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Weavile wasn't greedy at all—she struck once and immediately retreated. Leveraging her agility on the icy surface, she quickly widened the distance between herself and Swampert.
At the same time, her sharp claws made smooth contact with the ice. In that moment, her twin claws resembled ski poles, allowing her to glide and steer effortlessly over the slick battlefield.
"What an incredible chain of attacks. That move just now was terrifying."
Sato had already recovered from the disruptive noise. Sharp-eyed and analytical, he instantly discerned the deeper tactics hidden within Weavile's lightning-fast combo.
If Sato's guess was right, during Weavile's high-speed slide along the ice, her claws generated friction with the surface, allowing her to simultaneously execute both Screech and Hone Claws.
That glass-shattering noise earlier was a result of Weavile sharpening her claws against the ice—boosting her attack power and accuracy, while also unleashing Screech to disrupt both Sato and Swampert. The move significantly reduced Swampert's physical defense.
Thanks to this combination, Weavile's next attack—blending her innate moves Ice Punch and Feint Attack—landed squarely on the fragile joint of Swampert's right arm, inflicting massive damage.
Though it was just a single turn of combat, the precision of timing and coordination in the execution was seamless and perfectly complementary.
If Swampert hadn't been so powerful and tanky, that meticulously designed combo would've been enough to instantly KO any less durable Pokémon.
This clearly showcased Sophia's outstanding training abilities. Under her guidance, this Weavile—from the mysterious island's central region—had experienced a geometric leap in combat power, turning into a fearsome dragon-slaying blade.
Though Sato quickly deduced the structure of Weavile's assault and had even devised some countermeasures, Swampert's current condition was grim.
Besides the severe hit to his right arm, Weavile had left behind a concentrated Ice-type energy in the wound. This not only hindered healing but constantly stimulated Swampert's pain receptors.
In short, Swampert's right arm was now effectively useless, unable to throw punches for the time being—robbing him of a major portion of his battle strength.
"Damn it… if only Swampert had Scald right now, this situation wouldn't be so bad. After this fight—if we make it out alive—I absolutely need to find a Scald TM and teach it to Swampert."
Through their telepathic link, Sato could clearly feel the state of Swampert's arm. He couldn't help but curse inwardly.
Indeed, faced with such a dilemma, Sato quickly realized how crucial Scald would be in this kind of battle. It was likely the only move Swampert could use to break through Weavile's icy tactics.
Unfortunately, due to his relatively short development time, Swampert hadn't learned many moves yet—and Scald was not among them.
Sophia was no ordinary opponent. As a trusted subordinate personally assigned by Giovanni to evaluate Sato near the Viridian Gym, her combat experience far exceeded his.
She was well aware of the weaknesses in her strategy when facing Water-types. Seeing that Sato hadn't commanded Swampert to use Scald to counter the ice seal on his arm, she immediately knew—Swampert didn't know the move.
A faint smirk appeared on Sophia's lips, her eyes glinting with playful mockery. She could clearly see that Swampert was incredibly powerful…
…But from the looks of it, Sato hadn't fully unlocked its potential.
That meant she had more than enough methods to let Weavile finish him off. Her grip tightened on her whip as she struck the ground three times—issuing her silent command to Weavile.
Sophia had learned from her eight defeated teammates that Sato used a unique, silent style of command and had outstanding observational skills. He could dismantle attacks and issue counters almost instantly.
So this time, Sophia didn't hold back. To defeat Sato, she utilized her own carefully crafted silent battle language.
Crack! Crack! Crack!—three sharp cracks of the whip rang out.
Weavile, having received the command, flashed a mischievous look. Her claws crossed before her, and the Never-Melt Ice embedded in her chest radiated an intense icy-blue glow.
In a heartbeat, a massive surge of Ice energy erupted from the Never-Melt Ice. Under Weavile's control, it rapidly formed into a Blizzard and swept toward Swampert's position.
