Pokémon from Galar

Besides Farfetch'd, the only other creature Yuri can counter with the Dark attribute is the evolved Nine-Tails.

According to the original plan, Yuri even wanted to wait until Vulpix learned Absolute Zero before evolving, since it would be very expensive to hire someone to teach such a powerful move.

However, when I went to the snowfield before, I unexpectedly struck up a conversation with Gym Leader Mei Rong. She probably thought that Yuri was a promising talent and gave me the opportunity to train with Gym Leader Mei Rong, which provided me with some Ice-type moves to learn.

This made Yuri determined to use the little six-tailed creature that Marie had given her when she fought Marie.

Mary had naturally seen the evolved Vulpix. It had only evolved a few days ago, but because it had accumulated enough power beforehand, it quickly adapted to the surge in power. With the help of Silky, it was also using Magic Glitter quite well.

Sitting in her preparation area, Mary blinked and suddenly realized that Yuri's reason for choosing to fight was probably not whether she could control herself, but whether it was related to Mary.

Farfetch'd was originally with Mari, but then it ended up in Yuri's Pokémon by chance; White SpongeBob was caught by the two of them together, but Mari gave it to Yuri; and Sixtails was an egg that Mari gave to her.

Apart from Inteleon, the origins of the other three Pokémon can all be said to be related to Marnie.

"Hmm...which side is it?"

Not sure if she was overthinking it, Mary rested her chin on her hand, looking somewhat conflicted. But unless Yuri told Mary herself, she probably would never guess the answer to this question.

After all, Mary didn't intend to ask him this question in person... She still had some pride, and she would never do something so shameful.

"Never mind, just play well."

After thinking for a while, I realized that I couldn't get the result by myself, so I decisively chose to give up.

Leaning back into the soft sofa, Mary closed her eyes to calm herself, feeling a little nervous as the moment approached.

As mentioned before, this is the first time I've officially fought Yuri. Our usual practice matches are more for training purposes, such as getting familiar with new moves and practicing teamwork.

Considering this, although Nie Zi might be trying to gradually get used to the job of a gym leader by slowly boiling her like a frog, overall, Mary is still quite happy that she can be the acting gym leader this time.

……

On the other side, Yuri, who was alone in the lounge, seemed even more nervous. She sat on the sofa, hugging and rubbing the Nine-Tails' big tail, unable to calm down.

Onion Soldier, unusually, put down his sword and shield, sat down to the side and closed his eyes to rest. He believed that Yuri and Mary would not let him down, so he was maintaining his composure.

Thousand Faces sat down next to Espeon and their eyes met, each seeing the helplessness and amusement in the other's eyes.

Espeon raised its tail and patted Yuri's arm, its psychic powers reaching out to convey its thoughts to Yuri.

"Calm down, Yuri, you've twisted the Nine-Tails' tail into a pretzel..."

"Oh, ah... I'm so sorry!"

Startled by Espeon's words, Yuri quickly got up, loosened her grip on the fluffy tail in her arms, and the twisted fur smoothly unfolded, quickly returning to its original shape.

“kon~”

Nine-Tails turned around and licked Yuri's cheek, not caring. She had been by Yuri's side since she hatched, and even after evolving, she was still full of affection for Yuri.

"Thanks~ Hehehe..."

Squinting, Yuri rubbed her face against Kurama's, and she had recovered a little by now.

She was actually worried that Mary might not realize her intention in selecting the list of participants for the challenge, or perhaps she was just shy.

When I first submitted it, I was quite proud of myself, but as time went by, that pride slowly turned into shyness. And hidden within that shyness was a hint of anticipation.

Seeing that Yuri wasn't as flustered as before, Ibrahimovic lay down again. He wasn't playing today, so he wasn't very motivated, but he would go back into the ball and follow Yuri when she went in for the challenge.

In gym challenges, the Pokémon that the gym leader will use are usually not announced in advance, so Yuri guessed which Pokémon Marie would use today.

Because of Sirfetch'd, there's a high chance that Eevee will be on the field, which reduces the chance that Mordred will appear. Given Marnie's personality, she'll most likely only bring one of her four Pokémon, and choose the rest from the Pokémon in the gym.

These past few days, Yuri hasn't just been training at the dojo; she's also been carefully observing the enemy situation on Mari's side.

There are about six Pokémon in the gym that are at a similar level to those in your team, and the one that will be selected for battle is likely one of those six.

It was during this trip that Yuri gained a general understanding of the Pokémon in the gym: their sheer number and the remarkably balanced strength levels.

From its unevolved form to one that feels almost as strong as when we first met Bal, it can find a suitable opponent to deal with no matter what level the challenger is at.

This reminded Yuri of what Lurina had told her about raising a group of wakamashita near the harbor.

I didn't realize it at the time, but now that I think about it... Lulina is really amazing. Even though she can delegate most of the work to others, the sheer number of tasks is enough to give anyone a headache.

"Yuri, it's almost time to get ready to enter!"

"Ms. Mary, it's time to enter!"

The doors to the two lounges were pushed open almost simultaneously, reminding the two that it was time for the official challenge.

"Okay—thank you for your help, sister."

Yuri jumped off the sofa, smiled at her older sister who came in, recalled her Pokémon, and strode out.

"I understand, and you should call me Acting Curator..."

Meanwhile, Mary watched as Rowling entered through the door, let out a long sigh, drank half a glass of water, and then walked towards the venue while grumbling.

