After stealing Ludicolo's hidden Life Orb, Quagsire had accomplished most of its mission and was unsurprisingly finished off by the Duck God.
Although it caused minimal damage, its role as a defensive switch-in was undeniable.
Without the boosted output provided by the Life Orb, Ludicolo's suppression over Nessa's team significantly weakened, and it also couldn't do much against the newly switched-in Toxapex.
This is the true value of Thief.
Barely dodging the Toxic sprayed by Toxapex, Ludicolo fired two consecutive Energy Balls.
However, the damage was quickly fully restored by Toxapex using Recover.
The two sides entered a prolonged tug-of-war.
[Wouldn't Thunder Punch be better at this point? At least it's super effective.]
[Turns out Toxapex is that tanky. Ludicolo is just scratching it...]
[Just absurd!]
"Faced with Toxapex, Milo can't dare to use Thunder Punch. If blocked by Baneful Bunker, it will get poisoned itself."
After glancing at the chat, Aiden succinctly explained Milo's current predicament.
Baneful Bunker is one of Toxapex's defensive moves, posing a significant threat to Pokémon using close-range attacks.
These alternating switches were undoubtedly meticulously designed by Nessa, or perhaps the entire course of this battle was under her control.
From the moment Pelipper KO'd Bellossom with Hurricane, Milo only had the option to send in Ludicolo, relying on speed to force trades in the rain.
Thus, the divine moment of Quagsire stealing the Life Orb occurred.
Toxapex and Ludicolo battled for eight hundred rounds, eventually ending due to the duration of the rain. Ludicolo's speed sharply decreased and was hit by Toxapex's Toxic.
Since it was already poisoned, Milo could only command Ludicolo to fight back, continuously landing Thunder Punches on Toxapex.
However, the final result was merely a one-for-one trade.
Next, both sides used all their might, fighting fiercely without a clear winner.
"Eldegoss versus Golisopod, how dare you come up with such a small body? A First Impression to the face as you're getting out of the Pokeball and you're out!"
"Oh? So Milo wants to play Focus Sash tactics too? When Cotton Down triggers, it scatters cotton tufts around the field, hindering Golisopod's speed."
"But Golisopod is already slow enough; whether it slows down or not makes little difference."
"Unsurprisingly, a Leaf Storm burst out instantly, dealing full damage, triggering Golisopod's Emergency Exit... So you just took damage for nothing!"
Aiden paused, still quietly analyzing the situation.
"Golisopod is a dual Water/Bug type, naturally resistant to Grass. Using Leaf Storm directly gives the opponent a free switch, this move counts as a mistake!"
"As long as it stays alive, Golisopod can land another hit—super profitable."
"Oh, wait... could it be???"
Noticing the cotton floating in the air due to the attack, Aiden thoughtfully observed.
Meanwhile, Nessa made another switch, bringing out Pelipper with a now-confirmed setup.
"It's now, Eldegoss, Sunny Day!"
Milo suddenly raised his hand and shouted.
Aiden soon realized his oversight; Milo's move was rather imaginative.
Using Golisopod's attack and ability to scatter countless cotton tufts, interfering with the opponent's movement speed.
Even though light rain began to fall due to Pelipper's appearance, it would still take some time for the rain to completely wash away the cotton.
If Pelipper uses Hurricane, the cotton in the air will stick to its wings following the wind direction.
Is this what a true gym leader-level battle looks like?
Though both sides made mistakes, overall, they remain overshadowed by their respective clever tactics.
And the Pokémon's strengths are not bad either, at least much stronger than my babies.
Hmm, it seems I have a lot of room for improvement.
However...
"Judging from Nessa's actions, she must have decided to fight to the end!"
Simultaneously with Eldegoss using Sunny Day, Nessa had already made her decision:
"Pelipper, Air Slash!"
Not the lethal Hurricane in the rain, but the unhindered Air Slash!
The wind blades instantly sliced through the obstructing cotton tufts in the air, continuously slashing at Eldegoss' body.
Already physically drained, it couldn't dodge and could only throw the red orb created by Sunny Day into the sky before collapsing unconscious.
The sky cleared again, and the field conditions seemed unfavorable for Nessa.
And Milo's next Pokémon was—
"Come out, Shiftry!"
A fierce humanoid Pokémon appeared on the field, becoming extraordinarily light under the sunlight.
Undoubtedly, the Chlorophyll ability was triggered.
[Is your Eldegoss legal? Can the Focus Sash really be used twice separately?]
[You don't understand. This is called Bond (cheating)!]
[If Air Slash is locked in, will it be enough against Gym Leader Milo's other Pokémon?]
The chat continued discussing the previous moves.
Knowing that Pelipper, clearly carrying Choice Specs, was locked on Air Slash, the threat was far less than the earlier Hurricane in the rain.
Nessa was well aware of this, so she came prepared!
Noticing Nessa reaching into her pocket, Aiden couldn't help but nod silently.
Teachable pupil indeed.
Forget about your Dynamax Drednaw; Max Airstream is the meta answer!
Sure enough, Nessa soon retrieved another Poké Ball from her pocket.
"Here it comes—it's Dynamax!"
Aiden's eyes revealed a hint of nostalgia.
When he crossed over, Sword and Shield had been released for three years, and it had been ages since he last played with the Dynamax mechanic.
Suddenly reviving forgotten memories evoked some sentimentality.
Red beams shot out, recalling Pelipper, and an invisible purple energy emanated from beneath the field, gradually converging toward the ball.
The white Poké Ball in Nessa's hand suddenly began to tremble violently, expanding several times, requiring both hands to lift above her head.
When it expanded to its limit, Nessa forcefully threw the ball, shouting loudly:
"Let's finish the match in one go!"
"Show the power of Dynamax, Pelipper!"
The giant Poké Ball instantly shattered, and a shadow enveloped in dense purple mist appeared in the sky, growing larger with surging energy.
Finally, it transformed into a colossal creature.
Precisely the Galar-exclusive regional phenomenon—Dynamax!
[So cool! Such a big Pokémon definitely looks super powerful!]
[No wonder this arena needs to be this big; otherwise, there wouldn't be enough space...]
[Is this Dynamax?]
A special energy exists underground in Galar. Pokémon here can absorb this power to temporarily form massive Dynamax forms.
While significantly boosting their durability, all their moves also become more powerful Dynamax moves.
Of course, few people likely know the principle behind this phenomenon now.
Fortunately, Aiden is one of them.
"Dynamax doesn't last long. Once used, it means the battle is nearing its conclusion."
After explaining briefly, Aiden suddenly roared:
"So, the move Nessa will use next must be—"
"Max Airstream!" ×2
Aiden and the Nessa on-screen simultaneously spoke, issuing identical commands.
It's the ultimate move among Dynamax moves that left the deepest impression on him.
Uh ah, Max Airstream!
Talking about Dynamax, Max Airstream is indeed the most memorable, isn't it?
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)