"Teleport, Stored Power combo! Watch out for Haxorus's counterattack!"
The moment Future Sight slammed into Haxorus, Alakazam moved again under Gu Yuan's command. First, it used Teleport to flash directly in front of Haxorus, ensuring the dragon could not dodge the upcoming blast of Stored Power. Immediately after, a dazzling, intense light erupted once more. Sensing the impending danger, Haxorus managed to roll away, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"Haxorus, Scary Face, then Giga Impact!"
The moment Haxorus successfully dodged, Doherty's voice rang out in its ears. A terrifying, ghostly visage appeared, causing Alakazam's speed to drop. Haxorus then lunged forward with a ferocious charge, unleashing Giga Impact. However, no matter how fast Haxorus moved, it was no match for Alakazam's Teleport.
Boom!
After the impact carved a deep crater into the battlefield, Haxorus immediately tried to retreat to the side. In the next instant, chains of psychic energy rose, leaving the dragon with nowhere to hide. A triple-layered Psychic assault followed, striking Haxorus directly.
Misfortune never comes alone. Just as Alakazam's offensive ended, the effects of Haxorus's Outrage wore off. A wave of exhaustion hit the dragon, and the searing pain throughout its body made it teeter on the verge of unconsciousness.
"Finish it! Teleport, Dazzling Gleam!"
A burst of brilliant light shot forward, striking Haxorus in the chest and forcing it back. The relentless barrage finally pushed Haxorus to its limit. With a final, reluctant glance at Alakazam, it collapsed in defeat.
While Doherty was switching Pokémon, Alakazam took the opportunity to recover as much of its psychic energy as possible.
"Go, Altaria! Use Dragon Pulse, then fly high into the air!"
Doherty didn't even have time to be shocked by Alakazam's power; he had to hurry and release his second Pokémon to wear Alakazam down as quickly as possible. After launching a Dragon Pulse, Altaria prepared to take to the skies as commanded. In the next second, the aura of a Leader Rank Pokémon locked onto Altaria.
"Altaria, Sky Attack!"
Doherty's voice rang out, but it was already too late. A Psychic blast hit Altaria square in the chest first, preventing it from executing the move. This was followed by a Psyshock that struck like a series of guided missiles, knocking Altaria out of the sky. Then, Confusion manifested as chains, binding Altaria tightly. With a Hypnosis spell, Altaria was sent straight into a dream world.
Using Teleport, Gu Yuan repeated his previous tactic, placing Alakazam right in front of the sleeping Altaria to safely buff itself with Calm Mind. Doherty glared at Gu Yuan, but despite his rage, he had to admit Gu Yuan's timing was impeccable. Even if he lost Altaria, he still had one Pokémon left to drain Alakazam's stamina, even if it just meant taking a few hits. After all, Alakazam had been fighting a long battle and its physical energy was heavily depleted.
If he gave up now, he would be shifting all the pressure onto Levan. Left with no choice, Doherty waited until Alakazam had boosted its Special Defense to the limit with Calm Mind before recalling Altaria.
Opening his final Poké Ball, Doherty released Druddigon.
"Druddigon, Outrage and Draco Meteor!"
The moment Druddigon appeared, Doherty ordered his strongest offensive. Simultaneously, Alakazam used Recover, and its stamina began to return rapidly.
Meteors fell from the sky, hurtling toward Alakazam with terrifying force. Feeling its energy replenished, Alakazam launched a counter-offensive. A giant serpent made of Psychic energy surged forward, shattering the falling meteors one by one before biting down on Druddigon. Under the repeated impacts, even Druddigon's Outrage was useless. Finally, a blast of Stored Power sent Druddigon flying, crashing into the Future Sight Alakazam had set up earlier, rendering it unable to battle.
As Doherty left the field, Gu Yuan temporarily recalled Alakazam to its Poké Ball. Replacing Doherty was their captain, Levan. At this moment, Levan deeply regretted ever provoking the Kanto contestants; otherwise, he wouldn't be in this humiliating, no-win situation. But regrets were useless now. All he could do was try his best.
"Go, Samurott!"
Levan opened his Poké Ball and released his strongest partner.
"Go, Annihilape!"
As Annihilape stepped onto the field, the aura of another Leader Rank Pokémon was unleashed.
"How is this possible!?"
In the Unova contestant area, Chambers couldn't help but cry out in shock. A Leader Rank Alakazam was difficult enough, but now there was a Leader Rank Annihilape as well. Chambers felt his skin crawl. This situation pointed toward the worst-case scenario: being swept by a single person.
If that really happened, the Unova League would be nailed to a pillar of shame. This would be the first time such a thing occurred since the start of the Regional Battle Tournaments. While there had been large skill gaps in the past, both sides usually maintained some level of decorum to let the weaker side save face. It seemed the Kanto League had no intention of being merciful. If the higher-ups found out this mess started because of him, Chambers didn't want to imagine the punishment he would face.
Inevitably, Chambers began to feel a surge of resentment toward the Kanto team, especially Dar and the currently dominant Gu Yuan.
"Go, Annihilape! Phantom Force!"
"Samurott, get Razor Shell ready!"
While Chambers was lost in his thoughts, Gu Yuan and Levan had already begun their exchange. Levan stopped thinking about Gu Yuan's staggering strength and focused solely on defeating him. If he truly got swept, his career as a captain would be over.
Emerging from a rift in space, Annihilape threw a straight punch. Samurott reacted with extreme speed, spinning quickly to intercept the Annihilape appearing behind it. Seeing this, Annihilape abandoned its defense, allowing Samurott to leave a wound on its body just so it could land the Phantom Force hit.
"Chilling Water!"
Samurott sprayed a stream of freezing water. This move was meant to stiffen the opponent's movements and lower their Attack. Taking a step back, Annihilape used Phantom Force to vanish again. For Annihilape, the pain from Samurott's previous attack was inconsequential. To master Rage Fist, it had long ago adapted to the stimulation of pain.
"Be careful, Samurott! We cannot give Annihilape any more chances to power up its Rage Fist. Keep Hydro Pump ready!"
Levan's voice rang out. Samurott stood like a true swordsman, waiting for the exact moment Annihilape would strike to deliver a finishing blow.