Chapter 0809: VS Blue Oak! Prediction and Moveset(Two-in-One)

What is “Prediction”? It’s one of the most vital skills for a Trainer.

Between excellent Trainers, the battle becomes a contest of reading each other’s commands—whoever successfully predicts the other gains the upper hand.

This exhibition match uses a rule set of only four moves and a single item per Pokémon, making prediction-based movesets even more crucial.

Blue Oak and Natsume tossed their Poké Balls simultaneously. The entire audience’s eyes went wide, a wave of excitement swelling:

“It’s Arcanine! Natsume-sensei is starting with Arcanine!”

“Scizor has a quadruple weakness to Fire—it’s a completely defensive start!”

On the standard rectangular field, split down the middle with a Poké Ball logo, the two powerful Pokémon faced off with palpable pressure.

Natsume extended his arm, gaze ice-cold, and called,

“Flamethrower!”

Arcanine’s face, framed by its flaxen mane, twisted into a savage snarl. It bared its fangs and orange-red flames gathered in its open jaws. The Rainbow Wing at its chest flickered, scattering points of starlight. In the next instant, Flamethrower blazed forth, a column of fire surging toward Scizor!

Unlike close combat, long-range attacks are easier to dodge with a simple “Quick, avoid it!”

When the bond between Trainer and Pokémon is deep, the Pokémon will instinctively respond to their commands, doing everything possible to evade.

Scizor, like a warrior in crimson armor, stared into the flames, its yellow compound eyes reflecting the incoming Flamethrower—yet its stoic face didn’t flinch, waiting for Blue Oak’s command.

“Dodge—” Blue Oak’s hand shot forward. “Use U-turn!”

With the boost from U-turn, Scizor’s agility spiked. Its form blurred, darting sharply to the left. Flamethrower crashed into the field, exploding with smoke and debris. Scizor erupted from the haze, pincers raised like a boxer ready to strike!

Arcanine paused, caught just slightly off guard.

That was a feint! Watch its legs! The Power of One’s intuition echoed urgently.

Scizor’s pincers, patterned with false eyes, could Intimidate and confuse its opponent.

Blue Oak knew that Scizor stood no chance against Arcanine’s firepower, so he planned to switch out!

Against the shadow-dancing, flickering form of Scizor, Natsume commanded,

“Sweep the Flamethrower!”

Arcanine stood its ground and swept a wave of fire across the field, the explosions ripping through smoke and craters. Scizor, moving so fast it shifted the very air, took slight scorch marks on its red armor, but its eyes remained fixed and cold. It closed the distance again!

Towering over Scizor, Arcanine drew in another breath, preparing to unleash fire upon its foe.

“Now!” Blue Oak’s eyes sharpened.

Compared to the added agility of the “Light Metal” ability, “Technician” allowed Scizor even trickier maneuvers.

Scizor suddenly bent its slim red-and-black torso, not attacking with pincers, but vaulting backward—one leg launching a sharp kick directly under Arcanine’s jaw, making the larger Pokémon stumble back in pain. In that moment, Scizor transformed into a streak of red light, zipping back to rest in Blue Oak’s outstretched hand.

Snap!

Blue Oak caught the Poké Ball, lips curled in a taunting grin. “Hey!”

The arena erupted—many in shock.

“He recalled it already!”

“What a shame… I thought for sure this round was won,” said Iris on the group livestream.

“U-turn allows you to attack and swap, but that was still a close call,” Lorelei observed coolly, adjusting her red-rimmed glasses.

“Natsume’s ‘Prediction’ is almost like Future Sight,” Sabrina commented mildly.

“Who’s going to win?” Gold asked, hoping for a little psychic intervention.

“The one with Arcanine will win,” grinned Lt. Surge.

Gold sent a yellow emoji: (scornful)

Arcanine flexed its jaws, wild and loyal, still guarding the black-haired young man before it.

Scizor really had no way to threaten Arcanine—U-turn had minimal impact.

Blue Oak’s decision to recall Scizor was out of necessity.

Caught by Natsume’s prediction… but fortunately he switched in time.

After a brief reflection, Blue Oak palmed a minimized Poké Ball.

With a practiced toss, the ball grew in midair. Blue Oak’s gaze focused, and with a swift underhand throw, he declared:

“Go, Rhyperior!”

BOOM!!

As Rhyperior landed, the entire stadium seemed to tremble.

