Chapter 332: Excadrill vs. Bellossom! Baton Pass!!
Excadrill had no intention of letting Bellossom set up her field for free. The ground beneath the flower fairy's feet suddenly erupted, and Excadrill burst forth, spinning like a top as it slammed its steel drill body into her.
"Li!!!! —"
Bellossom let out a pained cry.
To ensure the Grassy Terrain was successfully established, she had stayed rooted to the spot, tanking a point-blank Drill Run. Her tiny frame was launched into the air by the impact before she crashed heavily back onto the dirt.
However, Bellossom struggled back to her feet immediately. Her face was tight with pain, but the flowers on her head began to pulse with a feverish light, drawing energy from the artificial sun to mend her broken cells.
Synthesis!!
Simultaneously, the freshly sprouted grass beneath her feet began to glow, providing a steady stream of secondary healing.
"Drill Run again!!"
"Exca-drill!!! —"
Hu Ren shouted, and Excadrill didn't hesitate. It revved up its spin and lunged at her once more.
"Grassy Glide!"
Just as the steel drill was about to connect, Bellossom moved.
In a display of supernatural agility, she began to skim across the surface of the meadow as if she were a figure skater on ice. She blurred across the grass, leaving Excadrill's attack to hit nothing but air.
"Bellossom!! Quiver Dance!!"
"Li!!! —"
While she "skated" across the field using Grassy Glide, she began her rhythmic, hypnotic dance.
The fluid, elegant motion combined with the high-speed sliding was a sight to behold. To the audience, it looked less like a battle and more like a professional figure skating routine—only instead of ice, she was gliding on a sea of green.
Because she was on Grassy Terrain, the speed and maneuverability of her glide were massively amplified. She was simply too nimble for the heavy Excadrill to catch.
"Excadrill!! Use Scorching Sands!! Burn the field!!"
Hu Ren realized that as long as that grass existed, he'd never pin her down. He had to destroy her mobility.
"Exca-drill!!! —"
Excadrill slammed its claws into the earth.
Scorching Sands: A Ground-type special move that bombards the area with superheated sand, with a high chance to burn the target.
Instead of targeting Bellossom, Excadrill targeted the entire field. A tide of scalding, molten sand surged across the arena like a lava flow. The tender, healing grass stood no chance; the meadow was incinerated and buried under a layer of burning grit in seconds.
But while the grass burned, Bellossom completed her third Quiver Dance.
"Bellossom!! Solar Beam!!"
"Li!!!! —"
A pillar of solar fire erupted from her head, lashing out at the steel mole.
"Protect!!! —"
BOOM!!!! —
With three stacks of Quiver Dance and Solar Power active, the beam was catastrophic. Even with Protect, Excadrill was physically shoved back several meters by the sheer pressure of the blast.
The shield held, but only just.
"Keep it up! Solar Beam again!!"
Kenji gave Excadrill zero time to recover. Another pillar of light was already forming.
"Dig!!!"
Left with no choice, Excadrill dived back into the safety of the earth to avoid the direct hit.
For the next several minutes, the arena became a high-stakes game of "Whack-a-Mole."
With her stats boosted to the moon, Bellossom was always one step ahead. The moment Excadrill's presence was felt beneath the surface, she would glide to safety and greet its emergence with a point-blank Solar Beam.
Hu Ren's mole was forced to retreat underground again and again. Twice, it was nearly incinerated because it was a millisecond too slow on the dive.
The stalemate didn't last.
Whoosh...
The sandstorm finally died down. Without Hippowdon on the field to maintain it, the weather returned to neutral.
Simultaneously, the Sunny Day expired. The harsh glare vanished, and the arena lights returned to normal.
Now! Hu Ren's eyes lit up.
Excadrill had been waiting for this exact moment. Without the sun, Solar Beam required a full turn to charge. The "Queen of the Sun" was finally without her railgun.
Hu Ren was certain that without the instant-cast luxury, he could finally close the gap.
The arena was riddled with craters and scorched patches. Bellossom stood vigilant, sensing the subtle vibrations of the floor.
Rumble... rumble...
"Excadrill! NOW!!"
BANG!!! —
The ground burst open behind Bellossom's right flank. Excadrill emerged, instantly transitioning into a high-speed Drill Run aimed at her back.
"Solar Beam!!!"
Facing the incoming assassination attempt, Bellossom didn't run. She didn't dodge. She spun around, and the flowers on her head erupted with light.
Hu Ren's heart skipped a beat. She's charging? No... she isn't charging at all!!
Bellossom was still under the influence of the Manazane artifact. The sun was gone, but her item was still active.
Solar Beam!!!! —
KRA-KOOM!!!!! —
"EXCA-DRILL!!!! —"
A scream of agony was drowned out by the explosion. The point-blank solar blast met the drill head-on. The white light was so intense that the spectators were once again forced to look away.
With +3 Special Attack and the Radiant Rabadon's Deathcap boost, even without the sun's bonus, the move was a localized nuke.
...
The light faded. Excadrill lay on its side, smoke curling off its metallic hide. It didn't move. It was finished.
On the other side, Bellossom panted heavily. The strain of the long battle and the lack of solar recovery were starting to show.
How... how is she still so fast without the sun? Hu Ren stared in disbelief at his fallen champion.
"Return, Excadrill."
Hu Ren silently recalled his partner. On the jumbotron, his second icon turned gray.
"Go! Hippowdon!!"
"Bellossom!!! Baton Pass!!"
Hu Ren's face twisted in frustration.
Baton Pass. The user returns to its ball and transfers all accumulated stat changes to the next Pokémon entering the field.
"Li..."
In the brief window before Hippowdon could act, Bellossom clapped her hands. A shimmering orb of green energy drifted out of her chest and hovered in the air.
Bellossom vanished into her ball.
"Go!! Ninetales!"
Kenji threw his next ball.
POP!!! —
Ninetales hit the field, its pristine white fur flowing.
"Mo..."
The fox let out a soft cry. The glowing green orbs left by Bellossom swirled around Ninetales before sinking into its body.
The transfer was complete.
Kenji now had a Ninetales on the field with +3 Special Attack, +3 Special Defense, and +3 Speed.
The real nightmare was just beginning for Hu Ren.
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