At this point, both sides had lost one Pokémon.
On Silas's side, Mudsdale had fallen, while Meyer had lost his strongest combatant, Mega Ampharos.
Overall, Silas still held the advantage.
Raichu and Luxray remained on Meyer's side. Raichu was already in poor condition, so at best they amounted to one and a half effective Pokémon.
While Silas was still calculating the situation, Meyer had already thrown out his next Poké Ball.
"Rai! Chu!"
Raichu reentered the battlefield at half health.
"Raichu again?" Silas murmured before issuing his command. "Trick Room, Diancie."
"Fake Out to interrupt it. Then set up Electric Terrain."
Both trainers gave their orders at the same time. Psychic energy had just begun to gather around Diancie when Raichu dashed forward. Its small paw struck her shoulder with a crisp smack.
The flinch effect took hold instantly. Diancie's movement froze, and the forming Trick Room shattered before completion.
Raichu did not stop there. It pushed off the ground with its hind legs, retreating a few steps. Its lightning shaped tail stood straight up as it gathered electricity from the surrounding air.
Moments later, Raichu's ears rose high. This was the sign that the electricity stored in its cheek pouches had reached maximum capacity.
"Rai!"
Raichu swung its upright tail and stomped the ground again and again, releasing the electricity it had accumulated.
A pale golden current spread outward like rippling water, covering the entire battlefield. Electric arcs flickered through the air. Even the guardrails at the edge of the field sparked with crackling energy. The entire arena was now saturated with dense electrical power.
Electric Terrain, as the name suggested, was a field move exclusive to Electric type Pokémon. It increased the power of Electric type moves and prevented Pokémon on the field from falling asleep.
Meyer's plan was simple. Raichu would set up Electric Terrain, then Luxray would come in at full health to serve as the main attacker.
But had Silas truly failed to anticipate this?
Of course not.
"Skill Swap."
The moment Silas spoke, Diancie moved as if she had already prepared for this.
A pale violet psychic aura surged around her. She raised her hands and made a clear exchanging gesture toward Raichu.
A mysterious psychic light pierced through the dense Electric Terrain, forming invisible threads that wrapped around Raichu.
Silas had been observing closely. Judging from how quickly Raichu gathered electricity, it possessed the rare Lightning Rod ability.
"What?"
Meyer's pupils contracted sharply. Despite all his calculations, his final gamble had been dismantled.
Diancie temporarily acquired Lightning Rod. Any Electric type move directed at her would become ineffective.
Not only ineffective, it would also raise her Special Attack by one stage.
"Trick Room."
The strange reversed space unfolded once more. This time, Raichu could no longer interrupt with Fake Out.
The order of speed was inverted. Diancie's attack followed immediately.
Countless pink diamond fragments erupted from the ground across the battlefield, like awakened stars gathering together. In an instant, they formed a storm of diamonds that swept through the entire arena.
With its wide coverage and the advantage granted by Trick Room, Raichu had nowhere to escape.
The diamonds tore through the air with sharp whistles that even drowned out the crackling electricity around them. Raichu managed to knock away a few with its tail, but it was soon engulfed by the relentless storm. Its remaining stamina was completely wiped out.
"Raichu is unable to battle. The winner is once again Diancie."
The Rotom Drone announced the result. Judging from the current situation, the match had effectively entered its closing phase.
A full health Luxray had only a slim chance of turning things around.
"Cyc!"
At Silas's feet, Cyclizar tugged at his pant leg. It suddenly realized the battle might end without it ever stepping onto the field.
"Not this time." Silas pointed toward the Carbink busily taking notes nearby. "This battle is part of Diancie's evaluation. Next time, you will definitely be the first to go."
Cyclizar slumped down, its tail sweeping weakly across the ground.
On the field, Meyer took a deep breath and threw his final Poké Ball. "Go, Luxray."
The lion like Pokémon landed, bathed in crackling electricity. Its golden eyes swept across the field before locking onto Diancie.
Under normal circumstances, Luxray could not maintain its X Ray vision for long, as it consumed a tremendous amount of energy.
But under Electric Terrain, everything changed. The immense power flowing across the field fueled it.
Its penetrating gaze was no longer limited by energy. It could clearly see Diancie's every movement, even the faint fluctuations of energy gathering at her fingertips.
The moment it touched down, Luxray began running at high speed, leaving behind afterimages as it dashed across the battlefield in a stance ready to strike at any moment.
On Diancie's side, her approach remained unchanged.
Diamond Storm.
Countless diamonds surged forward like a torrential downpour, attacking from every direction. For most Pokémon, such an assault would be impossible to evade.
Yet under the guidance of those golden eyes, Luxray saw through the trajectory of every single diamond in advance.
Its paws tapped lightly against the ground in precise footwork. It weaved through the dense gaps between the diamonds with fluid agility. Occasionally its tail flicked out, accurately batting away stones that brushed past it.
It was as though it were dancing within a raging storm, emerging without a single scratch. Luxray even found time to strike a pose and shake its mane dramatically.
So it was a perfect dodge performance.
"Roar."
Meyer suddenly gave the command, timing it precisely between Diancie's attacks.
Roar functioned similarly to Dragon Tail or Whirlwind, forcibly switching out the opponent.
This was a desperate measure.
Luxray facing a Diancie empowered by Lightning Rod was like a monarch standing before a revolution. It was a losing battle.
Forcing a switch might at least recover one point.
Diancie was pushed back involuntarily and returned to Silas's Poké Ball.
The previously bored Cyclizar was suddenly thrown onto the field by an invisible force.
"Cyc?"
It blinked in confusion before its expression shifted into excitement.
It had thought it would not get a chance to fight, yet here was an unexpected opportunity.
Cyclizar urged Silas to begin quickly.
The battle resumed at once. As a Dragon and Normal type Pokémon, Cyclizar did not have immunity to Electric type moves, but it did resist them.
However, due to Trick Room still being active, its speed was effectively lower than Luxray's.
The instant Cyclizar appeared, Luxray charged forward.
"Luxray is faster than you right now. Do not rush head on."
Silas immediately warned it. Cyclizar assumed a battle stance in response.
"Roar!"
Luxray's body erupted with blinding golden electricity. Its fur stood on end under the surge of power, and even the four pointed star at the end of its tail crackled with violent arcs.
It was using Wild Charge, a powerful Electric type move that dealt heavy damage at the cost of slight recoil to itself.
Cyclizar was no less prepared. Dragon type energy gathered within its tail, creating rippling waves as it swung it through the air.
Wrapped in golden electricity, Luxray transformed into a bolt of lightning and shot straight toward Cyclizar. The sound of Wild Charge slicing through the air made even the guardrails tremble faintly.
This was Luxray's true strength. Against Diancie earlier, it had not even been able to display half of its power.
Cyclizar reacted just as swiftly. With a fierce cry, it charged forward to meet Luxray head on.
(End of Chapter)