A flash of red light flickered, and a uniquely shaped pokémon floated in mid-air.
It was upside down, its body resembling a squid, with several tentacles swaying gently in front of it. A pair of yellow eyes emitted a faint, eerie glow, exuding an indescribable sense of strangeness and mystery.
Having just evolved from Inkay and with a level approaching thirty, Malamar's appearance immediately changed the atmosphere of the entire Gym.
If Hariyama brought a sense of physical oppression, then Malamar brought a sense of mental trickery.
Brawly's brow furrowed tightly.
As an experienced Gym Leader, he could clearly feel the deep and powerful Psychic energy fluctuations coming from Malamar.
"Hariyama, stay sharp! This guy is a Psychic-type!" Brawly shouted a warning.
It was common knowledge that Fighting-types were weak against Psychic-types.
He finally understood where Ariel's confidence in challenging his Gym came from.
Ariel looked at Brawly's solemn face, his heart clear as a mirror.
This was his key to conquering the Fighting Gym.
On the field, Hariyama felt the threat from its natural enemy. It let out a low growl, slapped its palms against its chest, and took a sumo stance, its eyes fixed on Malamar in the air.
Malamar floated unhurriedly, its tentacles swaying slightly. Light swirled in its yellow eyes, making it look like a master of Hypnosis who controlled people's hearts.
One possessed mountain-moving strength, the other was unpredictable and treacherous.
Before the battle had even begun, an invisible confrontation had already unfolded.
Brawly and Ariel's gazes met in the air, both seeing the determination to win in each other's eyes.
The air seemed to freeze.
The true duel was only just beginning!
On the field, Hariyama crossed its palms and settled into a steady horse stance.
Every breath it took carried a unique rhythm, as if it were becoming one with the pulse of the entire Gym.
"Force Palm!"
Brawly's voice echoed through the empty Gym.
Hariyama let out a low growl, its thick body suddenly dropping low as it pushed its palms forward.
The movement seemed smooth, but it contained immense power. The air was compressed, producing a dull boom as an invisible palm wind rushed toward Malamar.
Ariel's expression remained calm; he didn't issue an order to dodge.
Malamar suspended in mid-air, its body only swaying slightly in the face of the strong wind.
Just as Hariyama's heavy palms were about to touch it, several slippery tentacles shot out like lightning, precisely wrapping around the opponent's arms.
Hariyama's force was like a stone dropped into the ocean, neutralized layer by layer by the flexible tentacles.
Immediately after, the luminous organs on Malamar's head and sides began to flash rhythmically, shifting with an eerie light.
"Hypnosis."
Ariel's voice wasn't loud, but it reached the field clearly.
The alternating flashes of light formed a dazzling array of spots.
Hariyama's eyes began to lose focus, its movements became sluggish, and its unstoppable momentum instantly disintegrated.
Brawly's brow furrowed tightly.
He knew that Malamar's fighting style was too bizarre, specifically countering his straightforward Fighting-type style.
If this continued, Hariyama would be worn down to death.
He couldn't wait any longer!
Brawly's eyes suddenly sharpened as he made a desperate, all-or-nothing decision.
"Hariyama, Belly Drum!"
The drowsy Hariyama on the field heard its master's command and seemed to receive a shot of adrenaline. It jolted violently, and a sliver of clarity returned to its eyes.
It let out a roar of pain as its massive palms struck its own thick belly, blow after heavy blow.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The dull sound, like war drums, echoed through the Gym. With every strike, Hariyama's aura weakened slightly, but the energy fluctuations on its body surged exponentially.
A visible red aura steamed from its body, scorching the surrounding air until it distorted.
This was a life-risking move that increased attack power to the limit at the cost of half its health!
"Now, finish it in one blow!" Brawly roared.
The atmosphere in the entire Gym instantly froze. In the spectator stands, Shauna nervously covered her mouth, not even daring to breathe.
However, Ariel's face still showed no ripple of emotion.
"Malamar, pull back and use Psycho Cut!"
The moment the command was issued, Malamar had already released its tentacles and floated backward.
It suspended in the air, the fin-like appendages on the sides of its head instantly hardening and shimmering with a metallic luster.
Purple Psychic energy condensed highly, transforming into two sharp blades of light.
Swish!
The blades of light cut through the air, leaving a brilliant and deadly purple trail.
At this moment, Hariyama's eyes were blood-red, its muscles bulging, and its massive body was bathed in a violent red aura.
It completely ignored the incoming attack, with only one thought remaining in its mind—charge over and smash that slippery opponent to pieces!
The Psycho Cut landed squarely on Hariyama's chest.
Sizzle!
Energy splattered, leaving two charred scars on its thick skin.
Hariyama's massive body jolted violently, but it forced its way through the attack, continuing to charge toward Malamar with a tragic, unstoppable momentum.
The wooden floor beneath its feet cracked inch by inch.
"It's over!"
Shauna let out a short scream.
Under the effects of Belly Drum, Hariyama's physical attack power had reached a terrifying peak. No pokémon could take this hit head-on.
However, just a moment before Hariyama's mountain-shattering fist could hit Malamar...
"Protect."
Ariel's voice rang out again, as calm as if he were stating a foregone conclusion.
A layer of energy shielding instantly expanded in front of Malamar, thin as a cicada's wing yet indestructible.
BOOM—!
Hariyama's fist, carrying all the power gained from sacrificing half its life, slammed heavily against the shield.
A deafening explosion erupted, and the resulting airwave spread in all directions.
At the point where the fist met the shield, space itself seemed to distort slightly.
But that thin shield only flickered violently a few times before completely neutralizing the earth-shaking strike.
Hariyama's all-out attack had failed.
Brawly's pupils constricted suddenly, and the color drained from his face.
The situation he feared most had happened.
A surge of energy is followed by decline and then exhaustion.
After Belly Drum, Hariyama had staked everything on this one strike.
If the blow missed, there would be no strength left.
"Now."
Ariel's gaze fell upon Hariyama.
The Protect shield dissipated, and Malamar's tentacles shot out from below like waiting vipers. Taking advantage of the gap where Hariyama's old strength was spent and new strength had yet to form, they firmly bound its massive body.
"Wrap!"
The tentacles tightened loop by loop, the sound of squeezing muscles clearly audible.
Hariyama let out an unwilling roar and tried to struggle, but under the dual influence of exhaustion and Hypnosis, its resistance was futile.
The red aura gradually faded, and the light slowly left its eyes.
Finally, the tentacles released their grip.
The massive body swayed and fell heavily onto the field with a loud crash, completely losing its ability to battle.
The entire venue fell into dead silence.
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