The Psychic energy descended, completely crushing the Stone Edge. Akatsuka responded calmly, having Ursaring throw two more boulders to block the remaining force of the attack.
At the same time, the Future Sight that Alakazam had previously set up manifested. A sphere of energy shimmering with multicolored light ground toward Ursaring.
"Rock Tomb for defense! Turn around and use Cross Chop!"
Falling rocks created a barrier to soften the impact of Future Sight, while fighting-type energy enveloped Ursaring's arms. It spun and slashed, instantly shattering the psychic strike.
Gu Yuan seized the opportunity, commanding Alakazam to use Teleport to appear behind Ursaring. First, a Disable sealed off Cross Chop, then a giant serpent formed of Psychic energy slammed into Ursaring's back.
"Control it with Confusion, then use Psychic!"
Having seized the initiative, Gu Yuan immediately entered a storm-like offensive mode. Psychic energy transformed into chains, binding Ursaring tightly as Psychic followed up immediately.
"Break free with your strength! Defend with your arms and use Rock Tomb!"
Akatsuka's voice rang out, allowing Ursaring to quickly calm down. It lunged forward, snapping the telekinetic bonds, then crossed its arms to tank Alakazam's Psychic. Boulders fell toward Alakazam, forcing it to dodge and abandon its attack.
"Release Psyshock continuously!"
Waving its hands, Alakazam unleashed a massive surge of psychic energy that transformed into countless serpents. The falling rocks were destroyed, while many other serpents continued to strike at Ursaring. Relying on its superior skill, Alakazam kept a firm grip on the flow of the battle.
"Ursaring, charge with Brick Break!"
Facing Alakazam's relentless assault, Akatsuka could only rely on Ursaring's raw tenacity. Clad in fighting-type energy, it charged forward, smashing through the incoming Psyshock, only to have its momentum halted by Alakazam's Psychic.
While blocking Ursaring's charge, Alakazam's Future Sight manifested again, attacking from behind. Caught in a pincer attack, Akatsuka tried to have Ursaring block the Future Sight, but Alakazam's Disable interrupted it first.
Not only did it seal Brick Break, but it also left Ursaring momentarily paralyzed, forcing it to take the full brunt of Future Sight. Seizing this hard-won opening, Gu Yuan had Alakazam launch a torrential offensive, blasting Ursaring away.
Even so, through sheer willpower, Ursaring refused to faint. It roared and used Hyper Voice, preventing Alakazam from closing in. Looking at the floating Alakazam, Ursaring panted heavily, its head spinning. However, the battle intent filling its chest and its unbreakable bond with Akatsuka kept it on its feet.
"I understand, Ursaring. Let's keep charging! Clear the path with Stone Edge, then Mega Punch!"
At Akatsuka's roar, Ursaring seemed to hear a battle horn. It dragged its heavy body into another charge. Sharp stones coalesced around it, shielding it from Alakazam's Psyshock. It swung its fist with all its might, shattering Alakazam's Psychic.
Unfortunately, willpower alone could not reverse the tide. A second later, Ursaring was overwhelmed by Alakazam's Psyshock. As the smoke cleared, the defeated Ursaring lay on the ground. Alakazam was also exhausted; it had consumed a significant amount of stamina to finally take down the incredibly durable bear.
"You did well, Ursaring. Leave the rest to our partner!"
With that, Akatsuka released his fifth Pokémon, Crawdaunt. While Crawdaunt was slightly lower in rank than Alakazam, its Fresh status allowed it to hold the advantage over the exhausted Alakazam.
Seeing Crawdaunt enter the field, Gu Yuan recalled a snippet of research: unlike Crabrawler or Clawitzer, Crawdaunt's claws reportedly smell like Grimer and taste terrible. He couldn't help but wonder what the researcher who wrote that was thinking.
Compared to being a pure Water-type, Crawdaunt's dual Water/Dark typing actually added three weaknesses. Unfortunately, Gu Yuan's current active Pokémon didn't include Fighting, Bug, Electric, or Grass-types. His Fairy-type Sylveon was his trump card and wouldn't be revealed just for a Crawdaunt.
"Alakazam, Nasty Plot, then Psychic. Drain Crawdaunt's stamina as much as possible."
At Gu Yuan's voice, Alakazam knew its role. A cunning light flashed in its eyes. The stat boosts from its previous Nasty Plot had faded during the long struggle with Ursaring, so it had to buff itself again.
"Crawdaunt, Snarl!"
Just as Alakazam initiated Nasty Plot, Akatsuka ordered Crawdaunt—who had just taken damage from Spikes—to attack. While it didn't stop the move, the dark energy weakened the effects of the boost and dealt considerable damage to Alakazam. Akatsuka had specifically chosen Crawdaunt because its Dark-type moves were super-effective against Alakazam.
"Future Sight! Keep up the pressure with Psyshock!"
With his original plan disrupted, Gu Yuan had Alakazam reorganize its assault. Akatsuka was equally fast, ordering Crawdaunt to press the advantage. Knowing Gu Yuan wanted to wear Crawdaunt down, Akatsuka had it use high-power moves like Hydro Pump to trade stamina.
After the previous grueling battle, Alakazam was the first to fall, collapsing from exhaustion. Gu Yuan had three Pokémon left, while Akatsuka had two.
"Go, Ceruledge!"
The fourth Poké Ball opened, and the cool, elegant Ceruledge appeared on the battlefield. Although Akatsuka wasn't familiar with this species, he could tell from its appearance that it was a Fire-type.
"Crawdaunt, Hydro Pump!"
A surging torrent of water shot out toward Ceruledge. In terms of rank, Ceruledge had only recently broken through to the Senior Rank and was significantly behind Crawdaunt. It was also at a type disadvantage. Nevertheless, with its Ghost-typing, Gu Yuan remained confident.
"Ceruledge, Phantom Force, then Will-O-Wisp strike!"
Before the Hydro Pump could hit, Ceruledge successfully slipped into the pocket dimension.
"Be careful, Crawdaunt! Crabhammer!"
The moment Crawdaunt prepared itself, Ceruledge appeared behind it. A blade infused with Will-O-Wisp slashed across Crawdaunt's back. In the burned state, non-fixed physical damage is halved; even Crawdaunt's Hyper Cutter ability couldn't help it there. Furthermore, Crawdaunt's Crabhammer failed to hit Ceruledge's vitals. For Gu Yuan, that was enough.