Hayata's mentality hadn't broken down. In his view, the situation wasn't that dire yet.
The commentator brought up past examples of Trainers who turned the tide with only three Pokémon left. The commentator had intended to ease Hayata's stress, but Hayata felt even more stressed after hearing it.
However, any strong Trainer could already tell that this match was most likely over.
Aside from Marill, who was in poor condition, both Mismagius and Darkrai were practically untouched.
Hayata took a deep breath, forcing the chaotic thoughts out of his mind.
"I haven't lost! I can still turn this around!"
The moment Hayata's fourth Pokémon appeared, Luther froze. Espurr, sitting on Luther's shoulder, also looked stunned for a moment.
"Oh! How interesting! Hayata's fourth Pokémon is a Meowstic! Is this his response to Luther?"
"We all know Luther has an Espurr!"
Diantha looked at Cynthia in confusion.
"I know Sinnoh's Lucian loves stirring things up, but is this some kind of regional specialty? With the commentator shouting that, Luther is definitely going to send out Espurr."
Cynthia smiled and stuffed a bite of crêpe into Diantha's mouth. "Even if the commentator hadn't said it, Luther would've sent Espurr out. That kid is fighting like this precisely to prove that each of his Pokémon is the best."
"Think about it. Luther's greatest strength lies in his ability to coordinate six Pokémon seamlessly. He has a complete system, but he hasn't used it at all. He doesn't even regard his opponent as a real threat."
And even if he did use that system, it might seem dull to many spectators. The strategies and plays are too intricate; without a skilled commentator, the audience wouldn't realize how incredible the execution is.
Diantha chewed her crêpe, her eyes fixed on the battlefield.
Sure enough, Espurr floated onto the field on her own, without Luther needing to say a word.
This battle was hers to fight. Espurr wouldn't let anyone else take it.
Hayata's Meowstic was female. According to the Pokédex, females specialized more in offense than males did.
This was Hayata's calculated move. Since Luther wanted to defeat him one Pokémon at a time, he knew that once he sent out Meowstic, Luther would respond with Espurr. It simply didn't fit Luther's style.
His Meowstic had already evolved, and its training focus was special attack.
From Espurr's previous appearances, it was clear that it played a support role. Its offensive power seemed pitiful.
This move guaranteed his victory.
Upon seeing Espurr, Meowstic yawned, looking utterly unmotivated.
Espurr's folded ears twitched slightly. It restrained itself and turned to glance at the referee.
It was the referee's first time seeing a Pokémon signal the start of the match. Flustered, he quickly raised and waved his flag.
"Battle start!"
Hayata swung his arm sharply. "Sucker Punch!"
There was no time to hesitate. Hayata wouldn't allow the opportunity for a comeback to slip away. First, he would use Sucker Punch to deal damage; everything else could wait.
Meowstic became a blur and reappeared behind Espurr in an instant.
"Dark Pulse," Luther responded immediately.
Sucker Punch struck Espurr's back. Espurr reacted at the last second, nimbly spinning around to unleash a Dark Pulse at Meowstic.
At the same time, she slid along the edge of her own attack, slipping behind Meowstic.
Hayata ordered Meowstic to counter with a Dark Pulse to neutralize the incoming attack, only to suddenly realize that Espurr was already behind Meowstic.
Espurr clung to Meowstic's back. From Luther's angle, it looked as though Meowstic was carrying a baby on its back.
Even Luther hadn't anticipated this.
That position! That timing...
Not unleashing a move now would be an insult to Espurr's ability to seize opportunities.
He was just about to call out "Dark Pulse" when the slight trembling of Espurr's folded ears made him pause.
For a moment, Espurr's eyes clearly conveyed a message: 'Let's go all out.'
Luther suddenly remembered what Diantha had once said: releasing all restraint from Espurr's ears would unleash her overwhelming psychic power, but it could also severely drain her stamina.
Yet, at that moment, Espurr had already made up her mind. She was urging Luther to give her permission.
"Forget it... Psychic!"
Luther chose to trust Espurr's decision.
He had no idea why she had suddenly become so fired up.
Psychic itself wasn't a particularly damaging move, so Hayata didn't pay much attention to it initially. However, Meowstic, unable to shake Espurr off, grew increasingly restless.
Sensing the terrifying psychic power surging behind her and catching a glimpse of Espurr's ears rising from the corner of her eye, Meowstic finally understood.
She's removing the limiter!
Though the Espurr evolutionary line appeared adorable, the psychic power hidden within them was terrifying.
They were called "Self-Control Pokémon" because their folded ears functioned as limiters, suppressing their immense Psychic energy.
Removing that restraint granted far greater power, but at the cost of severe stamina depletion and tremendous strain on the body.
In the wild, they did it to survive.
Here, Espurr did it simply to win.
Meowstic hardened her resolve. Seeing that Hayata hadn't realized what Espurr was doing, she stopped hesitating and straightened her own ears.
In the same instant, two massive waves of psychic power erupted across the arena. Invisible forces intertwined and collided violently.
Both Meowstic and Espurr froze in place. From afar, they looked almost heartwarming, like a mother carrying a baby on her back.
But the cracks spreading across the battlefield, the turf being ripped up, and the dull explosions echoing from all directions made one thing clear.
This clash was ferocious.
If Aegislash hadn't moved to shield the referee, the referee might have been thrown into the air by the psychic force blanketing the arena.
Aegislash also shielded Luther and Hayata.
This was perhaps the most nerve-racking duel since the tournament began. In the unseen void, two Psychic-type Pokémon clashed with pure Psychic power.
"An evolved Meowstic definitely has the advantage!"
Understanding what was happening, Hayata revealed a relaxed smile as if victory were already decided. His thoughts mirrored those of the audience and commentator. Evolution naturally carried an advantage.
Luther, however, remained calm.
He had already noticed Meowstic's ears trembling.
Their instinctive urge to fold back down proved that Meowstic's body had reached its limit.
Espurr, on the other hand, remained as steady as a mountain, still clinging to Meowstic with her ears standing perfectly upright.
With surprising leisure, Luther took the camera out of his backpack and snapped a photo of the "parent-and-child" scene.
The moment the shutter clicked, two waves of psychic power tore open the ground beneath them simultaneously.
With the ground collapsing under her feet, Meowstic staggered forward several steps. Espurr could no longer maintain her grip and fell to the ground.
Seeing Espurr lying motionless, Hayata excitedly urged the referee to declare her unable to battle, while Luther calmly checked the focus and composition of the photo.
"Espurr, come take a look at your picture."
Hearing Luther call her name, Espurr, whose head was buried in the cratered battlefield, lifted her face. She blinked her large eyes and happily floated over.
The referee was about to warn Luther that stepping onto the field at that moment would result in disqualification. However, when he turned Meowstic over, he saw the red mark on her chest and her unfocused, dizzy eyes. He sighed.
"Meowstic is unable to battle. Espurr wins."
At the last moment, both Pokémon had tried to direct their unstable psychic power at each other. But Meowstic couldn't endure until the very end. The merged torrent of psychic energy was ultimately seized by Espurr and used to crush her opponent.
Though Espurr usually played gently with the younger Pokémon, it would be a mistake to say she had no combat ability and could only serve as support.
If Ash and the others had said that, Luther might have humbly accepted it.
But this time, it was Hayata.
And Espurr would not tolerate that insult.
(End of Chapter)
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