As a Pokémon that had lived alongside Abomasnow, Shiftry had learned to use the few Ice-type moves it knew fairly well.
A chilling wind blew from its mouth toward Pidgeot.
However, it was clearly of little use. With Pidgeot enhanced by Agility, Icy Wind crawled across the battlefield as if moving in slow motion.
Pidgeot effortlessly dodged the attack, which was super effective against it.
"Let's start the Gust."
Silas didn't go straight for a full Hurricane this time; instead, he began with a gentle breeze, gradually gathering wind power.
Compared to Roserade, Shiftry could more easily predict the wind-up time before Pidgeot used Hurricane, potentially interrupting its moves. Moreover, Nina's mind seemed to have recovered, so there was no expectation she would command a divine-level dodge again.
Victory was within reach; steady and careful action was crucial.
Pidgeot hovered in the air and flapped its massive wings toward Shiftry on the ground. The wind generated by its wings roared toward the opponent.
Without waiting for Nina's command, Shiftry instinctively lifted its broad leaf hands and lightly swatted.
"Whoosh."
Another gust suddenly formed.
The two visible winds collided in the middle of the battlefield, dissipated, and finally disappeared.
"So powerful?" Silas widened his eyes.
Though he knew Shiftry could manipulate wind, the scene still surprised him.
Shiftry lived deep in remote forests, especially large and ancient ones, making it a relatively rare Pokémon.
Furthermore, its natural habitat was primarily in the Hoenn region. As a Kanto native, Silas had only a superficial understanding from the Pokédex and had never encountered one in person.
After facing it in battle, he could only admit how strong this Pokémon really was.
"Pidgeot, Wing Attack!" Silas's predatory instincts flared, and he commanded Pidgeot to close in for a melee strike.
He wanted to see how the Pokédex claim—that Shiftry could read the opponent's mind and act preemptively—actually worked up close.
Of course, he had the confidence to do this because of his current large advantage. If he had only one Pokémon left, he certainly wouldn't have taken such a risk.
A white glow covered Pidgeot's wings as it dived like a predator from the sky toward Shiftry.
The sun shone intensely, casting massive shadows on the battlefield.
Shiftry, facing the aggressive Pidgeot, showed no change in expression.
"Sucker Punch!" Nina's command rang out.
"Shiftry~"
The brief cry indicated Shiftry was not as relaxed as it appeared.
It slowly raised its hands into a strange stance.
From Silas's perspective, Shiftry's preparatory pose resembled the moment a shot-put or javelin athlete is about to throw—right hand angled toward the sky, left hand behind the head.
It was the first time Silas had seen such a unique preparatory movement.
Of course, Nina would not tell him that this was a position Shiftry had perfected over years in the wild for optimal counterattacks.
Pidgeot and Shiftry drew closer.
"Pidgeot~"
A commanding cry sounded as Pidgeot shifted its attack angle first.
Its midair posture constantly rotated, making it impossible to predict from which angle it would strike Shiftry next.
Multiple afterimages appeared in observers' eyes.
In that tense moment, many involuntarily blinked from the strain.
"Bang!"
The collision echoed across the arena.
Shiftry, which had maintained the odd stance, immediately returned to normal.
"What just happened?"
Many wondered simultaneously.
Focused Silas did not. He had clearly observed Shiftry's actions.
"Did it first block with the extended right hand, then instantly counter with the left?"
He recalled the lightning-fast clash and frowned.
This maneuver had a precondition: the block had to succeed. Otherwise, the left-hand counter would have been useless. Even if it hit the opponent, the weak force would barely tickle.
Watching Pidgeot instantly gain distance after the strike, Silas had ample time to analyze.
"Reaction alone isn't enough… it used wind!"
Silas noticed tiny whirlwinds forming on Shiftry's leaf-like hands.
"One look is enough. I'll ask Pidgeot later."
Satisfied with his deduction, Silas refocused on the battlefield.
Even though he had been momentarily distracted, Nina and Shiftry's situation had not improved.
According to Nina's strategy, after Shiftry used Sucker Punch, Pidgeot should have been grounded for a while.
However, Pidgeot's reactions were too fast. After having its Wing Attack blocked and countered once, it immediately leveraged the force to regain the air.
Shiftry, trying to continue Sucker Punch with frantic multi-limb attacks, had to abandon the move.
Pidgeot, in low flight, used speed and agility to dodge Leaf Blade and Razor Leaf, relying on Wing Attack and Steel Wing to neutralize unavoidable attacks.
Leaves swirled and occasionally shattered, leaving green fragments on the field. The silver-gray battlefield gradually resembled grassy terrain.
In this state, Pidgeot expended far less stamina than Shiftry.
Flying was as natural to Pidgeot as eating and drinking. Even irregular evasive maneuvers were routine. Shiftry, however, needed much more effort to execute its moves.
Time passed. Shiftry's attack rate visibly slowed.
Neither Trainer spoke during this period, yet the spectators were thoroughly entertained. Both Pidgeot's evasions and Shiftry's attacks were spectacular, creating an intense spectacle.
Silas had no need to issue further commands. With the stamina advantage, Pidgeot could secure victory through endurance.
Against a fast-reacting Shiftry, physical stamina was the decisive factor; damage from moves alone might not even compare.
