It was a genuine head-to-head clash, with no tricks or fancy manoeuvres. From the moment the battle began, Gabite launched into a relentless assault with Metal Claw.
Marill could only just keep up, predicting Gabite's angles of attack in order to block them.
It was pure physical suppression. Marill tried several times to land an Ice Punch on Gabite's body, but each time she saw that constantly swaying tail, she was forced to retreat.
From the very first probing exchange, Luther had noticed that short yet extremely dangerous tail.
The moment Marill threw an Ice Punch, Gabite would twist its body, using one arm to block the punch while striking back with its tail.
After using Aqua Tail to withstand Gabite's Iron Tail, Marill hadn't even recovered before Gabite's Rock Slide came crashing down.
Boulders rained down wildly, slamming into Marill. Even as she spun her tail rapidly in an attempt to defend herself, she couldn't block the relentless barrage.
Misaki gave Marill no chance to breathe. This was her style, she spared no stamina, pushing her Pokémon to maintain constant offensive pressure. This tempo would quickly drain the opponent's stamina.
Seizing the brief moment when Gabite used Rock Slide, Marill successfully set up Aqua Ring, using the flowing water around her body to slowly heal herself. This was the only gain from that exchange.
"Why isn't Luther continuing with Ice Punch? That first hit worked really well, didn't it?" Dawn asked, watching Marill being suppressed.
Candice explained, "There's no chance of using it anymore. After taking that first hit, Misaki used Gabite's physical advantage to block Marill's attacks. Right now, Marill should be thinking about breaking the situation with Ice Beam."
Candice's thoughts were exactly the same as Luther's. However, Misaki had Gabite rely on its speed, continuously applying frontal pressure with both arms. Marill couldn't find an opening at all to use Ice Beam.
"Slash!"
Gabite's Slash came straight down towards Marill's head. Marill took two steps back and caught Gabite's claw with her hands.
"Use Slash with the other hand too!"
Marill hurriedly raised her other hand to block the second claw. This turned into a contest of strength. Despite possessing the Huge Power ability, Marill was unable to utilize it fully due to Gabite's full-body pressure and its constantly interfering tail.
Luther ordered Marill to use Ice Beam.
But Marill didn't move.
"Not good…" Luther immediately realized how dire her situation had become.
Marill had devoted all her energy to the struggle; she simply couldn't spare the concentration to use Ice Beam. This was her own decision. By refusing his command, she was clearly telling him that she was at her limit.
Gabite had already taken one Ice Punch. One more would knock it out of the fight completely.
If Marill could land that punch, she would undoubtedly become a dragon slayer.
But Misaki gave her no such opportunity. By forcing this power struggle, she was deliberately draining Marill's stamina, and this stalemate was exactly what she wanted.
In that fleeting moment, Luther's mind raced.
Misaki had already sent out six Pokémon. Cloyster and Metagross were down, Crobat was crippled, and Gastrodon had taken two super-effective hits, likely finishing it off.
If Marill lost to Gabite, Misaki would still have three Pokémon capable of fighting.
On Luther's side, Houndoom and Kirlia were out of action. Mismagius wasn't badly injured, but its earlier assault on Crobat had sapped its stamina.
Chansey had mostly been used to stall.
This meant that his remaining combat power was essentially just Mismagius and Darkrai.
Marill understood her role perfectly.
Luther's team lacked strong finishers. Describing them as a 'kindergarten lineup' would not be an exaggeration.
With another year or two of training, these 'kids' might be able to defeat their opponents without evolving, but right now they don't have that power.
Without evolution, gaining greater strength required time and effort. It was an unavoidable hurdle.
And here... She absolutely could not fall.
Marill pushed back with all her might, forcing Gabite to take a few staggering steps backwards.
"Now... Sand Attack!"
Gabite lightly scraped the ground with its foot. Although Marill's strength nearly pushed it over, the Sand Attack succeeded, forcing Marill to squint and loosening her grip.
Luther ordered Marill to retreat, but Misaki continued to press home her advantage.
"Stone Edge!"
Pillar-like stones erupted, blasting Marill into the air. This time, she didn't even have time to react. This was by far the most effective attack on Marill since the battle began. The entire stadium was stunned.
Conway, watching from the sidelines, frantically scribbled notes in his notebook.
Luther raised his hand to recall Marill while the referee assessed her condition.
In her current state, Marill stood no chance against Gabite. Misaki had clearly read her style; she intended to finish Marill off in one go.
Marill's tail swayed rhythmically a few times, a signal that Luther knew all too well.
"I can still fight."
Luther ignored it. The light from the Poké Ball had already shot out, but Marill used her tail to maneuver out of the way.
Misaki froze for a moment, unsure whether to continue attacking.
Marill didn't look back at Luther. Gasping for breath, she finally made her decision.
"If Luther had just a little more time, he could easily win this match, even without us evolving. Since he lacks that time, I'll fight to earn it for him!"
Luther couldn't hear these words, but Gabite heard them clearly, although it had no idea what Marill was talking about. The Everstone tied around Marill's body, more like a belt than a pendant, was suddenly torn off.
Cynthia had been right. Long ago, Marill had already been able to evolve. But because of her attachment to certain things, she had held back.
It was only after wearing the Everstone that she was able to suppress that urge and free herself from the discomfort of resisting evolution.
Now, Marill's body began to glow.
Luther opened his mouth as if to speak, then stopped. He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and waited for Azumarill to appear.
As the glowing silhouette grew rounder and larger, Luther muttered self-mockingly, "Guess I'll need to start working out... How else am I going to carry her?"
Her ears, arms, and tail all grew longer. Her body grew bigger.
At that moment, the tiny Marill was gone. The evolved Azumarill stared at Gabite, cracking her knuckles.
"Now… It's time for round two," Azumarill said with a fierce grin.
(End of Chapter)
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