"Mimikyu, Work Up!"
Seeing Nessa remain silent, Allitser seized the initiative and gave his command first.
Work Up boosted Mimikyu's attacking capabilities, but it left a brief, vulnerable window where the Pokémon would be defenseless.
Nessa was already on edge, fully focused. The moment Allister finished speaking, she called out her own command.
"Drednaw, Crunch!"
She knew Mimikyu's Ghost typing made most of her Drednaw's moves not very effective, except this one.
Crunch, a powerful Dark-type attack, was her best shot. If it landed clean, Drednaw's overwhelming strength would make escaping nearly impossible. At that point, Allister would be forced to switch Pokémon or watch Mimikyu go down.
On the battlefield, Drednaw's short, thick, blue-green legs moved with surprising speed. In just a few seconds, it crossed nearly ten meters, closing in on Mimikyu. Its powerful jaws opened wide, ready to snap down and swallow the smaller Pokémon whole.
Yet Allister remained completely still, silent like a puppet. It was hard to tell if he was frozen in fear or completely confident.
From the sidelines, Shiro saw the problem. He spoke with certainty.
"Drednaw's attack won't work."
Mimikyu's ability—Disguise—nullified the first hit it took, only suffering minor damage. The cost was that its Pikachu-like cloth covering would break, causing its head to droop lifelessly. If its true form inside was revealed, Mimikyu would become dangerously aggressive.
"Huh? How do you know that, Shiro?" Marvin raised an eyebrow, surprised.
He only figured it out after battling Allister himself. How did Shiro know just from a glance?
"You've fought a Mimikyu before?" Marvin guessed.
Shiro shook his head and simply said, "I read it in a book."
"A book?" Marvin frowned, confused. What kind of book would contain such important battle knowledge? Normally, strategies, training methods, and move tactics were tightly controlled by top trainers and powerful families.
Who would write life-saving information like this into a book?
Curious, Marvin asked, "Shiro, what kind of book was it?"
Shiro glanced at him, noticing Marvin's bewildered expression. Realizing his explanation sounded off, he made something up on the spot.
"A book from Kanto. You won't find it in Galar."
"Oh..." Marvin nodded in understanding.
The name "Shiro" already sounded like he was from Kanto, or at least had connections there. And Kanto, being the heart of the Pokémon League, was far more advanced and open than the more isolated Galar region.
Shiro just smiled faintly, turning his attention back to the battle.
Just as they expected, Drednaw's Crunch landed successfully on Mimikyu's disguise. A burst of ghostly energy scattered into the air, but Mimikyu remained unharmed. Drednaw lowered its head in confusion, staring at the smaller Pokémon.
The disguise was now in tatters, the once-cute Pikachu-like head slumped awkwardly to one side. Beneath the ripped cloth, Mimikyu's dark, shadowy true form stirred, finishing its Work Up. It adjusted the remaining scraps of its cloth as Allister's voice rang out.
"Mimikyu! Use Shadow Claw!"
Three long, sharp, spectral claws extended from Mimikyu's shadowy form, slashing forward in an instant. The jagged, glowing claws reflected in Drednaw's stunned eyes, growing larger as they closed in.
The sudden counterattack left Nessa no time to think. She could only shout.
"Drednaw! Brace yourself!"
Bang!
The Shadow Claw struck hard. Drednaw squeezed its eyes shut as the force sent it rolling backward. When it finally stopped, three deep, bleeding gashes were carved across its rocky, brown-yellow jaw.
"Quick! Drednaw! Use Crunch again!" Nessa shouted, her voice filled with urgency.
Even though she didn't fully understand why Mimikyu had shrugged off the earlier attack, she assumed it worked like Protect—a move that couldn't be used repeatedly in quick succession.
As long as this Crunch landed, she'd still have a chance to turn things around.
"Protect!" Allister reacted swiftly, giving no room for her counterattack.
Bang!
A solid, emerald-green shield appeared around Mimikyu just in time, completely blocking Drednaw's descending jaws and horned head.
The force of the impact sent both Pokémon sliding back, putting several meters between them again.
Nessa bit her lip, trying to think of a way to win.
Mimikyu had already boosted its attack and accuracy. If it kept attacking from a distance, her Drednaw, with no speed or gap-closing moves, would be stuck on the defensive. She needed to end this quickly.
"Drednaw! Mud Shot!" she shouted.
Several deep brown, water-drop-shaped clumps of mud quickly formed around Drednaw before launching forward like projectiles.
"Dodge! Then use Baby-Doll Eyes! " Allister's voice remained soft and cool. Mimikyu didn't even wait for him to finish—it was already moving, like it knew what he wanted without needing to hear it. Their synergy was seamless, a bond built from countless battles.
Mimikyu's movements were light and agile. It twisted midair, evading the mud as easily as a leaf on the wind. As it spun, its shadowy body glowed faintly, conjuring a massive, pink, humanoid eye above it.
Drednaw's gaze locked onto the eye. Its body shuddered, muscles weakening as the move took effect.
Baby-Doll Eyes. A move that weakened the opponent's attack.
Nessa commanded urgently. "Drednaw, don't stop! Use Jaw Lock!"
This was her chance.
Though Drednaw's eyes were still slightly dazed, its body moved on instinct, a result of relentless training. It barreled forward, responding to her order with unwavering obedience.
Mimikyu was still midair, with no way to push off or dodge. Drednaw's massive jaws were wide open, its jagged, saw-like teeth just moments away from clamping down on the small, ghostly Pokémon.
Across the battlefield, Allister remained unfazed and ordered calmly.
"Mimikyu, Giga Drain!"
In an instant, Mimikyu's entire body burst into a brilliant green light. At the same moment, Drednaw's powerful jaws snapped shut, biting down hard on Mimikyu's cloth-like form.
For a second, Nessa's eyes lit up with hope.
"Yes! This time—"
"Grrruhhh...!"
A pained groan echoed across the battlefield.
But the voice didn't come from Mimikyu. It came from Drednaw, its jaws trembling as it tried to hold on.
"What...?" Nessa's voice wavered.
Mimikyu, still caught between Drednaw's teeth, continued to glow with that vibrant green energy, siphoning its strength bit by bit.
Even though Drednaw was still trying to inflict damage, the difference between what it dealt and what Mimikyu regained was too large. Drednaw was the one suffering.
"Giga Drain is a Grass-type move," Shiro murmured from the sidelines. "It hits Drednaw's Water and Rock typing for quadruple damage." He glanced at Nessa's tense expression.
"The match is over."
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