The Aurora Beam struck against the Light Screen, but the shimmering barrier absorbed it completely.
Only when the Aurora Beam gradually dissipated did the Light Screen fade as well.
As a legendary-level Pokémon, Malamar's recovery rate was astonishing.
In the span of just a few breaths, more than seventy percent of its injuries had already healed.
"You humans really are courting death!"
Malamar snarled, its short, stubby legs—which looked completely mismatched with its body—suddenly kicking off the ground.
Although Malamar wasn't particularly known for speed, its overwhelming strength more than made up for it.
Even if it wasn't specialized in agility, its strikes were still blindingly fast.
Its twin fins glimmered with a cold, murderous light as they slashed straight toward Frosmoth.
Nathan knew full well—the power contained in those fins was on par with Malamar's hypnosis.
If Malamar's fins were blades, they would absolutely be of the "laser-saber" tier.
"Frosmoth, quick! Use Feather Dance, combine it with Quiver Dance, and dodge its attacks!"
He spoke faster than usual, worried Frosmoth might suffer serious injuries.
The moth Pokémon's wings stirred, scattering a flurry of pure white feathers that floated down and enveloped even Malamar itself.
The sudden snow of feathers didn't just lower Malamar's attack power; it also blurred its vision slightly.
But it was only a distraction—it could not truly stop Malamar's onslaught.
The sharp fins cut through the air with ear-splitting swishes as they hacked mercilessly toward Frosmoth.
Fluttering gracefully, Frosmoth narrowly evaded time after time. Each close call was so razor-thin that it was like dancing on the tip of a blade.
Repeated strikes that hit nothing but air only made Malamar more furious.
It was a dignified legendary level Pokémon, yet it was being toyed with by a mere Champion-level insect.
This was intolerable.
"Night Slash—critical strike!"
Its eyes locked onto Frosmoth. The instant it saw Frosmoth pivoting in midair, Malamar unleashed the move.
Already swift, its attack now received a boost, accelerating to a speed that surpassed even the speed of sound.
Frosmoth noticed the incoming strike, but its body simply couldn't match Malamar's speed.
The gleaming fin flashed before its eyes.
At the very last second, Frosmoth twisted with all its might, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.
But even so, a deep gash split across its body.
Crimson blood spattered through the air, dripping in beads onto the ground below, forming little blossoms of scarlet against the already blood-stained earth.
Seeing the vivid red, Nathan's heart clenched with pain.
Malamar, however, didn't relent after landing a hit. Instead, its attacks grew even fiercer.
"Frosmoth—use Icicle Spear!"
Simply defending or dodging would only force them into an increasingly passive position.
Nathan chose to go on the offensive.
Five gleaming icicles formed at Frosmoth's side, shooting toward Malamar in rapid succession.
Sensing the danger, Malamar quickly dodged.
The first three icicles missed, but the last two left it no room to escape.
At the last instant, Malamar swung its razor fins.
The icicles shattered midair, reduced to shards before even reaching its body.
"Now's our chance—Ice Beam!"
Nathan immediately seized the opening.
Frosmoth fired a brilliant white beam, its edges sparkling with drifting snowflakes.
The Ice Beam struck Malamar squarely, encasing part of its body in a sheen of frost.
Its speed dropped by over thirty percent.
But Nathan didn't allow himself to get careless.
After all, Frosmoth was still battling an opponent a full tier above it.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Evelyn had already defeated the three controlled Trainers' Pokémon.
But even with their partners beaten, the three men charged at her Pokémon without hesitation, eyes wild and fearless.
Evelyn had no choice but to order her Pokémon to restrain them.
She dared not have her team actually attack humans.
After all, they were only behaving this way because Malamar was controlling them.
If her Pokémon used real force, these men's lives would be snuffed out in just a few blows.
Compared to Evelyn's side, Mewtwo and Volcarona were faring far less smoothly in the distance.
They had lured the two massive swarms away for some distance when, to their shock, the swarms abruptly stopped pursuing.
