Of course, there are exceptions to everything.
Given Sneasel's speed and the concealment of her feint, even though Lulu had already evolved into Kirlia, it would normally have been extremely difficult to react in time. And if she were struck head-on—taking double damage from a Dark-type move against a Psychic-type—Kirlia, whose stamina and physical defense were not high to begin with, would very likely have been knocked out instantly.
However, Kirlia had followed Kael for a full two years, completing countless bounty missions along the way. She had long since accumulated a wealth of real combat experience. Faced with an attack that was practically a guaranteed kill, she showed not the slightest hint of panic—she didn't even raise her eyelids.
Silently, at the exact instant Sneasel's feinting left hand was about to land, the space Kirlia occupied rippled visibly for a brief moment—
—and her entire figure vanished from where she stood.
"Snee… sel…"
It was the first time Sneasel had ever seen a technique like this. Her attack struck nothing, leaving her momentarily bewildered. How could something so large disappear in the blink of an eye?
Whoosh!
A sharp tearing sound cut through the air from behind.
Sneasel's long, sharp left ear twitched. She immediately flipped sideways in midair, dodging to the right. A purple, sword-like streak flashed past the spot she had occupied just a moment earlier, then struck the tree directly ahead with a dull thud.
Looking closely, that so-called sword was actually a purple leaf—its front half buried deep into the tree trunk.
Although Sneasel's evasion was timely, the leaf's explosive speed still left a shallow graze across her left cheek. Had it not been for her keen hearing and agile reflexes, being struck head-on in the back by that terrifying leaf would likely have caused her to lose the ability to fight on the spot. The rest of the battle would have turned into nothing more than her being helplessly toyed with.
Seeing that her attack had failed to finish the job, Kirlia showed no emotional fluctuation whatsoever. Her expression remained calm.
She gently raised her pale right hand and beckoned backward. The purple leaf embedded in the tree seemed to be pulled by magic—it tore itself free and shot back at high speed, returning to hover above Kirlia's palm. The spinning leaf rubbed violently against the air, producing a continuous humming sound.
"Magical Leaf!"
Kael recognized the move at once. This must have been a new skill Lulu learned after evolving into Kirlia.
Thanks to the extensive training she had previously undergone in controlling psychic power, Lulu had mastered the move almost instantly. A towering building rises from solid foundations—the better the groundwork, the faster one can harness the explosive surge in strength after evolution.
She had already manipulated steel marbles, needles, and nails countless times. Once she grasped Magical Leaf, it became a case of master one method, master them all. The control principles were extremely similar, and coupled with the dramatic increase in psychic power after evolution, the skill's potency underwent a qualitative leap.
Kirlia raised her left hand as well, and another purple, energy-formed leaf slowly took shape. One on the left, one on the right—
With a snap of both wrists, the two leaves tore through the air, screaming forward with lethal precision-deadly at any distance within a hundred meters.
Sneasel refused to be outdone. She immediately used Agility, sharply boosting her speed to dodge the continuous Magical Leaf assaults. For a moment, she was reduced to a desperate scramble for survival.
As long as Kirlia had sufficient psychic power as backing, her Magical Leaf attacks would be endless. But if Sneasel were hit even once, she would be severely injured. She desperately wanted to close the distance, because if her attacks landed on Kirlia, they would likewise result in a one-hit kill.
Unfortunately, against a Kirlia who possessed Teleport, that hope could only remain a distant dream.
Kirlia's performance filled Kael with endless surprise. He had originally planned to train Lulu as a support-oriented Pokémon, yet that very training had unexpectedly forged a near-perfect mobile artillery platform.
Teleport combined with Magical Leaf, plus psychic power exceeding that of her peers by more than threefold—
For a moment, Kael felt that Lulu's future had become dazzlingly bright.
In the blink of an eye, a quarter of an hour passed. At this level, the outcome of the battle had long since been decided.
Sneasel panted heavily, sweat dripping from her body and soaking into the rocky soil beneath her feet. She could think of no way to turn the tables. Perhaps she possessed the feral toughness and indomitable will of a wild Pokemon—
—but against a Kirlia trained for two years by a transmigrator who had once been a top mathematics student, her creativity and adaptability in battle simply fell far short.
Perhaps Kirlia had grown tired of the game.
Her powerful psychic force lifted the fallen leaves scattered across the garden into the air, forming a sky-filling green leaf storm that surged toward Sneasel—within it, several purple silhouettes were hidden.
The storm swept past, leaving chaos in its wake.
Amid Sneasel's pained cry, the battle officially came to an end.
Kirlia showed no mercy in her strikes. With a helpless sigh, Kael picked up the heavily injured Sneasel. Thankfully, they were all external wounds—there was no need to visit a Pokemon Center. With his own medical skills, a few topical medicines, and a night of rest, she would recover soon enough.