Viewers gazed in awe and curiosity at the massive, monster-like Rhyperior on the left side of the field.

Rhyperior’s body was mostly black and orange-red, its metal armor fused with bone, its frame thick and hulking, with a Horn Drill protruding from its snout.

Blue Oak’s Rhyperior was especially imposing—its muscles hinted at explosive power, with a hint of black-gold shine.

In the VIP suite, Giovanni’s lips curled with satisfaction.

“Hmph… excellently bred.”

“This Rhyperior was bred from scratch after I became the Viridian Leader,” Blue Oak stated calmly, then looked up, his cold eyes fixed on Natsume:

“I’ve poured my heart into it, with a whole new breeding philosophy… Natsume, it’s going to win this battle for me!”

“ROAR!!” Rhyperior bellowed, the thunderous sound shaking the stands.

“Arcanine!!!”

Arcanine bared its teeth in defiance, eyes slitted and fierce, Intimidate surging out physically and psychically, making Rhyperior falter in midsnarl.

“Let’s see you try then.” Natsume’s eyes narrowed.

Natsume knew Giovanni’s techniques—and in this situation, he could anticipate Blue Oak’s command.

Both Trainers shouted at once.

“Earthquake!!”

“Pull back and use Morning Sun!”

The center of an Earthquake attack is even more devastating, and with the move being doubly effective against Arcanine, its HP would surely plummet.

Blue Oak’s team mostly focused on offense, so Arcanine would need to maintain HP and keep its “field control” role!

“Rhyperior!”

Rhyperior’s fist hammered the ground, splitting the earth instantly—rocks shattered, tremors split the field, and explosive force shot cracks in every direction. The entire stadium shook!

Professor Kukui’s expression darkened.

This stadium was just newly completed!

Arcanine had no way to avoid the move and couldn’t fly, so it took the hit directly. Stone fragments pelted down, crunching on Arcanine’s back, half-burying the great beast. Dust and grit settled in its mane; the tremors jabbed into its bones, making it nearly collapse.

BOOM!!

The Earthquake rolled on as Arcanine’s eyes turned red, growling low. Light burst from the Rainbow Wing, soaring skyward before raining sunlight down, healing Arcanine’s wounds.

Must hold on… Must create opportunities for my Trainer—and the team!

“Arcanine!!” Arcanine howled, bursting from the rocks, bathed in sunlight. An eruption of vitality, its presence rose to new heights.

“Healed itself with Morning Sun, huh?”

Blue Oak frowned.

Too durable… This is going to be a pain.

As Blue Oak hesitated, a faint sense of crisis crept up his spine—he’d felt this same thing many times battling Red.

Did I overlook something?

Blue Oak’s eyes sharpened, squinting toward Arcanine basked in sunlight at the edge of the arena.

Ability? Held Item? Or a move?

Wait—the sunlight!

Suddenly, Blue Oak snapped to attention and cried out instantly:

“Rhyperior, Protect!!”

Rhyperior crossed its massive forearms, a green shield forming to cover nearly all of its enormous frame.

But it was a second too late.

Arcanine, having finished charging, fired a Solar Beam from its jaws—a straight lance of light split the haze, blasted through the field, and engulfed Rhyperior!

“Rhyperior!!”

The shield buckled under the scorching force of Solar Beam—Rhyperior howled in agony, its feet dragging back through the dirt. A fresh wave of energy burst from Solar Beam, and with a thunderous crack, Protect shattered. The beam detonated against Rhyperior’s armor!

BOOM!!!

Rhyperior was enveloped in the dazzling blast—fans still hadn’t processed what had happened.

“What was that?”

“Rhyperior took a direct hit from something!”

On the live stream, group members exclaimed in unison.

“He used the sunlight from Morning Sun to mask the Solar Beam’s short charge,” Lance explained, with a hint of resignation. “From the livestream it’s obvious… but for Blue Oak, that move was perfectly hidden from his perspective.”

Gold howled, “Reacting fast enough to use Protect is already insane!”

“No surprise—it’s Natsume-sensei’s dirty strategies!” Iris added, intensely serious.

Wallace sighed, “Move synergy, vision tricks… that’s actually tactics from coordinator battles, and now Natsume-sensei’s using it.”

“Protect absorbed some of the force,” Bruno rumbled. “It’ll take a lot more than that to bring down Blue Oak.”

