Trying to get on my good side? Admitting defeat?
Or... is he using this method to humiliate me, showing off his ridiculous generosity?
He couldn't figure it out, but the arrogance in his bones allowed him to quickly find the most acceptable explanation—Ariel was afraid.
That's right, he must be afraid of the forces behind him, so he didn't dare to let things escalate!
At this thought, the madness and malice in Honmura's eyes did not subside; instead, they grew even more intense.
"Heh, at least you know what's good for you."
He lowered his voice, speaking contemptuously at a volume only he could hear.
Since you're such a fool, I'll grant your wish!
Seeing that the party involved, Ariel, had said so, the referee couldn't forcibly intervene. He could only give Honmura a deep, warning look before sitting back down, though his eyes never dared to leave that red Blaziken for a single moment.
"Match continue!"
Ariel acted as if nothing had happened, continuing to command Malamar in battle.
The rhythm of the battle picked up once again.
Blaziken's Speed Boost ability had already stacked to a terrifying degree. Its figure turned into streaks of red afterimages on the field, so fast they were almost impossible to track with the naked eye.
Every movement brought with it a gust of scorching wind.
"Blaze Kick!"
"Flare Blitz!"
Honmura's commands were urgent and rapid; he wanted to use absolute speed and power to completely crush his opponent!
However, Ariel's commanding appeared unhurried.
"Dark Pulse, keep your distance."
"Psycho Cut, intercept its attack trajectory."
Malamar's response seemed frantic, only barely dodging or managing to block with skills just as Blaziken's attacks were about to land.
With every clash, the dark halos of Dark Pulse collided with Blaziken's blazing flames, causing bursts of chaotic energy to explode across the field. Dust, light, and shadows intertwined, making the entire battle situation even more chaotic.
The more Honmura fought, the more impatient and irritable he became.
Something was wrong.
Something was very wrong!
The opponent's Malamar was clearly being completely suppressed in terms of speed, so why could it still hold on until now?
This style of fighting was purely stalling for time; it was meaningless!
What on earth was he trying to do?
Honmura racked his brain and could only come to one conclusion:
Ariel was a complete amateur, an inflexible fool! Did he think he could win a war of attrition just by relying on type advantages? Naive!
He didn't notice, however, that as the battle dragged on, the range of every Dark Pulse Malamar released was larger and wider than the last.
Those dark purple energy rings had almost enveloped more than half the field. It wasn't just to force Blaziken back; it was more like... preparing a massive stage.
A stage prepared solely for one person.
The people in the audience were also watching with their hearts in their throats. They could only see red shadows darting frantically in the field, while Malamar was like a small boat in a stormy sea, in danger of capsizing at any moment.
No one noticed that during another violent energy collision, while everyone's attention was drawn to the dazzling explosion.
An energy thread, finer than a strand of hair and nearly transparent, flashed briefly from Malamar's tentacle.
It didn't fly toward Blaziken. Instead, at an extremely tricky and eerie angle, it bypassed the chaotic energy currents in the field and silently, like a needle entering water, accurately sank into the center of Honmura's brow on the opposite command platform.
Confusion!
This strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless, and it had been perfectly covered up.
Blaziken's speed was incredibly fast, to the point that Malamar's attack range was also very large!
Furthermore, the frequency of skill releases was also very high!
Even the referee, who had been staring closely at the battlefield, didn't notice this insignificant trace of abnormality.
Honmura was concentrating fully on commanding when he suddenly felt as if his head had been pricked by a needle.
A slight wave of dizziness hit him.
Hmm?
He shook his head, thinking it was an illusion caused by prolonged, high-intensity mental concentration.
After all, who could have imagined that in such an intense Pokémon battle, the opponent's target would actually be him, the Trainer?
Honmura didn't pay it much mind.
He dismissed it entirely as an illusion.
Seeing Honmura's moment of daze, Ariel knew he had succeeded!
In that case, there was no need to procrastinate any longer.
In Ariel's eyes, a cold light flashed briefly.
No need to hide anymore!
"Now."
His voice was calm, without a single ripple of emotion.
"Malamar, Topsy-Turvy!"
In the field, Malamar, who had been on the defensive the whole time, suddenly emitted a distorted and grotesque black light from its body.
This light wasn't intense, yet it seemed capable of turning heaven and earth upside down and reversing common sense!
The light instantly enveloped Blaziken, who was charging at its limit speed.
In the next second, an incredible scene occurred!
That red figure, swift as lightning, seemed to slam into an invisible wall. It stumbled, and its speed suddenly plummeted!
Its running movements became sluggish and clumsy, like a slow-motion replay in a movie.
Under the effect of Topsy-Turvy, all the stat boosts from the Speed Boost ability were completely inverted into stat drops!
The more it tried to exert force, the faster its speed dropped!
It went from a bolt of red lightning to a turtle struggling in a swamp.
"What?!"
Honmura's pupils shrank violently, and his mind went blank.
This sudden turn of events was something he completely couldn't understand!
Why... why did this happen?!
However, Ariel didn't give him any time to think.
"It's over."
"Psycho Cut."
The cold command was issued.
Malamar, who had looked like it was dodging waves just moments ago, now transformed into the coldest executioner.
Its form blurred as it instantly closed the distance with a speed far exceeding the current Blaziken.
Two ghostly blue Psycho Cuts traced a crossing path in the air, accurately slashing across Blaziken's chest.
There was no violent explosion, only the dull sound of blades cutting into a body.
Blaziken didn't even have time to let out a cry of pain. The pride and fury in its eyes froze instantly, and then it slowly collapsed, completely losing its ability to battle.
An instant K.O.!
The entire venue fell into a dead silence.
Ariel recalled Malamar, turned around, and left the field coolly.
He didn't look at the slumped Blaziken, nor did he look at the opponent who was already ruined.
From the moment he decided to act, this person's fate was already sealed.
Only Honmura remained standing there in a daze.
Honmura's face was full of disbelief. He didn't understand why Ariel, who clearly had such a move, had dragged it out until this point to use it?
Honmura's eyes were fierce.
"Ariel! You wait, this isn't over! You eliminated me! But my brother will take care of you!"
"And once you're done with the Tournament, I have plenty of ways to mess with you!"
"Damn it! Just you wait!"
Cursing, Honmura returned to his room.
He dialed his brother's number, and just as the call connected—
The strand of Confusion that had remained in Honmura's brain finally unleashed its power!
This sudden attack almost directly scrambled Honmura's brain into mush!
To put it simply, Honmura had become an idiot.
From the other end of the phone came the voice of Honmura's brother, Honki.
"Honmura, how did it go? Did the Blaziken I gave you eliminate that guy named Ariel?"
"Aba... aba..."
"???"
"What the hell are you babbling about?"
"Hehe... I want to go catch jellyfish... hehe..."
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