Chapter 613: Resurrection Prayer

"Moon Bear is unable to battle!"

Even though this championship match had no referee tracking the entire battle, viewers watching the livestream could almost hear the referee's tone and see his expression as he uttered those words.

Zhi's three Pokémon had endured continuous burns from the Flame Orb and countless moves throughout the match.

Without Moon Bear's heroic last stand, Nimó might have been eliminated right there.

On the contrary, Moon Bear's collapse didn't make it seem weak—it made viewers remember the striking performance of this newly revealed evolution of Circles Bear.

Moon Bear's HP was no longer sufficient to sustain such intense combat.

Not to mention, Zhi had now sent out a Pokémon whose entire team had been knocked out—triggering the full effect of the "General" ability, boosting move power by half, while also facing the "Terastal Burst" used by a Flying-type Terastallized Blade General.

A red beam struck the fallen Moon Bear, pulling it back into its Poké Ball.

Facing the platform rising beside her that led directly to the Pokémon Center, Nimó hesitated for a moment—then didn't place Moon Bear's Poké Ball on it, as she had with her previous four Pokémon.

She temporarily kept Moon Bear's Poké Ball and threw out another one.

"This is the final battle, Bubu Groundhog!"

A flash of light.

Bubu Groundhog, its fur thick and fluffy, appeared on the battlefield, raising both arms with fierce determination, electric arcs flickering across its bright yellow cheeks.

It was Nimó's ace, her starter Pokémon, and her most trusted partner.

Like Blade General, Bubu Groundhog inherited the will of its fallen comrades, determined to bring this battle to an end.

"Thunderbolt!"

Nimó, her eyes glowing with intense light, gave the command first.

Based on Blade General's original type, Fighting would have been an overwhelming advantage—but Blade General's Terastallized type being Flying was unexpected.

But that was perfect—it allowed Bubu Groundhog's Electric type to shine at its maximum potential!

After all, using Electric moves always made Nimó and Bubu Groundhog feel secure.

"Bamu!"

Bubu Groundhog rubbed its cheeks together, golden electric arcs flickering briefly before exploding into a thunderous roar.

The golden lightning surged like a dancing thunder serpent, effortlessly piercing the air toward Blade General.

—But at the very moment Bubu Groundhog moved, the move released by the Psychic Ostrich, which had been utterly invisible during Moon Bear's battle with Blade General, now manifested.

Under the influence of the bizarre, multicolored space that engulfed the entire battlefield, Bubu Groundhog's movements instantly slowed down!

In contrast, Blade General, sitting still, moved as if accelerated twofold—in a blur, many spectators didn't even see how it rose, yet suddenly it stood before Bubu Groundhog.

At the same time, Zhi's smiling command rang out.

"Iron Head."

Blade General's blade-like head glowed with dark luster as it slammed directly into Bubu Groundhog!

Though called "Iron Head," given Blade General's form, this move was more like "Iron Slash."

"Bamu!"

Bubu Groundhog cried out in pain, its Thunderbolt cut short as it curled up like a shrimp, writhing from the agony.

Bubu Groundhog, who had always relied on speed and agility, felt for the first time—outside of training with Luxio—the crushing sensation of being outsped.

Fortunately, Bubu Groundhog resisted Steel-type moves; though painful, this attack didn't hinder its movement.

Nor did it trigger the "Flinch" side effect.

"Psychic Terrain, Speed Reversal."

Nimó's expression shifted slightly as she realized Psychic Terrain was affecting Bubu Groundhog.

Bubu Groundhog's speed advantage would vanish entirely before Psychic Terrain ended!

Zhi wouldn't give Nimó or Bubu Groundhog a moment to recover—just as Bubu Groundhog had briefly adjusted to the pain and regained composure, she launched her second assault.

"Night Slash!"

Blade General's form reappeared beside Bubu Groundhog at a speed it couldn't react to.

Dark red light coated Blade General's golden-gauntleted arms, and the blades extending from its waist resembled two crimson scythes, slashing straight toward Bubu Groundhog!

Bubu Groundhog had no doubt that if struck or cut by this, even with its resistance to Dark-type attacks, Blade General's current power would inflict severe damage.

Speed was completely reversed due to Psychic Terrain—so then.

"Dodge!"

Nimó's command reached Bubu Groundhog's ears; its lips curled slightly upward, as if pleased at its synchronicity with its Trainer.

"Bamu!"

Bubu Groundhog's fur swelled further, and under its deliberate control, blinding lightning erupted from its body like a flashbang.

Even Blade General, unprepared, was momentarily blinded.

The gauntlet-and-scythe combo missed, slamming into the ground instead!

With a loud "crash," the already battered battlefield was gouged into a deep crater, the twin blood-red scythes embedded deep within.

Nimó had planned to seize this opening to attack—but she noticed a detail others might have missed, and froze for a second.

