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After Azumarill threw her first punch, Misaki immediately realized that something was wrong.
The Ice Punch had barely grazed the target, yet Gabite already looked as though it was about to collapse.
Since evolving, Azumarill was no longer at a physical disadvantage. Although her stamina was still lacking and her injuries hadn't healed, who cared about that?
Azumarill just wanted to properly beat Gabite up. She hadn't really had the chance to experience her new strength since evolving, and this dragon in front of her felt like the perfect punching bag.
As she kept throwing punches, Azumarill shouted, "Just let me land one punch, I promise!"
Under Misaki's commands, Gabite kept dodging back and forth.
Momentum was always shifting. Seeing Azumarill's reckless, all-out attacking style, Gabite actually felt a hint of fear. This kind of pressure was usually his way of overwhelming opponents, but now the roles had been reversed.
"Suppress her... don't let her attack so easily."
Misaki intended to draw Azumarill into a contest of pure strength. She could see it clearly: even after evolving, Azumarill was injured and had poor stamina. Right now, she was only bursting out due to her excitement at evolving.
A good tactic works no matter how many times you use it. Gabite once again grabbed both of Azumarill's outstretched arms, locking her movements firmly.
But...
Gabite suddenly realized that this time, he couldn't exert any strength at all.
He couldn't even use his tail to harass her; his entire body was pinned in place by Azumarill's overwhelming power.
Misaki clicked her tongue. "Sand Attack!"
"Not happening! Ignore everything... use Ice Beam!"
Gabite used sand to blind Azumarill once again, but this time, he couldn't dodge the Ice Beam.
The immensely powerful Ice Beam almost knocked Gabite out immediately. If it hadn't been for Misaki's final shout of encouragement, helping him to hold on, he would have fallen already.
"Use all your strength to launch Slash and take down Azumarill!" Misaki made the optimal judgment. Both Gabite and Azumarill were fighting with their last ounce of strength, so whoever landed a hit first would win.
Gabite instantly moved to Azumarill's side, using his speed to his advantage. Azumarill's vision was still blurred due to Sand Attack.
However, the moment Luther shouted, 'Ice Punch!', Azumarill's ears twitched. Its chubby body spun around and, in an instant, a freezing aura surged into Gabite as he lunged forward.
Gabite was sent flying backwards and had just hit the ground when the referee declared him unable to continue battling.
"What a dramatic turn of events! Azumarill has successfully turned the tables by evolving and knocking Misaki's Gabite out of the match. Misaki has now lost three Pokémon, and of her remaining three, two are already injured!"
In contrast, all of Luther's remaining Pokémon are still in good condition. How will Misaki turn this unfavorable situation around next?!"
Misaki gently patted Gabite, signaling that it had done well, before sending Crobat back onto the field once more.
Luther had originally intended to recall Azumarill and let her rest, but after seeing Crobat and considering its condition, he decided to let Azumarill continue.
"Aqua Ring," Luther ordered, instructing Azumarill to begin recovering her injuries.
However, Crobat charged straight towards Azumarill while she was in the middle of using the move.
"Supersonic!"
Just after activating Aqua Ring, Azumarill suddenly became dizzy, and her vision blurred.
Sensing that something was wrong, Luther quickly tried to recall her. But Crobat used Sludge Bomb to blast the ground and create a cloud of dust. Then it physically blocked the space between Luther and Azumarill, forcefully preventing the recall.
Desperately trying to stay conscious, Azumarill watched the world spin wildly before her eyes; she felt so nauseous that she was on the verge of vomiting.
"Roost."
Much to everyone's surprise, Misaki ordered Crobat to use Roost to recover its injuries right next to Azumarill. At this distance, if Azumarill regained its senses, one punch would be enough to knock Crobat out!
By continuing to block Luther's recall, Misaki was taking a huge risk.
Even the commentator was stunned by her decision; it was downright reckless, like walking a tightrope over steel!
Misaki could easily have taken Azumarill out directly. Given Azumarill's condition, it would have only taken one move.
But she didn't.
Simply taking Azumarill down wasn't enough. She was at a disadvantage; she needed more.
To get it, she had to gamble!
The commentator's heart pounded in time with Azumarill's unsteady steps. It was all too intense. And Misaki had actually won the gamble!
Azumarill heard Luther's commands twice and attempted to attack Crobat but missed both times.
Crobat folded its wings and huddled its body together, remaining completely still even when an Ice Beam struck right beside it. Without changing its expression, it carried out Misaki's orders firmly.
Then, spreading its wings again, Crobat flew up and bit into Azumarill, draining the last of her stamina.
"Azumarill is unable to battle."
It was only when the referee spoke that everyone snapped out of their shock.
Should they applaud or cheer?
The audience was confused. Everything had happened too quickly for them to process the shift in the situation.
Azumarill, who had just defeated Gabite in an outstanding performance, had suddenly become nothing more than a source of recovery for Crobat, a mere backdrop to its comeback.
Aside from some stamina loss, Crobat had practically returned to full health.
After thinking for a while, the commentator realized that Luther hadn't actually made the wrong decision in that exchange.
With Aqua Ring active and Azumarill facing an already injured Crobat, both sides were essentially on equal footing; it was a mutual one-hit knockout scenario.
However, when Misaki made an even more astonishing decision, she took a desperate gamble in an attempt to tip the scales of victory back in her favor.
Luther finally understood what Cynthia meant by a 'big-hearted player.'
This person truly had no concept of pressure; she was unbelievably calm.
Even in such an unfavorable situation, she could find a way through and turn the tide.
The greater the pressure, the more excited she became. The bigger the stage, the happier she was.
Just like now, after Crobat had recovered, Misaki's face flushed red with excitement as she cheered it on vigorously.
Luther took a deep breath, forcing himself to forget the previous exchange and stay focused. He absolutely could not afford to relax his guard against Misaki. This loss had sounded a clear warning.
Mismagius once again faced its old opponent, Crobat.
Tricks like acting and deception only worked when they were unexpected. Now that Crobat and Misaki were both on their guard, it would be impossible to fool them again.
Mismagius and Crobat circled each other in the air. Unlike their previous battle, this time there were no flashy tactics, it was a straightforward clash of power, just like Azumarill versus Gabite.
(End of Chapter)