"Ursaluna has lost the ability to battle!"
Even though no referee was present to announce it live during this Champion test, the viewers watching the broadcast could almost hear the referee's tone and see their expression as those words were spoken.
Geeta's three Pokémon had endured the constant burn from the Flame Orb throughout the battle, along with countless attacks. One could say that without Ursaluna's heroic turnaround, Nemona might have been stopped right here.
In reality, the opposite was true. Ursaluna's defeat did not make it seem weak. Instead, it left a deep impression—this newly revealed latest evolution form of the bear line had shone brilliantly.
Ursaluna's stamina could no longer support another high-intensity fight.
Not to mention, the opponent Geeta sent out now was her Kingambit, whose teammates had all fallen, triggering its Supreme Overlord ability at full power. This boosted move power by 50% while the Pokémon itself Terastallized into Flying and unleashed "Tera Blast."
A beam of red light struck the fallen Ursaluna, recalling it into its Poké Ball.
Facing the platform rising beside her that led straight to the Pokémon Center, Nemona hesitated for a moment. Unlike with her previous four Pokémon, she did not place Ursaluna's Poké Ball onto it.
She kept Ursaluna's Poké Ball with her for now and threw out another one instead.
"This is the final decisive battle! Pawmot!"
Light flashed.
The fluffy-furred Pawmot appeared on the battlefield. It raised both arms energetically, sparks of electricity flickering across its bright yellow cheeks.
It was Nemona's ace, her starter Pokémon, and her most trusted partner.
Just like the Kingambit, Pawmot carried the will of its fallen comrades and swore to bring this battle to a close.
"Thunderbolt!"
Nemona's eyes glowed with fierce determination as she issued the command first.
Normally, Fighting-type would have been an overwhelming advantage against the Kingambit's original type, but the opponent's Tera Flying caught Nemona somewhat off guard.
Still, this allowed Pawmot's Electric type to shine at its fullest!
No matter what, using Electricity always gave both Nemona and Pawmot a sense of reassurance.
"Pawmo!"
Pawmot rubbed its cheeks vigorously with both hands. Golden arcs of electricity flashed before exploding into roaring thunder.
The golden lightning surged like wild dancing serpents, piercing the air and racing straight toward the Kingambit.
—but the moment Pawmot moved, a move released by the now-fainted Psychic-type Espathra (which had been completely inconspicuous during Ursaluna's fight against the Kingambit) finally took effect.
Under the influence of the bizarre, multicolored space that enveloped the entire battlefield, Pawmot's movements instantly slowed down!
In contrast, the seated Kingambit moved as if on double speed. With a flash, it appeared right in front of Pawmot—many viewers couldn't even see how it had stood up.
At the same time, Geeta's cheerful command rang out.
"Iron Head."
The blade atop the Kingambit's head gleamed with dark light as it slammed down hard on Pawmot!
Because of the Kingambit's form, the move looked more like an Iron Slash than a simple headbutt.
"Pawmo!"
Pawmot cried out in pain. Its Thunderbolt was forcibly interrupted, and it doubled over like a shrimp from the agony.
Pawmot, which usually relied on its speed and agility, experienced for the first time—outside of sparring with Luxray—what it felt like to be completely outsped.
Fortunately, Pawmot resisted Steel-type moves.
The hit hurt, but it didn't hinder its movements.
It also didn't trigger the flinch effect.
"Trick Room. Speed reversal."
Realizing that Trick Room was affecting Pawmot, Nemona's expression shifted slightly.
Pawmot's speed advantage would be completely gone until Trick Room ended!
Geeta would not give Nemona or Pawmot any breathing room.
The instant Pawmot recovered from the pain, she launched the next wave of attacks.
"Sucker Punch!"
The Kingambit's figure once again appeared at Pawmot's side at a speed it couldn't react to.
Dark red light covered the golden gauntlets on the Kingambit's arms, while the blades extending from its waist gleamed like two blood-red scythes, smashing and slashing toward Pawmot!
Pawmot had no doubt that if it were hit or cut, even with its resistance to Dark-type moves, the Kingambit's current power would still deal heavy damage!
Its speed was completely reversed by Trick Room, so—
"Dodge it, quick!"
The moment Nemona's command reached its ears, the corners of Pawmot's mouth lifted slightly, as if delighted by the perfect sync with its Trainer.
"Pawmo!"
Pawmot's fur puffed up even more. Guided intentionally, a blinding burst of lightning exploded outward from its body like a flashbang.
Even the Kingambit, caught unprepared, was momentarily dazzled.
The combined gauntlet-and-scythe attack missed and slammed into the ground instead!
With a loud bang, the already battered battlefield gained another massive crater.
The two blood-red scythes at its waist sank deep into the terrain.
Nemona wanted to seize the chance to have Pawmot counterattack, but she noticed a tiny detail that others might have missed entirely and froze for a second.
