Is This the Power of Psychology? (BONUS)

For 1100 powerstones.

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Roxanne took a deep breath.

This was Mr. Johan, after all.

She recalled Graveler and spoke softly to its Poké Ball, "It's okay, we'll keep working at it. Someday…"

After putting away Graveler's Poké Ball, Roxanne didn't seem discouraged. She brought out her second one.

Regaining her focus, she tossed the next ball into the arena.

"Let's go, Probopass!"

Probopass, the Compass Pokémon, a pure Rock type. Although it was Rock-type, its magnetic nature also made it adept with Electric-type moves.

From what Johan knew, Probopass was Roxanne's main Pokémon.

The battle resumed.

"Probopass, Sandstorm!"

Roxanne commanded swiftly.

A faint yellow light shimmered over Probopass as a wave of sand began to sweep across the battlefield, gradually filling the entire arena.

At the same time, Johan's Pokédex displayed Probopass's details.

[Probopass]

Type: Rock

Ability: Sturdy

Moves Known: Tackle, Harden, Block, Rock Throw, Thunder Wave, Rest, Spark, Rock Slide…

Mood: …

Seeing the moves Probopass knew, Johan's mind started working.

A "sandstorm team," also known as a "sandstorm lineup," relies primarily on sandstorm weather.

However, the best setup for a "sandstorm team" usually involves having a Pokémon with the Sand Stream ability, which triggers a sandstorm immediately upon entering the battlefield.

For example, Johan's Vulpix has the Snow Warning ability, which changes the weather to snow as soon as it enters battle.

This way, they gain an advantage right from the start.

But with Roxanne's Probopass, which has to use the move Sandstorm to summon the weather, they've gained the weather effect, sure, but at the cost of losing precious momentum.

Johan smiled slightly.

"Haunter, Spite."

Probopass, busy summoning the sandstorm, suddenly felt a tap on its back. It whipped around, but saw nothing.

And as it turned back with confusion…

It was met with a ghastly face with a metallic shell—a face that looked like Metagross's terrifying visage!

"Ka-kah!!"

Probopass shuddered instantly, feeling as if its heart had skipped a beat.

Spite needs to catch opponents off guard to work best—classic psychological tactics.

But Johan had modified this approach slightly.

"Spite" should not only surprise but also target the opponent's most vulnerable spot—"Psychological Warfare: Enhanced Version."

Seeing Probopass's reaction, Roxanne frowned.

When had Haunter moved so close to Probopass?

And did Mr. Johan really know Pokémon so well?

To think he even knew that Probopass feared Metagross most…

In the wild, Probopass feared Metagross above all else because Metagross was drawn to Probopass's magnetic stones, practically its natural predator.

Also, Haunter's transformation ability—it's a bit too much, isn't it?

Anyone who didn't know better would think it was a Ditto!

"Confuse Ray."

Taking advantage of Probopass's flinch, Haunter immediately conjured a glowing orb of strange light.

The orb hit Probopass directly, and soon it was engulfed in confusion.

All for a single sandstorm—the sluggish Probopass had lost a lot of ground, which made the trade-off seem hardly worth it.

Roxanne's face was tense, but she continued to command calmly.

"Probopass, Thunder Wave!"

"Confusion" doesn't prevent moves entirely; there's still about a one-third chance of self-inflicted harm.

Whether it was Roxanne's calmness or sheer luck, Probopass managed to use its move undeterred.

Sparks of golden electricity crackled along Probopass's surface.

If the Thunder Wave paralyzed Haunter, then the tables might turn.

However…

Since Johan had already seen which moves Probopass knew, it wasn't hard to predict what Roxanne might do next.

"Haunter, slip into Probopass's shadow."

As soon as Roxanne gave her command, Johan's voice followed.

"Ka-kah~~"

Golden electric arcs scattered everywhere, but Haunter had already slid into Probopass's shadow and wasn't affected.

After all, not everyone thinks to target their own shadow.

"A perfect read? Dodging Thunder Wave by hiding in the shadow… Now Roxanne and Probopass are in trouble."

"Why do I feel like this Pokémon psychology teacher is really strong…"

"Be more confident—take out the 'feel like' part; he's clearly strong. Didn't you see Roxanne's expression?"

"…"

As the spectators continued to whisper, Johan issued the next command before Roxanne could respond:

"Lick."

Haunter popped out of Probopass's shadow with a gleeful "ka-kah" and licked Probopass's back as the golden electric arcs faded away.

Probopass was instantly affected by paralysis.

"Toxic."

"Will-O-Wisp."

"Hex…"

The crowd fell silent.

Somewhere in the stands, someone suddenly shivered and began rubbing their arms, covered in goosebumps.

"Whoa! Flinch, confusion, paralysis, burn, poison… This Haunter is way too 'dirty'…"

"Not just that! Didn't you notice Haunter's approach to Spite? And those precise reads… Is this the power of psychology?"

"Poor Probopass… getting pummeled physically and mentally."

"But why didn't Probopass use Rest?"

"Wait, if he didn't switch Pokémon, does he plan to take on all three at once?!"

"…"

Even the referee couldn't help but pat his own arm, trying to shake off the chills as he announced in a stiff tone:

"P-Probopass is unable to battle!"

With so many negative effects stacked on it, no matter how strong Probopass was, it couldn't withstand that kind of onslaught. Its Sturdy ability had become practically useless in this match.

"If Roxanne had gone with Rest, the fight would've been over. Johan would've let Haunter max out its Nasty Plot boosts, and the next round wouldn't even be necessary."

Cynthia muttered quietly with a slight smile, only loud enough for Diantha beside her to hear.

Diantha chuckled in agreement.

"With all those negative effects, Haunter chose not to use Hypnosis or keep stacking Nasty Plot. Maybe Johan was worried about Probopass using Sleep Talk. If it hit Explosion... the resulting blast of rock fragments and sand would be difficult for Haunter to dodge."

"Quite a… surprisingly cautious move."

Their insight went beyond what the average spectator could see, allowing them to deduce some of the finer points of the battle between Johan and Roxanne.

Cynthia continued, "But Roxanne risking Probopass to set up Sandstorm… Is she that confident in her last Pokémon?"

A hint of concern flashed in her eyes.

Diantha glanced sideways at Cynthia, smiling subtly.

Meanwhile…

Johan called Haunter over.

"Roxanne's next Pokémon will most likely be the original Gym Leader's Pokémon. She was willing to lose Probopass just to set up Sandstorm, so it's probably a Sand Rush Pokémon."

"It's either Sandslash or Excadrill, and we'll…"

"Ka-kah?" Haunter blinked in confusion.

Excadrill?

What's that?

A picture of Garchomp popped into its mind, but with a Raticate's head.

"Uh, my bad," Johan coughed, realizing his slip. "It's Excadrill. But I'm guessing it's Sandslash. Still, we'll adapt our strategy based on what comes out."

On the other side of the field…

Roxanne's expression grew complex.

Was she really going to put her hopes on her father's Pokémon?

This wasn't what she wanted.

But as the Gym Leader, it was her duty to assess challengers thoroughly. That's what being a Gym Leader was all about!

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