Drizzling ice crystals—like thousands of blades—cut and shattered the air.
Under Hail, all non-Ice-type Pokémon suffered HP loss.
"Abomasnow—Blizzard!"
The referee's flag dropped. The twin-ponytail girl pointed—taking the initiative.
"Abomasnow!"
An earth-shattering roar echoed through the Gym.
Hail particles froze in mid-air. Then—all ice crystals shot like bullets. Bone-chilling cold poured down—engulfing everything in a silver-white vortex.
Within the icy field—Blizzard , boosted by Hail—was a guaranteed hit.
"Get close—then use Max Power Wood Hammer!"
Candice didn't miss the opportunity. A brutal, fluorescent green arm appeared amidst the ice and snow—smashing toward the opponent hit head-on by Blizzard.
[Wood Hammer] : Rams opponent with a hard body. User takes considerable damage.
But synchronized with the Trainer's command—was the delicate, agile rabbit Pokémon.
"Lopunny—dodge."
The elongated afterimage shifted. Completely dodged the attack amidst swirling ice dust.
The terrifying arm struck down—creating a splashing ice waterfall on the ground.
The power was clear.
"Abomasnow—continuous Wood Hammer!"
Candice commanded immediately.
Unlike rigid turn-based games—real-world Pokémon battles favored different tactics.
Substitute + Toxic. Minimize spam. Endeavor + Quick Attack.
Difficult to implement effectively.
Victory relied on: Pokémon's inherent strength. Trainer's on-the-spot command. Tactical creativity. And—an indescribable bond.
Candice's combined tactic was good.
Guaranteed-hit Blizzard → forced opponent to endure. Under cover of swirling Blizzard → close in → swing powerful Wood Hammer.
Ordinary Trainers? Hit head-on. Vision obscured. Struggling to cope.
As long as the first hit landed—wave-like Wood Hammer would not stop.
But unfortunately—
For Lopunny—Abomasnow's speed was still too slow.
Gigantic body provided strength—sacrificed agility. Even as fluorescent green arms swung wildly—Lopunny dodged each one.
"Lopunny—Power-Up Punch."
The dodging Lopunny crouched—pushed off the ground.
The arm swirling with icy storm brushed past her ear. Her eyes narrowed.
Converging punch winds transformed into streaks of afterimages—directly blasting away the stumbling opponent.
[Power-Up Punch] : Repeated hits harden fists. Increases attack power on each hit.
"Abomasnow!!!"
Candice's eyes widened.
Her usually resilient Abomasnow—no match at all.
The disparity was too great. Under her command—it used its last move with all its might.
Aurora Veil. Reduces damage from physical and special moves. Only usable in snow.
Bathed beneath the colorful ice veil—the beautiful twin-ponytail girl took a deep breath. Her eyes narrowed.
The previous tactic—not particularly brilliant. No effect. Easily thwarted.
Unprecedented pressure.
If power-type Abomasnow couldn't work—speed-type Pokémon would.
"Weavile—show Mr. Wade our spirit! Brick Break!"
"So fast~"
In the stands—Hilda exclaimed.
Gliding across the icy field—the hooked-claw Pokémon with fierce expression cleaved through ice mist. In a flash—sharp claws imbued with Fighting energy launched toward its opponent.
[Brick Break] : Swings hand down forcefully. Destroys Light Screen and Reflect.
Wade watched Lopunny struggling with aggressive Brick Break.
Knowing how to utilize existing terrain—a mandatory lesson for Trainers.
Candice's ace—Ice-type Weavile—was in its element on the snow-covered field. Greatly increased speed—now rivaling Lopunny.
Weavile's unique Pressure ability—caused HP loss during battle.
Coupled with lingering Hail—even if Lopunny dodged—without a countermeasure—dual HP drain could still defeat her.
After a moment—dazzled by light reflected off ice—Wade gave his command.
"Lopunny—after continuous dodging—smash the ground with Max Power Power-Up Punch."
"Snea~"
Weavile slid backward—dodging—stared intently at its opponent.
Lopunny's fist—stirring gusts of wind—smashed down.
The smooth ice surface—instantly let out a mournful sound.
Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the entire ice field.
Then—like fragile porcelain—it shattered. Collapsing with a roar.
Broken, splashing ice shards and blocks—enveloped in residual energy—shot into the air.
"Agility plus Quick Attack—get close!"
Candice was baffled. Wade's command followed close behind.
"Weavile—dodge! Then counter with Ice Punch!"
No—wait—
Candice's eyes widened.
Ice crystal rain—created by the shattered field. Streaks of afterimages—projected onto falling ice shards.
Too late.
Reflecting ice light shone before Weavile's pupils. Hearing its Trainer's command—deceived by afterimages—it unleashed full power.
Missed?
Ice Punch had completely torn apart the opponent in front of it—leaving nothing.
Weavile fell into a confused, dazed state.
"Why...?"
Hilda widened her beautiful eyes.
From her perspective—she could vaguely see Weavile flipping to dodge a non-existent attack. Swinging its frost-covered fist at thin air.
Like being manipulated.
Wade watched the scene—calm.
Candice's Weavile hadn't deliberately missed.
It had fallen into his trap.
Aurora Veil + Hail —provided an excellent battle environment for Ice-type Weavile.
But also created a significant drawback.
Suspended ice crystals—illuminated by colorful Aurora Veil light—refracted like countless miniature mirrors.
Without Psychic abilities or other aids—relying solely on visual observation—unless viewing from a high platform like Hilda—fast-moving figures made it difficult to pinpoint exact location and landing spot.
Shattered, splashing ice blocks—large and small—served as projection mediums.
The opponent would be completely confused by streaks of afterimages.
Likes to use an ice field?
Give them a taste of their own medicine.
Under everyone's gaze—using the cover of swirling ice crystals—the advancing Quick Attack cut a brief white afterimage through the air.
Already locked onto Weavile—momentarily stunned by its missed attack.
This brief moment of confusion—even an instant—would become a huge vulnerability.
"Chu-ruru~"
The moment Quick Attack hit—Lopunny used the recoil to leap.
Long-accumulated move—completely pierced through the swirling ice crystal curtain—together with a perfectly falling ice block—slammed down from mid-air.
[Jump Kick] : Attacks with a high-flying kick. User takes damage if it misses.
For Dark/Ice-type Weavile—this four-times super effective Jump Kick was fatal.
"Weavile is unable to battle!"
The colored flags fell.
"This battle—between Gym Leader Candice and Challenger Wade—is won by the Challenger!"
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