Chapter 582: Festival Victory!!

Peng!

The wing of light shattered.

Galarian Rapidash, trapped in the muscle rigidity brought on by its ultimate charge, watched the shock in its eyes gradually soften.

From a battling perspective.

Miss Liuqi's current situation was extremely dangerous.

Not only had her carefully schemed combination of moves been broken, but Galarian Rapidash had also stopped in a rather awkward position—especially since this fellow was still Steel-typed—

"Fall back and use Helping Hand! Iron Head!"

All Baimu did not hesitate, even though he knew that Miss Liuqi, who never acted rashly, surely had a follow-up move.

The ultra-small Blissey squatting atop Mega Mawile's head decisively leapt backward, completely ignoring that it was in free fall, humming a gentle song in its mouth.

"? happy~?"

Upon landing, it bounced a few times like a doll, its two little hands each clutching a spark of light as it swayed side to side.

Ding~

A flash of brilliant light instantly enveloped the former, making it as gorgeous as if carved from crystal.

The next instant.

Radiant silver light surged forth!

The two massive jaws shielding Mega Mawile abruptly parted, and it—resembling a pale silver gemstone—rocketed forward into the Galarian Rapidash before it!

Hum!

The surging energy stirred up a piercing wind!

Yet at the very same moment it charged out, a great mass of pure white cloud abruptly plummeted down right before it.

"Xiao Qingqing~!"

"Chiyu!?"

Mega Mawile had no way to dodge and could only charge straight in, never expecting that this thing, which looked soft and fluffy, actually possessed terrifying density and elasticity.

The resistance it suffered was comparable to forcibly squeezing into the bottom of a half-solidified cement pool!

Miss Liuqi beamed with smiles.

Vivian's commentary rang out in time:

"The diamond-shining Iron Head has been blocked! The 'White Cloud' dropped from on high by Mega Togekiss has blocked Mawile's path! A crucial Cotton Guard defense!"

The instant the words left her mouth.

Mega Mawile suddenly burst through the obstruction of the "White Cloud" and slammed into the unsuspecting Galarian Rapidash like a cannonball!

Peng!

"Rrrrr—"

Galarian Rapidash tumbled backward uncontrollably; although it wasn't sent flying off the stage on the spot, it still left countless chaotic marks on the ground.

Miss Liuqi's encouraging gesture faltered.

Beep—

Points were deducted from both sides.

But the gap had clearly widened further under Mega Mawile's offensive.

Vivian couldn't help but click her tongue. "What terrifying power! Even Cotton Guard couldn't withstand its attack! The Mega-evolved Mawile truly lives up to its reputation as a tiny giant possessing the strength of a thousand catties!"

All Baimu's expression remained calm.

Now that Mega Mawile no longer held back in its offense, and with the boost of Swords Dance and Blissey's Helping Hand, the "feathers" Mega Togekiss flung down from afar blocking it for a few seconds was already quite impressive.

It wasn't as if it had come down to block in person.

"Little Lie! Don't be discouraged!"

Miss Liuqi's smile remained sunny, but inwardly she could only heave a helpless sigh.

In this grand, gorgeous festival, no one was perfect—even an all-round coordinator-trainer like All Baimu, who excelled in performance, strength, and creativity, had his shortcomings—

His core Pokémon Mawile could not balance its own strength and flashiness.

She had planned to seize this point to gain the upper hand, but she hadn't expected that Mawile from the latter half of the previous semifinal had suddenly awakened, successfully finding the crucial balance point and carrying it into the finals.

The first move had only been a probe; the second move laid everything bare.

An unexpected change led to an unexpected result—moves that originally could have been completely blocked could no longer be blocked.

Don't be fooled by Galarian Rapidash still having the strength to fight back; once Mega Mawile broke through Cotton Guard while retaining a great deal of stamina, everything had already become entirely different.

One step behind, every step behind.

A gorgeous battle lasting only five short minutes didn't give her that many chances to try and err.

Miss Liuqi slightly clenched her fist; a decision had already been made in her heart.

"Xiao Qingqing, come down and use Feather Dance~! Little Lie, Morning Sun~!"

On the stage.

The dust-covered Galarian Rapidash knelt, a warm ray of sunlight pouring down from above its head, and Mega Togekiss, descending along with countless pure white feathers in the light, looked like an angel descending to the mortal world.

"Chulu~"

"Xi…"

The former's rather disheveled appearance paired with the latter's loving expression actually added a strange sense of redemption to this performance.

More importantly, the drifting feathers blocked Mega Mawile's path.

These illusory constructs formed of energy would weaken its offensive power upon contact—a barrier Miss Liuqi had set up to give Galarian Rapidash a chance to recover.

The combination of moves, possessing both aesthetic beauty and practicality, earned high praise from the judges.

So even though it wasn't an exquisite combination-type move, it still caused the point gap between the two to gradually shrink, each side arriving at roughly half.

Have to say it.

She just played a brilliant move.

