"Flare Blitz missed! It was Ally Switch! Then came the clash between Double Kick and Aerial Ace... and now Blaziken is pressing the attack again! It's obvious that this battle reflects Lin Feng's usual style. He doesn't want to give Mr. Rime even a second to breathe!"
"As everyone knows, Lady Reika's Mr. Rime is not only exceptional with Ice-type techniques, but also a master of Psychic-type moves. Its use of Trick Room and Skill Swap can be described as flawless."
"It looks like Lin Feng wants a quick victory, using Blaziken's incredible speed to suppress the opponent and deny any chance to establish control of the battlefield!"
"Unfortunately, Mr. Rime's move execution speed is far beyond expectations! It actually used Light Screen and Psyshock almost simultaneously!"
Watching the flood of gifts pouring across the livestream screen, Liam's mouth moved as fast as a machine gun.
Below, after recalling Blaziken, Lin Feng did not immediately send out his second Pokémon.
Instead, he looked across the battlefield at Mr. Rime.
Through his Viridian Power, he could sense that despite successfully setting up Light Screen, Mr. Rime had still taken considerable damage from Blaziken's Fire Punch.
Yet what truly puzzled him was something else.
The speed at which Mr. Rime had deployed Light Screen.
Other than Serperior's long-practiced setup of Grassy Terrain, only Gardevoir seemed capable of matching that level of execution.
How could it be that fast?
For a moment, Lin Feng couldn't understand.
Then he noticed that Mr. Rime was still gliding across the ice while the energy activity inside its body was rapidly decreasing.
Suddenly, realization struck him.
Role Play!
Mr. Rime had copied Blaziken's Speed Boost ability.
Blaziken's extraordinary acceleration, combined with Mr. Rime's own immense reserves of energy, allowed it to instantly set up Light Screen and unleash Psyshock even after continuously using moves.
So in the end...
Blaziken had been defeated by its own ability.
After understanding the reason, Lin Feng slowly exhaled.
In battle, victory and defeat were not the most important things.
The important part was what came afterward.
If you lost, you had to understand why you lost.
"Don't be discouraged."
Reika finally spoke.
"I only won because of the battlefield advantage. Blaziken's movement and speed were heavily restricted on the ice."
Seeing that Lin Feng had yet to send out another Pokémon from atop Pidgeot, she assumed he was feeling disappointed.
Lin Feng shook his head and smiled.
"Lady Reika, you're being too modest."
"This ice field was created by Mr. Rime's own Ice-type power. Ultimately, my Blaziken simply wasn't strong enough."
"I was only reviewing the battle in my mind."
Then his smile widened.
"Since you came specifically to see Alolan Ninetales, then please give us your guidance."
"Come out, Alolan Ninetales!"
A flash of red light burst forth.
Snow-white fur sparkled brilliantly across the frozen battlefield.
Nine elegant tails rose proudly behind it like a fan of silver palm leaves.
At last, the Pokémon everyone had been waiting for appeared.
The moment Alolan Ninetales stepped onto the ice, countless viewers watching through the livestream became excited.
As Blaziken left the field, the blazing sunlight overhead gradually faded as well.
"Vuuu!"
Although it had been inside its Poké Ball, Ninetales clearly knew that the opponent had just defeated Blaziken.
Its cry carried a different tone than usual.
"Alolan Ninetales..."
The moment Reika saw it, her eyes lit up.
Ever since the Horizon League tournament, she had been fascinated by this Pokémon.
Less than a year ago, it had been nothing more than a newborn.
Yet now it had reached this level.
At first, she believed Alolan Ninetales was simply a unique exception.
But the more she watched Lin Feng's matches and followed his rising reputation, the more she realized something astonishing.
Alolan Ninetales wasn't special.
Every Pokémon under Lin Feng's care had grown at an unbelievable rate.
From the previous battle alone, she could tell that Blaziken lacked experience against Psychic-type Pokémon.
Likewise, Lin Feng himself did not seem like a veteran trainer.
Just moments ago, despite recognizing Mr. Rime's use of Role Play and understanding that Trick Room was a potential threat, he had still overlooked the changes already occurring on the battlefield.
Yet somehow...
His Pokémon continued to grow at a miraculous pace.
That only made her more curious.
Could Pokémon really become this strong without countless life-and-death battles?
When Reika was sixteen years old, she began her journey with her very first Pokémon.
She traveled throughout the region, adventured across countless cities, and challenged Gym after Gym.
It took nearly a full year before she earned the qualifications to challenge them all.
Afterward, she spent another year training and competing in the Horizon League, eventually finishing fourth.
Then she journeyed to her second region, Galar, where she entered the World Championships.
Her final result there was a respectable Top 100 finish.
Back then, while watching the Masters Eight Tournament, the young Reika came to a painful realization.
She and her Pokémon still weren't strong enough.
So she continued climbing.
For years.
She traveled the world alongside her partners, challenging stronger and stronger opponents.
Eight more years passed.
During those years, she competed in the Horizon League, the Indigo League, the Silver Conference, the Lily of the Valley Conference, and the Lumiose Conference.
She claimed first place in most of them.
She encountered many powerful trainers.
Yet truly extraordinary opponents remained incredibly rare.
Even after becoming one of the Elite Four, she continued challenging Elite trainers from other regions.
The further she advanced, however, the more she realized how vast the gap became.
Still, she never gave up.
That was why she spent most of her time outside her home region.
And now...
Someone was telling her that a trainer who had only been active for a little over half a year, and who had fought relatively few battles, had managed to raise his Pokémon to this level?
Reika simply couldn't believe it.
Naturally, she wanted answers.
And Pokémon battles were the best way to find them.
Pokémon: Alolan Ninetales
Gender: Female
Type: Ice / Fairy
Ability: Snow Warning (+)
Potential: Gold
Individual Values: ...
Strength: Lv. 66-68
Moves: Hypnosis, Moonblast, Tail Whip, Icy Wind, Ice Shard, Disable, Aurora Veil, Dazzling Gleam, and more.
When you thought about it carefully, Alolan Ninetales and Blaziken were actually not that far apart in terms of raw energy levels.
Pokémon growth naturally slowed as they became stronger.
No matter how many delicious meals Lin Feng prepared every day, it was impossible for them to continue gaining power at the explosive rate they had enjoyed as young Pokémon.
Even so...
For an Ice-type Pokémon, what could be more exciting than facing an Elite Four Ice specialist in a pure contest of ice and snow?
Lin Feng's eyes brightened.
Alolan Ninetales raised its head proudly.
The frozen battlefield reflected in its sapphire-blue eyes.
Then Reika gave her command.
"Alolan Ninetales."
"Let's settle this with a pure clash of Ice-type power."
"Mr. Rime..."
"Use Ice Beam!"
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