Sakura's Trainer style gave Sato a moment of surprise. Snorlax reacted quickly, letting out a well-practiced yawn.
At the same time, Weavile's Brick Break landed squarely with no doubt.
"Snor!"
Snorlax's massive two-meter-tall body was knocked over by Weavile's Brick Break.
'Ouch it hurt! Super painful!'
With the boost from Swords Dance, Brick Break inflicted serious damage, especially for a Snorlax whose physical defense wasn't the best.
"Weavile, Low Kick!"
"Snorly, Rest!"
Low Kick: the heavier the opponent, the more damage it dealt.
With Snorlax's weight of over 400 kilograms, the power of Low Kick could rival Giga Impact. Add in the type advantage, and it was nearly a guaranteed knockout.
However, what happened next left Sato slightly stunned.
Weavile followed through with a sweeping kick, successfully flipping Snorlax over. But at the same time, Snorlax's squinted eyes gently relaxed… it had clearly fallen asleep.
Boom!
Snorlax's fall stirred up a cloud of dust. For a moment, nothing could be seen in the center of the field.
When the dust finally cleared, everyone saw both Pokémon lying on the ground, sound asleep.
Logically, Low Kick should've knocked Snorlax out, but it had already fallen asleep before hitting the ground.
The move Rest could fully restore a Pokémon's HP and clear all negative conditions.
Low Kick's damage hadn't triggered yet, but Rest had already taken effect, restoring even the damage that was about to be dealt.
Sato glanced at Sakura. This girl was far too modest… this perfectly timed Rest was such a masterstroke that even Sato had to admit it was brilliant.
Although Snorlax was now asleep, the battle had to go on.
"Weavile, Sleep Talk!"
"Snorly, Snore!"
The two made completely different choices. Sleep Talk was a random move, it carried great risk.
Snore was different. Although its base power wasn't high, with Snorlax's same-type bonus, it was still a decent offensive option.
However, Weavile's pitifully low Special Attack made Snore nearly useless in comparison.
Suddenly, a powerful snore echoed. Snorlax's Snore move was as powerful as its body: loud and overwhelming affecting the entire battlefield.
Pichu, perched on Sato's shoulder, clutched its ears and cried out in pain.
Sato quickly tucked it into his shirt and gently covered its little ears, a flash of pity in his eyes.
Weavile moved too. Snore was damaging it as well; the strain on its brow made that clear.
Yet even with closed eyes, Weavile jumped directly next to Snorlax.
Dark energy wrapped around its right hand. Weavile suddenly struck down, Night Slash landed hard on Snorlax's head.
A critical hit!
Luck wasn't on Snorlax's side. The Sleep Talk move had triggered Night Slash, which struck directly at Snorlax's forehead.
This hit rivaled even Brick Break in power despite the type advantage.
"Snor!"
The intense pain jolted Snorlax awake.
It must be understood: status conditions induced by moves aren't just "falling asleep"; they forcibly incapacitate a Pokémon for a set period.
For Snorlax to be forcibly woken like that… it spoke volumes about how painful that Night Slash was.
However, Weavile didn't wake up.
Sato's eyes narrowed. He had no choice but to command again, "Weavile, Sleep Talk!"
Snorlax, now awake, immediately realized the intense pain had come from its opponent's attack. Seeing Weavile right beside it, Snorlax didn't hesitate, it slammed down.
Body Slam!
Sato clenched his fist, helplessly watching as Weavile was crushed under Snorlax's massive body without the slightest mercy.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, Snorlax's squinty eyes scrunched together, and in the next moment, its entire body was lifted into the air.
To everyone's surprise, the now-awake Weavile's claws lit up: double Brick Break.
An overwhelming power exploded from Weavile's small frame. It grabbed one of Snorlax's arms and, with a sudden burst of strength, threw it over its shoulder!
Boom!
A second massive shockwave erupted; this one even more intense than the first. Everyone could feel the ground trembling slightly beneath their feet.
An icy blue Icy Wind blew away the lingering dust, which quickly turned to frozen shards falling to the ground. The scene on the battlefield became clear.
Snorlax had been slammed hard into the ground, forming a huge crater. Its squinty eyes had finally turned into spirals.
"Snorlax… is unable to battle. Weavile wins, the victor is Trainer Sato!" Mark swallowed hard, looking at Weavile with utter shock in his eyes.
An Ice- and Dark-type Pokémon had just used a Fighting-type move to completely overpower a 400-kilogram Snorlax.
Terrifying!
With the battle over, Joseph naturally began treatment, while Sakura immediately rushed to Snorlax's side to tend to it carefully.
Sato also walked up to the kneeling Weavile, pulled out a healing potion, and patiently treated its injuries.
Weavile quietly accepted Sato's care. Once it could barely stand, it nodded and grinned at him.
"That was an amazing battle!" Sato praised without hesitation.
"Weav!" Weavile crossed its arms with a proud expression, like saying, 'Of course, it's me we're talking about.'
"Seeing your final move, I suddenly think we should really study some fighting techniques."
"Weav!" Weavile's eyes lit up, nodding seriously. The final move that defeated Snorlax wasn't a formal move, but it had nearly the same effect as Low Kick.
From the perspective of fighting technique: it was an over-the-shoulder throw!
Although Weavile wasn't a Fighting-type Pokémon, as a humanoid Pokémon, it could still learn some Fighting-type moves.
"Snorlax is fine now. If you're still worried, we can head back to the Pokémon Center. We've been out long enough today."
Joseph recalled Chansey and Wigglytuff and spoke to both Sakura and Sato.
"Thank you. Can I go back with you?" Sakura recalled Snorlax, who was in no serious condition, to let it rest. She then asked cautiously.
Sato also recalled Weavile. It had already gone through two intense battles today, that was enough.
Soon, the four of them began retracing their steps. Sato released Umbreon to follow along, while Sakura sent out an Espeon… it was quite the coincidence.
"Your Snorlax is really strong. You've had it for a long time?" On the road, Sato casually asked.
"Yeah, Snorlax has been with me since I was little. Back then, it was just a Munchlax," Sakura said with a smile, "but even so, the great Sato still beat it."
Sato nodded without replying.For a young girl to have a Peak Elite Snorlax really was impressive.
But if they'd grown up together, it made sense. After all, "geniuses" like Sato were rare.
If every random girl was that strong… how was the "protagonist"¹ supposed to survive?
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¹. Ch 33 : I Am the Protagonist.