Chapter 615: Pirated Invisibility

"Good work, Sakura Fish."

As a seasoned Water-type Pokémon trainer, Gao Mei's ability to adjust her mindset was excellent.

She understood that an information gap like this — beyond blaming herself for not preparing well enough before the match — would be pointless to dwell on.

Rather than regretting the loss of the previous battle, it was better to focus on winning the next one!

"My second one is this child!"

The Poké Ball flew up.

Pop!

White light flickered.

A Starmie, composed of two large pale-purple starfish stacked together with an octagonal red gemstone embedded in its center, landed on the stone platform.

"Sii-da!"

The sound it produced from somewhere was somewhat muffled.

The commentator was bursting with passion. "Trainer Gao Mei's second Pokémon is Starmie! How will Dragapult respond?"

Gao Mei swapped Pokémon very quickly.

It was clear she had no intention of dragging things out and giving Dragapult more chances to boost its abilities.

When Baimu saw the second Pokémon was a Starmie, his hand-raising motion paused for a beat, then he immediately issued a command.

"Dragon Dance!"

A third boost!

As Dragapult circled in the air, crimson dragon flames wreathed around its body, and the roar of the audience lingered on and on.

Some felt Baimu was being too greedy — two Dragon Dances were already terrifying enough. With speed boosted so high in such a short time, could Dragapult truly keep it fully under control?

Attack and Defense on both sides aside for now.

Speed was absolutely not a case of the faster the better — the faster you went, the harder it was to stop, just as sprinters in a hundred-meter dash always needed a long stretch of distance as a buffer before they could come to a halt.

But others argued that since Baimu dared to let his Pokémon boost, he must be able to handle the increased speed.

The argument did not last long.

After all, whether Dragapult could keep it under control or not would be clear just by watching further.

Gao Mei belonged to the latter camp. What she had said earlier about admiring Baimu was no empty talk — she had rewatched his flashy battle videos and tournament footage countless times over.

She knew very well that Baimu very, very rarely did anything he wasn't confident about.

"Starmie! Use Cosmic Power to boost your defenses!"

Ordinary methods would likely do nothing to Dragapult, so she decided to push Starmie to its limit!

Brilliant colored light flared within Starmie's core gem, an unfathomable aura brewing inside, and immediately after, an orange-red wave of energy rolled up from beneath it!

Its Defense and Special Defense had been boosted!

Baimu saw this and said at once: "Phantom Force!"

In an instant.

The circling, dancing Dragapult vanished on the spot, disappearing from midair in the blink of an eye.

Gao Mei saw it and shouted: "Dive into the water and use Camouflage!"

"Sii-da!"

Starmie plunged into the water without the slightest hesitation, melting away as if it had never been there.

【Camouflage】 — a Normal-type status move. Its visual effect gives the Pokémon a camouflage color resembling invisibility, and it also has the ability to change the Pokémon's type based on the terrain.

The pool environment abruptly transformed it from a Water/Psychic typing into a pure Water type.

Dragapult's Phantom Force no longer hit it for super-effective damage either.

Of course.

The most critical point was that Dragapult could no longer find its target.

"Ruu-tuo?"

It poked its head out of the air and, together with its two Dreepy, scanned the calm water surface, baffled as to where the target had gone.

Baimu frowned.

Information-gap tactics were never anyone's exclusive domain. He too was seeing Gao Mei's Starmie for the first time — it didn't exist in the data Porygon2 had gathered.

And as the first opponent since the match began to use a status move, Gao Mei had genuinely given him a bit of a headache.

Still, setting aside information gaps, level gaps, and other such advantages, when changes outside the plan appeared, that was when Baimu's value as a trainer could truly show.

Otherwise, crushing everything with raw combat power the whole way would make him look like a prop.

"Double Team!"

Baimu commanded loudly.

Dragapult heard the order and at once split into countless copies, the entire sky thick with its flickering silhouettes, countless pairs of eyes gazing down at the calm water.

As if three pairs of eyes weren't enough, so it conjured several hundred pairs to observe all at once.

Gao Mei saw this and was stunned for a moment, then her expression shifted and she shouted: "Starmie, stay calm! It can't see you!"

Too late.

Double Team merely conjured afterimages without any real scouting ability, but Starmie, suddenly stared at by so many eyes, was startled and inadvertently revealed a small opening.

On the underwater portion of a certain pillar, a hazy silhouette appeared — only for an instant, yet it was precisely caught by Baimu's keen perception.

"Right behind you! On that pillar! Dragon Arrow!"

He barked suddenly, pointing at the position he had spotted.

The skyful of Dragapults heard him and immediately shifted their gaze over. Then azure dragon flames blasted from behind their heads, and countless little Dreepy shot out shrieking like missiles.

"Hii-yaa—"

"Hiyah!!"

