"Here it comes."
The moment Slowbro hit the field, completely shrugging off the Stealth Rocks, Kashiwagi knew Yamamino was finally getting serious.
He had brought out one of his powerhouses. Kashiwagi immediately issued a sharp warning to Mawile: "Watch out for its mental pressure! Sucker Punch!"
"Maw-ile!"
Mawile responded, electricity crackling around her body as she launched herself at Slowbro like an arrow from a bow. The lightning-fast speed proved she was in peak condition.
But the instant she neared Slowbro, something shocking happened.
Slowbro's dopey eyes lit up with a blue glow, followed by an invisible wave of energy that surged forward like a tide. Mawile, caught in the direct path, felt as if she had slammed into a boundless ocean. The giant jaw at the back of her head glowed red, frantically tearing at the psychic pressure, but it was nothing like the ease with which she had handled Meowstic.
In the next heartbeat, Mawile was sent flying backward!
Whoosh!
Her body whistled through the air from the friction, but fortunately, she regained her balance before hitting the ground. Using the power of Magnet Rise, she forced her momentum to a halt mid-air.
When she looked up, she saw the raging sandstorm being suppressed and flattened by a massive, invisible force. The sand settled to the ground, and the battlefield was no longer hazy.
"Mawile's offensive and the Sand Tomb have been crushed simultaneously! Slowbro has displayed terrifying psychic power! Can Mawile break through this airtight psychic web!?" the announcer's excited voice filled the arena.
Yamamino's Slowbro was doing exactly what it had done in previous matches: crushing its opponent with peerless mental energy. Kashiwagi and Mawile were no exception.
Yet, this didn't strike fear into them. On the contrary, they felt a surge of joy—because their opponent was finally showing his true strength, revealing his power without reservation.
Now, all they had to do was use their own strength and will to break through that power and find that sliver of a chance for victory. In a Pokémon battle, as long as the Trainer and Pokémon don't give up, nothing is absolute!
"Are you ready?" Kashiwagi asked softly.
"Mawile!"
Mawile clenched her fists, letting out a determined cry. The electricity around her suddenly brightened, extending into physical currents that dove into the ground. Massive chunks of rock burst from the earth, lining up behind her in a straight row, wreathed in lightning.
This strange maneuver left Yamamino puzzled, but he wasn't about to sit back and watch his opponent set up a gimmick.
"Psychic!"
"Sloww-bro!"
Slowbro's eyes flared blue, and a mountainous weight of psychic energy pressed down on Mawile!
But at that exact moment, a series of explosive bangs erupted behind Mawile!
The row of rocks slammed into one another one by one. Each collision resulted in a shattering explosion that propelled the rock in front with even greater speed and kinetic energy. Finally, the rock directly beneath Mawile's feet exploded with terrifying force.
Propelled by this incredible momentum, Mawile's body turned into a black blur—invisible to the naked eye—and shot toward Slowbro!
"Crunch!" Kashiwagi yelled, shielding his eyes from the flying debris.
Yamamino's eyes widened. He looked at Slowbro, only to see a low, booming sound erupt in front of it. A dark, crimson light tore a hole right through his Pokémon's proud psychic shield. The hideous jaw lunged through the gap, glowing with a dark aura as it bit down hard on Slowbro's head!
BOOM!
The energy detonated! Dusty smoke instantly swallowed both Pokémon.
What was that? What did Kashiwagi just do?
The announcer was stunned and failed to grasp the situation immediately. When he turned to the guests, one mused that the explosion of the rocks had provided Mawile with extra propulsion.
However, he was quickly corrected by another guest.
"If I'm not mistaken, that was a makeshift Magnetic Slingshot."
"A Magnetic Slingshot?"
"Yes. Kashiwagi's Mawile used Magnet Rise to alter the properties of those metal-bearing rocks, temporarily turning them into magnets. By using multiple collisions to build up kinetic energy, she achieved an extraordinary burst of speed." The guest looked impressed. "It's a very specialized technique. Even though I understand the theory, I wouldn't dare say I could replicate it."
The announcer hurried to repeat the explanation to the crowd, most of whom felt like they were listening to a lecture in a foreign language.
A Magnetic Slingshot? What is that? Can Pokémon even do that?
The answer, naturally, was yes. It was a trump card born from Kashiwagi's wild imagination and perfected through Mawile's endless practice. Because it wasn't 100% reliable—the failure rate was actually higher than the success rate—they rarely used it.
But they were out of options now. Slowbro's psychic power was too overwhelming; without this method, they couldn't even get close.
Furthermore, this technique took a toll on Mawile. Although she was a Steel-type, she wasn't made of 100% solid iron. The internal vibrations from the kinetic transfer would leave her in pain for a long time—one wrong move could even result in fractured legs.
Using this move meant Mawile was fighting with her back to the wall.
"Sucker Punch!"
Kashiwagi didn't know how much longer she could hold out. He only hoped to shave off as much of Slowbro's health as possible. As the smoke cleared, it revealed Mawile lunging at Slowbro once more.
"Zen Headbutt!"
Yamamino didn't panic. He checked Slowbro's condition as it moved—it was much better than expected. He had braced himself for Slowbro to be instantly knocked out like Meowstic, but it seemed Mawile couldn't yet perfectly transfer all that built-up power to her opponent.
What a pity. Yamamino felt a brief moment of regret for Kashiwagi, but he had no intention of showing mercy.
The hideous jaw and the head surrounded by a pink halo collided fiercely. Once again, an explosion rocked the ground. Elemental energy is both stable and incredibly volatile; it can coexist with conflicting elements in a Contest, yet explode upon the slightest touch in a battle. The deciding factor is the Pokémon's will.
Inside the smoke, the two Pokémon clashed. Once Mawile succeeded in closing the distance, it became difficult for Slowbro to build up enough psychic power to blast her away. The mental energy needed to counteract Sucker Punch couldn't be gathered fast enough, and small amounts were easily pierced.
However, Slowbro's close-quarters combat was just as formidable. In fact, it began to suppress Mawile, who was suffering from the recoil of the Magnetic Slingshot. The two Pokémon traded blows, the ground trembling under the impact.
"Water Pulse!"
"Sucker Punch!"
Another Sucker Punch. It was as if she had no other moves. Kashiwagi had no choice—Mawile's raw stats were lower. A Thunder Punch wouldn't be fast enough to beat the opponent's move and would likely result in a counter-KO. Only Sucker Punch, which draws speed from the opponent's intent to attack, allowed Mawile to keep up.
However, this time, Mawile's body suddenly feinted during the collision. Slowbro's Water Pulse fist slammed into the ground, and Mawile twisted her body mid-air. Instead of opening her jaw, she swung it like a massive hammer!
BANG!
Slowbro's head took a heavy blow, slamming into the mud. Water surged upward as the earth shook violently! The sudden turn of events shocked the spectators.
The announcer screamed, "Mawile suddenly shifted her stance and dodged the Water Pulse! Even with her stamina pushed to the limit, she could still do that!? She's putting on a—ugh."
Before he could finish, the white mist drifted away.
Mawile was lying on the muddy ground, her eyes swirling in circles. Slowbro, however, was slowly pushing itself back up. As the one who took the hit, Slowbro had managed to endure!
"I see. Mawile was already a flickering candle in the wind; that was her final stand. Truly a shame—if she had held on just a bit longer, she might have taken Slowbro down," a guest sighed.
The surviving Slowbro then received a new command from Yamamino.
"Slack Off."