The Sludge Bomb exploded, forming a wide arc of sludge that completely blanketed the sky above Gardevoir.
But the moment Lin Feng's words left his lips, Gardevoir, who had originally turned toward him, simply waved its right hand.
A surge of psychic energy radiated outward. The rushing sludge seemed to hit an invisible stop button, freezing midair, suspended as if time itself had paused. Not a single droplet moved.
No matter how powerful the explosion had been, no matter how far the sludge had spread, everything was completely immobilized.
And the most astonishing part was that Gardevoir had done all of this without even turning around.
"This is absurd! How is this even possible?"
The scene froze, leaving only the whistling wind and Xu Liang's utterly dumbfounded expression.
What kind of battle was this?
The Sludge Bomb unleashed by his Seismitoad something that should have created a chaotic, unstoppable wave was effortlessly controlled.
And it had been done with a single hand, without even glancing back.
Shock, confusion, and disbelief tangled in Xu Liang's mind, forming an emotion that teetered on the edge of awe.
His Seismitoad had a long history of victories alongside him. Its most glorious achievement had been defeating the champion's main Pokémon in a provincial gym battle. That was an elite-level Pokémon.
And yet, here it was its moves rendered utterly powerless in front of Gardevoir.
What level of power did this Gardevoir possess? Elite? Champion?
He couldn't bring himself to think any further.
This match was already over.
Xu Liang glanced at the motionless Gardevoir in the distance, then back at Lin Feng, who shook his head calmly.
The fiery battle spirit that had surged within him moments ago slowly ebbed.
The cheers from the crowd, the excited commentary from above, even the sounds around him seemed to blur, fading into the background.
The vast battlefield stretched toward him endlessly.
Gardevoir's gentle smile now felt like a towering mountain pressing down on him.
When facing a conquerable opponent, or one you might spar with, a trainer's fighting spirit arises naturally.
But now, before Gardevoir, Xu Liang felt none of that desire.
As a trainer, he was fundamentally different from the audience.
Most spectators could only see the spectacle they would marvel at Gardevoir controlling Seismitoad's moves with ease.
But the method behind that control…
They couldn't begin to understand it.
If the Sludge Bomb had been blocked, or if Gardevoir had used Protect or a psychic barrier, it might still seem manageable.
But this was an explosive Sludge Bomb, containing hundreds, possibly thousands of individual droplets, each with its own force and trajectory.
And this one Pokémon was controlling every single droplet with psychic power.
Too weak, and the sludge would spiral out of control. Too strong, and the already-formed sludge would detonate.
Yet this pale-blue Gardevoir controlled it flawlessly, not a single droplet splashing onto the ground.
Hundreds of sludge droplets…
Xu Liang couldn't fathom how Gardevoir could control energy with such precision.
"Preposterous…"
From the top of the stands, Feng Yang's lips twitched.
If Xu Liang could see this level of precision, with his keen insight, he would understand the deeper implications.
Feng Yang had once faced an elite Psychic-type Pokémon. Though he had won, he had never seen control like this, so precise, so complete.
"What a shame."
Feng Yang shook his head, looking back down at Xu Liang.
This young trainer had talent. He had raised his Seismitoad to such a level at a young age, and his other Pokémon were also impressive. With more time, he might even become a master of Poison-type Pokémon.
But now, his eyes reflected only confusion.
He looked deeply frustrated.
…
"Maybe this is a bit too much," Lin Feng thought, watching his opponent hesitate without issuing commands.
But really, hadn't this been Xu Liang's choice?
No matter, no matter.
"Gardevoir, use "
Before Lin Feng could finish, Seismitoad spoke first.
"Croak…"
"Croak…"
A stream of calm, measured croaks came from Seismitoad. Lin Feng paused, intrigued.
The Pokémon was offering advice to its trainer.
It was recalling the battles they had fought together, the moments when they had faced situations like this before.
Back then, it had been a mere blue toad, confronting a Gyarados.
Its height hadn't even reached a meter, while the Gyarados stretched ten meters long.
Wasn't this moment just like that one?
Back then, they were alone in the wild, no one around to help, yet they had fought side by side.
Now, they were on a battlefield, and they didn't even need to escape.
Hearing this, a faint trace of shame crossed Xu Liang's face, but soon his expression cleared, renewed with vigor.
"Seismitoad, use Gigaton Impact!"
The bumps on Seismitoad's body emitted a deafening roar. Panting heavily, it launched itself with all its might toward Gardevoir.
"Gardevoir, use Psychic!"
Seeing his opponent regain his fighting spirit, Lin Feng issued his command again.
When faced with such a massive power gap, strategy and tactics no longer mattered.
Xu Liang realized this, so for the final attack, he unleashed Seismitoad's strongest move, charging headlong into the clash.
Boom!
The pink psychic energy controlled by Gardevoir collided with Seismitoad, producing a heavy thudding sound.
Gardevoir modulated the force of its psychic power so that Seismitoad would not be seriously harmed, yet the impact remained powerful, preserving the intensity of the strike.
After ten tense seconds, Seismitoad's stamina ran out. Slowly, it was enveloped by psychic energy and returned to Xu Liang's side.
"Phew…"
Xu Liang exhaled deeply, looking at his Seismitoad and whispering, "You did well…"
Then he turned to Gardevoir, standing gracefully in the distance, her gentle smile still present.
In an instant, she returned to Lin Feng's side.
"She's incredible…"
Xu Liang muttered.
But just as Seismitoad had reminded him, when they first faced Gyarados, they hadn't felt fear or frustration, only the excitement and adrenaline of youth.
And the determination to take on Gyarados again in the future.
Now, they had the strength to challenge even a Gyarados.
Why should they be afraid?
It was just Gardevoir.
Perhaps one day, they could battle her themselves.
"Thank you!"
He bowed to Lin Feng, then recalled Seismitoad, letting her float off the field.