Swoosh swoosh!
Two slicing sounds rang out as the blades on Shiftry's hands slashed forward, cutting through the leaves flying toward him, and his figure pressed on.
But by then, Cacnea had already taken advantage of the leafy cover to move far back. It raised its arm, and an endless flurry of leaves materialized once again.
"This is...!"
"The same strategy Cacnea used against my Marshtomp!" exclaimed Hailey Blake from outside the field.
Sometimes those watching from the sidelines can see more clearly than those inside. This time, Hailey Blake, as a spectator, finally realized the incredible control Cacnea had over the move Magical Leaf, and she couldn't help but be astonished.
"Shiftry, don't fall into his rhythm! Use Quick Attack!" shouted Cody Barrett, showing his experience as a veteran Trainer.
As soon as he noticed that his Shiftry was being dragged into Cacnea's offensive pace, he immediately gave the order to speed up. In an instant, a white light burst beneath Shiftry's feet, and its speed skyrocketed. In a blink, it pierced through the rain of leaves and appeared right in front of Cacnea.
But Cacnea had already anticipated this. It raised its hand, and a cloud of sand blasted directly at the charging Shiftry.
It was Sand Attack! Under Sandslash's guidance and specialized training, Cacnea had already learned how to use this move.
The Sand Attack caught Shiftry completely off guard. Its yellow eyes squeezed shut in discomfort as sand filled them, leaving it unable to react in time.
"Now!" shouted Ethan Black. "Cacnea, use Ingrain!"
The moment Ethan Black saw Shiftry fall into the trap, he ordered his Cacnea to drive its roots into the ground. The roots began to grow rapidly, burrowing deep into the earth.
"Shiftry, snap out of it! Don't give him time to recover! Use Leaf Blade!" Cody Barrett roared urgently.
Shiftry let out a low growl, forcing its eyes half-open as it focused on Cacnea. Its leaves glowed green as it struck once more with Leaf Blade.
Boom!
The blow landed directly on Cacnea, making it stagger. But in that instant, a green light flared from its body: the effect of Ingrain had begun to take hold, drawing power from the earth and restoring its strength.
"Keep it up, use Leaf Blade again!" Cody Barrett urged.
Shiftry pressed the attack relentlessly, striking Cacnea again and again with Leaf Blade. But Cacnea held firm, enduring the slashes with its whole body while keeping Ingrain active.
"Ha ha ha! That's it! Turn it into plant pulp!" shouted the members of the Pokémon Island Adventure Club, convinced victory was theirs.
Meanwhile, the members of the Pokémon Nightstar Club looked grim.
"He should've sent out Sandslash!"
"That Cacnea is useless! Only Sandslash has real strength..."
Some had already begun to complain, believing Ethan Black had grown arrogant after so many wins, forgetting he was still just a novice Trainer.
"That Ingrain... it's not as simple as it looks," said Rachel Blake, gently shaking her head.
Remembering what she had seen of Cacnea in the disaster zone, something clicked in her mind.
"What is that!?"
"What's happening!?"
"Those roots!?"
At that moment, cries of shock erupted throughout the stadium.
On the battlefield, without anyone noticing, dozens of roots had sprouted from the ground. Right now, they were all coiled tightly around Shiftry, binding it completely. No matter how much it struggled, it couldn't break free.
"Shiftry, use Razor Leaf on those roots!" ordered Cody Barrett, startled but still composed.
"No chance! Cacnea, use Absorb—full power!" said Ethan Black with a cold smile.
Shiftry swung its three large leaf-arms, launching a barrage of cutting leaves that repeatedly slashed at the roots, leaving visible gashes.
But just as it looked like it would break free, the roots began glowing green. Cacnea activated Absorb, and Shiftry let out a groan as it felt its life force being drained away.
The roots that were about to snap grew stronger again, thickening and instantly regenerating their cuts.
"What's going on!?"
"How can they keep growing!?"
"This isn't normal!"
Everyone in the stadium widened their eyes in disbelief. Clearly, trapped by endlessly regenerating roots, Shiftry had no escape.
"Damn it, enough already!" yelled Cody Barrett in desperation. "Shiftry, fire Razor Leaf straight at Cacnea with everything you've got!"
But just as the attack was about to land, roots surged up from the ground in front of Cacnea, blocking the strike with ease.
Cody Barrett's last-ditch attack had failed once again.
Moments later, Shiftry's body was completely drained until it collapsed onto the ground, unable to fight.
"What was that!?"
"That was still Ingrain!?"
"Why is Cacnea's Ingrain so different!?"
The entire stadium fell silent. The spectators were utterly stunned as they watched Shiftry drained of every last drop of energy.
"Dad, Dad! I remember the biology teacher said cacti have really developed roots... is that Pokémon a cactus?"
A middle schooler's voice broke the silence, snapping many spectators out of their shock.
They looked at Cacnea, then at the child, and all nodded as if they finally understood something. But almost immediately, doubt crept back in.
Yes, cacti do have developed roots...
But aren't these roots a little too developed?!
(End of chapter)