Tyrantrum stood in the center of the field without moving at all.
The shiny Swellow darted left and right in the air, sometimes diving down to probe, sometimes pulling up to circle, trying to confuse its judgment with dazzling movement.
But Tyrantrum remained unmoved, patiently waiting for the best possible moment.
Seeing that this had no effect, the shiny Swellow stopped wasting effort.
When it flew behind Tyrantrum, it suddenly accelerated and dove down like an arrow released from a bow, aiming straight at Tyrantrum's back.
At the instant its Steel Wing struck Tyrantrum's back, its speed inevitably paused for the briefest moment.
The flaw in a high speed assault was fully exposed the moment the attack connected with its target.
And that nearly imperceptible delay was exactly the opportunity Tyrantrum had been waiting for.
The counterattack it had been building erupted in an instant.
Tyrantrum's hind legs, which had been coiled with power, burst like springs, twisting its massive body violently as its head snapped upward.
Rock energy gathered densely around the crown on its forehead, carrying a crushing force as it slammed forward.
The ultimate Rock type move
Head Smash
Bang!
Even though the terrifying speed of the shiny Swellow prevented the move from landing perfectly and it only grazed it, the Rock type ultimate move that countered Flying types still dealt devastating damage.
The shiny Swellow was sent flying as if struck by a heavy hammer.
As it was knocked back, it even smashed into one of the floating Stealth Rocks in midair, letting out a painful cry.
It struggled to stabilize itself in the air, hovering high above, breathing heavily. Blood seeped from its wings, mixing with the rain as it dripped down.
"Swellow, Roost. We will stop going in close. Let us switch to ranged attacks next."
Winona's voice rang out, filled with concern.
Swellow glanced back at her, a trace of stubbornness flashing in its eyes.
It did not choose to recover with Roost. Instead, it gathered the remaining energy in its body, a deeper dark green glow spreading across it.
In that short exchange just now, it had already realized that it was not Tyrantrum's match.
The type disadvantage was too severe.
Tyrantrum was different from the opponents it had faced before. It had rich combat experience, and as long as it tried to engage at close range, it would inevitably suffer a counterattack.
But if it switched to ranged attacks, it might give Tyrantrum the chance to use Dragon Dance again, which would create even greater danger for the next teammate to enter the field.
So Swellow chose to go all out.
Theo sensed something was wrong and quickly warned,
"Tyrantrum, be careful. The opponent is probably going all in."
Tyrantrum nodded.
With a sharp cry, the shiny Swellow dove down once more. Its wings still shone with the silver glow of Steel Wing, appearing no different from before.
Tyrantrum remained grounded, ready to repeat the same counter.
But when the shiny Swellow was less than three meters away, its form suddenly changed.
The silver light on its wings instantly faded, replaced by a blazing orange red energy. The airflow around it turned violently turbulent.
This was a Fighting type move
Reversal
The power of this move increased dramatically as the user's stamina decreased.
And Fighting type moves also countered Rock types, just like Steel Wing, dealing heavy damage.
The shiny Swellow already understood that under the dual pressure of type disadvantage and power gap, it was not Tyrantrum's opponent.
Defeat was almost certain, yet it refused to surrender.
Even if it exhausted its final bit of strength, it would go all out to deal the greatest possible damage to Tyrantrum, creating an advantage for its teammate in the next match.
Its speed was simply too fast. Tyrantrum had no chance to dodge, and even Theo's warning could not change that.
This was a straightforward, unavoidable strategy.
Tyrantrum did not use Head Smash again. Instead, a violent blue Dragon type energy of Outrage erupted from its body, surging skyward.
Tyrantrum stomped its hind legs against the ground, its full power rising from the earth and converging into its body.
It no longer defended. It no longer waited.
With overwhelming ferocity, it charged directly toward the incoming Swellow.
Boom!
The violent collision of energy exploded, kicking up a cloud of dust so thick that even the fine rain was blasted apart.
The spectators all stood up, staring at the center of the dust cloud, holding their breath.
As the dust slowly cleared, the scene was revealed.
Tyrantrum was breathing heavily, the scales on its chest slightly overturned, clearly having taken considerable damage, but it still stood firmly in place, its gaze sharp as ever.
Beneath it lay the unconscious shiny Swellow.
In that clash, Tyrantrum had relied on its powerful defense, along with Outrage mitigating part of the damage, to withstand Swellow's desperate final blow.
The referee quickly stepped forward, checked carefully, and raised the flag.
"Swellow is unable to battle. Tyrantrum wins."
There was a moment of silence in the audience, followed by thunderous applause.
Whether they supported Theo or were local residents, everyone was deeply moved by the struggle in that desperate situation.
Winona walked forward, gently picking up the shiny Swellow. Her fingers brushed over the wounds on its wings as she spoke softly,
"Swellow, you did very well. Thank you."
The shiny Swellow nuzzled against her before falling completely unconscious.
Winona recalled it into its Poké Ball. When she looked up at Theo again, there was no trace of disappointment in her eyes. Instead, an even fiercer fighting spirit burned within them.
"Your Tyrantrum is indeed very strong. For the next battle, I will treat it as a challenge match for the Elite Four selection. Please be prepared."
As her words fell, Winona raised her hand and threw out a Poké Ball that had never been used in a Gym battle before.
A Pokémon covered in pure white feathers emerged from the Poké Ball, flapping its wings gracefully as it hovered in midair.
The three feathered crests on its head glowed faintly, colored red, white, and blue from left to right.
Information about the Pokémon immediately appeared in Theo's vision.
[Pokémon: Togekiss]
Type: Fairy / Flying
Category: Jubilee Pokémon
Ability: Super Luck (Bringing unexpected good fortune to its trainer and increasing the chance of landing critical hits in battle)
Moves: Air Slash, Tri Attack, Aura Sphere, Life Dew, Solar Beam, Rain Dance, Sunny Day, Draining Kiss, Roost, Mystical Fire, Psychic, Nasty Plot, Calm Mind, Dazzling Gleam and more
(End of Chapter)