Chapter 323 Mary vs. Yuri

After passing through the passage, we entered the arena. Although the space was slightly smaller than other arenas, there were still many spectator seats built around it, and they were all full today.

It can't compare to the popularity of other dojos, but it's enough for Mary.

Nie Zi usually prefers to use another venue, but that place is more suitable for concerts, and the style of the building is also very punk, so Mary naturally switched to a venue that she doesn't usually use.

Just as she stood still on the field, Yuri appeared from the other side of the passage.

After spotting Mary in the center of the arena, his expression brightened immediately, and he jogged over, seemingly eager to reach her.

Why are you in such a hurry?

Mary stood casually in front of Yuri, smiling and saying unrelated things.

"Hehe, because it feels so new and exciting!"

"Are you ready?"

"Ok!"

"Let's begin!"

Meeting Yuri's gaze, Mary smiled and waved, then turned and walked back to her seat.

Mary touched the Poké Ball at her waist, and without much hesitation, took one off and threw it with all her might! A Bisharp appeared in the center of the field.

This is the same one that double-battled with Nie Zi in Motostoke City last time. Its rare ability allows it to often break the deadlock unexpectedly.

"Hehe, then I'll leave things to you here!"

Yuri grinned and, almost without thinking, just like Marie, took the Poké Ball and threw it with all her might.

The slender, multifaceted avatar quietly appeared on the other side of the field.

Judging from their respective strengths, the Slashing Commander is at a disadvantage. Its relatively inferior speed and almost lack of ranged attack methods give the Thousand-Faced Escaper an advantage from the moment it appears.

As the host announced the start of the battle, Mari and Yuri simultaneously issued their commands.

"Ghost Face!"

"Tide Whirlwind!"

Both sides launched their attacks simultaneously, but the Thousand-Faced Avoidance was still slightly faster than the Slashing Commander. The rapidly rotating water flow appeared on the field first and attempted to surround the Slashing Commander.

Without Mary's deliberate command, the Commander of the Slashing Blade tilted to the side, his entire body shooting out like a cannonball. He raised his blade and swung it down, taking advantage of the time before the vortex completely closed to break out of the engulfed area.

At the same time, the Demon Mask is activated!

A pitch-black ghost face appeared, and energy transformed into strange fluctuations that flowed into the Thousand-Faced Avoid, causing his body to suddenly freeze. However, this did not disrupt the control of the energy. The whirlpool that followed surged forward and once again engulfed the Slashing Commander.

Faced with this scene, neither Mary nor Commander Slash showed any signs of panic. Ever since Mary gave Yuri the Tide Whirlwind move, under the exquisite control of the Thousand Faces Escaper, it has indeed been used in many different ways and has not been eliminated until now.

Whether used to disrupt damage or to control opponents, it is quite effective.

"Sniper!"

Yuri, of course, will seize the opportunity and unleash her ultimate move before her opponent breaks through the Whirlpool!

"Cross-cut!"

The water flow was cut off again, and Commander Pi Zhan burst out of the water diagonally forward. At the same time, the Thousand-Faced Escaper's sniper had already aimed at the direction of his breakthrough, ready to strike.

call out--!

The earlier move to slow down the opponent successfully bought the Commander time to react. He leaned his body to the ground and twisted his direction instantly by using his waist and abdomen. He raised his arms to protect his chest and the smooth, flat blade narrowly met the water bullet that came in an instant at an angle!

Bang-!

The powerful water bullet grazed past the Slashing Commander, striking the ground and creating a deep crater. The Slashing Commander then used a recovery technique, rolling once on the ground before quickly regaining its balance.

His left arm, which had been hit, drooped slightly, clearly indicating that the force he had just absorbed was not as easy as he had imagined.

"release!"

Mary saw all of this and quickly followed the instructions!

Boom—! An even greater sense of oppression than before suddenly erupted! Caught off guard, the Thousand-Faced Avoid froze for a moment. Mary's eyes narrowed. Now!

"A sneak attack on a vital point!"

Maintaining a ready stance, he suddenly unleashed power from his left leg, seizing the moment when his opponent revealed an opening, and raised the sharp blade in his right hand towards the Thousand Faces Refugee, who was not far away!

There's no escaping it.

Yuri quickly realized this, and it was likely that this fighting style had been planned in advance. The cleaving of the commander was very fast, leaving the Thousand-Faced Escaper no time to adapt, and she had no choice but to withstand the sudden pressure to fight back.

This move is no match for defense. Whether it's holding the line or using a reflective barrier, there's no time to set up before the blade falls. But there might be a clever way to do it!

"soaking!"

The instant the blade struck, a large amount of water sprayed from the Thousand-Faced Beast, enveloping the Slashing Commander and temporarily altering his attributes.

Tear--!

The blade sliced ​​through the water, striking the Thousand-Faced Beast squarely and sending it flying. However, thanks to the altered properties from being submerged in water, the power of the attack on its vitals was successfully reduced.

Although the Thousand-Faced Beast appears to be in dire straits, it still possesses the ability to continue fighting.

That being said, the opponent's sudden change to a water attribute, while allowing Thousand Faces to escape unscathed, also signaled a disadvantage in the first battle. Continuing to keep Thousand Faces on the field would no longer be appropriate.

"Turn back immediately!"

Yuri's command was within Mary's expectations. The current situation definitely necessitated a change in personnel. A slight smile played on Mary's lips.

"Ignore him, Sword Dance."