't expect your Nidoking to have that move. But I won't hold back anymore! Go, Muk!"
With that, Koga sent out his second Pokémon—a Muk.
As soon as Muk appeared, a horrible stench filled the air, like a sewer that hadn't been cleaned in years. It was nauseating.
"...Muk, huh? That's gonna be a pain to deal with. Nidoking, return and rest for now."
Liam recalled his still-confused Nidoking and threw out another PokéBall.
"Alright! My second Pokémon will be… you! Let's go Onix!"
With a flash of light, an Onix emerged.
"Roar!"
Breaker let out a mighty roar, radiating an overwhelming presence.
Koga eyed the Onix and smirked.
"Hmph. Trying to counter me with type advantage? Don't underestimate a Gym Leader! Muk, Mud Bomb!"
Mud Bomb was a Ground-type move, meaning it would deal serious damage to Onix, especially since it was a special attack.
If it hit, the impact would be devastating.
Muk's body wriggled unnaturally before launching a large, muddy sphere straight at Onix.
But there was no way Liam was just going to stand there and let it land.
"Onix, use Dragon Breath! I never underestimate my opponents—but maybe you're underestimating my Onix."
"Roar!"
At Liam's command, Breaker opened its jaws and unleashed a stream of bluish-green energy.
The Dragon Breath attack collided with Mud Bomb, causing an explosion that sent dust and debris flying everywhere, clouding the battlefield.
"Use Rock Tomb!"
Liam took advantage of the obscured vision and ordered another attack. Since Onix was a Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon, the dust barely affected its vision, and it could still sense Muk's presence.
"Roar!"
With a roar, Breaker lifted its head, summoning several massive boulders glowing with white energy. The rocks shot forward, crashing into the obscured area.
A moment later, Muk's painful cries echoed from within the dust cloud.
"Damn it! I can't see anything! Muk, use Minimize and Harden!"
Koga knew Muk was taking hits, but with his vision blocked, he had no choice but to boost its defenses.
"Muk!"
Within the dust, Muk shrank its body and emitted a metallic glow, raising its durability.
"Onix, use Sand Tomb!"
Liam wasn't about to let up.
"Roar!"
Breaker roared again as swirling quicksand erupted beneath Muk, trapping it.
Muk, now much smaller, endured the attack, waiting for the right moment to counter.
However, the constant movement of the quicksand destabilized the ground beneath it. A sudden crack formed, revealing a massive hole—Muk fell straight in.
A moment later, a thunderous explosion echoed through the battlefield.