For flashy performance-oriented battles, a Pokémon's current state is hardly the main factor that costs points—it's the actual execution. The people you need to win over were never just the opponent; the judges count too!

Captivating them with the performance is what signals victory is within reach!

As long as Galarian Rapidash hasn't fallen, keep fighting at her tempo! This match can be won!

Waaah!

The many fans cheering for Miss Liuqi saw the situation and erupted in excited cheers, sweeping away the worry and unease from when the score had been lagging, their glow sticks swaying nonstop.

The Mawile fan club remained composed.

They believed All Baimu wouldn't stay completely indifferent, and as president, Debei in particular realized through observation a rather important point.

Chansey is gone!

"Not good! Xiao Xiao Qingqing, get back!"

Miss Liuqi, who had been guarding against Chansey, reacted as well—especially after confirming that the opponent wasn't in the blind spot behind Mega Mawile like she'd initially assumed.

Then the more likely position was—

She said quickly: "Little LieLie!"

Galarian Rapidash raised its slender neck, its sky-blue and pink mane flowing without wind—clearly using psychic power to sweep its body for any Chansey that might be hiding.

Unfortunately, Miss Liuqi guessed wrong.

As Mega Gardevoir spun to return to defense, All Baimu ordered:

"Trick Room, Iron Head!"

Mega Mawile suddenly leapt up, swinging the terrifying giant jaws behind its head, and a pink spherical object flew toward Galarian Rapidash like a meteor.

The audience gasped.

Chansey isn't on Galarian Rapidash!

She was misled!

Miss Liuqi realized things were going badly, but Chansey had already pierced through the barrier formed by Feather Dance and was diving straight at Galarian Rapidash's mane.

A flash of blue light that lowered stats came and went.

But she had no time to worry about how much the opponent's attack power had been weakened, and noticing the metallic gleam on Mega Mawile's giant jaws, she hurriedly shouted: "Xiao Xiao Qingqing—"

"Churu!"

Mega Gardevoir missed—ridiculously excessive throwing force meant it couldn't reach out with its claws in time.

"Happy~"

Chansey, having grabbed onto the mane, shyly smiled at the camera pointed at it, and before Galarian Rapidash could violently shake its back, its body trembled and vanished on the spot.

In an instant.

It had become Mega Mawile, twisting its body like a dancer and bringing the giant jaws behind its head crashing down like two heavy hammers!

Boom! Boom!

The heavy, muffled thuds were like drumbeats!

What followed was a web of cracks spreading across the ground and silver light shining like stars, and within it Galarian Rapidash's figure could no longer be seen.

"Clear Smog!"

Miss Liuqi didn't stand there dumbfounded, and Mega Gardevoir quickly flapped its fluffy cloud-like wings.

"Churu~~"

A crisp wind swept across the entire field, and the silver light receded like a tide, revealing Galarian Rapidash collapsed on the ground.

Vivian shouted excitedly, "Galarian Rapidash appears to have lost its ability to battle! A perfect combination between Chansey and Mawile! Chansey's ghostly appearances after using Minimize catch everyone completely off guard!"

While she was commentating, Miss Liuqi's score had clearly dwindled to only one-third.

"Little LieLie! Get up!"

The latter kept cheering Galarian Rapidash on, but by the third shout it still showed no response, and she knew there was no saving it.

The fans gradually slowed the waving of their glow sticks, watching Miss Liuqi with worried faces.

The chance of victory had appeared.

All Baimu's face showed neither sorrow nor joy.

Trick Room, as the famous rock-paper-scissors technique, was already cancerous enough in the game to earn countless players' love-hate cursing, and now, boosted by Minimize, its unpredictability is even more extreme—every use is like walking a tightrope.

If the opponent guesses right or uses some other means to lock it down, then it's all over.

Didn't guess right?

Didn't guess right, and you get a complimentary Despair Experience Card.

Facts proved Lady Luck was once again on All Baimu's side. Miss Liuqi was misled by her past experience of watching his matches, thinking Chansey had quietly burrowed into Galarian Rapidash's mane—the latter's usual trick.

She never expected that the timely self-check instead gave the opponent an opening, allowing Mega Mawile to hurl Chansey over at a speed Mega Gardevoir couldn't catch up to.

Ultimately delivering the decisive finishing blow.

There wasn't much time left.

All Baimu glanced at the big screen. The battle with Miss Liuqi had taken longer than expected—just three or four exchanges and over three minutes had already passed.

So in this last minute or so, does Miss Liuqi, with only one Pokémon remaining, still have a chance to turn things around?

He couldn't be sure.

So he had to take down Mega Gardevoir as quickly as possible!

"Gravity! Mist Terrain!"

"Dragon Dance~! Fly even higher!"

The moment All Baimu gave his order, Miss Liuqi, who had quickly adjusted her state, pointed toward the sky.

Gravity, as a field-type move with defined boundaries, cannot be guarded against or countered by any move, but one can rise in altitude to escape its area of effect.

Only, once the distance is opened up, how will it launch its attack?

