As soon as the referee's voice fell, Brawly was the first to launch an attack.
"Primeape, charge in and use Cross Slash!"
"Roar!"
Primeape kicked off the sandy ground, its body launching like a cannonball. Its thick arms crossed in front of its chest, creating a gust of wind that tore through the air as it aimed straight for Sneasel's vitals.
A four-times type disadvantage; if this hit landed, Sneasel would be knocked out instantly!
However, there wasn't a trace of panic on Ariel's face.
"Agility, pull back!"
Just as Primeape's claws were about to touch Sneasel, Sneasel's figure suddenly blurred, turning into a black afterimage that evaded the attack at an incredible angle.
Boom!
The Cross Slash slammed heavily into the sand, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Meanwhile, Sneasel had already appeared at the other end of the field. It glanced back at the enraged Primeape, a hint of mockery flashing in its eyes.
Brawly's brow furrowed.
So fast! He knew Sneasel excelled in speed, but he hadn't expected it to be this quick.
Ariel's heart remained calm.
He had chosen Sneasel specifically for this advantage.
Facing an opponent with a four-times type advantage, head-on confrontation was the most foolish choice.
What he needed to do was utilize Sneasel's mobility to turn this duel into a war of attrition.
"That's it, Sneasel! Use Icy Wind!"
Sneasel opened its mouth, and a cold current mixed with ice crystals spewed out, quickly sweeping across the entire sandy field.
Icy Wind's power wasn't high, and since Sneasel was a physical attacker, it wasn't good at special attacks to begin with, so this strike dealt almost no damage.
However, its effect began to manifest at that moment.
As the chill passed over, a thin layer of white frost condensed on the sand.
Stepping on it, Primeape felt its feet slip, and its speed was noticeably affected.
More importantly, the chill continuously eroded its body, making its already irritable mood even more unstable.
"Roar! Roar!"
Primeape angrily beat its chest, its eyes turning blood-red.
"It's useless, Ariel!"
Brawly shouted.
"Anger only makes Primeape stronger! Cross Slash!"
Primeape charged again. Although its speed was affected, the power of each Cross Slash was even more terrifying than before, with the gusts of wind even carving furrows into the sand.
Ariel's commands were calm and precise.
"Evade, and keep using Icy Wind!"
Over the next few minutes, a game of cat and mouse played out on the field.
Sneasel was like an assassin dancing on the edge of a blade, narrowly evading every attack just a second before Primeape's strikes landed, then countering with an Icy Wind.
The frost on the sand grew thicker, and the temperature in the air dropped lower and lower.
Some Ice Shards had already formed on Primeape's body, and its breathing began to grow heavy.
Its rage was soaring, and its strength was constantly increasing, yet its attacks failed to touch Sneasel in the slightest. This feeling of having power but nowhere to use it made it increasingly frantic.
On the sidelines, Shauna watched dumbfounded, her small mouth forming an "O" shape.
"Wow... Brother Ariel is so amazing. Brother's Primeape looks like an idiot, chasing and attacking but never hitting anything."
Hearing his younger sister's commentary, the veins on Brawly's forehead throbbed uncontrollably.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He knew that Ariel's tactic had succeeded.
If this continued, Primeape would be consumed by its own rage before it even ran out of stamina.
He couldn't let himself be led by the nose any longer!
Brawly's gaze suddenly shifted, and a powerful aura erupted from him.
"Primeape, stop!"
Hearing the command, the pursuing Primeape skidded to a halt. It looked back at Brawly in confusion, letting out a low growl as if urging him to continue the attack.
"Look at me, Primeape!"
Brawly's voice was full of power.
"Forget that slippery opponent. Feel the anger in your heart, and concentrate it all into your fists!"
Primeape's breathing gradually stabilized. Its blood-red eyes stared intently at Brawly, its chest heaving violently.
Alarm bells rang in Ariel's mind.
Brawly was going to change tactics!
Sure enough, Brawly's next command confirmed his suspicion.
"Focus Energy!"
Primeape let out a long howl toward the sky as a visible current of air began to converge toward it.
Its gaze became more focused, and its muscles tensed. That violent rage was being compressed and refined in a special way.
Ariel's pupils contracted slightly.
Focus Energy—it increases the critical hit ratio.
Brawly was planning to give up the chase and instead gamble on a single, lethal blow!
Once grazed by a Cross Slash with an increased critical hit rate, even slightly, the four-times type disadvantage plus the critical hit bonus would absolutely result in Sneasel being one-shotted!
Ariel looked at the muscle-bound Primeape, which was compressing all its rage and power into a single point, and understood the situation clearly.
Given Primeape's current state of rage combined with the effect of Focus Energy, the critical hit rate of Cross Slash had likely reached a terrifying level.
This wasn't a gamble; it was an inevitable choice Brawly made based on his deep understanding of Primeape's traits.
Once it finished charging, any random strike could be a finishing blow.
But... who said I would give you that chance?
While this charging process could condense power to its peak, it also meant giving up movement.
A sitting duck.
This played right into Ariel's hands.
"Sneasel."
Ariel's voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly carried across the frost-covered field.
"Now. Ice Shard."
The moment the command was given, Sneasel, which had been lingering on the edge of the attack range, moved.
It didn't choose the more powerful Ice Punch. Instead, it flicked its fingers, and an inconspicuous fragment of ice, no larger than a fingernail, shot out along the ground.
The speed of that Ice Shard was astonishing. It drew a faint line across the frost-covered sand, aimed directly at the ankle supporting Primeape's body!
Primeape, fully focused on compressing its rage, didn't bother to pay attention to an "attack" of this level.
However, Brawly's expression suddenly changed!
He saw through Ariel's intention, but it was already too late.
"Oh no!"
Ding!
A crisp, light sound.
The Ice Shard accurately struck Primeape's ankle. The damage it caused was minimal, even less intense than the erosion from the cold air.
However, Primeape's body, which was maintaining a delicate balance while concentrating its full strength, suddenly shuddered due to this insignificant external force.
The thin ice under its feet was already slippery, and this tiny loss of balance was infinitely magnified at this moment!
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