Clearly, Roserade had a slight chance of dodging Destiny Bond, but Fujiki chose not to evade it. Instead, she used that moment to unleash Sunny Day. Her decision left many people puzzled.
However, with Ninetales' appearance, it was as if the Sunny Day on the field had been amplified. The sunlight became even more intense, seemingly making the very air feel scorching.
"It used the Drought Ability to enhance Sunny Day, huh..."
Terrance, who had unique insight and research into weather-type moves, saw Fujiki's Ninetales take the stage and began to speculate. Perhaps Fujiki believed that creating a favorable environment for Ninetales would make it easier to defeat Fantina.
"So that's it. Most of Roserade's trump cards have already been revealed. Rather than continuing the fight, it was better to have Roserade go all-in on Sunny Day, paving the way for Ninetales. Compared to Roserade, Ninetales has a much easier time dealing with Ghost-type Pokémon," someone speculated.
As Sunny Day changed, many turned their attention to Ninetales. Its cold, piercing gaze seemed completely at odds with the surrounding environment, yet it was oddly similar to that of its Trainer, Fujiki.
"Be careful," Fantina warned cautiously.
This Ninetales gave her an even greater sense of danger than Roserade had.
"I remember this Ninetales was absolutely masterful when it came to controlling fire…" Some audience members who had seen Fujiki and her Ninetales participate in the Fire-type event began to recall the moments when Ninetales' extraordinary control had left a lasting impression.
"Yes, this Ninetales' control over its power is exceptional. Even some Pokémon raised by Top Coordinators might not compare," Terrance said with a cheerful smile. After all, his Arcanine had been overwhelmed by this very Ninetales. Even though Arcanine's specialty wasn't in that particular area, it was still far superior to your average Fire-type Pokémon.
Fantina's Mismagius was also well-known, though that reputation largely came from the time it had been crushed by Terrance's Mismagius through its illusion skills in the Ghost-type event.
"Logically speaking, Roserade should have gained more power in Sunny Weather, but Fujiki still chose to use it as the weather setter, letting Ninetales with Drought ability become the main force. Could there be a hidden reason behind this decision?"
Just as the crowd was speculating, Mismagius made the first move. Using Confuse Ray, it transformed into a giant net and swept toward Ninetales.
In the face of Mismagius' interference, Ninetales didn't even flinch. Instead, flames began to emit from its body, converging into fire whips. In an instant, they transformed into several Flamethrower-like columns of fire. Under Ninetales' precise control, the fire whips began to lash out wildly. The moment Confuse Ray touched the fire whips, it was almost instantly devoured.
"What overwhelming power…"
There were many fire whips. At first, the audience worried about whether they'd have enough strength, but they quickly realized that concern was unnecessary. Under Sunny Day, every fire whip was packed with terrifying destructive power. And under Ninetales' psychic power control, they moved with an exaggerated, disciplined coordination and like a protective barrier, neutralized all of Mismagius' attacks.
Bathed in the blazing inferno, Ninetales stood still, silently watching Mismagius. It felt the power granted by the enhanced Sunny Day, and at that moment, it knew it could unleash even more strength.
With eyes glowing with psychic power, Ninetales took step after step forward, heading straight toward Mismagius. Nine fire pillars swirled around its body, like its nine tails, they obeyed its will completely.
Bang, bang, bang.
Step by step, Ninetales walked across the flames, then began leaping among the fire pillars it had created. Facing the airborne Mismagius, the concept of whether or not it could fly had long since become irrelevant to Ninetales.
"Do you think Miss Fantina can hold out?" Wallace asked in mild surprise. "I feel like this Trainer named Fujiki would actually be quite suited for Pokémon Contests."
"Suited for Pokémon Contests? Look at that icy expression of hers. I doubt the audience would be into that kind of personality," Terrance replied with a chuckle upon hearing Wallace's comment.
"Still, controlling nine fire pillars, that must be the limit of this Ninetales. And even with the boost from Sunny Day, creating nine fire pillars like this… must be a heavy burden on Ninetales as well…" Terrance looked toward the field and continued, "With Fantina's Drifblim in poor condition, the outcome of this round will be important to deciding the winner of the match."