As the dust settled,

Natsume studied Rhyperior—its armor was scorched but it was still brimming with power, its rocky body pulsing with dark-gold light.

Solar Beam is four-times super effective on Rhyperior, but Protect absorbed much of the damage. Also…

“Your Rhyperior.” Natsume spoke up, “Its ability is Solid Rock, right?”

Solid Rock reduces the damage it takes from super effective moves, letting Rhyperior survive some of the Solar Beam’s strength.

“When I fought Red, it had Lightning Rod,” Blue Oak replied, hands in his pockets. “Before this match, I fed it an Ability Capsule.”

“Because…” Blue Oak paused, “I know you always pack moves for wide coverage.”

Ability Capsules can switch a Pokémon’s first and second listed abilities, but not its hidden ability.

Natsume: “…”

As expected of a breeding prodigy—he even has rare stuff like Ability Capsules.

I give Sylveon a Power Herb, you give Rhyperior an Ability Capsule… the future is bright for both of us!

The match continued.

Arcanine scored a surprise with Solar Beam, but pulling it off a second time would be almost impossible against Blue Oak.

And if Arcanine is switched out, Intimidate works again next time. So Natsume picked up the Luxury Ball:

“Return, Arcanine!”

A beam of red light wrapped Arcanine, recalling it to its ball.

At the same moment, the field dropped and a brand new battle stadium rose up.

“At this rate, after this match, the just-founded Alola League will go bankrupt…” Natsume mused idly.

Facing the powerful, monstrous Rhyperior,

“I choose you!!”

Natsume threw a Dusk Ball—declaring:

“Tyranitar!!!”

The crowd erupted.

“Tyranitar is here!”

“My favorite Pokémon!”

A beam of red light burst from the Dusk Ball, striking the ground.

Instantly, sand spewed from the triangular holes at Tyranitar’s neck, painting a storm over the Manalo Stadium!

“BAN-GIII—LAAAA!” Tyranitar roared, its neck and shoulder spikes bristling, its tail thundering against the ground.

Lillie shrank back, hugging Snowy. Beside her, Gladion’s eyes blazed.

“That Tyranitar is incredible!”

Lusamine smiled gently. “Tyranitar matures late, but its raw species strength can make up for some level difference.”

Tyranitar wasn’t even fully leveled for a Champion’s main team, while Blue Oak’s Rhyperior had seen far more experience.

But Blue Oak had already noticed Natsume’s motions—he raised his Key Stone gauntlet, which meant…

“Tyranitar—”

Natsume’s fingerless gloves flared, a Key Stone embedded in the groove glowing with a watery brilliance through the sandstorm, bathing Tyranitar as he called:

“Mega Evolution!!!”

Light bathed Tyranitar, Mega Evolution energy surging within. Tyranitar’s back split open, forming six jagged spines, while a sharp horn jutted from its crown. Five neck vents increased its control over the Sandstorm. Its belly plates shifted from blue to red, its power symbols becoming more ferocious!

Mega Tyranitar roared alongside Natsume, head thrown back:

“Tyranitar!!!”

On the stream, Gold buzzed in awe:

“Natsume-sensei always snarls—can he lower Blue Oak’s Special Attack with it?”

“In theory, no…” Silver replied.

“So why does he yell so loud?!”

Facing Rhyperior and Mega Evolving Tyranitar, it was clear Natsume was committed—no plans to switch out.

Both Tyranitar and Rhyperior had been bred using Giovanni’s techniques. This was a peak duel between Rock and Ground!

“Rhyperior—” Blue Oak’s eyes hardened. “Brick Break!!”

Professor Kukui looked startled.

Natsume had included coverage moves, but Blue Oak was clearly prepared too.

The Fighting-type move Brick Break is four-times effective against Tyranitar and shatters Light Screen and Reflect. Even a pseudo-legendary wouldn’t last long against it!

Natsume’s face was subtly complicated.

You brought Brick Break to counter Tyranitar? That’s not just smart, it’s algorithmic.

But then again, Blue Oak had trained under martial artist Chuck for a while, so it made sense.

Rhyperior’s fists glowed bright white, slamming into the ground and charging through the sandstorm toward the mega tyrant.

With Mega Evolution, Tyranitar’s sandstorm was even more fearsome—even Blue Oak’s Rhyperior would struggle to close the gap.

No need to worry.

Natsume’s eyes burned. He extended his hand:

“Dragon Dance!!!”