The move "Memento" was a Dark-type status move. Its effect consumed all of the user's remaining HP, driving it into a near-faint state in exchange for greatly lowering the target's Attack and Special Attack.
Since she had already decided to sacrifice Glimmora, Geeta had originally planned to save Memento for one of Nemona's core team members—for example, Ursaluna or Tauros. In the best-case scenario, it would have been used on Pawmot.
Unfortunately, Nemona's lead Pokémon was Decidueye. Spirit Shackle had completely restricted Geeta's switches, forcing Glimmora to fight to the bitter end.
Fortunately, her battle setup was already complete.
The next step was to reap the rewards.
After scattering multiple layers of Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock, and severely depleting Decidueye's stamina while inflicting it with a devastating poison—far exceeding her original goal—Glimmora unhesitatingly chose to go out in a blaze of glory.
A dense, pitch-black glow suddenly erupted from its body and shot rapidly toward Decidueye.
Even though Nemona reacted and instinctively ordered Decidueye to drain Glimmora's last bit of stamina, the speed of an arrow could not match the speed of light.
The black glow clung to Decidueye like a persistent parasite. Accompanied by Decidueye's suddenly pained expression, a blue light flashed across its body from top to bottom.
Decidueye's Attack and Special Attack dropped sharply!
A wave of weakness surged through it. Still enduring the erosion of severe poison, Decidueye plopped down onto the ground, barely able to stand.
On the other side, the now-incapacitated Glimmora had already been recalled into its Poké Ball by Geeta.
In Iono's livestream room, although Nemona had taken the lead in points, Iono could not feel optimistic at all.
As Geeta's signature Pokémon, even though it was the first to lose its ability to battle, Glimmora's performance had been flawless. It had done everything it possibly could, and done it to the best of its ability.
What Nemona would face next… would be an even tougher situation.
"Next, it's your turn to take the stage, Avalugg."
Geeta tossed the Poké Ball in her hand.
The appearance of the massive creature caused the entire battlefield to tremble slightly.
It was a large Pokémon that looked and was shaped like a turtle, entirely composed of an iceberg. Its "ice shell" appeared as a completely smooth plane overall, but the surface had three cracks. Its underside was protected by many sharp icicles, and its cylindrical legs, tipped with spiked claws, supported the movement of its heavy body.
This was a pure Ice-type Pokémon—Avalugg!
Watching Avalugg enter the field, Lucas's mind flashed with some unpleasant memories, and he grew even more worried for Nemona.
Come to think of it, his own team was quite similar to Nemona's—extremely heavy on physical attackers. Even a naturally powerful Pokémon like Swampert would find it difficult to deal effective damage to Avalugg.
But at least back then, he had Ceruledge to tank that terrifying defense and managed to break through Avalugg's armor by focusing attacks on a single point.
However, Nemona's team didn't have many Pokémon that countered Avalugg. Tauros and Pawmot were basically all of them. By comparison, Lucas thought Nemona would probably choose Tauros.
"What will you choose next?" Lucas stared at Nemona's expression and murmured to himself.
"Avalugg… return, Decidueye!"
Nemona could not possibly let a Decidueye in such terrible condition—and one weak to Ice—get taken out for free by Avalugg. She immediately chose to switch.
Thankfully, Avalugg's heavy body limited its speed. Even if Geeta wanted Avalugg to prevent the recall, she was powerless to do so.
After recalling Decidueye, Nemona did not immediately send out her second Pokémon. Instead, she paused, a clear look of distress appearing on her face. She was obviously struggling over which Pokémon to send out.
Even if Ribombee could fly and avoid stepping on the Toxic Spikes, it would still take heavy damage from the super-effective Stealth Rock. Any non-flying Pokémon, on the other hand, would be invaded by the Toxic Spikes the moment it entered the field and fall into a poisoned state.
Among her team, only one Pokémon could temporarily immunize itself through a special method—but the time for it to appear had not yet come.
Avalugg's defense was also a major issue.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Nemona—knowing she could not drag this out any longer—gritted her teeth and sent out her second Pokémon.
"Go, Tauros!"
"Moo!"
Accompanied by a deep bovine bellow, Tauros—the one that had triggered its Anger Point twice and delivered quite good results for Nemona—entered the field.
But the instant it landed, the Toxic Spikes covering the field activated.
The toxins eagerly spread through Tauros's hooves and into its body.
The surrounding Stealth Rock also revealed itself. Even though Tauros resisted Rock-type moves, the sharp points still stung painfully.
Under the torment of dual pain, Tauros even forgot to use its horns to toss its Poké Ball back to Nemona. Nemona could only bend down to pick up the Poké Ball that had luckily rolled to her feet.
Right from the start, Tauros's condition, momentum, and stamina were greatly weakened!
