"Sha!"
Sandslash stepped on the sand, its face serious.
After personally receiving that attack, it was the one who best knew how terrifying that power was.
"It's time, Sandslash," Ethan said at the same time. "It's time to show the results of this special training."
"Medicham, use Focus Punch," Stefan also ordered from the opposite side.
Medicham's figure floated in the air using the move Meditate.
Upon hearing the order, it opened its eyes and Psychic-type energy gathered in its fist.
Immediately afterward, its body spun, it stomped strongly on the air, and dove downward. Psychic energy and Fighting-type energy fused into a single force, forming a special qi with which it launched the move Focus Punch.
"Sandslash, Spin Drive!"
Seeing this, Sandslash used the move Defense Curl and, at the same time, executed a combined move.
Its body quickly shrank into a sphere. First it performed the move Rapid Spin, beginning to rotate at high speed.
Then its figure bounced. Rock-type energy wrapped around its entire body and, by changing the direction of the rotation from sideways to rolling forward and backward, it executed the move Rollout.
In an instant, under the state of high-speed rotation, the power of the move Rollout began to accumulate rapidly, reaching its maximum power in the blink of an eye.
Boom!
In a flash, the attacks of both Pokémon collided.
Their figures locked in the center of the field, with two streams of energy colliding without cease.
"It blocked it!"
"That move is Rollout?"
"Why is the first turn of Rollout so strong?!"
The spectators began recalling the description of the move Rollout, filled with astonishment.
If that was truly the power of the first turn... then how terrifying would the second, the third, or even the fifth turn of the move Rollout be?
"It shouldn't be able to increase any further," some guests commented. "Sandslash probably used the force of Rapid Spin to push Rollout to the limit in an instant."
At the commentators' table they were also surprised.
Naturally they knew the moves well: Rollout and Ice Ball.
In theory, if their power is accumulated to the maximum, they can be considered supreme-power moves.
However, as Pokémon become stronger, accumulating the power of the move Rollout becomes increasingly difficult. Moreover, with interference from the opponent, it is hard to chain its increases, so few trainers specialize in these moves despite their enormous potential.
But the Sandslash on the field had clearly pushed the move Rollout to the extreme. After mastering the ability to instantly accumulate its power, the strength of the move seemed to touch the sky.
"Wait... this can't be!"
"Sandslash's Rollout power is still increasing!"
Suddenly, a commentator shouted in alarm. On the device that measured move power, the value corresponding to the move Rollout kept skyrocketing.
"Sandslash, show the fruit of your training!" Ethan said, with an expectant look.
The reason Sandslash could continue increasing the power of the move Rollout was, naturally, the move Defense Curl.
During this time, Sandslash had been carrying out a secondary development of the move Defense Curl. It had already successfully completed the first phase, in which it learned to influence the sand through the move Defense Curl, and the second phase, in which it used the move Ice Ball to train the ability to condense and compress energy with Defense Curl.
Now, on the field, it activated the move Defense Curl on its own initiative, continuing the condensation and compression of energy, using itself as if it were an "ice ball," raising the power of the move Rollout once again on top of its original base.
Boom, boom, boom!
The collisions did not cease.
The move Rollout and the move Focus Punch clashed again and again. Two supreme moves confronting each other without yielding ground.
But with the move Defense Curl condensing and compressing energy, the power of the move Rollout kept increasing.
In theory, the move Rollout begins with low power, only about 30 points.
However, its true strength lies in the fact that it doubles its power after each consecutive turn.
After five doublings, its theoretical maximum power reaches 960 points.
And now, with the move Defense Curl compressing energy, Rollout entered a sixth stage of enhancement!
Starting from 960 points, it doubled again. At that moment, its power seemed to break the limits.
After completing the sixth enhancement, the Rock-type energy surrounding Sandslash was almost tangible. The terrifying energy waves made everyone feel a chill.
"What horrifying power!"
A highly prestigious trainer at the guest table narrowed his pupils.
"Medicham, use Quick Guard!"
Stefan's face changed.
He could feel the magnitude of the power emanating from Sandslash and did not dare underestimate it.
"Mechamm!" Medicham growled seriously.
It adopted a meditation posture, concentrating Psychic energy.
Then Fighting-type energy also emerged, the two fusing to form a qi shield in front of it.
Boom, boom, boom!
Sandslash moved.
After executing Rollout enhanced six times, it could no longer maintain maximum-speed rotation.
Even so, the move was still extremely fast. In the blink of an eye it arrived in front of Medicham and crashed into the qi shield.
Boom!
An explosion shook the field, raising a cloud of sand.
"What's the result?"
Everyone fixed their eyes on the dust covering the battlefield.
Little by little, the sand dissipated.
The field was devastated... and the two Pokémon had disappeared.
"What happened?"
"Where are they?"
The spectators tensed.
"Sha!"
But it did not take long before a sound was heard.
The sand moved and Sandslash emerged from it.
At the other end, Medicham also crawled out from a pile of sand. Both looked exhausted and battered.
Clearly, the clash had ended in a draw. Medicham had managed to withstand the move Rollout with the move Quick Guard.
However, the violent panting of both showed they had consumed too much energy. They probably could no longer repeat such close combat.
"Medicham, Psychic!"
With energy exhausted for close combat, Medicham's advantage as a Psychic-type Pokémon became evident.
It floated slightly, its eyes glowed blue, and a materialized psychic wave shot toward Sandslash.
"Sandslash, Sand and Rock Tornado!"
Ethan ordered it to raise a gust of sand, countless fragments of rock wrapped in wind.
Boom!
Both attacks collided in the air.
It could be seen how the move Psychic pierced directly through the storm and continued toward Sandslash.
Just before impact, Sandslash waved its hand. The sand was guided in an arc, forming a semicircular shield in front of it.
Then the power of the sandstorm burst from within and attached itself to the shield, granting it the special defense bonus under sandstorm weather, while Rock-type energy flowed through it.
Boom!
The move Psychic struck the shield, scattering sand everywhere.
But it was stopped. It did not manage to break through, demonstrating the shield's formidable defense.
"It blocked it?"
"Even so, the advantage still belongs to Medicham."
"Although its long-range combat isn't as strong as its close combat, Stefan is a specialist in Psychic-type Pokémon. Medicham's use of psychic powers won't be weak."
"On the other hand, Sandslash seems to have no long-range attacks. This battle is already decided."
The Federal League spectators were optimistic. The battle had had ups and downs, and now it seemed Stefan had regained ground.
"Wait! What is that Sandslash doing?"
Suddenly, someone shouted.
Sandslash made a grasping gesture in the air.
Under an invisible force, the sand from the ground was absorbed toward its hand, forming a sphere of sand.
Immediately afterward, the sphere began to spin violently, turning into a sand ball in extreme rotation that dragged more sand around it, growing endlessly.
"That energy fluctuation... It's Rollout! It's using Rollout through a sand ball!"
The commentators exclaimed in surprise.
They had never imagined the move Rollout could be used in that way.
"Medicham, stop it! Psychic!"
Stefan's face changed. Although he did not fully understand what Sandslash planned, he sensed the danger.
"It's too late. Sandslash, Sand Sphere!" Ethan smiled.
Sandslash hurled the spinning sphere at high speed.
(End of chapter)