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Lopunny used both her ears and hands to unleash Flame Punch in a four-punch combo, successfully neutralizing Bellossom's Energy Ball bombardment. Then, she landed safely on the ground and immediately dashed toward Bellossom with her long legs.
As she ran, a glow of speed enhancement lit up around her body—clearly, she had activated Agility.
In the blink of an eye, Lopunny's speed surged dramatically. Afterimages began trailing behind her as she ran.
"Bellossom, use Magical Leaf for defense!"
Seeing that Lopunny had abandoned her aerial assaults and was now relying on speed for a close-quarters fight, Sato, who had just witnessed her four-punch combo, naturally wouldn't let Bellossom clash head-on. He immediately commanded Bellossom to use Magical Leaf.
At his command, Bellossom willed it into motion. Dozens of emerald-green energy leaves drifted off her body, then, under her control, began circling around her, dancing in sync with her movements.
Within moments, over a hundred glowing leaves had enveloped her figure, forming a swirling emerald cyclone.
Under Bellossom's command, part of the cyclone broke off and launched a wave of Magical Leaves toward the rapidly approaching Lopunny.
Any gaps in the cyclone from the launch were quickly replenished with fresh leaves from Bellossom.
A sharp whoosh, whoosh, whoosh echoed through the battlefield—the Magical Leaves now slicing through the air like throwing knives aimed at Lopunny.
"Break through her defenses with Flame Punch!"
Daisy's expression grew increasingly serious upon seeing Sato command Bellossom to create such a balanced offensive and defensive move. However, with Lopunny now within ten meters of Bellossom, she had no choice but to press on.
Even in her Agility state, Lopunny was still remarkably nimble. She weaved past over a dozen incoming Magical Leaves and quickly closed the gap to Bellossom's leafy cyclone.
Then she unleashed her four-punch Flame Punch again.
Due to the elemental advantage, the green cyclone crafted by Bellossom shattered instantly under Lopunny's flaming barrage.
Dozens of emerald leaves disintegrated under her fists.
But to Lopunny's dismay, there were just too many of them. Even after destroying the majority, a considerable number remained.
These remaining leaves clustered around her head like they had eyes of their own, severely obstructing her vision.
What's worse, some stray leaves launched attacks on her from all directions, inflicting noticeable damage.
And most importantly, Lopunny realized that despite her punches and ears striking through the flurry of leaves, she hadn't landed a single hit on Bellossom herself.
A classic case of "missing the forest for the trees"—Lopunny appeared to be tearing through Bellossom's leafy cyclone, but in reality, she was completely trapped inside it.
Bellossom had long since retreated from the cyclone's core, safely outside of Lopunny's attack range, and was now continuously producing more Magical Leaves, replenishing the cyclone as Lopunny destroyed it.
"Grandpa, it looks like Sis's Lopunny is getting overwhelmed."
Outside the battlefield, the young spectator Gary frowned as he turned to ask his grandfather, Professor Oak.
"Mhm. Your sister has met her match this time. If she doesn't come up with a counter strategy soon, her Lopunny might just get toyed to death by that Bellossom."
Professor Oak's brows were also furrowed, but his voice remained calm and analytical.
Gary's face paled even further. He watched the battlefield anxiously, silently praying for his sister to find a way to turn things around.
In truth, Professor Oak had noticed even more than he let on.
Bellossom had already been dancing with Quiver Dance for quite some time now. Even if she wasn't completely proficient, she had likely completed the boost by now.
What's more, Bellossom possessed sustained recovery through Synthesis, so her stamina remained high.
On the other hand, Lopunny had launched dozens of Flame Punches in rapid succession, and maintaining her Agility had drained her stamina significantly.
Given all that, his granddaughter's hopes for a win were growing dimmer by the second.
From the sidelines, Daisy had a clear view of the field as well. Shifting to avoid a visual blind spot, she quickly spotted Bellossom standing far outside the cyclone.
Everything Lopunny was doing now was in vain. She was not only wasting stamina but also taking unnecessary damage while trapped inside.
"Get out of that leafy cyclone, Lopunny!" Daisy called out urgently.
"Not so fast. Bellossom, use Grass Knot to hold her in place, then unleash your strongest Energy Ball!"
Hearing Daisy's desperate command, a sharp gleam flashed in Sato's eyes as he immediately gave orders. By now, Bellossom had successfully boosted herself twice with Quiver Dance.
The moment Lopunny heard Daisy's shout, she pressed her powerful legs against the ground, preparing to leap backward out of the cyclone.
But Bellossom was quick to act too. Her eyes flared with bright green light.
In a flash, several green blades of grass coiled tightly around Lopunny's feet, cutting off her retreat.
At the same time, a basketball-sized Energy Ball began forming between Bellossom's hands, pulsing with terrifying power.
In the next instant, it was released—hurtling toward Lopunny with immense momentum.
"Protect!!"
Seeing that Lopunny was about to take a direct hit, Daisy had no choice but to shout the command for her to use the defensive move Protect.
Just in time, a green energy shield formed around Lopunny, absorbing the blow from the Energy Ball.
The ball exploded with a thunderous boom, engulfing Lopunny in smoke.
But before the smoke even cleared, another Energy Ball, this one a soccer ball-sized, was already flying from Bellossom's hands.
With a chilling energy wave, it pierced through the thick smoke and, to everyone's shock, struck the now-defenseless Lopunny dead on.
BOOM!
Another huge explosion rang out.
Lopunny took the hit directly, blasted into the air, and then crashed to the ground, motionless—seemingly unable to continue battling.
"Protect!!"
Just as the majority of the audience assumed Bellossom had won, Sato's expression suddenly changed and he shouted out a warning.
Bellossom trusted Sato completely. Before his words had even fully landed, she immediately activated Protect, summoning an energy shield in front of her.
Right then, Lopunny sprang up from the ground like lightning and rushed toward Bellossom.
She had only faked defeat using Endure! Her four-punch Flame Punch came out once again, but it collided harmlessly against the green shield, unable to deal any damage.
Seeing that Lopunny's desperate final move had been completely thwarted, Daisy could only smile bitterly and close her eyes in defeat.
(Note: Endure – a Normal-type status move. Effect: Survive a lethal hit with 1 HP remaining.)
"Leaf Blade, finish it."
Sato's voice turned icy.
No sooner had he spoken than a cross-shaped slash of light flickered behind Lopunny.
Bellossom appeared, twin leaf blades in hand, and slashed an "X" into Lopunny's back.
Lopunny collapsed helplessly to the ground, completely defeated.