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Crack!
Lanny's Poké Ball burst open in a swirl of red light, shadows spilling across the arena floor.
The temperature seed to drop as a chilling aura spread. But unlike the cold dread of ordinary Ghost-types, this one carried a strange vitality, death, and life energies interwoven in eerie harmony.
From the gloom rose a towering figure: a twisted tree-like Pokémon. Its bark was coarse and pale brown, streaked with ghostly energy, and from the trunk glared a single, blood-red eye. The gaze was rciless, hungry.
"By coin toss, Lanny will send out his first Pokémon," Audrey's voice echoed from the comntary booth.
A cheer swept through the stadium.
"Lanny has chosen Trevenant!"
Professor Ashford nodded thoughtfully. "From its presence alone, I can tell this Trevenant has been trained very carefully."
---
Across the field, Zilin's lips curved faintly.
"Trevenant, hm?"
She plucked a Poké Ball from her belt with effortless grace and flicked it into the air.
Whirr—
The stadium filled with the rapid, cutting sound of wings. A rush of violet wind swept across the field, tearing away Trevenant's ghostly haze.
High above, a sleek shape erged.
Its four purple wings stretched in a cross-shaped span, long triangular ears twitching at every subtle sound. From its sharp orange eyes burned predatory intensity.
"Crobat!"
"Zilin leads with Crobat!" Audrey called. "With its Poison and Flying typing, that's a strong choice against Trevenant!"
"Indeed," Ashford agreed. "Both of Trevenant's Grass typing weaknesses are fully exploited here. A difficult matchup for Lanny."
Lanny's jaw tightened. He knew the type disadvantage was crushing.
At the very least... I need to wear it down.
"Trevenant, Growth!"
Ghostly energy pulsed around Trevenant as faint green motes of life energy swirled into its bark, empowering its attack.
But Zilin's command snapped out instantly:
"Crobat, Air Cutter!"
Whoosh!
A sharp arc of slicing air cleaved toward Trevenant.
"Shadow Claw!" Lanny countered.
Trevenant's spectral claws t the blade of wind in a booming clash, the energy dispersing in a shiver of air currents.
But Trevenant pressed on, summoning a circle of blue ghostly flas.
"Will-O-Wisp!"
The flas shot upward, homing toward Crobat.
Zilin remained perfectly calm, arms crossed. She didn't even raise her voice.
Crobat blurred in a streak of purple, its speed so intense it seed to vanish, weaving between the flas with uncanny precision.
"Swift."
Dozens of golden stars rained down, peppering Trevenant's bark and carving shallow craters into its trunk.
"Grrhh—!"
Trevenant cried out, staggering as pain forced it off balance.
"Now," Zilin's eyes glead. "Air Slash!"
Multiple crescent blades of wind whirled into existence, spinning around Crobat before surging downward in a storm.
"Damn it!" Lanny tried to order a defense, but it was too late.
CRASH—!
The storm of blades tore across Trevenant, ripping deep gashes through its bark. Even its hardened defenses couldn't withstand the relentless barrage.
Monts later, it collapsed in a heap, eye dimming.
"Trevenant is unable to battle! Crobat wins!"
The referee's voice thundered over the arena.
The match had lasted only minutes. Even considering the type disadvantage, such a swift takedown was nearly unheard of at this level.
Lanny silently returned his Pokémon, sweat dripping down his brow.
Across the field, Zilin stood tall, calm and radiant, her hair fluttering gently in the wind.
From start to finish... she controlled everything.
Not once had he dictated the pace.
His hand clenched tightly around his next Poké Ball. The pressure weighed heavily, but beneath it, sothing else smoldered: determination.
"No wonder they call her one of the prodigies of this generation," he muttered.
"But... I'm not done yet."
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