Milotic heard Lionel's words and gently floated over, manipulating the water vapor around it. It nodded gently to the Larvesta, its eyes full of confidence and determination.
Metang also came over, using its telekinesis to lift the Larvesta and move it onto its body, making a soft "ding-ding" sound, as if to say, "Leave it to us."
Seeing this, Tyrantrum lowered its head and rubbed its cheek against Metang and the Larvesta, letting out a low growl to show its support. The
Larvesta looked at Lionel, then at its companions who had gathered around.
The five small tentacles around its head swayed gently, and its blue eyes turned into crescent shapes.
Then, it smiled happily and let out a clear "humming" at everyone.
"Milotic, now it's up to you. Help Larvesta win back its chance to learn a move."
Lionel's tone was filled with absolute trust in Milotic.
Milotic flicked its long tail fin, first looking at Lionel, then at Larvesta, Metang, and Tyrantrum, a determined glint in its eyes.
Its tail fin spun gently, creating ripples, as if saying, "Leave it to me."
"Hmph!"
Larvesta let out a clear cry, cheering Milotic on.
"Roar!"
Tyrantrum responded with a deep roar.
"Clang!"
Metang's body made a crisp sound, also encouraging Milotic.
The cheers of the three Pokémon mingled, encouraging Milotic as it prepared to enter the arena.
Morre watched this scene quietly. Lionel wasn't provoked; instead, he calmly chose the safest option, Milotic.
That composure gradually transformed the playful expression on his face into a gentle appreciation.
He shook his head, chuckling wryly, "Lionel, you really are a calm little guy.
They call you 'Little Wallace,' but I think you should be called 'Little Steven.'
This calm and collected personality is so similar to Steven's during battles."
With that, Morre turned to Blaziken, gesturing with her chin, her tone returning to its initial seriousness: "Blaziken, it seems your opponent is Milotic. Be careful!"
Blaziken tilted its head, seemingly sizing up Milotic's seemingly frail body, then suddenly raised its head, letting out an even louder cry, the flames on its wrists burning even brighter.
It seemed to be saying, "Forget about type advantages, I'm not afraid! I'll fight anyone!"
The referee, already in position, took a deep breath, sensing the growing fighting spirit in the arena. He raised his arm high, then abruptly lowered it: "The duel between Gym Leader Morre and challenger Lionel shall now begin!"
[Pokémon: Milotic (Shiny)]
[Type: Water]
[Category: Compassionate Pokémon]
[Ability: Miracle Scales (If a status condition occurs, Miracle Scales will react, increasing Defense)]
[Moves: ———Haze (Proficient), Recover (Proficient), Life Drop (Mastery), Charm (Mastery), Rain Dance (Perfect), Aqua Ring (Perfect)——————]
The moment the referee announced the start of the match, the two Pokémon locked eyes.
The mist surrounding Milotic resembled a natural skirt, its long, slender, milky-white body appearing even more beautiful in the sunlight.
Especially its four golden tail fins, which further accentuated its noble status.
Blaziken, like a cheetah poised to pounce, stood with its legs slightly apart, its center of gravity low, every muscle taut. It seemed poised to unleash an arrow at any moment.
Flames blazed on its wrists, showing no concern whatsoever for its opponent being a Water-type Pokémon with a type advantage.
The intense heat on the battlefield had subsided considerably due to Torkoal's defeat, leaving only the slightly dry heat of midday in Lavaridge Town.
Sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
"Milotic, use Rain Dance!"
Lionel commanded first, breaking the stalemate.
"Na~"
Milotic whimpered softly.
After evolving, its proficiency with Rain Dance had increased dramatically, a far cry from its former self.
It gently flicked its tail fin, covered in golden scales.
In that instant, a thick, dark cloud rapidly gathered above the battlefield.
As the clouds churned, large raindrops began to fall without warning, the "splashing" sound growing increasingly dense until it instantly became a torrential downpour.
Strangely, the rain seemed to be restrained by an unseen force, precisely covering only the area above the battlefield, leaving the surrounding stands dry and unaffected.
This was Milotic's precise control over its Rain Dance ability, creating an environment advantageous to itself while avoiding unnecessary energy expenditure.
"Hmm?"
Morre frowned slightly, watching the arena instantly enveloped in rain. He hadn't expected Milotic's Rain Dance to be so swift and precise.
But he wasn't worried; instead, his eyes narrowed, and he quickly commanded, "Blaziken, Sunny Day!"
"Hacha!"
Blaziken tilted its head back and unleashed a blazing fireball.
The fireball shot straight into the sky, exploding above its head with a deafening roar, emitting a blinding light.
In an instant, the dark clouds dispersed, revealing a clear sky over a small area centered on Blaziken.
This created an eerie contrast with the surrounding torrential rain.
Two-thirds of the arena was covered in rain, while a third remained clear – two extreme weather conditions coexisting in the same space, a truly bizarre scene.
However, at that moment, a sudden change occurred!
A faint red glow suddenly appeared on Milotic's body.
Immediately afterward, tiny sparks appeared out of nowhere on its scales, as if scorched by invisible flames!
Almost simultaneously with the appearance of the red sparks, Milotic's scales suddenly burst into a dazzling light.
The scales became thicker and their color deepened, making its body appear even more resilient.
Streams of red light flowed across Milotic's body, making it even more beautiful and captivating.
This was Milotic's unique characteristic: Mysterious Scales!
Under abnormal conditions, its defense would be greatly enhanced!
"What's going on?"
"Blaziken hadn't even touched Milotic yet, so why does Milotic look like it's burned?"
"Why are its scales suddenly glowing?"
The audience on the sidelines were immediately confused, and discussions broke out again.
The live stream chat exploded:
[What's wrong with Milotic? It's on fire, and its scales are glowing? What kind of move is that?]
[It looks like it's burned, but the glowing scales don't seem like it—can anyone explain this?]
[I know! It's obvious you guys haven't been paying attention to Pokémon abilities. This is one of Milotic's abilities, Mysterious Scales! Its Defense increases when it's in a status condition!]
[Holy crap? Then how did it suddenly get burned? Blaziken didn't attack!]