"Lapras, continuously sweep with Ice Beam and transform the entire Water venue into an Ice venue!" Naoto shouted excitedly, having conceived an excellent strategy to counter Omastar.
"Use Rock Blast to attack below and achieve brief airborne movement," Red commanded calmly.
Holding absolute trust in Red's judgment, Omastar didn't hesitate. It skillfully fired Rock Blast continuously at the platform beneath it.
Three hardened rocks collided with the platform's surface. Omastar harnessed the impact force to propel itself briefly into the air.
The instant Omastar ascended, Lapras's Ice Beam struck toward its previous position, completely freezing the area with the platform as its epicenter into a smooth ice surface.
The original platform had been gradually sinking from the repeated impacts, but Lapras's frigid beam locked it in place, suspending it within the newly formed ice.
Although Naoto could have shifted targets and commanded Lapras to strike Omastar mid-flight, he deemed the risk too great. Omastar hadn't lost its offensive capabilities—wasting time would only squander this golden opportunity to reshape the battlefield. Naoto refused to miss this chance to create favorable terrain.
After all, an Ice venue provided substantial advantages for Lapras. The Transport Pokémon could not only swim freely through water but also glide effortlessly across ice using its streamlined body.
Within moments, except for a few ice pillars absent from official Ice venues, the Water arena had been completely transformed by Lapras's Ice Beam into a makeshift frozen battleground. The original water surface lay buried beneath a thick layer of ice, with only the standing platforms indicating this had once been a Water venue.
Omastar descended back to the ice surface at that moment. Due to the environmental change, it needed brief adjustment time—an opening Naoto and Lapras intended to exploit.
Leveraging its physical advantage gliding across the ice, Lapras repeatedly fired Ice Beam toward Omastar's position.
Although Ice Beam couldn't inflict substantial damage on Omastar, it could restrict mobility—an excellent control tactic.
Ice Beams from multiple angles momentarily irritated Omastar. It could only employ continuous Rollout to evade the freezing assaults while searching for counterattack opportunities.
"Use Stone Edge to strike the ice surface and dodge!"
Realizing an Ice Beam approached from behind, Omastar quickly emerged from its shell, controlling the floating stone blades to execute Stone Edge downward. The impact propelled it briefly airborne, cleverly avoiding the beam from behind.
"Rock Tomb to restrict Lapras's mobility."
From its elevated vantage point, Omastar possessed a comprehensive view. After analyzing Lapras's gliding trajectory, it continuously hurled hardened rocks to block the Transport Pokémon's movement path, reducing its speed significantly.
Seeing continued ice gliding proved impossible, Naoto opted for direct confrontation.
"Lapras, use Ice Beam on Omastar!"
Upon hearing the command, Lapras immediately released frigid energy, the Ice Beam streaking toward the airborne Omastar.
"Use Rollout to reduce the impact," Red stated calmly.
Harnessing gravitational momentum, Omastar curled its body and executed continuous Rollout, meeting the incoming Ice Beam head-on.
Whenever frigid air threatened to encase Omastar's form, the sharp spikes on its shell shattered the forming ice, preventing any frozen status ailment.
"Incredible technique! Red completely understands every characteristic of Omastar's anatomy and utilizes them masterfully. Lapras's Ice Beam had absolutely no effect!" Gary exclaimed in amazement from the stands.
The continuous Rollout steadily accumulated power. Under Lapras's shocked gaze, Omastar's entire form broke through Ice Beam's defensive line and struck Lapras's body heavily with its hardened shell.
"Wuuu!" Lapras cried out in pain.
"Lapras, hold strong! Use Confuse Ray at close range—now!" Naoto commanded urgently.
Lapras endured the searing pain, briefly knocking Omastar back with its body before quickly releasing a strange luminescence. The Confuse Ray struck Omastar directly, causing it to fall into a disoriented state.
"An unexpected reversal! Lord Red's Omastar has been affected by Confuse Ray and fallen into confusion! The match situation has taken a dramatic turn!" The announcer shouted with renewed excitement.
"Well played," Red acknowledged, genuinely impressed that Naoto maintained composure under pressure and instinctively conceived a counter-strategy.
If Lapras hadn't controlled Omastar at that critical moment, it would have been defeated by the accumulated Rollout assault.
In its confused state, Omastar uncontrollably activated Stone Edge. Sharp stone blades materialized around it, and under its disoriented control, it inexplicably attacked itself rather than targeting Lapras.
"As expected, confusion takes its toll," Red remarked with mild exasperation, finding irony in Omastar's most significant damage coming from self-inflicted wounds.
Naoto clearly understood the implication and scratched his head sheepishly.
But he refused to waste this golden opportunity. "Lapras, use Hydro Pump!"
Lapras opened its expansive maw and violently discharged massive volumes of water. The torrent formed into a thick pressurized column that struck Omastar within seconds. The tremendous force sent Omastar stumbling backward several steps before it tumbled dramatically across the ice.
Fortunately, Omastar regained clarity at that moment. After recognizing its earlier embarrassing display, it abandoned all restraint on its predatory instincts and immediately unleashed terrifying killing intent, furiously locking its gaze on Lapras.
Feeling the overwhelming bloodlust radiating from Omastar, the gentle-natured Lapras visibly startled, instinctively freezing and halting its offensive.
"Take your revenge, Omastar. Stone Edge."
Sharp stone blades materialized around Omastar once more, then mercilessly wounded Lapras's body at blistering speed.
Amid Lapras's sorrowful cries, Omastar curled into a ball and initiated Rollout, approaching the Transport Pokémon with clear intent to deliver a devastating lesson it wouldn't soon forget.