Wallace knew that in a long-range battle, Milotic would be at a disadvantage. The type disadvantage made it difficult to gain the upper hand, so his only chance lay in close combat.
During previous battles, Wallace had noticed that Florges was a Pokémon specialized in long-range special attacks.
Forcing a close-quarters fight would prevent Florges from using her main moves effectively.
Although Milotic wasn't an expert in close combat either, it had more tools available.
Milotic possessed close-combat moves, whereas Florges hadn't shown many so far.
This was because, in Cain's team, Florges originally played a support role, healing allies from the rear. Only recently had she begun to participate in one-on-one battles.
This lack of experience was a disadvantage.
Furthermore, Wallace's Milotic, with its exceptional Light Purple quality, had outstanding endurance and combat abilities. Physically, it clearly outclassed Florges.
Both Pokémon, designed for long-range special attacks, were forced into close combat due to Wallace's strategy.
Finally, Cain had no choice but to command Florges to use her ultimate move.
Petal Dance!
Suddenly, glowing petals appeared in the air, softly falling like a rain of flowers, creating a scene that evoked the feeling of being under a cherry blossom tree.
Upon seeing the petals, Wallace knew he was in trouble.
Florges' eyes gleamed enchantingly, as if she were completely immersed in the beauty of the scene. This petal field was her favorite environment.
In the midst of the dancing petals, Florges seemed to be performing an elegant waltz, a dance full of grace and devastating power.
Boom!
The scales on Milotic's chest shattered, releasing drops of blood that splattered the petals, adding a tragic touch to the beauty of the scene.
Milotic's pain was evident, and its expression showed surprise.
It had never imagined that Florges could possess such overwhelming attack power.
This move, which abandoned defense, strategy, and rationality, unleashed tremendous power.
"Milotic, use Protect quickly!" Wallace ordered instantly.
However, it was a little too late. Milotic took the first hit before activating its defense.
Even so, it managed to endure. Before the next strike landed, Milotic used the move Protect, successfully interrupting the Petal Dance sequence.
The interruption left Florges trapped in a state of bliss, unable to act.
This was the perfect chance for Milotic to counterattack.
At close range, Milotic launched the move Ice Beam, landing a direct hit with devastating effect.
Still wearing an enraptured smile, Florges slowly fell to the ground.
Florges was knocked out.
Milotic had won!
Wallace had regained the upper hand.
Cain now had only Slowking as his last option, and the pressure was on him.
However, after withstanding several of Florges' attacks, including the devastating Petal Dance, Milotic was also on the verge of exhaustion.
Cain withdrew Florges and, after whispering a few words of gratitude to her, threw the Poké Ball containing Slowking.
Wallace adopted a serious expression. He knew that Slowking was Cain's true ace. Throughout the tournament, Slowking had yet to show its full potential.
In the previous battle against Clair, although Slowking participated, the outcome was already decided and it wasn't necessary for him to reveal his full power.
Slowking, at level 58, was Cain's strongest Pokémon.
He was one step away from reaching the pre-Elite level cap.
"Yadon~!" he shouted powerfully as he entered the field, exuding confidence.
He knew this was the decisive moment, and Cain trusted him to turn the tide.
Slowking's presence, as a natural leader of its species, was imposing, radiating an innate authority that intimidated.
He slowly began to levitate, surrounded by a dense psychic energy that seemed to clash with space itself, generating small crimson lightning bolts.
Suddenly, that psychic energy expanded, creating a dark red rectangular frame that enveloped the entire battlefield.
Trick Room!
"Milotic, use Aqua Ring and Recover!" Wallace ordered quickly.
A soft ring of water surrounded Milotic, interacting with its scales and producing a unique glow.
Slowking watched calmly, not attempting to interfere. His eyes radiated wisdom as several black spheres of psychic energy formed behind him, surrounded by an intense spiritual aura.
The combination of the moves Psyshock and Psychic was now a technique that Slowking had perfected, achieving an impressive execution speed.
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
The sound of air being sliced echoed as the psychic spheres advanced at incredible speed.
In the mysterious training environment of Lake Verity, where wild Psychic Pokémon were exceptionally strong, Slowking had perfected his moves.
This move combination and his improved speed were the direct result of his hard training.
Milotic, in the middle of using Recover, felt the impending impact and was overcome by a choking sensation.
It could only watch as the psychic spheres rapidly approached, with no chance to dodge.
Although Recover could restore a large amount of its energy, doing so at that moment would leave Milotic exhausted for the rest of the day, preventing Wallace from competing in the semifinals.
Additionally, the time needed to execute Recover was too slow against Slowking's speed within Trick Room's effect zone.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The psychic spheres struck Milotic directly.
Before it could complete the move Recover, Milotic fell to the ground, unable to continue.
With Slowking practically unscathed and having the advantage of Trick Room, Wallace knew that his last Pokémon, Walrein, didn't stand a chance.
Walrein's level was too low compared to Slowking, and it had no type or talent advantage.
Wallace had no more hope of advancing to the semifinals.
Cain's victory was within reach!
(End of chapter)