Chapter 234: Milotic!
Asahi glanced at the Psychic Plate still floating beside Gardevoir. "That… is a cutting board! They say food prepared with it tastes amazing."
"…A cutting board?"
Cynthia blinked, momentarily stunned.
A cutting board could let Gardevoir teleport endlessly?
"Just kidding." Asahi chuckled. "It's actually an item carried by Arceus."
"…Arceus?"
Somehow, the cutting board explanation seemed more believable.
Seeing the doubt on Cynthia's face, Asahi simply shrugged.
He had told the truth—whether she believed him or not was her problem.
…
With the battle still ongoing, Cynthia pushed her curiosity aside for now.
The second round was about to begin.
Asahi chose to stick with Gardevoir for the next match.
Cynthia, on the other hand, sent out her second Pokémon—
A flash of white light revealed a sleek, cream-colored Pokémon with flowing, red-and-blue patterned scales, gracefully flicking its tail.
"Milotic?"
Gary, still sulking from Asahi's victory, immediately perked up.
Both Green and Sabrina were instantly captivated.
"She's gorgeous…" Geen whispered, awestruck.
Gardevoir and Milotic stood opposite each other, radiating such breathtaking elegance that it felt less like a Champion-level battle and more like a Pokémon Contest.
But in that moment—Milotic's calm, mesmerizing gaze locked onto Gardevoir.
"Milo~!"
Milotic let out a long, melodious cry.
Waves of sound laced with Fairy energy surged toward Gardevoir—Disarming Voice!
Not to be outdone, Gardevoir responded with her own Disarming Voice, sending a matching wave of sound crashing against Milotic's attack.
The two soundwaves clashed midair, canceling each other out—neither side gaining the upper hand.
Though the first move had failed, Milotic didn't falter. With a graceful twist of its serpentine body, it suddenly surged toward Gardevoir with surprising speed!
At first glance, it almost seemed like Milotic was going in for an affectionate nuzzle—
—but danger lurked beneath that elegance!
Milotic's red-and-blue patterned tail lit up with a steely glow. As it closed the distance, its tail whipped through the air with a sharp crack!
"Iron Tail!"
Cynthia had her Milotic target Gardevoir's weakness—Steel-type moves—using Iron Tail for a focused assault.
The air whistled with the force of the strike.
But instead of teleporting away, Asahi's Gardevoir held her ground.
Her eyes flashed blue—psychic energy rippling through the air—and with a graceful push of her hands, a glowing sphere of mental force formed.
"Psychic!"
Boom!
The Psychic attack met Iron Tail head-on, the shockwave from their clash spreading outward.
Even from the sidelines, the watching crowd could feel the suffocating force of the collision.
"So strong!" Ethan's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Back in Ilex Forest, the most intense battle he'd witnessed was the fight between Giovanni and Bruno—both already injured at the time.
Now, seeing two fully-powered Champion-level Pokémon battling head-to-head was awe-inspiring.
"Not bad," Gary muttered, arms crossed. "I'll be at that level someday too."
Though his eyes, fixed intently on the battle, betrayed his true feelings.
As Ethan marveled and Gary kept up his facade, Milotic, fresh off the Iron Tail clash, formed a swirling orb of water in its mouth and fired it at Gardevoir.
"Water Pulse!"
The rippling water bullet shot forward, carrying a disorienting resonance designed to confuse its target.
"Gardevoir, Light Screen!"
With a wave of her hand, Gardevoir summoned a transparent barrier, intercepting Water Pulse.
"Surf!" Cynthia followed up immediately.
"Milo~!"
Milotic's cry echoed through the battlefield as it summoned a towering wave, riding the surging water directly toward Gardevoir.
Crack!
The Light Screen shattered under the force of the wave.
Though briefly slowed, Milotic pressed forward—an unstoppable current bearing down on Gardevoir.
Despite the sheer size of the wave—Milotic, at least four or five times Gardevoir's size—Gardevoir's expression remained calm.
In a flash, she used Double Team, splitting into countless clones that scattered across the field.
Milotic, unable to distinguish the real Gardevoir, opted to widen the attack range, expanding the wave to engulf all of the illusions.
Splash!
One by one, the clones dissolved under the crashing water.
But even after the final clone disappeared—Gardevoir was nowhere to be found.
"Milotic, behind you!" Cynthia's voice rang out.
Without even turning, Milotic whipped its tail backward, summoning a stream of water to strike the hidden Gardevoir.
Smack!
A direct hit!
Just as Milotic relaxed, believing it had landed a solid blow—
"Watch out!" Cynthia's warning came too late.
