The appearance of the grassy terrain with a pond put Cain in an unfavorable position.
Cain's Gengar had learned the move Thunderbolt, but unfortunately, Whiscash, being a Water and Ground type Pokémon, was immune to Electric-type moves.
Through the thick layers of water, Gengar, who was floating above, felt as though he had strength but couldn't use it.
There was no other option. Whiscash simply stayed hidden in the water, refusing to surface, and Gengar could only resort to using a Grass-type Hidden Power.
Since the Hidden Power was Grass-type, it had a four-times effectiveness against Whiscash, allowing it to deal considerable damage.
However, relying solely on a move like Hidden Power was not enough, as Gengar was not a specialist in Grass-type moves. Therefore, the results were limited.
Meanwhile, Whiscash could use a variety of moves. If Gengar floated in the air, Whiscash would attack with Water-type moves like Hydro Pump. From its position in the water, it was difficult to predict the direction of its attacks. And if Gengar landed to dodge Water-type attacks, it became vulnerable to Whiscash's Ground-type moves.
The combination of Earthquake and Earth Power was not exclusive to Swampert.
Under the impact of both attacks, Cain's Gengar, who already had fragile defenses, quickly found itself at a disadvantage.
It had to be admitted that this mixed terrain allowed Wallace to regain some advantage.
Following his principle of not wasting moves, Cain ordered Gengar to use Destiny Bond before falling.
Destiny Bond does not require sound propagation, so even though Whiscash was in the water, it couldn't avoid being affected.
The moment Gengar fell, Whiscash also turned over and lost the ability to fight, floating to the surface of the water.
Cain and Wallace each lost one Pokémon.
Although on the surface Cain still had three Pokémon while Wallace only had two, Cain's advantage was not as great as it seemed.
Cain's Politoed was not suited for one-on-one battles. Without the Swift Swim ability active, its individual combat strength was even lower than Wallace's Luvdisc.
Moreover, Politoed's current level was not suitable for this kind of battle.
On the other hand, Wallace's two remaining Pokémon were Walrein, an Ice and Water type, and his trump card, Milotic.
Neither of them was an opponent that Politoed could successfully face; sending it out would be like delivering it on a silver platter.
Therefore, in reality, Cain could also be considered as having only two Pokémon left.
The situation remained 60-40 in Cain's favor, with a slight advantage for him.
Now came the decisive moment that would determine the winner—the key turning point of this battle.
The Pokémon both trainers chose next would have a significant impact on the final outcome.
Why?
Because Cain still had Florges and Slowking.
Florges, a Fairy-type, could use the move Camouflage to change its type to Grass. If it faced Milotic, a Water-type, it would have a type advantage.
But what if Florges faced Walrein, an Ice and Water type?
If it changed its type to Grass, both Pokémon would have type advantages against each other: Grass was strong against Water, but Ice moves were effective against Grass types.
Unless Florges didn't use Camouflage, Walrein's higher level would give it a significant edge.
However, without using Camouflage, Florges' offensive capability would drastically decrease.
Both trainers frowned.
It was like a game of rock-paper-scissors, trying to guess what the other would do.
Almost simultaneously, they both threw their Poké Balls onto the field.
Two Pokémon appeared.
Florges!
Milotic!
So, the question arises: who is more beautiful?
Cain made a correct bet, but Florges did not have a guaranteed victory.
Unlike Cynthia's Milotic, Wallace's did not use many Dragon-type moves.
Pokémon: Milotic (Light Purple)
Gender: Male
Level: 56
Type: Water
Ability: Marvel Scale
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Mist, Brine, Iron Tail, Dragon Pulse
Basic Moves: Water Pulse, Wrap, Water Gun, Water Sport, Refresh, Disarming Voice, Twister, Aqua Ring, Captivate, Recover, Aqua Tail, Attract, Coil, Hydro Pump
Learned Moves: Icy Wind, Bind, Magic Coat
TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Electric), Ice Beam, Hyper Beam, Rain Dance, Safeguard, Scald, Dragon Tail, Surf
With a Light Purple color quality, Milotic was clearly Wallace's star Pokémon. Its level 56 placed it among the top-tier in the tournament.
Florges' level was only 51, a five-level difference, which was significant.
Wallace frowned.
Although the mixed terrain had given him a chance, choosing Milotic had once again put him at a disadvantage.
He had to win!
The elegant Milotic and the beautiful and enchanting Florges received a warm welcome from the audience. These two Pokémon were undoubtedly the most beautiful in the tournament.
Florges' pure white flower shimmered with a soft green as, under Cain's command, it used the move Camouflage to change its type to Grass.
"Milotic, use Ice Beam, then get close and use Iron Tail!"
Wallace decided to take the fight to close combat.
With fluid movements and a flexible body, Milotic glided quickly across the field as if it were in water.
The Ice Beam shot out from its forehead, aimed at the motionless Florges.
Florges was not fast. In response to the attack, she used Grassy Terrain under her feet to prepare.
She endured the impact of Ice Beam while her outstretched hands gathered energy in the form of a glowing green sphere. Florges quickly launched the Energy Ball at Milotic.
The energy sphere cut through the air at high speed.
Milotic stopped abruptly, enveloped its tail in a metallic shine, and forcefully struck the sphere.
Boom!
The sphere exploded into fragments.
Milotic let out an ethereal cry as it used Icy Wind against Florges.
Florges responded by summoning leaves that spun around her using Magical Leaf and launched them at Milotic.
Both Pokémon exchanged attacks.
The Icy Wind struck Florges, leaving small ice particles on her body and further reducing her speed.
Meanwhile, the Magical Leaf hit Milotic, causing significant damage thanks to the type advantage.
Milotic's scales showed cracks, and though clearly in pain, it continued to advance under Wallace's orders.
Now, the distance between them was minimal.
With a powerful move, Milotic combined Iron Tail and Aqua Tail into a devastating attack.
Florges raised a shield of flowers to block the attack, but the shield shattered on impact. The Iron Tail hit Florges directly, knocking her out of the area affected by Grassy Terrain.
Milotic wasted no time and charged after her to continue the assault.
(End of chapter)