But the raging bull's will would not be broken so easily. Tauros stood up once more, snorting heavily through its nostrils, its bloodshot eyes fixed firmly on Avalugg.
Nemona, fully aware that Tauros would grow weaker and weaker under the poison as time passed, could only choose a quick decisive battle. She shouted, "Charge through with Aqua Jet!"
A turbulent stream of water sprayed from the tips of its horns. Clearly enraged, Tauros wrapped itself in the water current. With its outstanding burst power, its figure instantly vanished from the spot.
The moment Tauros closed in on Avalugg using Aqua Jet, Nemona issued her next order.
"Close Combat!"
"Heavy Slam!"
Geeta naturally would not just stand there. Her voice rang out almost simultaneously with Nemona's.
"Roar!"
Avalugg threw its head back and roared. A silver light ring enveloped its body as it fiercely rammed toward Tauros!
The nearly fivefold weight difference gave Avalugg's strike terrifying power.
But Tauros was no fool. Skilled in wrestling, it knew that a head-on collision would bring no advantage. It circled around Avalugg's bulky body, launching fierce assaults from all directions, wrapped in orange-red light.
Every collision between them carried earth-shaking force. Tauros madly left wounds on Avalugg, while Avalugg repeatedly sent Tauros flying dozens of meters away.
Neither side yielded an inch. From Lucas's outsider perspective, however, Nemona and Tauros were still at a complete disadvantage.
Even though Nemona had a clever idea—using Tauros's physiology to spray high-pressure water from the holes at the tips of its horns like a sharp blade, leaving marks on Avalugg's steel-hard icy shell—Tauros's condition continued to decline under the effects of the poison.
Moreover, with Avalugg's staying power, this level of damage was nothing.
Just as Lucas had predicted, when Tauros traded injury for injury and finally exhausted itself, leaving countless wounds that left Avalugg panting…
Geeta's next command directly turned their efforts into nothing.
"Recover."
Indeed, Avalugg was one of the Pokémon that could learn "Recover" upon leveling up. And it was incredibly bulky, which had disgusted Lucas quite a bit during the Champion test.
A verdant green healing glow appeared on Avalugg's body surface. In just a few breaths, all the wounds on its body vanished completely, restoring it to its original state.
This was actually the better outcome—at least Geeta's Avalugg had the "Own Tempo" ability. If it had the "Ice Body" ability and she set up Hail weather on top of Recover, the situation would have been far worse.
"!!!!"
Seeing Avalugg restored to full health, Nemona's breath caught. She had no choice but to accept that all her and Tauros's efforts had been in vain.
Without a moment's hesitation, Nemona commanded Tauros—its head now covered in a layer of solid metallic sheen—to ram into Avalugg!
The super-effective "Iron Head" once again dealt decent damage to Avalugg.
At this moment, Geeta also revealed her long-prepared counterattack. "Hold on—Avalanche!"
In an instant, a mass of gray clouds gathered above Tauros. Before Tauros could escape, countless snow chunks that had almost frozen into ice blocks rained down like hailstones, smashing onto Tauros's body!
Bang bang bang—
Amid Tauros's pained roars, the Avalanche raged for a full five seconds before stopping.
Even though Tauros resisted the Ice-type Avalanche thanks to its Water-type secondary typing, Avalugg also triggered an Avalanche effect similar to "Counter," causing the damage to double directly.
"No, we can't keep going like this."
Nemona, realizing this was essentially a slow death, began thinking and looking for an opportunity.
Trigger Anger Point once more, then use the maximally boosted Attack to crush Avalugg in one go… That was the simplest method, but it would still require a stroke of luck. At the very least, Nemona would not expose Tauros's current weak points and let Avalugg attack freely.
While directing Tauros to maneuver around Avalugg, Nemona's mind raced. Then, inspiration struck!
That's right—there was still that move!
The move that Teacher Lucas had emphasized in class: a way to break through when facing a tanky Pokémon that you couldn't kill quickly and couldn't outlast in a war of attrition!
If she paired this move with another one, she might be able to take down Avalugg without even needing to trigger Anger Point!
The more Nemona thought about it, the brighter her eyes became. She had never lacked the courage to try bold ideas. She began directing Tauros to survive in the narrow gap between the poison and Avalugg's threats, setting up her own strategy.
Lucas noticed the change in Nemona's expression right away, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously lifted into a smile.
"Looks like she's got an idea. Then go ahead and try it boldly."
On Lucas's shoulder, the Zygarde Core seriously observed the back-and-forth battle between the two sides, faithfully carrying out its duty as an observer.
But it still subconsciously thought to itself: Humans really are a cunning bunch—their schemes are truly numerous.
It could only hope that the two young successors in the Kalos region wouldn't get tricked. Otherwise, it would have to go rescue them later.