No one would pay attention to a brief one-second pause. Geeta simply assumed Nemona was hesitating and thus missed the one-second window while the Kingambit was pulling its waist blades out of the ground and temporarily immobilized.
Sighing inwardly at the missed opportunity, Geeta showed no mercy and unleashed a storm of attacks.
"Air Slash!"
Both Dark- and Steel-type moves were currently resisted by Pawmot.
But Flying-type was the exact opposite. Although it had a double weakness to Electric, it removed the deadly quadruple weakness to Fighting that came with the Dark/Steel combination, preventing Pawmot from exploiting it.
The Kingambit's Tera Flying further granted it brand-new ways to threaten Pawmot.
Sky-blue Air Slashes, tinted by Tera energy, swirled like a swarm of frenzied hornets, flying toward Pawmot from every direction.
Under the influence of Trick Room, the slowed Pawmot could not dodge. It had no choice but to take the hits head-on!
Fortunately, Pawmot hadn't slowed down to 0.5× speed in every aspect. At the very least, it could still channel its internal electricity to release a full-body "Discharge" for protection.
"Swords Dance."
While Pawmot endured the Air Slashes, Geeta seized the opening without hesitation and had the Kingambit boost itself.
Phantom swords swirled around the Kingambit as red waves of light wrapped its body. At that moment, the sharpness emanating from the Kingambit felt like unsheathed blades, exerting unimaginable pressure on both Pawmot and Nemona.
"Full Supreme Overlord stacks, one Swords Dance, plus Tera Flying boost… and Tera Blast that can flexibly switch between physical and special attack."
"Even if Pawmot had ten thousand lives, its fragile body couldn't withstand that."
Geeta's next choice was exactly as Lucas had predicted. The moment Pawmot survived the Air Slashes, she commanded the Kingambit (which had completed its Swords Dance) to use the ultimate move Pawmot could not possibly endure right now—Tera Blast!
The sky-blue torrent of energy that had crushed Ursaluna erupted once again, advancing halfway across the field almost the instant it was released.
—There was no way to avoid it.
The moment she realized this, Nemona unhesitatingly tossed the Tera Orb she had been clutching and shouted loudly, "Pawmot, Protect!"
The falling Tera glow and the Protect barrier arrived simultaneously.
The Tera Blast's energy torrent easily shattered the illusory Tera crystals surrounding Pawmot, rampaged across the Protect barrier for a long time, and finally dissipated unwillingly into light particles.
"So you had that up your sleeve too."
Geeta raised an eyebrow, looking impressed.
Using the ultra-high hardness of the briefly condensed Tera crystals during Terastallization, combined with Protect, Pawmot had taken the Flying-type Tera Blast head-on with almost no damage.
This brilliant play and the young Trainer's bold attempt made Geeta's blood boil with excitement.
In an exhilarated tone, she shouted, "Charge in, Sucker Punch!"
The Kingambit's gaze sharpened. Right as it was about to move, Nemona and Pawmot performed an action neither it nor Geeta had expected.
"Use Abyssal Thrust on that spot!"
The camera instantly zoomed in, following the direction of Nemona's finger.
That spot was—the corner of the materialized Trick Room, which could even be used as a foothold!
"Pawmo!"
Ignoring the Kingambit's incoming attack, Pawmot formed a blood-red energy blade like a dagger in its hand and charged resolutely toward the bizarre spatial wall, stabbing fiercely!
At the same time, the Kingambit appeared behind Pawmot, and Sucker Punch exploded directly on its undefended back!
It hurt—hurt so much that its consciousness nearly blurred—but Pawmot willingly endured the blow.
—Because with the Kingambit's added force, Pawmot's barely mastered "Abyssal Thrust" gained rocket-like propulsion. It connected with the Dark-type energy and power from the Kingambit's Sucker Punch and channeled everything into the entire Trick Room!
A crisp cracking sound—slightly different from the one during Terastallization—rang out in front of Pawmot and the Kingambit.
The bizarre spatial wall was already covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Accompanied by successive snapping sounds like falling dominoes, the entire Trick Room could no longer withstand the external force. It shattered into countless "glass fragments" and scattered away!
"…It actually destroyed Trick Room!?"
Surprise that could not be hidden rose in Geeta's eyes, but upon second thought, it made perfect sense.
After all, Trick Room was a Psychic-type move; being affected by Dark-type energy was only natural.
Not to mention, although it wasn't intentional, the Kingambit's Sucker Punch had actually helped Nemona and Pawmot.
Geeta felt no regret at being used by Nemona. Instead, the corners of her mouth lifted as she murmured softly, "Truly full of potential. Then, the next part is a pure contest of strength!"
With Trick Room destroyed, Pawmot's speed advantage returned.
From now on, the Kingambit would have to switch from offense to defense!
"Bulk Up, Thunder Punch!"
Pawmot flexed its muscles, which were not very noticeable beneath its fluffy fur. Red waves of light rose around it.
At the same time, both of Pawmot's fists crackled with lightning as it smashed toward the Kingambit at a speed nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye!
