Head-to-head

Retrieving the poisoned Leafeon and handing it over to the staff for treatment, Christine couldn't help but complain to Yuga with a wry smile, "Little Brother, we're both Grass-type Trainers, why do you keep using Poison-type moves? It's a bit unfair."

Yuga knew that Christine was saying this intentionally. Judging by her demeanor during battles, this sweet-looking girl wasn't as friendly as she appeared on the surface.

Seeing Yuga remain silent with a stern expression, Christine puckered her lips and added, "Little Brother, it's hard to find a girlfriend if you act like this, you know."

Christine was about to say more, but the electronic referee interjected, "Please release your next Pokémon promptly."

In response to this, Christine could only close her mouth, casting a brief glare at the floating electronic referee. Unfortunately, it was just an emotionless machine.

Christine's second Pokémon was a Ludicolo, a Pokémon that hadn't made an appearance in previous battles. Furthermore, its level far exceeded her previous Leafeon.

As soon as Ludicolo entered the arena, it began dancing cheerfully, almost appearing comical.

Upon seeing Ludicolo, Yuga immediately recalled his Roserade and sent out Vivillon.

Water and Grass dual-type Ludicolo had only three weaknesses: Bug, Flying, and Poison. Although Roserade was a Poison-type Pokémon, there was still a gap in strength compared to Ludicolo.

Ever since the Top 8 battles, Christine had displayed strength far above the other contestants. This Ludicolo's surface strength was already on par with Sora's Ninetales she had previously used, and she also had a pseudo-Elite level Cacturne.

The moment her Pokémon was released, Christine seemed like a different person. She issued orders to her Pokémon with a serious expression.

Following Christine's command, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and soon, a light rain began to fall.

Ludicolo's ability was Swift Swim, which increased its speed during rainy weather. Therefore, it was no surprise that Ludicolo's first move was to summon rain, a move called "Rain Dance."

However, Yuga didn't instruct Vivillon to stop Ludicolo's actions. Instead, he had Vivillon perform its graceful and mysterious Quiver Dance.

While dancing in the air, Vivillon enveloped itself in concentric circles of flying-type energy, shielding itself from the rain, completely unaffected by the weather.

Vivillon's most outstanding talent was its precise control of elemental energy and moves. As its strength continued to grow, Yuga was confident that, in terms of move control, Vivillon could easily match the Elite Pokémon carefully trained by experienced Trainers.

Vuvillon danced while simultaneously controlling its Flying-type energy to shield itself from the rain, relying on its precise control of Flying-type energy.

Vivillon's Quiver Dance and Ludicolo's Rain Dance were completed almost simultaneously, and as soon as both Pokémon stopped their movements, they began their attacks.

Ludicolo used an Ice Beam, while Vivillon employed Bug Buzz.

While dancing gracefully, Vivillon, without any hindrance from the rain, let out a sound wave attack, Bug Buzz.

Bug Buzz was a sound-based move originally with an area of effect. However, under Vivillon's control, those sound waves condensed into a focused beam and shot directly at Ludicolo.

The collision of yellow-green bug-type energy and ice-blue water-type energy resulted in a violent explosion.

In their first clash, neither Pokémon gained the upper hand.

In terms of level, the two Pokémon were closely matched, with Vivillon at level 53 and Ludicolo at level 54.

Vivillon's advantage lay in higher potential and a favorable type matchup. However, Ludicolo held a superior position within its race value compared to Vivillon.

Even with the Enchantes Honey it received, Vivillon had only slightly surpassed the race limit of Bug-type Pokémon. Compared to Ludicolo, it still had some way to go.

Breaking a race limit for Pokémon was incredibly challenging, and it could typically only be achieved through evolution or reaching the Elite level of strength. Achieving this through external means was quite rare, making Vivillon's progress all the more remarkable.

In the sky, Vivillon continuously launched Bug Buzz attacks towards Ludicolo, but Ludicolo, with its speed advantage in the rainy weather, kept dodging them effortlessly. Not a single Bug Buzz hit its mark.

Although Vivillon's Quiver Dance also increased its speed, it had just completed one cycle of enhancement, so it couldn't match Ludicolo's speed boost in the rain.

However, Vivillon had a solution for dealing with speedy opponents like Ludicolo: Electroweb.

Under Yuga's guidance, electric webs crackling with currents were laid across the battlefield. Many of these currents even extended into the puddles on the ground, making Ludicolo's movements extremely restricted.

Electroweb was one of Vivillon's most commonly used moves, and its proficiency in using this move was beyond question.

"Ludicolo, Icy Wind!" In response to the widespread Electroweb, Christine furrowed her brow and presented a solution for Ludicolo.

A chilling gust, accompanied by ice and snow, quickly swept through the field, turning it into an icy landscape thanks to the accumulated puddles and scattered moisture in the air.

The electrified webs were all frozen beneath the ice, and the electrical currents dissipated.

However, by this time, the Rain Dance effect had ended. The dark clouds dispersed, and the sky became bright again. When Ludicolo attempted to initiate another Rain Dance, it was disrupted by Vivillon's Hurricane move that not only interrupted the skill but also threw Ludicolo into disarray.

After the Hurricane subsided, Ludicolo descended from the sky, bearing numerous injuries, clearly having suffered greatly. After all, Flying-type moves had an advantage over Grass-types.

Seeing Ludicolo at a disadvantage, Christine's expression turned fierce. She shouted at Ludicolo, "Ludicolo, Blizzard!"

Following Christine's command, Ludicolo got back on its feet and conjured a colossal wind pillar, nearly two meters in diameter, filled with an abundance of ice and snow, directed at the airborne Vivillon.

Obviously, Christine didn't intend to tangle with Yuga any longer, and directly let Ludicolo and Vivillon fight head-on.

"Vivillon, Hurricane."

Christine planned to fight head-on, and Yuga wasn't one to shy away. He promptly ordered Vivillon to use its most potent move.

The white wind pillar and the blue-white blizzard wind pillar were on the brink of colliding. Surprisingly, the blizzard wind pillar, under Ludicolo's control, slightly shifted its course at the last moment. As a result, Ludicolo and Vivillon were both hit by each other's moves, rendering them unable to battle.

Watching Vivillon plummet from the sky, Yuga couldn't comprehend why Christine had chosen to sacrifice both Ludicolo and Vivillon in this manner.

Initially, with their attacks colliding head-on, they should have neutralized each other. However, Christine's decision to have Ludicolo and Vivillon die together caught him off guard.