After Vivianâs announcement, Terrance glanced at the stage, looking rather eager to get started. Finally, it was his turn. Having waited for seven matches, Terrance was itching to get up there.
He had just finished devising a new illusion skill for Mismagius in Petalburg Gym and was eager to test it out in real battle, though the opportunity came a bit late.
Although she wasnât a well-known Coordinator, Mayumi has proven her skills by advancing from the preliminary judging to the finals. Despite being a girl, her PokĂ©mon was a Croagunk with an unrestrained fighting style, creating a rather unusual combination.
Mayumi and Terranceâs paths had only crossed during this match. Aside from that, she didnât have much to say about the commotion Terrance had caused previously. Instead, Terranceâs few byes made Mayumi realize that his success might not be just due to luck.
âCroaguuuunk~ Croaguuuunk~â Croagunk puffed up its poison sac and called out, crossing its arms and staring at Mismagius with its dead fish eyes.
âMmmm~~â Mismagius hovered in front of Terrance, waiting for his command.
Whoosh!
As soon as the match started, Croagunk darted out like a blur, trying to use its speed to disrupt Mismagiusâ sight.
âSwoosh!â
The fast-running Croagunk stopped, looking around as Mismagius had vanished from its sight.
âDonât panic, use poison to attack in all directions!â Mayumi scanned the stage and decisively commanded.
âCroaguuuunk~ Croaguuuunk~â Hearing this, Croagunk clasped its hands and crushed a purple Energy Ball. Boom! countless droplets of poison scattered out in all directions, completely enveloping the area around Croagunk.
As the poison droplets scattered everywhere, Mayumiâs attention sharpened, trying to locate Mismagiusâ hiding place. However, as she scanned the area, she noticed that the droplets all followed their original trajectories. Her eyes widened as she said, âHow is this possible?â
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âThe ceiling?â She looked up, wondering if Mismagius had flown that high in such a short time.
âOr the ground?â Mayumiâs perspective shifted rapidly, reacting so swiftly that even Croagunk couldnât keep up with its CoordinatorâŠ
âWhat are you looking at?â Terranceâs words startled Mayumi. âDonât you know the move Phantom Force?â
âCroaguuuunk~~~â
Boom! A series of Shadow Balls unexpectedly struck from behind Croagunk like a machine gun, bombarding it. But it wasnât over; as Croagunk tried to get up after getting blasted away, a barrage of Shadow Balls quickly cut off its escape routes.
âNot good!â As Mayumi was momentarily stunned, Mismagius unleashed Shadow Balls as if they cost nothing. However, she realized that their power was not very strong; even if Croagunk took a few hits, it could still withstand them. Nevertheless, this didnât ease Mayumiâs mind. The precise control made her suspect that the opponent might be aiming for appeal points, casting a shadow of doubt over her. freÄwÄbηovel.cà«Šm
âUse Double Teamââ Mayumi didnât dare hesitate and quickly ordered. Croagunk split into a dozen figures, and for a moment, Mismagius couldnât identify the real one. Mismagius had no choice but to scatter the Shadow Balls, and without the threat of the numerous Shadow Balls, the real Croagunk managed to escape from the continuous attack.
âA clever escape method, but the attack isnât over yet.â
âMismagius, use that moveââ
That move?
Which move is that?
Mayumi looked completely baffled, and Vivian didnât know what to comment. As the Shadow Ball destroyed the Double Team, Mismagius had already rushed towards the real Croagunk and concealed itself.
âPhantom Force again?!â Mayumi exclaimed. âItâs useless, Iâve already figured out how to counter it. Croagunk, keep using Double Team!â
Confidently, Mayumi awaited Mismagiusâs sneak attack, but with a sudden âOngââ sound, an incantation echoed, causing sound waves to spread out, startling Croagunk. At the same time, Mismagius revealed itself.
âQuick, counterattack!â Mayumi shouted.
However, all the Croagunks present seemed to be agitated, covering their eyes with Poison Touch and running around wildly.
âHow is this possibleâŠâ Mayumiâs words were caught in her throat. âDamn it, I forgot about Mismagiusâ incantation. Even if Croagunk splits using Double Team, it can still hear the incantationâŠâ
Seeing Croagunkâs reaction, Mayumi took a deep breath, realizing something. This attack method, which she couldnât understand, must be an illusion: âCroagunk, donât be afraid, itâs an illusion, snap out of it!â
âCroaguuuunk~â Although it was an illusion, whenever Croagunk tried to open its eyes, it felt as if it was being exposed to extremely intense sunlight, causing it unbearable pain. It couldnât focus, let alone open its eyes.
âUse your moves. Croagunk, use your moves and break through the illusion.â Faced with such an intangible thing as an illusion, Mayumi had no experience in breaking it, so she could only make a guess and command Croagunk.
At this moment, energy flowed through Croagunkâs body, forming various moves, attempting to break free from the illusionâs cage. But how could Mismagius give it the chance to react.
Flash Illusion was simple, yet it worked both ways. Constructing such a small illusion took little effort, but Croagunkâs reaction gave Terrance and Mismagius new hope.
Could this simple illusionâŠreally be this effective?!
âWell⊠Mismagius learned these complex illusions during its time in the Haunted House to train and test studentsâ illusion skills. After a few years of practice, these illusions naturally became the core of Mismagiusâ illusion abilities. Itâs us who are trapped by our own thoughtsâŠâ
âCroaguuuunk~~~â Croagunk cried out; it felt itself break through the illusionâs barrier with its moves, and it truly heard the sound of the illusion shattering. But the scene before it sent Croagunkâs heart into the abyss, leaving it more panicked than before.
In the boundless darkness, where one couldnât see a finger in front of them, the pitch-black environment filled Croagunk with fear and unease. Its first reaction was that it had gone blind.
Under the scorching light, even though it opened its eyes, the world still remained dark. This change left Croagunkâs mind in utter confusion, and it was on the verge of collapse.
At this point, it lost even the will to run around. Croagunk stood there dazed, beginning to question its frog-life.
On the stage, the three red gems on Mismagius flickered, and Confuse Ray enveloped Croagunk, plunging it into a second layer of illusionâdarkness.
Seeing the motionless Croagunk, Mayumi realized she had never experienced such an absurd battle before.
She shouted at Croagunk, trying to wake it from the illusion, but no matter how much she shouted, there was no response.
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