"Charmeleon has lost the ability to battle."
At the same time, the referee announced his verdict. Alex Baxter, with a frustrated expression, had no choice but to recall his Charmeleon.
"Sorry... I got overconfident," muttered Alex Baxter.
"It's fine. You already gave it your all. Leave it to me from here on," Ethan Black took a deep breath and handed his notebook over to Alex Baxter. His gaze sharpened with determination as he looked at the rival duo.
"Oh, so you want to face the two of us alone?"
"And how do you plan to do that?"
The two trainers on the other side gave mocking smiles as they looked at him.
"We'll see... Sandshrew, use Rapid Spin!" ordered Ethan Black with a faint smile.
"Scyther, use Air Slash."
One of the Scyther sliced the air with a blade of wind upon seeing Sandshrew spinning rapidly on the field.
"Sand Attack!" shouted Ethan Black, his eyes firm.
A gust instantly rose up, transforming into a sand tornado that completely blocked the Air Slash.
Thanks to recent training with Professor Harris, Sandshrew had greatly improved the speed of its Rapid Spin, allowing it to counter the offensive move with precision.
As Ethan Black nodded in satisfaction at his partner's progress, cheers erupted from the stands.
"What was that?! That move looks incredible!"
"Is that some kind of new Ground-type move? Its power is brutal! It blocked a direct attack!"
"And it seems both offensive and defensive! Way too strong!"
The entire audience erupted in astonishment and excitement, captivated by a move they had never seen before.
"Scyther, keep using Fury Cutter, don't stop!" shouted the opposing trainer, narrowing his eyes.
Although the combination of Rapid Spin with Sand Attack looked impressive, he fully trusted in the cumulative strength of his Scyther's Fury Cutter.
"Sandstorm!" ordered Ethan Black sharply.
But just as Scyther was about to strike the sand tornado with Fury Cutter, the whirlwind collapsed on its own, exploding in a violent release of energy.
BOOM!
A massive explosion shook the field. The closest Scyther was blown into the air, struck head-on by the fury of the Sandstorm move.
The whirlwind burst in every direction. Sand, stones, and wind ravaged the battlefield, hammering the protective barriers with a deafening rain of impacts.
When the dust finally began to settle, the Scyther could be seen collapsed on the ground, completely covered in a layer of sand and stones, unable to move.
"Was that... a defeat?"
Ethan Black blinked in surprise. He had only intended to activate the weather effect with Sandstorm, but the result was even better than expected.
The Scyther that had been hit directly by the storm had completely lost the ability to battle. And its partner, though still standing, was panting heavily. Using both scythes to shield itself from the impact, its wings drooped weakly, making it clear it could no longer fly.
The devastating power of that attack left the entire stadium in absolute shock.
Everyone was left speechless at the sight of Sandshrew standing firm on the field, after having unleashed a "failed" version of Sandstorm... which had nonetheless created an overwhelming impact.
(End of chapter)