Instead, both hordes wheeled around and charged in the opposite direction.
Mewtwo and Volcarona remembered Nathan's orders very clearly—stall the swarms at all costs.
But now that the Pokémon masses had turned back, they could only pursue and attack.
Energy blasts and blazing assaults rained into the mobs, knocking out numerous Pokémon and leaving them unconscious on the ground.
Yet the swarms as a whole were unaffected, rushing recklessly toward the oasis.
Helpless, Volcarona and Mewtwo could only force themselves to race back even faster.
The battle between Frosmoth and Malamar raged on.
Their ceaseless exchange of blows left both sides covered in wounds of varying size.
From the sidelines, Xerneas almost couldn't bear to watch anymore.
It even wanted to rush forward and help Frosmoth.
But without Nathan's command, it held itself back, forced to simply stand by and watch.
"Human, I'll admit it—you are the strongest I've ever seen. To raise Pokémon to such power is impressive. But unfortunately for you, you will never be my match."
In the midst of the clash, Malamar spoke with smug certainty, as though it had sensed something.
Then, instead of pressing its attack, it began to retreat step by step.
And just at that moment, Mewtwo and Volcarona appeared again in Nathan's field of vision.
The two soared swiftly back to his side.
But before they could even speak, Nathan raised a hand to silence them.
He already knew without asking—Malamar had summoned the two swarms back.
"Mewtwo, can your Time Freeze restrain an entire swarm at once?"
He turned sharply toward the psychic Pokémon.
Mewtwo hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
It had used Time Freeze before. Freezing a single target was simple.
But freezing an entire horde? That was something it had never attempted.
Still, Nathan had spoken. Even if it wasn't certain, it had to try.
"Then go. Stall for as long as you can—keep the Flygon swarm from reaching us. No matter how long, just buy me time."
Seeing its nod, Nathan chose to place his faith in Mewtwo.
Truthfully, even he didn't have much confidence in its chances against such numbers.
But at this point, there was no other option.
"Volcarona, the Durant swarm is yours. Use a sea of fire to surround them. Don't worry about the ones that escape through the flames.
"As long as you trap most of them, it'll be enough. I promise you, before you and Mewtwo collapse, I will finish this battle."
He gave his command with resolve.
The two Pokémon, freshly returned, once again sped off according to his orders.
Only this time, they swapped targets.
Mewtwo reached the Flygon swarm first. With a burst of psychic force, it dove straight into the very heart of the horde.
At the epicenter of the writhing mass, its eyes flashed.
Time Freeze activated.
In an instant, every Flygon in range—no matter its strength—froze in midair, locked motionless in place.
But Mewtwo could feel its power draining at an alarming rate.
If ordinary combat consumed its strength like water dripping from a faucet, this felt more like a giant pump—no, three to five industrial pumps—sucking its energy away at full force.
Volcarona, on the other hand, descended upon the Durant swarm.
Its massive wings flared, scattering glowing scales that burst into flames as they touched the ground.
The desert floor ignited in a blazing inferno.
To ensure the ants could never reach the oasis, Volcarona spread the fire wider and wider, encircling the entire horde in a fiery prison.
Watching all this, Evelyn realized the situation had grown dire.
She quickly tore down several thick vines, bound the three controlled Trainers, and rushed to join the others in blocking the swarms' return.
"Don't speak too soon. For example—right now, you still haven't managed to call your two swarms back."
Nathan's voice was cold as he glared at Malamar.
Did it really think he would allow those hordes to come charging back to its side?
As long as Mewtwo and Volcarona could hold the line, even for a little while, then as soon as he defeated Malamar, everything else would fall into place.
"Frosmoth—Blizzard!"
Nathan commanded firmly.
A howling gale swept across the battlefield, carrying with it countless whirling snowflakes.
Around Malamar, the air plummeted in temperature.
The longer the storm raged, the faster the chill spread.
The falling snow thickened, the winds cut sharper—until the temperature dropped all the way down to absolute zero.
(End of Chapter)