The sound of crackling electricity buzzed behind Milotic.
An instant later—
Zap!
A bolt of lightning shot from behind, coursing through Milotic's body. Its muscles tensed, paralyzed by the electric shock.
A… Electric-type move?!
Milotic's mind reeled. Wasn't Gardevoir a Psychic/Fairy type? How could she use an Electric move?
On the opposite side of the field, Asahi grinned.
Why an Electric move?
Of course—because Gardevoir learned it.
The Thunderbolt move had been taught to Gardevoir back when Asahi acquired the Zap Plate. He had her practice the move to test the Plate's power.
Although the Zap Plate now belonged to Mareep, and Gardevoir no longer had the boost from it, Thunderbolt was still an effective weapon—especially against Milotic's Water typing.
Hovering in midair, Gardevoir retracted her arm, faint electric arcs still flickering across her fingers.
Her eyes gleamed blue once more as she unleashed a Psychic attack toward Milotic.
But Milotic's recovery speed exceeded both Asahi and Gardevoir's expectations.
In a flash, Milotic spun its tail, forming a sphere of water around itself.
Splash!
The Psychic attack collided with the water barrier, sending droplets flying—but the mental energy was significantly dampened.
By the time it reached Milotic, the damage was minimal.
Despite the lingering pain from Psychic, Milotic clenched its jaw, already preparing a counterattack.
It opened its mouth wide—then blasted a high-pressure jet of water at Gardevoir.
"Hydro Pump!"
The powerful Hydro Pump roared toward Gardevoir at terrifying speed.
Having just used Psychic, Gardevoir struggled to gather enough energy for Teleport.
All she could manage was a quick sidestep—
Splash!
The Hydro Pump grazed Gardevoir's side, sending her staggering back.
"Garde!"
Pain twisted across Gardevoir's face.
Milotic's Hydro Pump, supercharged by its earlier buildup, packed immense power. Even though Gardevoir had avoided the brunt of the attack, the residual force still left her heavily injured.
Seeing this, Cynthia seized the momentum.
"Milotic, let's press the attack!" She swung her arm forward.
Encased in swirling water rings from Aqua Ring, Milotic rushed toward Gardevoir—its tail again glowing with flowing water.
"Aqua Tail!"
[I can't let that hit.]
The thought echoed in both Asahi and Gardevoir's minds.
Without hesitation, Gardevoir teleported away just as Aqua Tail smashed into the ground.
This time, however, Cynthia didn't order Milotic to chase.
For one, Aqua Ring was still gradually restoring Milotic's health.
For another—after seeing Spiritomb's missteps—Cynthia realized that aimless pursuit would only drain Milotic's stamina.
Instead—
"Milotic, Rain Dance!"
Milotic gently swayed its body, drawing moisture from the lingering water left by Surf.
Moments later, a fine drizzle began to fall over the battlefield.
As the rain poured down, the tension in the air thickened.
On the sidelines, the spectators felt the shift.
With Rain Dance active, Asahi's Gardevoir was in trouble.
Gary, who had previously recorded Asahi's victory over Spiritomb, perked up at the new development.
Smirking, he pulled out his phone again—ready to capture what he thought would be Asahi's downfall this time.
However—
Despite the rain—Asahi wasn't worried. In fact, he smiled.
"Now this is getting fun…"
He looked at Gardevoir, who had teleported beside him, and calmly said:
"Gardevoir, let's show them what we're really capable of."
"Garde!"
Gardevoir crossed her arms over her chest, resonating with the floating Psychic Plate beside her.
A wave of intense mental energy gathered around her—far stronger than the Pressure ability, a suffocating force spread across the battlefield.
Cynthia's expression shifted, sensing the shift in power.
Asahi was ready to go all out.
Good—so was she.
"Milotic!" Cynthia called out.
"Milo~!"
Surrounded by water, Milotic rose into the air, facing off against Gardevoir.
The battlefield was split—one side, a stormy Milotic; the other, a fiercely glowing Gardevoir.
Asahi and Cynthia locked eyes.
"Gardevoir, Psychic!"
"Milotic, Brine!"
Both Pokémon launched their attacks simultaneously.
The psychic energy crushed down on Milotic—
—but Milotic's Brine shot through the force, striking Gardevoir squarely.
Boom!
Both Pokémon plummeted from the sky.
Cynthia watched closely.
Even though Milotic had taken damage, Aqua Ring had restored some of its strength.
But Gardevoir—already hurt from the previous battle with Spiritomb—was a different story.
And now, struck by both Hydro Pump and Brine…