No one cared about a one-second pause; Zhi merely assumed Nimó was hesitating, and thus missed the chance to pull Blade General's waist blades free before it could move again.

With a silent sigh of regret, Zhi launched a relentless, overwhelming assault with no mercy.

"Air Slash!"

Both Dark- and Steel-type moves were resisted by Bubu Groundhog at this point.

But Flying-type moves were the opposite—though Electric-type had a double weakness to it, it eliminated the fatal quadruple weakness to Fighting from the Dark/Steel combination, preventing Blade General from being targeted by Bubu Groundhog's Fighting moves.

Blade General's Flying-type Terastallization granted it a brand-new threat against Bubu Groundhog.

Azure air blades, tinged with Terastal radiance, swarmed like furious hornets, raining down on Bubu Groundhog.

Under the effect of "Psychic Terrain," Bubu Groundhog's slow movements couldn't dodge this—it had to take it head-on!

Fortunately, Bubu Groundhog wasn't slowed to 0.5x speed in every aspect—it could still activate its internal electricity to unleash a full-body "Discharge" for defense.

"Swords Dance."

Seizing the moment as Bubu Groundhog resisted Air Slash, Zhi didn't hesitate—she ordered Blade General to boost its stats.

Illusory swords circled Blade General, crimson energy swirling around its body; at this moment, its entire aura sharpened like a drawn blade, overwhelming Bubu Groundhog and Nimó with unbearable pressure.

"Full General ability, one Swords Dance, plus Flying Terastallization—plus Terastal Burst, which flexibly shifts its physical and special attack thresholds."

"Even if Bubu Groundhog had a hundred thousand lives, this fragile little thing couldn't survive it."

Zhi's next move, as Luo Mu predicted, came immediately—just as Bubu Groundhog survived Air Slash, she commanded Blade General, having completed Swords Dance, to unleash its ultimate move—"Terastal Burst"—a technique Bubu Groundhog couldn't possibly withstand.

The azure energy surge that had shattered Moon Bear erupted again, its speed nearly halving the distance to Bubu Groundhog the instant it was released.

—No escape possible.

The instant Nimó realized this, she unhesitatingly threw the Terastal Pearl clutched in her hand and shouted: "Bubu Groundhog, Protect!"

The falling Terastal radiance and the Protect barrier arrived simultaneously—the energy surge of "Terastal Burst" easily shattered the illusory Terastal crystal surrounding Bubu Groundhog, raged across the Protect barrier for a long while, then reluctantly dissolved into glowing particles.

"So that's another trick."

Zhi raised her eyebrows, as if witnessing something new.

By combining the ultra-hard Terastal crystal formed during Terastallization with the Protect move, Bubu Groundhog had taken the Flying-type "Terastal Burst" head-on, nearly unscathed.

This dazzling maneuver, this young Trainer's bold attempt, made Zhi's blood boil with excitement.

She cried out with enthusiasm: "Charge in—Night Slash!"

Blade General's gaze sharpened—but just as it was about to move, Nimó and Bubu Groundhog performed an action neither Zhi nor Blade General expected.

"Use Abyss Thrust on that spot!"

The camera zoomed in, following Nimó's pointing finger.

That spot was—the corner of Psychic Terrain, now solidified and usable as a foothold!

"Bamu!"

Ignoring Blade General's attack from behind, Bubu Groundhog, gripping a blood-red energy blade like a spear, charged with unwavering focus toward the strange space-wall and stabbed it hard!

At the same time, Blade General appeared behind Bubu Groundhog—"Night Slash" exploded directly onto its unguarded back!

It was excruciatingly painful—pain so intense it blurred its consciousness—but Bubu Groundhog willingly endured it.

—Because with Blade General's involvement, Bubu Groundhog's half-understood "Abyss Thrust" gained rocket-like propulsion, channeling the Dark-type energy and force from Blade General's "Night Slash" into the entire Psychic Terrain!

A sharp crack—different from the sound of Terastallization—echoed across the surface of Psychic Terrain before Bubu Groundhog and Blade General.

The strange space-wall was now covered in spiderweb cracks; as the cracking sounds echoed like falling dominoes, the entire Psychic Terrain finally shattered under the external force, dissolving into countless shards like broken glass.

"... It actually destroyed Psychic Terrain!?"

Zhi's eyes widened with unmistakable surprise—but upon reflection, it made perfect sense.

After all, Psychic Terrain was a Psychic-type move; being affected by a Dark-type move was only natural.

And even though it wasn't intentional, Blade General's "Night Slash" had genuinely helped Nimó and Bubu Groundhog.

Zhi didn't regret being outmaneuvered—instead, she smiled and murmured: "Truly immense potential. Then, let's see whose raw power prevails now!"

With Psychic Terrain destroyed, Bubu Groundhog's speed advantage returned.

From now on, Blade General would shift to defense.

"Bulk Up, Thunder Punch!"

Bubu Groundhog flexed its muscles, hidden beneath its fluffy fur, and crimson energy surged upward.