Nina was unsure how to turn the battle around. Shiftry excelled at counterattacks, but the countering side was always reactive. Only by seizing the initiative could it win. Shiftry wasn't like Sudowoodo, which relied solely on countering.
Even while appearing to be chased across the field, Pidgeot maintained control. In reality, Shiftry was the one under pressure.
Nina felt frustrated, as though all her strength was useless—a sensation that had occurred many times in this battle.
She knew this meant her opponent's commands and strategy were ahead of hers.
Otherwise, looking purely at the stats, even if the opposing ace had a type advantage, the battle would still be evenly matched.
"Am I really the one holding my Pokémon back?" Nina felt helpless, though slightly resentful.
She was a strong Trainer; how could she be crushed by a newcomer like this?
Moreover, she recalled Silas's earlier words and knew she should trust her Pokémon more.
"But who told you I've given up?" Nina snorted unconsciously.
"Shiftry, Taunt!"
Shiftry, who had been launching leaves continuously, instantly stopped attacking.
"Do-te-do-te~"
Shiftry planted its left hand on its hip and boldly called out toward the airborne Pidgeot, while pointing its right hand toward the ground.
Beyond the peculiar vocalizations, the general meaning was clear: "Come down and fight me on the ground. I can pin you down!"
"Pidgeot~"
Pidgeot's cold cry sounded, showing it was slightly irritated.
During official battles, talkative Pidgeot usually spoke little. It preferred to taunt weakened opponents after victory or before the battle began.
In its own words, speaking too much during a fight could be distracting and lead to failure. It never allowed itself to lose for such trivial reasons.
This reliability was one reason Silas trusted it so much. Despite being chatty, Pidgeot was a dependable partner.
However, against a Dark-type Pokémon like Shiftry, Pidgeot clearly "broke its own rule."
A comical yet intense scene unfolded: both Pokémon paused their attacks and evasions, and began exchanging verbal volleys on the battlefield.
The sharp bird cries and deep, menacing voice created an oddly grating melody.
Pidgeot's eyes gradually turned blood-red.
Silas massaged his temple. Dark-type Pokémon really excelled at using Taunt effectively.
It was clear Pidgeot was still too young; it had been provoked so easily.
Of course, Taunt itself played a key role. Simple shouting wouldn't have caused this effect. Otherwise, every Pokémon could just verbally harass opponents into submission before a battle even began.
"Pidgeot~!"
Pidgeot's voice, full of anger, rang out.
Under the effect of Taunt, it entered a confused state. Naturally, its physical attack power also increased—a selfless but risky skill effect.
Nina watched with delight.
A Pokémon in a status condition ignores its Trainer's commands temporarily. As a raptor, Pidgeot's predatory instincts drove it toward close combat—extremely advantageous for Shiftry.
Sure enough, the next moment, Pidgeot charged straight at Shiftry just as Nina expected.
"Shiftry, Leaf Blade!"
Almost as Nina spoke, Shiftry shifted from its shouting stance back into its habitual attack posture.
Both of its leafy hands glowed green.
"Bang."
Confused Pidgeot attacked without pattern or control. Shiftry easily avoided it, then swung its blade-like leaves hard into Pidgeot.
Unlike before, where Pidgeot used momentum to retreat, this time it took full damage with no reduction.
"Pidgeot—!"
Pidgeot's pained cry sounded.
Although it had decent resistance to Grass-type moves, taking a full-power Leaf Blade head-on still hurt considerably.
Still enraged in confusion, Pidgeot counterattacked.
It folded its wings tightly to its body, charging like a missile. A faint glowing aura covered its frame.
Silas calmly watched.
Even with Shiftry's quick reflexes, it couldn't evade now; it couldn't exceed its physical limits.
Pidgeot struck Shiftry and instantly returned to Silas's Luxury Ball.
Another Luxury Ball opened, and Serperior proudly appeared on the field.
However, there was no need for it to act.
Shiftry was already down and unable to battle.
Nina gaped in shock, trying to speak but feeling as if something blocked her words.
U-turn—this was the move Pidgeot had just used.
Hitting Shiftry, a Pokémon 4× weak to Normal-type moves, with U-turn directly knocking it out was completely expected. Moreover, Pidgeot's physical attacks had been boosted by Taunt.
A confident smile appeared on Silas's lips.
Normally, confused Pokémon use moves erratically, often just physical attacks.
But with proper training, one could slightly influence their actions.
For example, Water-types in confusion usually use Water Gun or Hydro Pump; Fire-types usually use Flamethrower or Fire Blast. Pokémon subconsciously favor the moves they know best.
Through careful training and private testing, Pidgeot now had roughly a 30% chance of using U-Turn even while confused.
Training for this move was crucial, because confused status differs from other conditions.
A Pokémon in a confused state will quickly return to normal once it returns to its Poké Ball. A Pidgeot that has used U-turn is essentially a relatively uninjured fighter, and Silas is well aware of the necessity of this.
And, as it happened, this battle made perfect use of that preparation.
Silas's lips curved in a small, confident smile.
Luck was clearly on his side.
"Let's congratulate Silas Alaric!!
After defeating another strong opponent, he becomes the first Top 16 contestant in this year's Conference!!"
The announcer's roar echoed across the main arena.
Nina's expression sharply contrasted with the excitement of the audience.
.....
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