Continuous Slash and Holy Sword are the combination Natsuhiko had Doublade attempt to learn and use while in Regigigas's Alternate Space.
Continuous Slash: It inflicts damage to the target. Each time Continuous Slash successfully hits an opponent, the power of the next attack doubles. If the move misses, if the user leaves the battle, or uses another move, its power resets to its base power.
That is to say, although the base power of Continuous Slash is 40, its maximum limit can reach 160, which is even higher than most Pokémon's ultimate techniques.
Doublade's trait is Defenseless, greatly increasing the mutual hit probability between both parties, which allows Continuous Slash's power to stack up faster.
If "Holy Sword," a move with a base power of 90, can be incorporated into Continuous Slash, theoretically, its limit could become a power of 360!
Of course, this is just theoretical.
Doublade needs to integrate the power-enhancing characteristic of "Continuous Slash" into "Holy Sword."
The difficulty is undoubtedly very high.
But Doublade has an advantage most Pokémon can't compare to.
It has two swords!
Two bodies!
If the two swords are well connected, continuous uninterrupted attacks can be achieved.
While one sword strikes, the other prepares.
This also increases the theoretical possibility of combining Continuous Slash and Holy Sword.
But this really tests Doublade's control of itself, and its mastering and linking of techniques.
Thus, while in the Alternate Space, Doublade has continuously failed to successfully use such a technique combination.
Therefore, Natsuhiko thought about whether he could utilize Doublade's other consciousness, the more frantic and irritable one, to control one sword each, making it much more feasible.
However, Doublade has been unable to communicate with its other consciousness in a friendly manner.
Originally, Natsuhiko hoped that with the planned lull, Doublade would master it.
Not expecting high proficiency, but at least to reach entry-level.
Yet the "Trial" and "Lily Youth Competition" organized by the league disrupted his opportunity.
He can only try to let Doublade feel the pressure meanwhile stimulating its potential, seeing if it can combine these two techniques.
"Haa—"
Under Natsuhiko's indication, Doublade gritted its teeth and charged forward.
Chang—
Both swords unsheathed simultaneously, entering a battle state.
At the same time, Yujira deployed Psychic Arena and Togetic unleashed Divine Power, providing Doublade with some auxiliary support.
Without a doubt, Doublade is the main force in this battle.
Swoosh!
The sword blade, wrapped in green-blue light, swiftly advanced to the nearest Vanilluxe, wielding the Insect-type technique Continuous Slash.
Bang!
Struck by Togetic's Divine Power, the flinched state Vanilluxe couldn't dodge, took the attack head-on, and was directly swept away.
Doublade's offensive was not yet over. It approached again, its form alternating between shadow and entity, using the speed boost from Shadow Assault to effectively counteract its inherent slowness.
Holy Sword!
A light blue phantom of the sword body covered the other blade, and the "Sword of Universal Equality" hit Vanilluxe again, and the strong impact of the Fighting-type technique knocked off a lot of ice shards.
Bang!
It crashed into the snowdrift, disappearing from sight for a moment.
However, after the use of Holy Sword, the power-doubling effect from Doublade previously using Continuous Slash also disappeared.
"Haa....."
Doublade had foreseen this result but couldn't help showing a hint of disappointment.
Practiced for so long, and still not even entry-level.
Natsuhiko said it has strong talent, did he say it wrong?
Just as Doublade fell into self-doubt, the surrounding Vanilluxe saw their companion attacked and slammed into the snowdrift by two swords, only then reacted.
"Duo Ice!"
"Duo Ice!"
Pale crystal mist emitted from the top vents of the Vanilluxe, sweeping toward Doublade from all directions.
Freeze Dry!
"Doublade, Shadow Assault!"
Natsuhiko, not far away, saw Doublade's failure to use Continuous Slash combined with Holy Sword, and its self-doubt but now was not the time to be distracted.
If not careful, with so many Vanilluxe, even if Doublade is a Steel-type Pokémon, it won't escape being frozen into an ice block.
"Hey!"
Upon hearing Natsuhiko's command, Doublade shivered.
Quickly reacted, it instinctively used Shadow Assault, diving into the underground shadow to swiftly dodge and escape the attack.
However, the attack was too intense, and Doublade was slow to react; nearly half of its body was still hit and covered with a thick ice layer.
Freeze Effect!
The already slow movements were further restricted.
"Duo Ice!"
The Vanilluxe saw Doublade not entirely frozen, immediately pinpointing its dodging location.
"Cherrim, Aromatherapy."
At this moment, Natsuhiko's voice arrived in time.
"Ying Treasure—"
After spending time in coordination, Cherrim had acquired a certain momentum with Natsuhiko, shaking its body, a faint green light quickly spreading around as its center.
With the green light's touch, the ice crystals covering Doublade began to melt.
"Doublade, don't mind the result, just try! What you need to do is simply try, success or failure isn't important!" Natsuhiko shouted to Doublade, who again had dodged the attack.
Try?
Doublade heard Natsuhiko's words and silently repeated them.
Indeed.
No one masters all techniques from the start, they all increase their proficiency through constant practice.
The memory flashed in its mind of hiding atop the Divine Departure Mountain, years and years of monotonously practicing the already learned techniques.
And precisely because of the years of foundation laid, its proficiency with these techniques was now so high.
That was also the reason why Natsuhiko first let Doublade attempt using combined techniques.
"Hey!!"
Doublade growled lowly, regaining its focus.
The outcome doesn't matter!
It believes as long as it continues to try and practice, it'll eventually master it!
What it needs to do now is to do its best with each attack falling!
"Yongji!"
"Check!"
Yujira and Togetic also gave Doublade the maximum support.
Continuous Slash! Continuous Slash! Holy Sword! Continuous Slash!...
Over and over.
Doublade forgot its purpose for using these two techniques, only remembering during the battle, it should utilize them to the limit it could reach.
Bang bang bang——
The Vanilluxe were repeatedly blown away by the like-shadow unstoppable Doublade. Whenever they found Doublade's location and tried to counterattack, the Togetic from the distance consistently brought Divine Power to restrict, if Divine Power didn't succeed, Yujira's Spirit Blade would follow.
Meanwhile, Yujira constantly utilized "Future Sight," reminding Doublade to be cautious in some locations and to strike in others.
But the number of Vanilluxe was too much, and besides the few with the "Snowfall" trait, most have the "Frozen Body" trait. As long as Doublade didn't achieve a one-time kill, they quickly recovered strength and returned to the battle.
Doublade just kept swinging, and swinging, and swinging...
Right now, the relentlessly fighting Vanilluxe had virtually become Doublade's best training target, the best decoy.
Gradually.
The green-blue light fading from Doublade's sword blade and the large light blue phantom of the sword's body harmonized in it amidst confusion about whether to use Continuous Slash or Holy Sword for the next move.
Suddenly a single strike!
Bang!
A brief hint of astonishment appeared in Doublade's focused eyes, along with some disbelief.
Just now.....
It seemed to use Continuous Slash?
Why did it cause such damage to Vanilluxe?
No, it used Holy Sword?
But why did it still feel like the continuous swings and the sense that the next time would be stronger hadn't disappeared?
Not far away.
On Natsuhiko's face, a smile appeared.