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Despite Misty's urgent commands, Psyduck remained frozen in place, trembling uncontrollably and unable to move away from the approaching danger.
"Oh no! Contestant Misty's Psyduck is in serious trouble!" the announcer called out dramatically.
"Hahaha! Little girl, is this really all you've got? Lickitung, use Wrap!" Jessie declared with overwhelming confidence. She gazed at the scene before her with immense satisfaction, already envisioning the limited-edition doll as hers. This competition had exceeded her expectations, and the newly captured Lickitung was proving to be incredibly useful.
"Darn it!" Misty's frustration boiled over as she watched Jessie's smug expression. Her helplessness only deepened when she saw Psyduck's pathetic performance.
"Psyduck, don't just stand there! Use Scratch!" she shouted desperately.
Though her hopes were dim, Misty refused to surrender. As Lickitung's massive tongue snaked toward them, she issued her command. However, the moment Lickitung's tongue made contact with Psyduck, the paralyzing saliva took immediate effect.
The sticky substance rendered Psyduck completely immobile. It couldn't fight back or even attempt to dodge as Lickitung's tongue coiled around its small body.
"Now use Slam!" Jessie commanded triumphantly.
Lickitung hoisted Psyduck high into the air. The helpless Pokémon tried feebly to grasp at the tongue with its tiny hands, but the attempts were more like harmless tickling. The slippery saliva coating Lickitung's tongue made it impossible for Psyduck's small claws to find any purchase—they simply slid off with each desperate attempt.
Lickitung had lifted Psyduck several meters above the ground when it suddenly reversed direction. Whether intentionally or by cruel coincidence, Lickitung slammed Psyduck toward the ground headfirst.
BOOM!
The devastating impact echoed throughout the arena as tremendous force cracked the ground beneath them. Psyduck's body convulsed from the shock, its already round eyes becoming impossibly wider as it lay motionless on the fractured surface.
"Psyduck!" Misty cried out in alarm.
Despite her constant frustration with Psyduck's behavior, genuine concern filled her voice. Whether human or Pokémon, the head remained a vulnerable area, and witnessing such a brutal attack made her heart ache with worry.
"Incredible! That attack packed enormous power! Contestant Misty's Psyduck appears to be in critical condition!" the announcer observed with growing excitement.
"Hahahaha! Victory is mine! Lickitung, finish it off!" Jessie's confidence reached new heights as she prepared to deliver the final blow.
Upon hearing the command, Lickitung extended its tongue once more, the appendage shooting forward like a spear aimed directly at the fallen Psyduck.
"Psyduck..." Misty whispered helplessly.
Watching the scene unfold, she realized that losing the doll was now the least of her concerns. She couldn't bear to see Psyduck endure another devastating attack. Her hand moved toward Psyduck's Poké Ball, ready to recall her Pokémon to safety.
BOOM!
"Psy-yi-yi!"
Suddenly, a powerful wave of psychic energy rippled through the air. Ash, who had been lounging casually in his seat, immediately sat up straight. Having witnessed similar situations before, he knew exactly what was about to unfold.
Psyduck, still lying upside down from the previous attack, suddenly released a piercing cry. Its round eyes blazed with brilliant blue light as the same ethereal glow enveloped its entire body.
Lickitung's tongue froze mid-attack, suspended in the air by an invisible force. Then, as if pulled by unseen hands, Psyduck's fallen form rose from the cracked ground, slowly rotating until it landed upright on its feet.
Gradually raising both hands to its head, Psyduck opened its beak and released another otherworldly cry. Under Misty's amazed gaze, Lickitung's fully extended tongue appeared to be gripped by an invisible force and stretched even further beyond its natural limits.
Lickitung's face contorted in obvious pain and discomfort.
Then Psyduck's eyes flashed with intense blue light, and the psychic grip suddenly released. Lickitung's tongue snapped back like a rubber band.
Smack! Smack!
Unable to control the rapidly retracting tongue, Lickitung struck itself repeatedly in the face before tumbling backward uncontrollably.
"What?!" Jessie gasped in shock.
Before Lickitung could recover from its confusion, blue psychic energy completely surrounded its body. The Normal-type Pokémon found itself floating helplessly in mid-air before being hurled across the arena with tremendous force.
CRASH!
Lickitung's body flew clear of the battlefield and slammed into the wall behind Jessie. The impact generated a thunderous noise and filled the area with thick clouds of dust and debris.
When the dust finally settled, Lickitung could be seen embedded deep within the wall, its body forming a perfect impression in the solid surface. The Pokémon was wedged so deeply that extraction seemed nearly impossible.
"Unbelievable! Despite being at a severe disadvantage, Psyduck has demonstrated incredible psychic power and defeated Jessie's Lickitung in a single devastating counterattack!"
"The winner has been determined! The victor is contestant Misty!"
Even the experienced announcer struggled to believe that Psyduck had transformed certain defeat into spectacular victory in mere moments.
"That was amazing, Psyduck!" Misty exclaimed joyfully.
She rushed onto the battlefield and embraced her Pokémon. The blue psychic aura surrounding Psyduck gradually faded as exhaustion became apparent in its posture.
"Psy? Psy-yi-yi-yi!" Psyduck suddenly cried out.
As awareness returned, Psyduck seemed to realize what had happened and quickly covered its head with both hands, wailing in distress. Its entire head turned bright red as if it had been thoroughly cooked, and tears welled up in its large eyes.
"You... honestly, I really need to train you properly next time!" Misty sighed with mixed exasperation and affection.
She knew she had to find better training methods. Relying on severe head trauma to trigger Psyduck's psychic abilities every time made her feel terrible about putting her Pokémon through such pain.
"This isn't fair! You're using that little brat's Pokémon in the competition! That's against the rules!" Jessie shouted angrily, pointing an accusing finger at the celebrating duo.
"What are you talking about? Didn't you borrow James's Weezing for your battles?" Misty shot back without hesitation.
Jessie's face reddened with fury at being called out so directly.
"In that case, I'll just take the doll by force! James!" she bellowed to her partner in the audience.
"Weezing, use Smokescreen!" James called out reluctantly.
He had no choice but to obey Jessie's demands. He knew that if Jessie couldn't obtain the limited-edition doll, their entire team would suffer her wrath later. Compliance was their only option.
James released Weezing from its Poké Ball, and immediately thick, choking smoke began billowing throughout the entire venue, obscuring everyone's vision in seconds.