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At this moment, it was like an invincible demon god, swinging its third strike to end everything!
As the dust settled, Mienshao's eyes had rolled back; it had completely lost the ability to battle.
Meanwhile, Malamar, bolstered by its Contrary ability, hadn't weakened from the repeated use of Superpower. Instead, its Attack and Defense rose by three stages, and its momentum reached its peak!
The referee raised the flag high:
"Mienshao is unable to battle! Malamar wins!"
The entire venue fell into a brief silence once again.
If the first match's life-for-life trade was a tragic and clever ploy, then this match was a complete tactical crushing!
From being suppressed by speed to a desperate comeback, and then using its ability to Snowball, it had crushed its opponent in one fell swoop.
The entire process was seamless, filled with the beauty of wisdom and power.
"Contrary... Superpower... Trick Room..."
Elite Sidney muttered to himself, then suddenly slapped his thigh hard.
"Damn! This kid plays too dirty! To think he pulled off a strategy like this!"
"Dirty?" Beside him, Ice-type Elite Glacia had a playful smile on her lips. "I think it's brilliant."
Elite Drake picked up his teacup and took a light sip. A smile that no one noticed flickered in his cloudy eyes.
This kid had really made him proud today.
On the battlefield, Gym Leader Brawly silently recalled Mienshao. He looked up at Ariel with a complex expression.
"Trick Room plus a Malamar with Contrary... Ariel, you've hidden yourself quite well."
Ariel smiled and said nothing.
This set of tactics was one of the trump cards he had prepared for this Tournament. He hadn't expected to be forced to use it so early.
Gym Leader Brawly took a deep breath, the sense of defeat on his face vanishing, replaced by even more vigorous fighting spirit.
"I underestimated you, but the match isn't over yet!"
He took the third Poké Ball from his waist and threw it forcefully!
"Come out, my partner!"
Bang!
With a loud bang, even the ground shook.
A large, burly Pokémon wearing a yellow kilt landed heavily on the field.
Hariyama!
Those thick arms were almost as large as Malamar's entire body, and its whole being radiated a sense of pure power.
Facing the surging Malamar whose stats had risen by three stages, Gym Leader Brawly sent out a representative of pure power and a sturdy build!
"Go, Hariyama!"
Gym Leader Brawly's voice was no longer as steady as before, carrying a hint of imperceptible gravity.
On the field, the Malamar that had just defeated Mienshao in an inconceivable way was floating quietly in mid-air.
A visible deep purple energy swirled around its body. This was the physical manifestation of its Attack and Defense rising instead of falling after using the 'Superpower' move, thanks to the Contrary ability.
After three consecutive stacks, Malamar's Physical Attack and Physical Defense had reached a level that would make any Fighting-type Pokémon tremble with fear.
"Hariyama, Level 56."
Ariel looked at the stout, sumo-wrestler-like Hariyama across from him, his heart calm.
He knew that from the moment Trick Room was activated, this duel had followed his script.
Gym Leader Brawly's troubles were just beginning.
The effect of Trick Room persisted. Time seemed distorted, and the definition of speed was rewritten.
In this space, slow is the true fast!
"Malamar, continue." Ariel's command was almost cold in its simplicity.
"Superpower!"
Gym Leader Brawly's pupils suddenly constricted.
Again?
He didn't believe this Malamar could withstand Hariyama's strength head-on!
"Hariyama, meet it head-on and use Close Combat!"
Gym Leader Brawly roared, trying to use his voice to instill courage into his Pokémon.
However, under the influence of Trick Room, the originally slow Hariyama's movements appeared extremely swift!
Facing Malamar's thick tentacles, it charged forward with a violent posture that completely belied its eerie appearance!
Boom!
This time, Malamar abandoned all technique, simply pouring pure power into its tentacles and slamming them hard into Hariyama's incredibly thick belly.
"Ugh!"
Hariyama let out a muffled groan of pain. Its massive body was actually knocked back several steps uncontrollably by the blow, each step leaving a shallow mark on the hard ground.
Meanwhile, the Malamar that caused this did not lose momentum; instead, its aura grew even stronger, and the deep purple energy glowed even brighter!
Attack and Defense, the fourth stack!
In the spectator stands, Steven's brow furrowed tightly as he muttered to himself:
"The Contrary ability paired with Superpower... this almost cheap way of strengthening is practically a tailor-made trap for Fighting-types."
Cynthia saw deeper. A hint of approval flashed in her cool eyes.
"More than that. Ariel's Trick Room is still active. In Trick Room, the slower side moves first."
"Most people's first thought is to send out a slow Pokémon to gain the maximum advantage."
"And that's exactly what Ariel wanted."
"Because right now, Malamar's Attack and Defense stats are skyrocketing. What can truly stop it is a Special Attack-based Pokémon, not a slow physical attacker."
"Although Gym Leader Brawly sent out Hariyama, which seemingly has a speed advantage in Trick Room, it also means he's once again gave Malamar a chance to rapidly stack its stats!"
"Gym Leader Brawly is in a real dilemma now."
Just as Cynthia said, fine beads of sweat had broken out on Gym Leader Brawly's forehead on the field.
He saw it now.
In a head-on clash, Hariyama was absolutely no match for this monster.
Every time it attacked, the opponent became stronger. This was simply an unbreakable cycle!
He shouldn't have sent out Hariyama; he should have sent out a Special Attack-based Pokémon!
"Hariyama, pull back and use Force Palm!"
Gym Leader Brawly immediately changed his strategy, attempting to use the paralysis effect that Force Palm might trigger to break Malamar's rhythm.
This was the best way to break the deadlock!
Hariyama's massive palm slammed forward, and an invisible shockwave headed straight for Malamar at a speed far exceeding its own movement!
However, a faint, almost imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of Ariel's mouth.
He had predicted Gym Leader Brawly's prediction.
"Protect."
Almost at the same time Gym Leader Brawly's words fell, Ariel's command was issued.
A pale green energy barrier instantly unfolded in front of Malamar, like an indestructible shield, perfectly nullifying the shockwave.