"Let it snow, Ninetales!"
This was no ordinary Ninetales. Snowy white from head to tail, this one was not of Fire but of Ice.
It possessed a rare hidden ability—Snow Warning.
In other words, while only a small number of Alolan Ninetales carried this trait, Yukie's Ninetales was unmistakably one of them.
"Wooo—"
With a low cry, the fox raised its head. The temperature in the arena plummeted. Large flakes of snow drifted from above, fluttering down like goose feathers.
But it wasn't just snow. Every so often, small chunks of hail the size of beans came crashing down, striking against Charizard's scales and chipping away at its health.
The damage wasn't overwhelming at first—but with every passing moment, it added up.
Snow Warning—the ability that transforms the battlefield into a hailstorm.
Under such weather conditions, all Pokémon except Ice-types—and the rare few with special resistances—would continuously take damage from the falling hail.
Moreover, Ice-types thrived under this climate. Their vitality surged, their physical endurance strengthened, and their Ice-type moves grew even deadlier.
And there was more. The Ice-type move Blizzard—normally inaccurate—became guaranteed to hit.
It was clear now.
For the second half of this match, Yukie's chosen strategy was a Hailstorm Team.
Hailstorm teams were one of four classic weather squads, alongside Sun, Rain, and Sandstorm.
At the heart of the strategy was Alolan Ninetales, the "Snow Fox." Thanks to its Snow Warning ability, it could instantly blanket the battlefield in hail, allowing the team to unleash its full potential.
Without hail, the team was powerless. But once the snow fell, the storm raged.
[Alolan Ninetales] (Ice + Fairy): Mid-Gym Tier, Champion Potential.
Yozora glanced at the readout and felt his heart skip a beat. As expected of Yukie's core Pokémon, this Ninetales wasn't just strong—it was elite, with astonishing potential.
One of her true aces.
From this moment onward, Yukie's strength would finally shine in full.
"Ninetales, use Blizzard!"
Of course. Blizzard!
Ninetales howled, and a colossal storm of snow and ice erupted forth. Boosted by the battlefield's conditions, its range grew impossibly vast, nearly inescapable.
In the games, Blizzard under hail was always a guaranteed hit…
And in reality? It was just as relentless.
Unless an opponent burrowed underground with Dig or hid beneath the waves with Dive, as long as they stood in the arena, the storm would strike.
The blizzard howled, engulfing Charizard. It spread its wings to shield itself, but soon frost clung to the membranes, crystals forming and locking up its movements.
Charizard burned with heat, true.
But after taking a direct Blizzard, even without being fully frozen, its wings were encased in ice, speed dropping drastically.
"This isn't looking good—Blizzard is too strong! Charizard looks like it's struggling!" the announcer cried, his voice sharp with tension.
"Not looking good? Hardly."
Yozora chuckled. With just a thought, he called upon his partner's spirit.
Charizard's battle heart roared to life. Its Blaze ability erupted!
"Fwoooosh!"
Suddenly, azure flames burst from Charizard's tail, burning brighter than ever. Its life force surged, its body heat soared—
—and the ice crystals sealing its wings began to melt away.
"No way!" Yukie gasped.
Her eyes widened at the sight.
She knew many Charizard possessed an inner ferocity, a hidden fury that could awaken in times of need. But typically, such bursts only raised their strength a little.
At best, one temporary boost… and that was it.
But this…
This Charizard's power spike was on an entirely different level.
The difference was night and day—its strength had vaulted several tiers in an instant!
"Take to the skies, Charizard! Flamethrower!" Yozora commanded.
"Roooaaar!"
Freed from its icy shackles, Charizard launched into the air, soaring through the blizzard. It exhaled a torrent of scorching flames, the inferno sweeping straight toward Ninetales.
Water overcame fire with ease, suppressing it outright.
But Ice? Ice had no such advantage.
Even under snow and hail, flames never weakened.
"Dodge it, Ninetales!" Yukie cried, urgency in her tone.
Her shout spurred her Pokémon to act.
Ninetales bolted across the icy ground with desperate speed.
But against a flying predator like Charizard? It had no chance.
The dragon pursued relentlessly, unleashing jet after jet of fire.
Until at last, a blazing torrent struck true, engulfing the fox in searing heat.
When the flames cleared, Ninetales lay blackened, its once-white fur charred, eyes closed tight.
It had fallen.
"Ninetales is unable to battle! Charizard wins!" the referee declared.
Yukie had lost all of the first half.
Now, in the second half, she'd been struck down yet again.
"Bam! Bam! Bam!"
Charizard landed heavily, standing tall in defiance. But the hail still rained down, each shard pelting its body.
This time, one jagged stone struck its head, leaving a sharp red welt.
Yet compared to the decisive victory it had just secured, the minor wounds were nothing.
"The momentum is unstoppable! Yozora and his Charizard are overwhelming! With only two Pokémon left, Yukie's situation looks dire!" the announcer boomed.
The crowd roared.
Fans of Yozora and his Charizard shouted in triumph.
While Yukie's supporters fidgeted with worry.
Too brutal…
She was being crushed. Four straight defeats, one after another. Meanwhile, Charizard still stood tall, brimming with fire and stamina.
And yet—Yukie remained calm.
With a steady breath, she recalled Ninetales, then tossed her next Poké Ball.
From the light emerged her next contender.
Lapras.
Unlike pure Ice-types, Lapras bore both Water and Ice, making it resistant to Fire in ways that Ninetales could never be.
Not only that—Lapras was famously durable.
Clearly, Yukie's next move was defense.
"In hail, Charizard will continue to take chip damage," Brock analyzed from the audience. "If Yozora can't finish this quickly, the battle will turn against him over time."
In the stands, Ash, Misty, Brock, Professor Oak, Red, Ryūnan, Ritchie, and A.J. all watched intently.
Ryūnan nodded. "Indeed. Yukie's strength is nothing to underestimate. Yozora's advantage may not be as secure as it looks."
…
…
(End of Chapter)