And Terrance could see it clearly. Fujiki wanted a swift victory. The longer the battle dragged on, the more likely Drifblim would recover. Knowing that Fujiki had only two Pokémon available to battle, Terrance understood her current mood.
So, Fujiki tried to give Ninetales its most powerful state, unleashing relentless pressure. Her Roserade was better suited for drawn-out battles, and prolonging things would actually put Fujiki at a disadvantage.
Riding on the "nine blazing tails," Ninetales was overwhelmingly dominant. Under its explosive assault, Mismagius had no chance to catch its breath and was defeated in just moments.
On the screen, Fantina's Poké Ball icons had dwindled to just one dimly lit symbol. The other two had long gone completely dark.
Drifblim entered the field. The dim Poké Ball icon lit up, displaying Drifblim's symbol. But Drifblim was still poisoned and in terrible shape. Facing Fujiki's current powerful Ninetales, and a second Pokémon yet to be revealed, even someone unfamiliar with battles could tell that Fujiki was now the likely victor.
Dragging things out wasn't an option. Drifblim hadn't gotten rid of the poison, which was disadvantageous for everyone.
Fighting also wasn't an option. Drifblim wasn't its match.
At this point, Fantina found herself caught in a dilemma. Looking at the female Trainer across from her, she had no choice but to admit, when it came to battling, she was completely outmatched.
Controlling the flames, Ninetales looked like a monarch among foxes. With a fierce, unyielding gaze, it struck with no mercy. Facing the severely weakened Drifblim, Ninetales had no intention of letting the opportunity slip by.
Good at dodging?
Under Ninetales' precise manipulation of its nine blazing tails, Drifblim found itself constantly surrounded by countless fire pillars. Every escape route was blocked. It was left with not a single path to flee.
Slowly, as Drifblim was forced into a corner, Ninetales' blazing tails suddenly merged and formed a Fire Blast, ruthlessly slamming Drifblim down.
Those nine blazing tails, wrapped in Confusion, were devastating weapons that Ghost-type Pokémon simply couldn't contend with!
"The winner… is Contestant Fujiki!" Vivian had been commentating all along. The breathtaking display of nine blazing tails made it seem as if Fujiki was a Coordinator. Under this assault, Fantina not only lost ground repeatedly but even failed to showcase her greatest strengths. This outcome left many utterly stunned.
Raoul Contesta let out a long sigh. Suddenly, his eyes turned gloomy, and his chest felt tight.
As the representative of the Coordinators, Fantina had lost in the very first match to Fujiki, who had only used two Pokémon.
"It's not Fantina's fault," said Sukizo, who had somehow appeared beside Raoul Contesta. He gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Indeed, aside from her initial mistake, Fantina hadn't made any major errors and quickly adjusted her state. However, it was a pity that this single misstep allowed Fujiki to snowball her advantage. In the end, Fujiki's battle prowess simply far surpassed Fantina's. Even without that initial mistake, while the process might have differed, the result likely wouldn't have changed.
"That Ninetales is so cool," several people murmured, swallowing hard. Even some Coordinators were nearly converted into Fujiki fans at that moment.
As Fantina fell in defeat, the venue quieted for a few seconds, then erupted into thunderous cheers.
Meanwhile, in the upper tiers where the Contest Committee's higher-ups sat, many fell into a heavy silence. None of them had expected Fantina to lose. Just as Sukizo had said, Fantina stood above most others, almost no one had reason to doubt her ability. And yet the emergence of Fujiki and Albus had been a total surprise.
"This Fujiki… she was hiding too well,"
Raoul Contesta sighed again, falling silent as he watched the large screen begin to shift once more, his expression heavy with reluctance.
As the pairing for the next match appeared, the once-boisterous arena fell into a sudden hush, with only the sound of breathing remaining.
Coordinator Representative Terrance vs. Trainer Representative Leo.
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