Simultaneously, its fists glowed with lightning, striking Blade General with speed too fast for the eye to follow.

Amidst the crackling electricity, specks of Terastal shimmer danced around Bubu Groundhog's attack, adding dazzling brilliance.

Blade General's response was simple—its gauntlets glowed crimson as it blocked Bubu Groundhog's iron fists with "Night Slash" on both sides.

In terms of power, because Bubu Groundhog's Thunder Punch received the Terastal-type boost and the Iron Fist ability's bonus, both sides remained evenly matched!

As the General Pudao blocked Babutuo's Electric Punch, he kicked out at Babutuo—but Babutuo anticipated it, retracted its fist, and dodged the strike.

"Electric Punch won't work? Then, Thunderclap Double Strike!"

Under Nimo's command, Babutuo unhesitatingly revealed its trump card—the powerful move "Thunderclap Double Strike," described as unleashing its full electrical power. Lightning crackled around Babutuo's fists like two glowing, blazing miniature suns, blasting blinding light straight toward the General Pudao!

Yeci involuntarily squinted, refusing to stand idle. "Ambush!"

The move briefly granted the General Pudao speed surpassing Babutuo's. Its fist, wreathed in dark red light, struck Babutuo's abdomen first!

Boom!

A dull crash echoed, and beneath it, the muffled groan of Babutuo in pain.

But this time, Babutuo did not curl up like a shrimp—it gritted its teeth and slammed both fists hard into the General Pudao!

BOOM!

The lightning coiled around Babutuo's fists roared and exploded violently, hurling the General Pudao straight to the edge of the battlefield.

And the General Pudao, due to its Terastallized Electric-type weakness, now endured the first—and strongest—attack of this move.

—It could no longer sit calmly upon its stool of hair, as it had before.

Even so, Babutuo, having endured the General Pudao's terrifying blows multiple times, knew it was not yet time to slacken.

The Thunderclap Double Strike, normally unusable after a single use due to depleted power, now surged with electricity throughout its body, sustained by the strange energy of Terastallization.

With stumbling steps, even without Nimo's command, Babutuo gritted its teeth and gathered Thunderclap Double Strike once more, charging fiercely at the General Pudao.

Faced with Babutuo's near-total abandonment of defense—a strategy of trading blows—the General Pudao's expression darkened. Overwhelmed by Babutuo's momentum, it instinctively unleashed "Air Blade" to block its advance.

BOOM!

Amid the thunderous roar of lightning, Babutuo's Thunderclap Double Strike, its body scarred by wind blades, still struck true. Two consecutive Thunderclap Double Strikes—even the General Pudao could barely withstand them.

It instinctively wanted to kneel, lowering Babutuo's guard before launching a counterattack.

But Yeci, no matter what, would not allow such a scene to unfold during a championship livestream—even if it was natural to the General Pudao's species.

She whispered an order, forcibly overriding the General Pudao's instinct.

"Endure it. Metal Explosion!"

The next instant.

The third Thunderclap Double Strike exploded against the General Pudao's body, while a brilliant silver fireball erupted, engulfing Babutuo before it could retreat.

Amid rolling smoke, Babutuo's body was flung backward, crashing heavily onto the shattered battlefield, unable to rise no matter how hard it struggled.

The 1.5x recoil from Metal Explosion stripped Babutuo of the last shred of strength needed to move.

In contrast, within the smoke, the General Pudao's armor cracked, its appearance ragged, gasping for breath—but still conscious.

It sat calmly upon its stool of hair.

The outcome seemed clear.

Nimo's breath froze with tension. Yeci gave no new command to the General Pudao. Luo Mu, like them, fixed his gaze on Babutuo, waiting for the final result.

"Babu…"

As Babutuo's vision blurred, it recalled the first time it met Nimo, held in the arms of her father, Allen.

Back then, though the girl was delighted, sensitive Babutuo sensed that Nimo was looking through it—at something else.

Later, it learned that it had become Nimo's partner because, after being rescued from danger by another Babutuo, she had never found that Babutuo's trail.

Whether it was a replacement, Babutuo didn't care at all.

It knew Nimo loved it, treated it well, and had long since seen it as distinct from the Babutuo that saved her.

For Babutuo, that was enough.

If it could, it truly wanted to stand as Nimo's ace, head held high, welcoming final victory—but now, it seemed impossible.

Babutuo did not want Nimo to lose such an important match. If so, it would rather the final Pokémon standing beside Nimo not be itself.

"Babu…"

Under countless watching eyes, Babutuo slowly rose, clasped its hands to its chest, and uttered its prayer.

The move's name: "Resurrection Prayer."

As one of only two species capable of learning this move, Babutuo's kind channel their compassionate hearts to pray and revive fallen partners.

Light rose from Babutuo, forming a brilliant river that gently flowed into the Poké Ball in Nimo's hand—the one belonging to Moon Bear.

(End of Chapter)