A huge swarm of Dou Dragon Messias circled around the blue flames, their tails trailing long streamers of light as they charged into the pool one after another.

Among them, the younger Dou Dragon brothers were especially fired up, moving even faster than their sister, darting through the water like swordfish as they rushed toward the general location of the Starmie.

Even though it hadn't figured out exactly where the enemy was, it trusted that its trainer was helping guide it.

And even without guidance, the Starmie itself wouldn't be able to hold back from moving.

Sure enough.

The opponent was nowhere near as skilled at hiding or as patient as Dou Dragon Barudo; seeing such a large group of Dou Dragon Messias closing in, it couldn't help but start to move.

Staying still would have been fine — once it moved, its camouflage was full of flaws!

"Starmie, use Dazzling Gleam!"

Gao Mei's expression changed; she hurriedly abandoned her disguise and chose to attack.

The Starmie, backed against the Shi Zhu, revealed its form; its core gem lit up with incomparably brilliant light, shooting out like solidified steel needles toward the Dou Dragon Messias!

Who would have thought these Dou Dragon Messias wouldn't dodge or evade, charging straight into the Dazzling Gleam as if walking into a trap of their own accord!

Boom!

Countless bubbles exploded beneath the water, and a great spray of water flew up!

Mixed in with the spray, the Starmie tried to use the aftershock of the explosion to shift its position.

The commentator shouted: "Fake Dragon Arrows collided with Dazzling Gleam — the Starmie was blasted out of the water — wait! There's one more hit!"

Out of the dense bubbles, a lone Dou Dragon sister burst from the water, charging at the Starmie with an utterly fanatical look and a screech!

The latter could no longer dodge in time!

Boom!

A low, muffled thud!

Smoke and clouds rolled; the Starmie crashed through the smoke and tumbled into the water, its beautiful core gem beginning to flicker like an Ultraman timer.

"Starmie, hold on!"

Gao Mei cried out, hurriedly shouting: "Use Recover, quick!"

The moment the Starmie hit the water, Bai Guang burst from its whole body — but Dou Dragon Barudo is a three-in-one Pokémon; once the Dragon Arrows are spent, there's no need to wait for the little Dou Dragons to return to the launch ports before attacking again.

All Baimu snapped his fingers. "It's over — Dragon Pulse!"

High in the sky, the countless Dou Dragon Barudos opened their mouths in unison; azure and crimson flames brewed within, and seconds later, the burning dragon swarm dove straight down!

Although only one of these many energy dragons was real, the sight of the dragon swarm hitting the water was incomparably spectacular, making the audience unconsciously hold their breath.

BOOM!!

A pillar of water surged skyward!

Gao Mei clearly saw the Starmie mixed in within the pillar of water — it had plainly been hit!

"Starmie!"

The spray fell.

The Starmie was revealed, bobbing up and down, its back to the sky, the state of its core gem impossible to see.

The referee stepped forward to confirm, then blew his whistle: "The Starmie is unable to battle!"

"Another one down! Contestant All Baimu and Dou Dragon Barudo are unstoppable! Does Contestant Gao Mei still have a chance to turn things around!?" The commentator's voice was full of passion.

Hum!

Warm applause erupted from the stands; countless people stared in amazement as the Shadow Doubles dissipated, leaving only the true body of Dou Dragon Barudo, along with the two returning Dou Dragon Messias.

What incredibly powerful Pokémon…!

Many people hadn't expected Dou Dragon Barudo to be so agile — the two little Dou Dragons on its head could not only separate remotely, but also act as conscious missiles to ambush opponents!

The Dragon Arrow just now was clearly a tactic: one little Dou Dragon served as bait to take the hit, the other little Dou Dragon attacked, and finally the big Dou Dragon finished things off.

It had also perfectly mastered the speed boost from Dragon Dance, its movements becoming far more nimble than before — so much so that the Starmie was dazzled.

"…"

Gao Mei solemnly recalled her Starmie.

She had thought that no matter what, she could at least force All Baimu to send out his second Pokémon — she hadn't expected him to give her no chance at all.

The coordination between Pokémon and trainer was extremely seamless, the offense watertight, and their strength far surpassed hers.

Was there no chance to battle the Milotic?

She sighed inwardly. Of All Baimu's Pokémon, the one she most wanted to battle was undoubtedly that impossibly beautiful shiny Milotic.

…No.

How could she psych herself out?

Gao Mei patted her cheeks. After so many years as a trainer, what situation hadn't she seen?

Even if she was bound to lose in the end, she still had to give it everything she had! Only then could she live up to her own efforts and those of her Pokémon all this time!

"Go! The final round is yours!"

Boom!

Bai Guang flickered.

A massive Gyarados plunged into the pool, its fierce expression snarling a roar at Dou Dragon Barudo!

"ROAR!"

Intimidate ability!

