Shiro's mind raced as he searched for a way to counter. On the field, Corviknight didn't need any instructions. It instantly used Quick Attack to dart away from the incoming Max Geyser.
Boom!
The water blast slammed into the psychic barrier at the edge of the battlefield, bursting into a bright pink flash. The sight startled the nearby cameramen and staff, who stumbled backward in fear.
Toxapex's May Geyser spun through the air far too slowly, unable to keep up with Corviknight's speed. After it withdrew the move, its movements grew noticeably sluggish.
The steel bird's speed advantage stood out even more now. If this kept up, dragging out the battle until Toxapex's Dynamax state ended wasn't impossible.
Shiro studied the giant Pokémon closely, trying to gauge how long the transformation would last. In the games it was three turns. But in reality, would it be a few minutes? Ten? It couldn't possibly last over half an hour. The device had only recently been developed. If the duration was too long, the risk of a Pokémon losing control would skyrocket.
'Hey A...' he called out silently in his mind.
Unown A's voice quickly responded, 'I'm scanning it... The Dynamax energy is fading rapidly. It should revert back to its original size in about six minutes.'
Six minutes…
He made a mental note of the time and shouted toward the field, "Corviknight, use Tailwind!"
"Coorv!"
The steel bird beat its wings sharply, nimbly dodging a swipe of Toxapex's tentacles while stirring up powerful winds across the arena.
On the other side, Nathan's expression changed. The smile on his face slowly disappeared. He had realized the drawback of Dynamax too.
When a Pokémon grows larger, its movements and attacks slow down significantly. Against opponents that don't rely on speed, this isn't much of a problem. But against something agile like Corviknight, its attacks were easy to avoid, wasting precious time.
Not to mention, Dynamax itself didn't last long.
Growing impatient, Nathan barked his next command, "Toxapex, use Icy Wind!"
Icy Wind could lower the opponent's speed and had a very high accuracy rate. It was the only move Toxapex had that could slow Corviknight down.
It stretched out its front arms and released waves of freezing air from its purple core. In just a few seconds, the icy gust spread across the entire battlefield.
Corviknight was affected too, but thanks to Tailwind, the speed drop was canceled out.
"Air Cutter!" Shiro called again.
While evading its foe's attacks and enduring the cold wind, Corviknight flapped its wings, sending out pale blades of compressed air. They only grazed Toxapex's arm before shattering, but that was enough to enrage the giant creature.
With its huge size, a sense of superiority naturally rose within Toxapex. But the steel bird, now a bug compared to it, had not only survived this long but had also found time to land a hit.
"Toxaa!"
It swung its arms furiously, but the starting motion was too wide. Corviknight slipped away with ease once more.
"Toxapex!" Nathan yelled several times, but it didn't respond. His heart sank as cold sweat formed on his back. Dynamax seemed to make a Pokémon's emotions sharper and more volatile, which also made them harder to control.
* * *
In the stands.
"Dynamax is powerful, but... is this all?" Raihan murmured to himself, his voice carrying disappointment as he slipped his small camera back into his pocket.
He had imagined that after Dynamaxing, every aspect of a Pokémon's abilities would be enhanced, including speed and reflexes. That would have been a true leap forward, a groundbreaking battle system unique to Galar. But seeing Toxapex now, growing larger only to become slower, it didn't have the dominance he had expected. It was strong, but it looked more like a sitting target.
It acted like a brainwashed Pokémon, slow and out of sync with its trainer. In front of a skilled opponent with a fast Pokémon, it could easily be toyed with.
He shook his head and sat back down in his seat, propping his cheek with one hand. "Looks like the technology's not quite there yet. Nathan's Pokémon doesn't even listen to him. Heh…"
Leon's expression grew tense at Raihan's mocking tone and Toxapex's erratic behavior on the field. His hand moved instinctively to the Dynamax Band on his right wrist. If this happened to his Charizard during a battle with Raihan... the man would definitely seize the chance, build up power, and finish him with a heavy strike.
He leaned against the railing at the edge of the stands, quietly watching the battle.
Behind him, Marvin stretched on his toes to get a better look and muttered, "Dynamax doesn't look that great. It can't even touch Shiro's Corviknight. Kinda weak..."
"What nonsense are you saying?" Shae scolded him in a low voice from the back.
Edgar watched the battlefield without making a quick judgment. If Toxapex had a move that could close the distance, or if it launched a wide-range attack, it wasn't certain Corviknight could dodge. But one thing was clear. The match was in Shiro's favor.
The Dynamaxed Pokémon hadn't shown the overwhelming power it should have. It was a new technology, and they clearly hadn't accounted for enough real battle scenarios.
The company's plan to trap him in Hulbury Gym had already failed.
'Now, how is that kid planning to escape?' Edgar stroked his chin, curious.
* * *
In the corner of the stands, Sonia glanced around. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the battle and nobody noticed her. She quietly stood up, trying to sneak away.
A Dynamaxed Pokémon refusing commands due to emotional instability wasn't unheard of, and there were naturally ways to fix it. Time was running out, she needed to go and remind Nathan immediately.
Smack.
The sharp sound of skins meeting stopped her in her tracks. A hand gripped her wrist tightly.
"Where do you think you're going?" Nessa asked softly, her eyes locked on Sonia.
The girl flinched.
"Nessa, what's wrong? Hey, let go..." She struggled to break free but couldn't shake off the grip. Frustrated, she said, "I'm just going to the bathroom. You don't need to worry so much, do you?"
Under the dim crimson light cast by the battlefield, no one paid attention to the two of them.
**
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