"Happy~"

Blissey returned to her original size, her little finger pointing at the sky.

"Chii-doh!"

Mega Mawile's toes lightly tapped the ground.

Bo~

The pink-purple light wave and the pale pink mist overlapped, shrouding the two Pokémon on the stage, and a dazzling, dreamlike illusion unfolded before every spectator.

Mega Gardevoir, whose pearl-like feathers radiated a deep blue brilliance, soared leisurely upward, like a blue phoenix rushing beyond the heavens.

Without a doubt.

Miss Liuqi had exploited All Baimu's performance effect!

"Unbelievable! In a critical situation where one of her own Pokémon has been taken down, Liuqi can still calmly take countermeasures against her opponent! Unbelievable! Liuqi's resilience deserves our applause!"

Clap clap clap clap—

Loud applause lingered above the venue.

With both sides' scores deducted, this time it was undoubtedly All Baimu, whose performance had been exploited, who lost more points; his score had now reached a position slightly above one-third.

"Ha, as expected of Teacher Liu."

All Baimu laughed wryly; he knew perfectly well that merely taking down Galarian Rapidash would not plunge Miss Liuqi into despair.

It would even stoke her fighting spirit!

The more setbacks she faced, the braver she became — that was the Miss Liuqi determined to carry the Contest scene to greater heights.

As for his stage effect being exploited, that was perfectly normal; Blissey's signature moves were limited, and as a Trainer who built around Gardevoir, how could she possibly fail to prepare a counter for Gravity?

The combination of Gravity and Mist Terrain was a combo he had researched after seeking advice from Miss Liuqi.

Then.

Was All Baimu deliberately giving Miss Liuqi points?

Of course not!

He had deliberately driven Mega Gardevoir higher into the sky, while also pressing down on Miss Liuqi's remaining score, all to take her out in one wave!

"The time has come!"

All Baimu looked toward the opposite side and commanded in a deep voice:

"Give it everything you have! Play Rough! Teleport!"

"Xiao Xiao Qingqing, Giga Impact—"

Miss Liuqi was also prepared for a desperate frontal clash, but when she faintly heard her opponent's command, her eyes widened.

Boom!

A fierce flash, like the patterns on Mega Mawile's body, erupted as a terrifying shockwave burst from the back of its head along with pale pink airflow and multicolored stars.

The boiling energy was like the aura a Saiyan emits when transforming, and the air warped along with it!

But what truly caught Miss Liuqi's attention was Blissey, who had flown up and embraced Mega Mawile; a strange energy distorted the two Pokémon.

She shouted urgently: "Xiao Xiao Qingqing! They're above you!"

Mega Gardevoir, preparing to meet its opponent from below, immediately looked up at the first instant; Miss Liuqi's shout was merely her habit — the two had long since reached a tacit understanding that required no excess words.

But even so.

It was already too late for Mega Gardevoir to change direction at this point; a flash of pink light swelled infinitely in its vision.

High above the stage.

A pink meteor, as if descending from beyond the heavens, crashed down, slamming Mega Gardevoir — also wrapped in pink airflow — from the sky into the ground.

The next instant.

A shining cross-star bloomed with its radiance!

A terrifying roar swept across the entire venue!

Boom—!

The earth trembled wildly, as if a real meteor had fallen from the sky, about to collapse the entire Battle Tower!

Pink shockwaves blasted outward in all directions, causing countless spectators to shut their eyes involuntarily, yet still anxiously peer toward the stage.

All Baimu stood in place, the wild wind tangling his hair.

He was, after all, more of a Trainer — right at the end, he was still using a rock-paper-scissors-style move, the kind of basic technique only Trainers tend to like.

What caused Miss Liuqi to hesitate at the final moment was that she could not determine to which position around Mega Gardevoir Blissey would bring Mega Mawile.

After all, she had once lost Galarian Rapidash because she had guessed wrong about Blissey's position.

A moment's hesitation led to a delayed reaction.

By the time she realized her opponent had chosen to attack from a higher position, it was already too late.

She had lost the gamble once again.

And All Baimu had won the gamble once more — from 【Ally Switch】 to 【Teleport】.

To be honest.

Blissey had only learned this move a couple of days ago; when he first discovered it, he was quite surprised, because in his memory Blissey's move pool shouldn't have included this technique.

Later, by checking the records, he discovered that there were several documented cases of Chansey in the Kanto region learning Teleport.

As for Blissey… she had probably learned it from Porygon2.

The anime world was, after all, a "deformed" existence shaped by GF forcibly ignoring the overall worldview, a place where many different rules merged after revisions; he didn't dwell on such things too much.

"It's over."

When the breeze scattered the smoke and dust.

In the center of the stage, a giant Munchlax was revealed, one foot pinning down a Murkrow, with a Blissey sitting dazed and adorably slumped beside it.

On the big screen.

The countdown was stuck at the final five seconds.

The score beneath Miss Liuqi's avatar had already been wiped clean, while he still had a little over one-third remaining.

The dust settled.