Norman raised an eyebrow, revealing a confident smile.
"Linoone, get ready for battle!"
Sieg instinctively let out a breath of relief when he saw the Pokémon Norman sent out.
After all, online, Norman was well-known for using the Slaking family as his main force. Due to the wide variety of battle strategies depending on the stage, he was quite famous in different regions.
"Corphish, use Harden to boost yourself first," Sieg commanded, opting for a more conservative strategy.
Norman smiled slightly and instructed, "Use Icy Wind."
Although Linoone has a shallow move pool and can only learn a few moves on its own, Norman had taught it several ranged attacks to deal with different situations.
Corphish's body flashed white for a moment, completing the boost instantly. The Icy Wind swept over it, but only made it shiver slightly.
"Sieg, looks like your Corphish has excellent cold resistance," Norman commented, surprisingly offering pointers in the middle of the battle.
"Corphish, use Bubble Beam!" Sieg commanded.
Shaking off the bits of ice clinging to its body, Corphish opened its proud pincers, shooting out a flurry of bubbles.
Pop pop pop pop pop~~
Linoone leapt nimbly around the field, dodging each bubble as it charged straight at Corphish.
"Use Headbutt."
Norman's voice rang out steadily.
A milky-white light began to shine from Linoone's head as it rushed toward Corphish.
"Corphish, don't be afraid. Use Knock Off to counterattack!" Sieg, though surprised by Linoone's sharp reaction, still gave the order calmly.
"Use Quick Attack!"
Just as the two moves were about to collide, Linoone made a sudden turn, dodging Corphish's falling claw and counterattacked, flipping Corphish over from the side.
It gathered strength on the spot, Quick Attack ready to strike!
"Not good! Corphish, use Protect quickly!"
Rolling a few times on the ground, Corphish heard its trainer's command and, before it could even stand up, quickly put up a protective shield.
Thud~
Linoone, using Quick Attack, broke through the shield at an extraordinary speed.
"Use Double Hit to block it!"
Corphish's two claws struck at Linoone one after the other, using its opponent's momentum to deflect the attack successfully.
"Clamp its tail and hold it down!"
Sieg sharply noticed that Linoone wasn't good at turning; this Pokémon was built for straight-line speed and short-range movement.
But it was always sluggish when turning.
Sure enough, Linoone, having just used Quick Attack, couldn't turn in time to escape. Its tail was clamped tightly by Corphish's pincers, eliciting a sharp cry.
"Yow~~"
"Use Aqua Jet to finish it off!" Sieg's voice was cold and firm.
Water surged around Corphish's body, gathering and wrapping around it entirely before it launched itself with tremendous force at the nearby Linoone.
Boom!
Linoone was sent flying and landed in the middle of the battlefield, kicking up a cloud of dust.
As the smoke gradually cleared, Sieg held his breath. Even May, watching from the stands, puffed out her cheeks and focused intently on the center of the battlefield.
Linoone lay unconscious in the middle of the field, its eyes spiraling.
"Linoone is unable to battle. Gym leader, please send out your second Pokémon," the referee declared, waving his flag.
Norman took out a Poké Ball and recalled the unconscious Linoone.
"That Corphish is excellent, Bubble Beam was extremely fast, and its pincers are well-trained and powerful. The skill linking is top-notch too."
"And you, Sieg, your overall battle judgment is truly impressive. You're nothing like a beginner trainer."
Norman showed no sign of disappointment from the loss. Instead, he praised Sieg repeatedly. As a Gym Leader, his role was to train the next generation for the League.
Therefore, the Pokémon he selected were all roughly at Sieg's level.
Sieg clearly understood this and replied humbly, "Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Norman. But all of this is the result of Corphish's own efforts. I wouldn't dare take the credit."
Then he added, "Besides, you weren't going all out, were you, Mr. Norman?"
Sieg knew clearly that this battle was a complete exhibition match. That Linoone likely wasn't even in Norman's second or third team.
Norman smiled faintly, thinking to himself, "This Sieg really is a promising talent, there's nothing to fault in his words or actions."
While the two exchanged compliments, May and Caroline were having an animated discussion in the viewing area.
"I've never heard Dad praise a trainer like this before," May said, resting her chin in her little hands, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Sieg.
Caroline showed a gentle smile and said, "Then, May, you'd better learn from him. This is the first challenge battle since we reopened the Gym, it's very memorable."
The mother and daughter watched the battle with full concentration.
"My next Pokémon will be you, Vigoroth!"
Norman threw out a Poké Ball, and with a flash of white light, a high-spirited monkey appeared on the field.
The referee raised his flag and asked, "Will the challenger switch Pokémon?"
Seeing Norman finally send out one of his signature Pokémon, Sieg's expression turned serious. A sense of pressure began to weigh on him.
"Come back, Corphish."
"Carvanha, get ready for battle!"
Sieg decided to conserve Corphish's stamina, since it had just used so many moves, it had already expended a lot of energy.
It was a good time to let Carvanha get a taste of land battles.
Sure enough, the moment Carvanha was released, it felt like it had entered a steamer, completely uncomfortable.
It floated slightly above the ground, trying to find some cool air, hoping to catch a trace of moisture.
"Vigoroth, use Bulk Up."
Norman had Vigoroth strengthen itself first to prepare for the coming battle.
The Vigoroth on the field immediately became more active upon hearing the command. It was already an energetic Pokémon, and now it bounced around with even more excitement.
"Carvanha, use Screech to stop it!"
Sieg was alarmed by Vigoroth's transformation.
He quickly ordered Carvanha to use Screech in an attempt to interrupt the boosting process.
Carvanha opened its mouth and let out a high-pitched, ear-piercing screech that made everyone uncomfortable.
However, Vigoroth was completely unaffected. Its muscles tensed, its fur bristled, it looked like it was showing off to its opponent.
As time passed, a blood-red glow gradually enveloped Vigoroth's body, the effect of Bulk Up.
"Carvanha, don't stop! Keep using Screech!" Sieg shouted urgently.
Carvanha opened its mouth again, letting out an even louder, more piercing scream. This time, even May had to cover her ears in discomfort.
But Vigoroth still remained unmoved. It had completely adapted to the noise and maintained its boosted state.
Finally, Vigoroth completed the Bulk Up process.
Its body looked even stronger, its muscles more defined. Both its attack and defense had increased!