Alakazam was struck head-on by Aerial Ace and crashed heavily to the ground, nearly losing its ability to fight.
After a moment, Alakazam slowly rose back to its feet.
Psychic energy flowed across its body, and the injuries it had suffered gradually disappeared.
This was Recover.
As long as Alakazam didn't suffer a fatal injury, it could continuously restore its condition during battle.
Then Alakazam's aura changed once again.
A strange energy surrounded it as it began imitating Swanna's abilities.
A Bubble Beam shot toward Swanna.
Although Psychic energy still flowed through Alakazam's body, it was clearly using a Water-type attack.
In the stands, Misty, Ash, and Brock looked completely confused.
"How can Sabrina's Alakazam use another Pokémon's moves?" Ash asked.
Sam smiled.
"That's Role Play. It allows Alakazam to copy another Pokémon's abilities and techniques, along with about seventy percent of their power."
The three finally understood and turned their attention back to the battlefield.
At that moment, Alakazam was launching Water-type attacks at Swanna.
Since Alakazam couldn't fly, it couldn't copy Flying-type techniques effectively. Therefore, it focused entirely on Water-type moves.
However, Swanna responded with Water-type attacks of its own.
Because Role Play only replicated a portion of the original power, Alakazam couldn't gain the upper hand in a direct exchange.
Suddenly—
"Ally Switch!"
In an instant, Alakazam appeared behind Swanna.
At the same time, a wave of Psychic energy spread outward.
"Disable!"
The attack landed.
Swanna's body froze in place.
But almost immediately, Swanna's Moist Body ability activated.
Water covered Alakazam's body, drastically slowing its movements.
The delay was enough for the immobilization effect to wear off before Alakazam could capitalize on it.
The attack failed.
Then Alakazam suddenly stopped moving.
The Psychic energy surrounding it intensified.
"Calm Mind."
This move gathered and condensed all of Alakazam's mental power.
The next attack would be significantly stronger.
Seeing this, Skyla made no attempt to interrupt.
Perhaps because Swanna's level was higher, she chose to answer ultimate move with ultimate move.
A small whirlwind formed before Swanna.
It grew larger and larger until it became a massive storm.
"Future Sight!"
"Hurricane!"
The two attacks were unleashed simultaneously.
The battlefield shook as powerful winds swept across the arena.
When the storm finally subsided, Alakazam suddenly appeared behind Swanna.
Its eyes glowed brightly.
A concentrated beam of Psychic energy shot forward.
Although Future Sight itself wasn't a direct attack, it allowed Alakazam to predict its opponent's actions perfectly.
Its true finishing move was the attack that followed.
"Psychic!"
The overwhelming mental force struck Swanna directly.
Under the devastating psychic assault, Swanna's body trembled before collapsing to the ground.
It had lost the ability to battle.
The winner was Sabrina.
As expected of someone who genuinely loved Pokémon battles, Skyla accepted the result without complaint.
For her, battling wasn't about fame or status.
It was about enjoying Pokémon to their fullest.
With a smile, she handed over the Freedom Badge.
"Congratulations. You've earned it."
Sabrina accepted the badge calmly.
The following matches were between Misty, Ash, Brock, and Skyla.
Unfortunately, Skyla's strength proved overwhelming.
After several battles, only Ash managed to earn the Freedom Badge.
Brock looked disappointed.
However, Misty seemed far less concerned.
She patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't be discouraged. Not getting a badge just means we're not strong enough yet."
She grinned and continued:
"Besides, traveling with Brother Sam is pretty fun. We get to see all kinds of places, and watching Brother Sam and Sister Sabrina battle is a great learning experience. Seeing how stronger Trainers fight can improve our own skills too."
After hearing that, Brock's mood improved considerably.
He nodded.
"You're right. I'll just treat this as a vacation."
Seeing the two of them adjust their mindset so quickly, Sam felt relieved.
The Masters qualification tournament was extremely competitive.
Elimination was unavoidable.
Still, keeping a positive attitude wasn't a bad thing.
After saying goodbye to Skyla, Sam checked the schedule for the next challenge.
Their next destination was Petalburg City in the Hoenn Region.
There, the next guardian of a Masters qualification badge awaited them:
Norman.