The snow Weavile had already created with Hail still lingered, and under this ongoing snowy weather, her Blizzard became exponentially more powerful—ready to engulf Swampert entirely.
Though Sophia's whip-based commands prevented Sato from catching on immediately, his psychic senses covered the entire battlefield.
So even though Weavile stayed hidden behind Swampert's large frame, every move she made remained under Sato's watchful mind. As soon as Weavile acted, Sato understood her intent.
"Use Ice Punch to create an ice wall and block the Blizzard!"
Blue light flickered in his eyes as he instantly issued the order via telepathy.
Following his command, Swampert used his left arm to smash the ground with an Ice Punch, erecting a wall of icy soil in front of him.
Thanks to the thick barrier, Weavile's sudden Blizzard couldn't reach Swampert behind it.
Sophia wasn't fazed by this defense. She continued using her whip to signal Weavile—ordering her to move across the battlefield, denying Swampert the chance to dig underground, while continuing her relentless Blizzard assault.
Under the continuous onslaught, the battlefield's temperature kept plummeting. The weather shifted from light snow to heavy snow, and the ground froze over into solid permafrost.
Because of the cold, Swampert's frostbitten right arm showed no signs of healing—on the contrary, the damage worsened.
Additionally, Swampert's moist Water-type skin began to stiffen in the subzero conditions.
Clearly, Sophia had the patience to play the long game. She was determined not to give Sato and Swampert any chance to turn the tide.
She knew that if the temperature kept dropping, the non-Ice-type Swampert would eventually freeze solid—ready for Weavile to finish off.
"Let it all out, Swampert. Forget everything else—use Raging Earth to crush that fucking Weavile!"
Watching Swampert edge closer to being frozen, Sato's face grew dark. A flash of ruthlessness passed through his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he shouted the order loudly.
Originally, Sato didn't want to go that far—after all, they were battling in a city center, surrounded by buildings.
Given Swampert's current state, if he unleashed Raging Earth —a fusion of Earth Power and Earthquake—there'd be no holding back.
If Swampert used it now, not just the arena but the entire surrounding neighborhood could collapse.
Still, Sophia's almost dirty tactics left Sato with no choice. Just the thought of defeat made his state of mind—barely suppressed by the Camphor wood prayer beads bracelet—explode again.
"Swamp!!!"
Swampert, already itching to let loose, snapped his drowsy eyes wide open. Bloodlust gleamed in them as he let out a ferocious roar.
Though Sophia didn't know what Raging Earth was, she clearly understood it was Sato's last-ditch effort—Swampert's next move would be cataclysmic.
"Of course the survivors from that island are lunatics! Stop him, Weavile—use Ice Feint Attack!"
Seeing the madness on Sato's face, Sophia was shaken. She immediately realized his intent and urgently commanded Weavile to stop the move.
Weavile dared not delay. She ceased her Blizzard immediately and sped across the ice, arriving behind the slow-moving Swampert just before he could unleash Raging Earth.
"A perfect chance. Use Iron Tail—finish it."
Hearing Sophia's panic, Sato's lips curled into a small smirk. His face showed no trace of madness now.
The main reason Swampert couldn't beat Weavile was his inability to get close—but now, Weavile had come to him instead.
Sato seized the moment. Through telepathy, he instantly gave a new command.
Swampert expertly halted the difficult Raging Earth, and his tail shimmered with a metallic shine. With all his strength, he swung it around in a full-force Iron Tail.
BAANGGG!—the sound of air being torn apart echoed.
Under the immense force of the Iron Tail, Weavile was launched like a bullet—sent flying across the battlefield.
By sheer coincidence, her trajectory aimed her directly at the Viridian Gym's main gate.
BOOM!!
Weavile slammed into the tightly shut doors of the Viridian Gym. The massive impact blew them wide open—unable to withstand the power packed into Weavile's body, courtesy of a pissed Swampert.