"Then let's finish this already. Only by crushing them completely can we achieve the best educational effect."
Jason Brooks and the others looked at each other and smiled mischievously. Immediately, Magmar, Electabuzz, Grovyle, and Golduck began to move.
Their figures darted quickly across the field. In an instant, the four Pokémon were out of the sandstorm's reach, circling the field from four directions and attacking the defensive barrier.
"They're coming this way! Quick, stop them!"
Seeing the opponents' actions, the kids panicked and quickly ordered their Pokémon to intervene.
But these four Pokémon clearly stood out for their speed, taking Ethan Black's team by surprise. Their Pokémon didn't react in time, and in a blink, the enemies were already in front of the defensive barrier.
At the same time, the four began to concentrate energy: Magmar used Fire Punch, Electabuzz used Thunder Punch, Golduck used Ice Punch, and Grovyle used Leaf Blade.
Three fists and a sharp blade struck the barrier with full force!
"We're finished!"
At that moment, everyone felt their hearts sink.
"Ha, ha, ha!"
"This is over!"
Jason Brooks laughed arrogantly. But immediately afterward, his smile froze on his face.
No one had noticed, but Sandslash was already in front of the barrier! Under the sandstorm, a whirlwind of sand rose from the ground, completely covering the barrier.
BOOM!
A roar echoed as the attacks collided with the sand whirlwind, generating an intense energy clash.
"That was...!"
"Good job! Everyone else, return to defend!"
Seeing this, everyone cheered and gave new orders.
"No need to return. Direct your attacks straight at the opposing team!"
At that moment, Ethan Black's urgent voice rang out, leaving everyone in shock.
"Quick! Magneton, use Thunderbolt; Shelgon, Flamethrower; Metang, Psychic; Onix, Dig. Everyone attack Mr. Mime!"
Ethan Black grabbed the microphone and issued the commands rapidly.
"Let's go, let's go! Follow Ethan Black's orders!" shouted Lucas Silver, the first to react.
The Pokémon hesitated no longer, and the moves—Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, and Psychic—were unleashed in bursts, while Onix dove underground, advancing toward the rival team's barrier.
"Damn it! Magmar, Electabuzz, Golduck, Grovyle! Use all your power and destroy that sand whirlwind along with the barrier!"
Seeing the rival's attacks, Jason Brooks changed his expression and shouted orders. The four Pokémon howled and unleashed all their power on the whirlwind.
"Sandslash, use Rapid Spin!"
Realizing the whirlwind wouldn't last, Ethan Black changed strategy. Sandslash executed Rapid Spin, destroying the whirlwind and turning it into a rain of sand that forced the enemies to retreat.
BOOM!
Meanwhile, the three ranged attacks violently struck the barrier created by Mr. Mime.
The barrier shook and filled with spiderweb-like cracks, breaking under the astonished gaze of Jason Brooks' team!
At that moment, Onix emerged from the ground and, using Iron Tail, struck Mr. Mime by surprise, slamming it against the defensive wall.
"This is the last chance! Attack the opponent's barrier!"
"With full power, destroy their barrier now!"
Both teams shouted simultaneously. Eight Pokémon launched a final attack on the opposing barrier.
"Sandslash, use Rapid Spin to stop Magmar!"
Ethan Black gave orders again. Quickly, Sandslash spun rapidly, intercepting Magmar.
BOOM!
Magmar's flaming punch hit Sandslash, sending it flying through the air.
At that moment, Electabuzz, Golduck, and Grovyle had already reached Ethan Black and the others, attacking with full power. The barrier began to visibly darken.
"Oh my God!"
Even knowing the barrier protected them, Alex Baxter shouted and backed away, fearing a strike would obliterate him if the barrier broke.
"Don't worry, these barriers are very resilient. They can withstand up to a dozen Hyper Beams. Even if they break, a special residual energy blocks the explosion wave," explained Lucas Silver knowledgeably.
Meanwhile, Magneton, Metang, and Shelgon also launched their attacks at the enemy barrier. Onix added two more Iron Tail strikes, making the barrier visibly tremble.
CRACK!
CRACK!
And almost simultaneously, two cracking sounds were heard. Both teams' barriers broke at the same time, generating a glow that covered everyone and absorbed the shockwave from the final attacks.
"What...?"
"Is the battle over?"
When the glow dissipated, all ten participants saw their barriers broken, realizing the battle had ended.
Although none of the Pokémon were defeated, the barrier breaking symbolized the end of the battle, as if the Nexus had been destroyed in League of Legends.
"What was the result?"
Immediately, everyone looked at the large screen on the referee's table.
The screen clearly displayed the message that the blue team had won!
"Blue team?"
"Wait! Weren't we the blue team?"
Suddenly, Marcus Foster looked at the panel showing his side of the field, and his eyes went wide.
Had they really... won?
"What?! Did we lose?"
"Impossible!"
From the side of the school's Second Team, Mark Carter stared at the screen, mouth agape, unable to believe it.
Clearly, their defensive barrier had fallen before Ethan Black's team's barrier.
"Ethan, that was brilliant!"
"Incredible! You're a monster, no wonder you beat me before!"
Marcus Foster shouted excitedly. Ethan Black's strategy to turn the battle around had been simply perfect.
"So you had it all planned, huh? Otherwise, Sandslash wouldn't have reacted so quickly."
Lucas Silver was also amazed. Seeing Sandslash's instant reaction, he deduced that Ethan Black had anticipated this scenario from the start, allowing him to defend at the perfect moment.
And it was that defense that gave his teammates the chance to attack and destroy the rival barrier to win the battle.
"They caught us with their strategy... it seems they completely understood our plan."
Even Jason Brooks couldn't help but look at Ethan Black with resignation. Both the sandstorm and Sandslash's final sacrifice to stop Magmar had been absolutely crucial.
Without them, Magmar would undoubtedly have destroyed Ethan Black's team barrier first.
(End of chapter)