Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [437]

The [Hydro Pump] shot forward.

A powerful stream of water blasted toward Houndoom.

But Houndoom swiftly moved its feet, nimbly dodging the attack.

Although Karen had received Luo Yuan’s instruction to hold back, doing so too obviously during the battle would be a dead giveaway. So instead, she adjusted her strategy rather than deliberately throwing the match.

Houndoom’s reaction speed was incredibly fast.

Before the [Hydro Pump] could reach it, it had already dodged, leaving the attack to strike empty ground. The impact left a deep crater, water filling it before spilling over the edges and spreading outward.

Even though his attack had missed, Gary wasn’t too discouraged.

After all, Houndoom had already demonstrated its impressive strength in the battle against Arcanine.

Without hesitation, he gave his next command:

“Blastoise, use [Water Pulse]!”

The announcer quickly chimed in with approval.

“Gary is using [Water Pulse]! He’s timed this move perfectly—Houndoom just dodged [Hydro Pump] and hasn’t regained its footing. This is a prime opportunity!”

On the battlefield, rippling waves of water shot toward Houndoom.

Just as the commentator had pointed out, the timing was impeccable. Houndoom, having just avoided [Hydro Pump], was in a poor position to evade this next attack.

Karen, however, reacted decisively.

Since she had Luo Yuan’s directive, losing wouldn’t be a problem—it would just mean following orders. And if she won? Well, she could always throw the next match instead.

With no mental burden, she made a bold choice.

“Houndoom, [Flamethrower]!”

Karen waved her hand as she called out the command.

A reddish glow flickered beneath Houndoom’s black throat, its intensity visible through its skin. Then, all at once, it opened its mouth.

Whoosh!

A scorching pillar of fire erupted forward, colliding head-on with the incoming [Water Pulse]!

“A surprising choice—Karen is opting to go head-to-head against Gary’s Blastoise!” the commentator exclaimed.

To the audience, this didn’t seem like a wise move.

After all, this was a clear type disadvantage—Water against Fire. The outcome should have been obvious.

But reality proved otherwise.

The crowd watched in shock as [Water Pulse] rapidly evaporated under the intense heat of Flamethrower, completely suppressed!

How powerful was this Houndoom compared to Blastoise?!

Gary was stunned by the sight.

But his reaction was just as quick.

“Blastoise, [Hydro Pump]—again!”

This time, he had Blastoise fire a combined assault—[Water Pulse] from its mouth, supported by twin [Hydro Pumps] from the cannons on its back.

Three streams of water converged into a single, overwhelming attack, instantly flipping the tide of battle.

The previously dominant [Flamethrower] was now overpowered, and the full force of the attack struck Houndoom, sending it flying backward.

“Arooo—!”

Houndoom let out a pained howl, but it wasn’t down for the count just yet.

However, the unrelenting water continued to batter it. It wouldn’t last much longer.

“Hang in there, Houndoom! Use [Inferno]!” Karen commanded.

From its position on the ground, Houndoom unleashed another burst of flames.

Before Blastoise could react, the fire surged around its body, encircling it completely.

Then, the flames intensified, swallowing Blastoise whole.

The stream of water abruptly stopped.

Blastoise was now trapped within the inferno, flames closing in from all directions. It attempted to extinguish the fire with water attacks, but it could only target a single direction at a time—against flames surrounding it from every angle, it was at a loss.

As a result, the flames engulfed Blastoise, leaving it burned.

“A reversal! With [Inferno], Houndoom has regained control of the fight!” the commentator shouted.

Even Gary hadn’t expected this turn of events.

Seeing his Blastoise trapped in the fire, he quickly shouted:

“Blastoise, [Skull Bash]! Break through!”

Staying in the flames any longer would only drain its stamina.

Even if it meant risking further injury, Blastoise had to escape!

From within the fiery cage, Blastoise heard Gary’s command. Its expression—contorted slightly from the burn—calmed as it steeled itself.

It crouched slightly, gathering strength, before launching itself upward.

Using its powerful legs to propel itself, Blastoise shot into the air.

Then, mid-air, its legs retracted into its shell.

In their place, two high-pressure water jets burst from its shell openings.

The force of the jets provided additional thrust, allowing Blastoise to break free of the [Inferno]’s grasp and launch itself toward Houndoom!

Seeing Blastoise break out of its Inferno, Houndoom instinctively reacted with a counterattack.

[Flamethrower]

Houndoom spewed flames at the incoming Blastoise.

But Blastoise was still rocketing forward, its body locked on course by the force of its water jets. There was no room to dodge.

The only choice was to counter.

From the back of its shell, Blastoise fired additional water jets to neutralize the oncoming [Flamethrower].

Thus, the battlefield presented a dramatic sight—

In the sky, Blastoise dived toward Houndoom, cutting straight through the steam formed by the collision of [Hydro Pump] and [Flamethrower].

And in that moment, Houndoom realized its mistake.

The steam had obscured its vision.

Now, it had lost track of Blastoise’s exact position.

Before it could use its keen sense of smell to relocate its opponent—

A sharp gust of wind rushed toward it!

Blastoise burst through the steam cloud, leaving behind a lingering vapor trail as it crashed headlong into the unsuspecting Houndoom.

“Aroo—!”

A pained whimper escaped Houndoom’s mouth.

Although Blastoise’s [Skull Bash] had been weakened due to its burn, it was still a powerful attack.

And for Houndoom—already battered by Arcanine’s [Flame Wheel], Blastoise’s [Water Pulse], and multiple [Hydro Pumps]—it had reached its limit.

With one last impact, its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed.

“Incredible! Gary successfully used the steam as cover and took down Houndoom!” the commentator announced excitedly.

The crowd erupted into cheers.

Gary let out a breath of relief, watching his Blastoise stand victorious.

But then, his gaze darkened.

Looking at the burn marks on Blastoise’s body, he felt the weight of the situation.

I won… but at a huge cost.

Blastoise’s combat strength had taken a serious hit.

And he had no idea what Karen’s next Pokémon would be.

Before the match, he had reviewed Karen’s records—but in all her previous battles, she had won using a single Pokémon.

No one knew what else she had in store.

Gary shifted his focus back to Karen.

Meeting his gaze, Karen smiled slightly and brushed her hair back.

She had fulfilled her “hold back” obligation.

Now…

It was time for carnage.

Recalling Houndoom, she threw out her second Poké Ball.

“Go, Gengar!”

—

T/N: hmm Karen idk much about her tbh

This is a fan translation of 我，火箭队二把手！ by 落唯 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!