Amid the crackling electricity, Tera sparkles dotted the attack, adding a touch of splendor.
The Kingambit's response was simple. Its gauntlets glowed with blood-red light as it used Sucker Punch with both arms to block Pawmot's incoming iron fists.
In terms of power, Pawmot's Thunder Punch benefited from same-type attack bonus due to Terastallization and the Iron Fist ability boost, allowing both sides to remain evenly matched!
While blocking Pawmot's Thunder Punch, the Kingambit kicked toward it, but Pawmot had already anticipated the move and retracted its fists to dodge.
"If Thunder Punch doesn't work, then Double Shock!"
Under Nemona's command, Pawmot unhesitatingly revealed its trump card—the powerful move that released all its electricity, Double Shock.
The lightning coiled around its fists like two glowing, scorching mini-suns, carrying blindingly strong light as it smashed toward the Kingambit!
Geeta instinctively narrowed her eyes. With no intention of sitting and waiting, she commanded, "Sucker Punch!"
The move temporarily granted the Kingambit speed surpassing Pawmot's. Its fist, wrapped in dark red light, struck Pawmot's abdomen first!
Bang!
A dull thud rang out. If one listened carefully, Pawmot's pained groan could be heard as well.
But this time, Pawmot did not double over like a shrimp. Gritting its teeth, it smashed both fists toward the Kingambit!
Boom!
The electricity coiled around Pawmot's fists roared and exploded.
The terrifying blast sent the Kingambit flying to the edge of the battlefield.
The Kingambit itself also suffered from its Flying Tera type's weakness to Electric, taking the full force of the strongest attack it had faced so far.
—It could no longer sit leisurely on the stool made of its own hair as before.
Even so, after enduring several terrifyingly powerful blows from the Kingambit, Pawmot knew it was not yet time to relax!
The Double Shock, which normally could only be used once before exhausting all electricity, was now supported by the strange energy of Terastallization, filling its body with power once more.
With increasingly unsteady steps, and without even waiting for Nemona's command, Pawmot gritted its teeth and formed Double Shock again, charging bravely toward the Kingambit.
Facing Pawmot's near-total abandonment of defense—an all-out exchange of blows—the Kingambit's expression turned extremely grim. Carried along by Pawmot's momentum, it subconsciously released Air Slash to slow its advance.
Boom!
Accompanied by the roaring explosion of lightning, the wind blades left Pawmot covered in wounds, yet its Double Shock still arrived as promised. Two consecutive Double Shocks—even the Kingambit was starting to struggle.
It almost instinctively wanted to kneel, lower Pawmot's guard, and then counterattack.
No matter what, Geeta would not allow such a scene to appear in a live Champion test broadcast, even if it was simply the natural behavior of this species.
She issued a low command, forcibly changing the Kingambit's decision.
"Endure it—Metal Burst!"
The next instant.
The third Double Shock exploded across the Kingambit's body. At the same time, a brilliant silver fireworks explosion from Metal Burst engulfed Pawmot, who had no time to escape.
Amid rolling thick smoke, Pawmot's body flew backward and crashed heavily onto the shattered battlefield. No matter how hard it tried, it could not stand up again.
The 1.5× recoil damage from Metal Burst had stripped away the last shred of stamina Pawmot needed to keep moving.
In contrast, even though its armor was cracked and it looked battered, breathing heavily without pause, the Kingambit still retained some consciousness and sat back down on the stool made of its hair.
The outcome seemed clear.
Nemona's breathing stopped from tension. Geeta issued no new commands to the Kingambit. Lucas, like them, kept his eyes on Pawmot, waiting for the final result.
"Pawmo…"
As its vision gradually blurred, Pawmot recalled the first time it met Nemona—when it had been held in the arms of Nemona's father, Aaron.
Back then, although the young girl had been very happy, the sensitive Pawmot vaguely sensed that Nemona seemed to be looking at something through it.
Later, it learned that it had become her partner because Nemona had once been saved from danger by a Pawmi, but could never find that Pawmi again.
Whether it was a substitute or not, Pawmot didn't care at all.
Because it knew Nemona liked it, treated it well, and had long since come to see it as a different individual from its savior.
For Pawmot, that was enough.
If possible, it really wanted to stand tall as Nemona's ace and welcome the final victory. But now, it seemed difficult.
Pawmot did not want Nemona to lose such an important match. In that case, it would rather the last Pokémon standing beside her at the end not be itself.
"Pawmo…"
Under countless watchful eyes, Pawmot slowly stood up. Then, it placed both hands over its chest and offered its prayer.
The name of the move was "Revival Blessing."
The Pawmot line, one of only two groups capable of learning this move, used their kind hearts to pray and help fallen comrades stand again.
Light rose from Pawmot's body, turning into a brilliant river that slowly flowed into the Poké Ball in Nemona's hand—the one containing Ursaluna, which she had not sent away.
…