"Rururu…"

Dou Dragon Barudo's expression turned solemn — it was affected, more or less.

After all, it wasn't as carefree as a Bastiodon; toward anyone who dared provoke it casually, it always struck like Lei Ting — just as it had the first time it met All Baimu.

"Dragon Arrow."

Boom! Boom!

White smoke erupted from behind Dragonite's head; two glowing blue Druddigon shrieked like miniature fighter jets and shot forward.

Gao Mei swiftly followed, "Gale!"

Her commands had become more concise than before, for Gyarados was her ace; their deep rapport allowed them to understand each other without elaborate communication.

"Roar—"

Gyarados roared loudly, releasing powerful winds that transformed into visible, high-speed air currents!

"Hee-yaa—"

The two Druddigon strained forward in a fierce assault.

Yet, despite their Dragon-type energy as fuel, their tiny mass caused them to be tossed wildly by the violent gales, unable to close in on Gyarados.

Baimu was surprised the Druddigon hadn't broken through, "Oh?"

This Special Attack-powered Gale was stronger than he'd predicted—no wonder it had once suppressed Sunflora's Mirror Coat.

Too bad Dragonite's Dragon Dance didn't affect the Druddigon; otherwise, the Gale surely wouldn't have held.

The commentator and audience were equally astonished, "The Gale blocked Druddigon's assault! Incredible! Gao Mei has countered the swift Dragon Arrow!"

"Ice Fang!"

Gao Mei swiftly waved her hand, attempting to disrupt the Druddigon's return path into Dragonite's launch ports.

"Roar!"

Gyarados opened its fearsome maw, forming four sharp ice-blue fangs that surged forth with freezing breath as it lunged toward the two Druddigon!

However.

Though it appeared to be biting the Druddigon, it was in fact feinting—once it neared the advancing Dragonite, it viciously snapped its jaws!

Dragonite dodged nimbly backward; its Dragon Dance hadn't boosted speed in vain—Gyarados was far from catching it!

Baimu ordered, "Invisibility."

The three Druddigon vanished from above the pool.

Gao Mei paused, startled, "Another Phantom Strike? Quick—use Long Juanfeng!"

"Roar!"

Gyarados let out a low roar, coiling its long, serpentine body in a spinning whirl, summoning an azure hurricane that sucked the pool's water into the sky!

In an instant.

A massive waterspout formed, covering more than half the arena, radiating an aura of apocalyptic power.

Baimu was no stranger to this technique—he and Adam had both used it, and it was common in Super Contests.

Clearly, even if Gao Mei didn't plan to enter Super Contests, she'd studied their move patterns.

One must admit, though it seemed merely composed of a Long Juanfeng and water, it was as much a combined offense-defense technique as Ash's Reflect Shield.

As long as Gyarados spun fast enough, its power wouldn't be negligible.

But this usage couldn't last long.

Gao Mei likely intended it to block a fixed move from Dragonite.

But she didn't realize Dragonite's Invisibility differed from Ghost-type stealth or Normal-type Camouflage.

"Why hasn't it appeared yet…"

As Baimu predicted, Gao Mei couldn't spot Dragonite anywhere in sight; her expression grew anxious.

Could it also use Camouflage?

Her ignorance of Dragonite made her unable to imagine that some Pokémon, even when invisible, remain undetectable even when moving—you need other methods to find them.

Moments later.

The waterspout gradually subsided; Gyarados simply couldn't sustain it long.

Baimu knew the moment had arrived, "Thunderbolt!"

As the panting Gyarados searched for its opponent—or prepared to dive into the water—a ghostly aircraft, crackling with lightning, plunged from above.

Gao Mei's pupils dilated, "Gyarados, dodge!"

But Dragonite's speed was too fast—it couldn't evade. It could only open its mouth wide, watching as the opponent plunged its head straight into its jaws, its body blazing with electricity!

Zzzzzt!!

Electricity exploded!

Pale-blue currents twisted Gyarados's body, sending stars before its eyes; its four-times-weak Electric typing made this move unbearable.

Boom!

A cloud of smoke burst open.

Gao Mei cried urgently, "Gyarados, hold on!"

"Roar…"

Amid a loud cry of agony, Gyarados, its body scarred with burns, burst through the smoke and crashed heavily into the water, splashing up a torrent of spray.

Splash splash splash…

Raindrops fell; Gao Mei was drenched, her scalp cold, her heart colder.

Her ace, Gyarados—normally able to withstand Electric moves two or three times—hadn't even lasted a few rounds against Dragonite!

Beeep!

"Gyarados is unable to battle! Dragonite wins! The winner is Baimu!"

The referee raised his flag.

The commentator's voice rang out, "It's decided! The contestant advancing to the Championship Finals is Baimu! Dragonite's unmatched power has effortlessly defeated all of Gao Mei's Pokémon!"