Nessa had lost. Marvin claimed victory in the battle.
Shiro hadn't expected this outcome.
In terms of typing, Nessa's Drednaw should've completely overwhelmed its opponent. At the very least, she should've been able to trade one for one.
But Frosmoth had been trained exceptionally well. Its control over energy had surpassed the scope of ordinary moves, and Marvin had played an unexpected card that caught everyone off guard.
"Well now~ Battles are full of surprises. You never really know the result until it's over." Edgar sighed as he urged Allister to move to another battle arena.
This one was already blanketed in snow and no longer suitable for combat.
Granny Shae led Marvin away next.
Still standing on the field, Nessa held her Poké Ball with her head lowered in silence. She couldn't quite accept this result. Not long ago, she had the upper hand against Marvin, but after he reached Gym-level strength, everything had changed.
She was the weakest among them now. Could she really defeat that girl from Hulbury?
Doubt began to creep into her mind.
"Marvin's improved a lot this time. You just weren't ready for it," Shiro said softly, then gave a small wave. "Come on."
Nessa was stunned for a moment, then nodded and followed him.
* * *
Two minutes later, Shiro and Allister stood at opposite ends of the new battlefield.
Marvin watched them intently, fully focused. Given the current standings, Nessa was clearly in last place. As for where he himself ranked, that would be decided by this match.
Normally, Shiro and Allister were far ahead of him in strength. He could hardly defeat even one of their Pokémon. But after his clean win over Nessa, Marvin had gained confidence. Maybe, just maybe, he could fight for first or second place.
From the spectator area at the side of the field, Shae slowly announced:
"The battle is between Shiro and Allister. Once both sides send out their Pokémon, the match will begin."
Allister didn't move. A familiar Mimikyu slithered out from the darkness beneath his feet, its black, threadlike shadow stretching forward to the center of the field.
Shiro reached for his belt, thinking about which Pokémon to send out first.
Only two were allowed in this format, so he needed to go with his strongest. One was Corviknight. The second… either Bewear or Rhyperior.
But against Allister, the latter was too slow, and the former's typing left it at a disadvantage. Both had weaknesses.
He'd still have to rely on Corviknight.
After a quick decision, he threw out a Poké Ball.
"Come on out, Corviknight!"
"Coooorrrv!"
A deep cry rang out as red light burst from the Poké Ball. The gleaming black wings of Corviknight appeared midair, its large body hovering for a second before those powerful wings lifted it into flight.
"Did that Corvisquire evolve out in the wild?" Marvin asked curiously, glancing at Shae.
She gave a nod and warned in a serious tone, "That Corviknight is much bigger than usual. Its feathers are glossy, and its presence is overwhelming. Shiro raised it very well. You'd better be careful."
"I know," Marvin replied casually, eyes glued to the battle.
The instant the two Pokémon appeared on the field, the atmosphere turned tense.
Corviknight's sharp crimson eyes locked onto the small but dangerously eerie opponent ahead. It showed no signs of underestimation.
Mimikyu lifted its head too. Its true form, hidden beneath the Pikachu-like costume, stared back from within the shadows.
Shiro's eyes flashed as he analyzed the Ghost-type's strength:
[Name: Mimikyu
Type: Ghost
Level: 42 (Gym)
Ability: Disguise
Held Item: None
Moves: Scratch, Splash, Astonish, Copycat, Wood Hammer, Shadow Sneak, Double Team, Baby-Doll Eyes, Mimic, Hone Claws, Slash, Protect, Pounce, Thunder Wave, Giga Drain, Substitute, Will-O-Wisp, Thunderbolt, Burning Jealousy…]
Its level wasn't especially high, but the variety of moves it had learned made it a walking move library. Its attack coverage was ridiculously broad.
While Ghost-type had no direct advantage over Flying or Steel, Shiro spotted one move among Mimikyu's list: Burning Jealousy.
That was a Fire-type move. Super effective against Steel. Not only that, it inflicted burns on all opposing Pokémon that had boosted their stats.
If he wasn't careful, that single move could deal massive damage to Corviknight.
And Mimikyu also had the Disguise ability...
He had to strike first!
* * *
On the battlefield, both Allister and Shiro stood quietly.
Just when the spectators thought the trainers were waiting for the other to make a move, the silent Corviknight launched an attack without warning.
It flapped its huge wings, and the motion looked no different from how it normally used Air Cutter. Wind gathered fiercely around its feathers, compressing in an instant.
Right when both trainers seemed frozen, Corviknight swung its wings and unleashed a few sharp blades of wind, each several meters long, slicing rapidly toward Mimikyu.
The air blades tore through the sky, carving deep cuts into the ground as they fell.
Neither Mimikyu nor Allister had expected such a sudden assault.
He froze briefly before shouting, "Dodge it!"
Thanks to its small body and speed, Mimikyu easily avoided the first two wind blades. But the follow-up slashes were too dense, and dodging all of them without a scratch would be nearly impossible.
From across the field, Shiro shouted:
"Corviknight, chase with Quick Attack!"
If Mimikyu were hit by either Air Cutter or Quick Attack, its most crucial battle advantage of Disguise would be broken.
Allister had no choice but to call out:
"Use Double Team!"
As the sharp wind blades closed in, Mimikyu's body shimmered with a faint, grayish-white glow. In a flash, it split into over a dozen identical copies of itself.
The blades shredded the clones one by one, dissipating them into flickering fragments, but Mimikyu kept using Double Team, its numbers multiplying rapidly.
By the time the last slash vanished, dozens of Mimikyu copies stood scattered across half the battlefield.
Though Double Team seemed like a deceptive move, it was actually a visual illusion created through rapid movement combined with energy. Mimikyu constantly dashed around, leaving behind afterimages wherever it had moved, each one indistinguishable from the real thing.
Corviknight, charging in right after its Air Cutter, had now arrived above the mass of clones. Its eyes darted quickly, searching for the true Mimikyu hidden among the fakes.
Right then, Shiro relayed a message to the bird through Unown A:
'The second one from the right in the last row!'
**
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