"Hmm, something's off."
As someone equally sharp, how could Geeta fail to notice the change in Nemona's tactics? Even though she instinctively sensed something wrong, she couldn't figure out for the moment what other cards Nemona still had to play.
Geeta simply continued to maintain the current situation. She used "Recover" to restore Avalugg when its stamina dropped below half in dangerous conditions, while hitting Tauros with "Avalanche," "Gyro Ball," and "Heavy Slam," quietly waiting for Tauros to lose its ability to resist under the poison.
Tauros's "Wave Crash" slammed hard into Avalugg. Amid the bursting water spray, not only did Avalugg take significant damage, but Tauros itself was further drained by the recoil.
Its already precarious stamina was now like a candle flickering in the wind.
Seeing that it wouldn't be strange for Tauros to collapse at any moment, Geeta thought for two seconds and decided not to have Avalugg use "Recover" to heal itself.
The uses of "Recover" were not unlimited. It was better to conserve Avalugg's stamina as much as possible for now.
But what Geeta didn't know was that this very thought of hers played right into Nemona's hands.
Or rather, it was precisely under Nemona's subtle influence that she had come to think this way.
Nemona loved battling and adored Pokémon battles, but she was no reckless fool who charged forward mindlessly. Thanks to her good upbringing, high intelligence, and Lucas's selfless teaching, she possessed tactical literacy far beyond her peers.
The moment the conditions were met, Nemona unhesitatingly dropped her disguise.
It was still "Aqua Jet" to close in on Avalugg. Just as Geeta expected, the next move would be either "Close Combat," "Rage," or "Wave Crash."
The probability of "Wave Crash" was low—after all, the current Tauros couldn't withstand too much recoil.
Just as Geeta was pondering how to take this hit and immediately have Avalugg use "Recover" to maintain its state…
Nemona's command rang out like a thunderclap on flat ground.
"Tauros, Endeavor!!!"
"What!?"
Against the backdrop of Geeta's expression shifting from composure to shock in an instant.
As if venting all the frustration it had accumulated during this time, the red-eyed Tauros charged recklessly toward Avalugg.
At this moment, all the accumulated damage on its body was converted into Tauros's power. Everything it had endured was fully repaid to Avalugg through "Endeavor"!
Boom—Bang!!!
In the violent explosion, Avalugg's pained roar was crystal clear.
Realizing something was wrong, Geeta hurriedly issued a command. "Hold on, Avalugg—Recover!"
Endeavor was a special Normal-type move that repaid all the damage Tauros had taken in a single strike.
At this moment, Avalugg's stamina was forcibly pulled down to the same level as Tauros's—which meant Avalugg had reached the kill line!
Taking advantage of the brief window when Avalugg was temporarily immobilized while using "Recover," Nemona flung out her final card.
"Tauros, Reversal!"
The chance to turn the tables was right now!
Even though its consciousness was growing hazy, Tauros still forced itself to stand. Its blood-red bovine eyes were filled with stubbornness and determination. Carrying the resolve to create an advantage for Nemona, a brilliant brownish-red glow erupted from Tauros's body.
At this moment, even though Avalugg's stamina was continuously recovering through "Recover," Tauros's all-out strike—pushed to the limit of its power—could still create a miracle!
Tauros slammed into Avalugg with a thunderous crash. The dazzling light completely engulfed both of them before exploding outward.
A powerful shockwave swept outward. The three spectators could only half-cover their faces with their hands. Even while squinting, they refused to miss any detail on the field.
Moments later, the smoke and dust cleared.
Both Tauros and Avalugg lay in a large crater, clearly unconscious.
This meant that this round ended in a draw!
In the livestream room, Iono was already dancing with excitement, passionately voicing her thrill.
"Endeavor plus Reversal, huh? That's quite a clever way to break out."
Knowing that Nemona had taken his teachings to heart, Lucas felt quite pleased.
"This should count as my loss, right?"
Geeta, realizing she had fallen into the trap, smiled helplessly.
The starting conditions for both sides hadn't been on the same level to begin with. Even so, Nemona and Tauros had seized the opportunity and forcibly taken Avalugg down with them.
To Geeta, she had lost this round.
Two red beams shot out from opposite sides of the battlefield, landing on the unconscious Tauros and Avalugg and recalling them into their Poké Balls.
The two trainers placed their Poké Balls into the cylindrical device that rose from the ground.
The device was directly connected to the Pokémon Center at Paldea League Headquarters. Pokémon that lost the ability to battle during the Champion test would receive careful treatment from Nurse Joy, ensuring neither side had any worries afterward.
After finishing all this, Geeta lightly clapped her hands a few times in Nemona's direction, making a gesture of applause.
"What a brilliant finishing blow. It's worth a standing ovation."
"Thank you for the praise!"
