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The match had to go on.
Nova's second Pokémon was Meowscarada.
Compared to Vibrava's earlier performance, which had been full of dramatic buildup before it finally struck, Meowscarada wasted no time putting on a show. There was nothing complicated about its plan.
Meowscarada didn't just need to win the battle. It also had to carry out the exact task Nova had given it, and do so perfectly!
As Gilbert dropped the flag to start the round, Meowscarada moved first.
Diane guessed that her opponent would open with a restrictive move like Sucker Punch, so she held Zweilous back instead of rushing forward. Zweilous was simply too slow compared to a speedster like Meowscarada, and charging in carelessly would only put it at a disadvantage.
Under Diane's orders, Zweilous began with Dragon Cheer, a move meant to sharpen the accuracy of its next attacks.
But Meowscarada wasn't in the mood to wait politely. A Dragon and Dark-type Pokémon like Zweilous, which took quadruple damage from Fairy-type moves, had no business standing so confidently in front of it.
Nova called out, "Meowscarada, use Play Rough!"
Before Zweilous could even finish chanting Dragon Cheer, Meowscarada had already darted forward and appeared beside it. Pink Fairy-type energy wrapped around its body as its Ability, Protean, shifted its type to Fairy to match the move.
Its paw gathered a glowing, heart-shaped mass of Fairy energy and slammed it into one of Zweilous's two heads.
Then its hidden trait, which let it act twice in a single turn, triggered. Meowscarada's other paw formed a second burst of Fairy energy and struck Zweilous's remaining head.
With two same-type-boosted hits from Play Rough landing back to back, even a Dragon and Dark-type with four lives to spare might not have survived. Zweilous went down before it could even finish its own move; Dragon Cheer never got the chance to take effect. It was like preparing a firework and never lighting it.
If Vibrava had been sent out to prove that Nova could be just as unpredictable and ruthless as Diane, then Meowscarada was there to show her something else entirely: that Nova wouldn't back down from a straightforward fight either.
Diane had spent years growing up around Purple Dragon Gym. If nothing else, watching her older brother train had sharpened her eye for judging a Pokémon's potential far beyond that of an average Breeder.
She could tell at a glance that this Meowscarada's raw potential was even greater than her own Zweilous.
Winning in a single exchange wasn't only about type advantage. Diane noticed that Meowscarada had used Play Rough twice in one turn, which meant it carried the same rare trait her Zweilous had, the ability to act twice per turn.
Combined with the fact that Fairy-type moves were Zweilous's worst nightmare, and that Meowscarada had already reached its final evolution while Zweilous still had a long way to go, the outcome was decided almost instantly.
It was only then that Diane finally grew serious. She realized the handsome young man across from her was no ordinary Trainer. He truly had what it took to stand as her equal.
"Heh..." Diane's laugh was quiet, yet it carried clearly across the two hundred meters separating her from Nova.
"I really underestimated you, pretty boy. Good. Let's have ourselves a real battle, even if it turns out to be your last taste of freedom before you marry me!"
Nova snapped back, "You're disgusting! Who in their right mind would marry an old hag like you?!"
Words like that would normally wound most girls where it hurt most, their pride in their looks and age, sometimes badly enough to send them into a rage. But Diane wasn't the type to be shaken so easily.
Diane was twenty-two, widely regarded as strikingly beautiful even among her peers, with a figure people called unfair. Nova's insult didn't land the way he hoped. To her, his outburst was more amusing than offensive, like watching a kitten hiss and puff up at something much bigger than itself.
"Heh, I do like stubborn ones. They always cry the loudest once they've been properly put in their place. Go on, Archaludon! Crush his confidence to pieces!"
When Nova saw the second Pokémon step onto the field, his mood sank just as heavily as Archaludon's massive frame.
"Species: Archaludon
Level: 60
Ability: Stamina
Hidden Ability: Sturdy
Traits:
Alloy Body (This Pokémon's frame is covered in an almost indestructible layer of alloy plating. Its Speed is greatly reduced, leaving it unable to dodge attacks, but its Defense and Special Defense are sharply raised, along with a small boost to HP. Steel-type moves gain twenty percent more power.)
Crushing Weight (This Pokémon is extremely heavy and uses that weight to overpower opponents. Moves that calculate damage from a target's weight, such as Grass Knot or Low Kick, have no effect on it. Once it enters the field, all trap-based moves and pre-set terrain moves stop working. Any Pokémon struck by one of its crushing attacks cannot flee.)
Electric Surge (This Pokémon stores a large reserve of Electric-type energy and can unleash two uncharged Electro Beams during a single battle.)
Giant Build (Its body is far larger than average for its species. Defense, Special Defense, and Attack are greatly increased, while Speed and Evasion are slightly lowered.)
Moves: Mirror Coat (Egg Move), Electro Beam, Metal Burst, Wide Guard, Heavy Slam..."
A young dragon already blessed with such rare talent, over four meters tall and weighing tens of tons. No wonder it looked terrifying.
What was even the point of continuing?
It finally made sense why Diane could act so freely and stir up trouble wherever she went without anyone managing to put a stop to it. Nova had assumed it was simply because of the Wrenleigh family name and her brother's status as Champion.
But now, faced with a monster that looked like it belonged in a giant hero movie, Nova understood the truth. Diane didn't need her brother's reputation at all. A Pokémon like this alone was enough to crush the confidence of nearly any young Trainer she faced.
Diane's purple eyes gleamed with excitement. "Heh! Scared now, seeing my Big Baby? Having second thoughts? Ready to give up?
Not a chance. I'm going to use my Big Baby to squash your little kitten flat. I'll have you crying and begging me to stop!"
Nova muttered, "You're insane..."
"Archaludon, crush him!" Diane called out.
"Meowscarada! Use Play Rough again!" Nova shouted back.
Archaludon took a single step forward, and the ground trembled beneath it!