"How could I let Corviknight charge straight in?"
A small smile appeared on Shiro's face as he watched the blades of air fall from the sky.
Zweilous had no way to escape.
It had just executed Dragon Tail, leaving it far too slow to respond with Hyper Voice or any other counterattack. The Pokémon's options had dwindled to one desperate choice.
"Protect!"
Raihan shouted.
A green barrier erupted around Zweilous in an instant. Every air blade shattered against the shimmering shield. The wounds from earlier tore open again, and blood streaked down its blue scales, but they were only surface injuries. The barrier held.
As the last blades finished falling, Shiro didn't pause. His command followed right away.
"Corviknight, Hurricane!"
The steel bird reacted instantly. Its wings kept beating, and right as the air blades ended, a furious storm swept forward.
Hurricane was a powerful Flying-type move. Wind surged from every direction and slammed into its target. The attack could even confuse its target at times.
Zweilous's barrier faded a moment earlier, and it had no move left to defend itself.
It was far too slow to escape the storm's reach.
Raihan could only grit his teeth and raise its Poké Ball.
"Come back, Zweilous!"
Red light pulled it away just in time. Shiro followed smoothly with his next command.
"Iron Defense!"
Corviknight began strengthening its armor.
As soon as the Pokémon was withdrawn, the tense referee and the crowd let out a breath. Ryan announced loudly.
"Oh! Incredible! Raihan has recalled Zweilous! That Elite-level Pokémon never managed to exert the full pressure it should have. Under Corviknight's Ability and Shiro's precise decisions, it nearly fell right there, but Raihan pulled it back in time! Even though Zweilous wasn't knocked out, Corviknight used the chance to boost its defense… Is Raihan still deciding which Pokémon to send out next?"
Once he finished speaking, the crowd burst into noise again, especially the trainers from Hammerlocke.
"Come on, Raihan!"
"He'll win the Champion Cup for sure!"
"Only Leon deserves to face Raihan at full power!"
"..."
The voices rose and fell until the stadium slowly settled down.
"I never expected this…" Raihan felt a pang of regret for Zweilous. "That Corviknight really turned the fight around."
The early difference in information had hurt him. Because of his usual habits in battle, he made two very bad decisions in a row.
Twice, his weakening moves rebounded. One Pokémon was taken out. Another had its strength cut sharply.
As far as Abilities went, Corviknight's reflection was one of the strongest he had ever seen.
He took a slow breath and pulled out another Poké Ball. There was a sharp glint in his eyes.
He was done holding back.
"Come out, Turtonator!"
A massive turtle Pokémon appeared in a brilliant red flash. Its nose shaped like a tube, its flat head and shell formed a hexagonal pattern. Spiked explosives covered its back. A star-shaped hollow on its chest marked its weak point, which was why it always fought with its back facing the enemy.
Corviknight had just completed its second Iron Defense.
Shiro quickly checked the new opponent's data:
[Name: Turtonator
Type: Dragon/Fire
Level: 50 (Gym)
Ability: Shell Armor
Held Item: None
Moves: Tackle, Smog, Ember, Protect, Endure, Flail, Incinerate, Iron Defense, Dragon Pulse, Body Slam, Flamethrower, Shell Trap, Shell Smash, Overheat…]
It was almost at Elite-level. Was Raihan's entire team near that threshold?
And Fire would hit Corviknight super effectively. It was clearly the Pokémon he chose specifically to deal with it.
Maybe his original plan had been to weaken Corviknight with Flygon, then finish it with Turtonator. But after the unexpected outcome, he was forced to send out Zweilous instead, hoping brute force would end things fast.
Unfortunately for him, he never considered Corviknight's Mirror Armor. That mistake cost him dearly.
Shiro thought for a bit and made his decision.
"Corviknight, Screech!"
Screech sharply lowered the target's Defense.
Before the metallic cry even echoed, Turtonator began acting on its own, unleashing a move the instant it appeared on the arena.
Heat burst from its mouth. The air trembled, and the entire field felt several degrees hotter.
Sunny Day.
It had shifted the weather, boosting Fire-type moves and weakening Water-types.
Raihan wanted to end the fight in one blow.
Shiro saw the plan and called out.
"Corviknight, use Substitute!"
The steel bird had barely formed the energy clone when a jet of flames shot across the field.
Turtonator roared, fire spilling from every point on its shell. Its flames chased Corviknight across the arena, burning through most of the airspace. Even the fire that fell from the sky held its shape for seconds, wrapping around the fleeing bird.
"Cooorv!"
Corviknight cried out as it felt the heat spread through its feathers. The flames burned at its Substitute and melted it quickly due to type disadvantage. It forced itself higher, whipping up wind with its wings until the fire scattered.
Raihan lips curved into a confident smile as he commanded.
"Overheat!"
Overheat was a powerful Fire-type move. The user poured its full strength into one blast, then suffered a sharp drop in Special Attack afterward.
A move that powerful always came with a cost.
Shiro's expression hardened. He knew Corviknight couldn't take that. And with such a wide blast, there was no real way to dodge either.
A deep rumble shook the ground. Turtonator crouched low, its shell glowing red. Heat and pressure built like a volcano about to erupt.
A wave of explosive fire burst outward, rushing up and spreading in every direction. In seconds, it reached Corviknight's altitude.
There was no blocking this move.
"It's Overheat! The entire battlefield is buried in flames! With type advantage and Sunny Day boosting it... is Shiro's Corviknight done for?"
Ryan spoke as fast as he could. The audience gasped as the fire licked the psychic barrier and pressed toward the front rows.
Shiro didn't have any time left to hesitate. He grabbed the Poké Ball and recalled Corviknight just before the flames swallowed it.
On the opposite side, Raihan noticed instantly and cut the attack off. Then he pointed ahead.
"Shell Smash!"
Shell Smash broke the user's shell, lowering its defenses while sharply boosting its Attack and Special Attack.
He understood Turtonator's chest was a fatal weak point. One clean strike could knock it out. So Raihan chose to discard defense entirely and focus on attacking.
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