Nemona responded calmly, without arrogance or impatience. To her, the comeback she had just fought with everything she had was far more captivating than any delicious food or game.
Seeing that Nemona had already eagerly taken out her third Poké Ball, Geeta nodded slightly.
"Then, let's continue the test."
With that, Geeta and Nemona simultaneously tossed out the Poké Balls in their hands.
"Chesnaught!"
"Goodra!"
Light flashed, and two Pokémon appeared on the battlefield that had just witnessed the fierce clash between Tauros and Avalugg.
Coincidentally, the Pokémon sent out by Nemona and Geeta were both, strictly speaking, originally from the Kalos region.
One was a late-blooming Dragon-type Pokémon from Kalos, and the other was the Grass-type starter recommended for new trainers in Kalos.
Both were defensive-oriented Pokémon facing off against each other.
However, the moment Goodra entered, it suffered the same fate as Tauros—directly hit by the severe poison from the Toxic Spikes and the assault of Stealth Rock.
"Go…dra."
Goodra shook its head, and the slime on its chin splattered onto the ground.
Even though it was a Dragon-type Pokémon with a naturally outstanding constitution, suffering the effects of severe poison and Stealth Rock in succession still felt very uncomfortable.
Chesnaught, with its large-spiked shell resembling armor, kept its arms crossed in front, on full alert.
The battle was on the verge of erupting!
"Goodra, Ice Beam!"
Nemona struck first. Just like Lucas's Dragonite, Goodra had also mastered moves of different types to a considerable degree, gaining excellent offensive coverage.
Goodra opened its mouth and spat out an ice-blue lightning bolt carrying a frosty aura, shooting toward Chesnaught.
For Grass-type Chesnaught, Ice-type moves were undoubtedly super effective. Even though its Fighting type countered Ice, it could not help it resist.
In response, Geeta—having composed herself—countered as well.
"Bulk Up!"
Chesnaught quickly responded to Geeta's command. The instant the ice-blue lightning descended, Chesnaught raised its arms and roared loudly.
"Che-naught!"
In an instant, a red-mist-like glow swirled around Chesnaught's body. The heat generated by its expanding muscles faintly offset some of the threat from the Ice Beam.
"Charge through—Brick Break!"
Chesnaught, which seemed to have bulked up slightly, shook itself hard, shattering and shaking off the ice layer that had formed on its surface. After receiving Geeta's command, it charged toward Goodra like a land war tank.
"Flamethrower!"
Nemona unhesitatingly switched tactics. The scorching fire line released by Goodra pierced through the air, shooting toward Chesnaught.
"Spiky Shield!"
Chesnaught was indeed not very good at dealing with Fire-type moves. Geeta immediately chose to switch from offense to defense.
Chesnaught crossed its arms, and a round shield covered in emerald-green spikes was used to withstand the Flamethrower.
The Flamethrower struck the Spiky Shield and was directly split into several streams that canceled out, while Chesnaught's footsteps did not stop. It charged straight up to Goodra.
But this time, Geeta did not issue the command for "Brick Break" again. Instead—
"Leech Seed!"
With Goodra extremely close and not particularly agile, it had no way to dodge. Chesnaught sprayed several brownish seeds toward it.
Mid-flight, the seeds sprouted vines.
The instant they landed on Goodra, the vines rapidly tightened, seemingly trying to take root deep into Goodra's body.
Once Leech Seed successfully took hold, Goodra's stamina would be continuously transferred to Chesnaught every moment—meaning Goodra would directly become Chesnaught's "stamina reserve tank."
Even so, Nemona allowed Chesnaught to land the Leech Seed on Goodra without any intention of countering.
"…Could it be?"
Geeta narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, she remembered Goodra's three abilities: "Sap Sipper," "Hydration," and "Gooey."
Looks like she had hit the jackpot?
Just as Geeta expected, the moment the Leech Seed made contact with Goodra and tightened, it was as if it had been sucked in by a strange force. It instantly turned into energy light particles that flowed into Goodra's stamina.
In the blink of an eye, a red glow of boosted stats appeared on Goodra's body surface.
Ability "Sap Sipper": When hit by a Grass-type move or affected by a Grass-type status move, Attack is boosted by one stage!
It could be said that, in front of Goodra, Chesnaught's Grass-type moves would be completely useless!
Chesnaught froze in place for a moment.
"Goodra, Acid Armor!"
Seizing the opportunity, Nemona directly chose to have Goodra boost itself.
After Acid Armor, Goodra's Defense would rise sharply, leaving the physical attacker Chesnaught with nowhere to strike!
But at this moment, Geeta made a move that completely exceeded Nemona's expectations.
She unhesitatingly raised her hand to recall Chesnaught with its Poké Ball while tossing out another one.
"Take the stage, Espathra!"
…