"This Magnezone is strong."
Everyone in the audience was well aware of Mismagius's illusion skills, so seeing it now being completely suppressed by Magnezone, it was a contrast that they were finding hard to accept.
After all, Arcanine's powerful combos on Galvantula earlier had left a deep impression on them.
"Looks like that loss in the first battle made Leo get serious…"
"From the start of this round, Terrance's Mismagius hasn't even gotten the slightest chance to approach Magnezone. Elite Four Leo is being extremely cautious."
It was obvious to everyone that this Magnezone was significantly stronger than the Galvantula from before. Now, watching Mismagius being suppressed, curiosity rippled through the crowd.
Maybe now, Terrance was feeling the same helplessness that Leo had experienced in the first battle.
"A great reputation is never undeserved," Terrance thought with a sigh.
Even though Mismagius had grown much stronger, it was still being suppressed. As expected of a former Elite Four, his reputation was well-earned.
Watching Mismagius get blasted backward by surging electric currents, metal fragments still moving toward it, Terrance took a deep breath.
"Pain Split."
With Mismagius's illusion skills and offensive capabilities completely suppressed, Terrance had no choice but to give that command.
"Pain Split? Is that even possible now?" Most of the spectators were stunned.
Pain Split: A move that pools the HP of both sides, and then evenly redistributes it between them.
But the process is often quite complicated.
Hearing the command, Mismagius stopped resisting altogether, allowing itself to be fully exposed to the Thunder Shock.
Violent electric currents battered Mismagius's body, but at the same time, a mysterious wave emanated from it, quickly infiltrating the electric currents and locking onto the Discharge's source: Magnezone.
"Can it really pull this off?" Could Mismagius maintain enough focus to cast Pain Split despite the searing pain from the Thunder Shock?
Just as doubt started to spread, Mismagius used Hypnosis on itself again, dulling its own perception of pain. While enduring the damage, it focused entirely on using Pain Split, directly enveloping Magnezone with the move!
"I see. Another self-Hypnosis," Leo commented calmly. With Mismagius's illusion skill being completely suppressed, Terrance had no choice but to shift tactics—using Mismagius's illusion skill Hypnosis in a different way.
Self-Hypnosis, that was how Terrance and Mismagius chose to deal with Magnezone!
"Magnezone, sever your link with the electromagnetic waves."
Just as Pain Split was about to form a bridge between the two Pokémon, Leo gave the order without hesitation, denying Mismagius any chance of forming a connection. However, this also meant the electromagnetic waves and metal fragments scattered throughout the sky lost their connection to Magnezone.
Dragging its battered body, Mismagius's gaze remained eerily calm, as if it hadn't been the one taking damage moments before.
"At this rate…" Terrance frowned slightly. Magnezone's abilities completely countered Mismagius. If it were facing Galvantula from earlier, or even Leo's ace, Electivire, it wouldn't be so powerless.
The real problem now was that Mismagius's Hypnosis, which operated on a mental level, was being totally disrupted and blocked by Magnezone's electromagnetic waves.
Faced with this, Terrance found himself in a real bind.
But… did he and Mismagius really have no way to contend against Magnezone like this?
Terrance fell into thought. No, based on the progress Mismagius had made over the past half-year on Nightmare Island, even if its strength hadn't fully reached Elite Four level, it was only separated by the thinnest of margins.
As long as Mismagius is given a bit more time to adjust, it can absolutely improve further!
There was an abundance of fear energy on the island. With all these resources absorbed, there was no reason for Mismagius to remain stuck at this bottleneck. The reason it hadn't continued to grow in strength was simple: even though Mismagius had absorbed this energy, it hadn't fully mastered it yet!
"Mismagius hasn't completely processed that energy yet. That much I know."
Even though Mismagius said it had fully absorbed the power, that was only on the surface!
It wasn't that Mismagius couldn't use the fear energy for its own use, but rather, its control over fear energy hasn't yet reached a top-tier level. It simply can't utilize it to its full potential.
To use an analogy: it has the power but lacks the finesse to wield it effectively. That's Mismagius's biggest problem right now!
The energy it had absorbed was only about 60 or 70 percent utilized for enhancing its current power. The rest, due to Mismagius's energy control not yet reaching a higher level, had quietly integrated into its body, becoming potential, waiting to be drawn out gradually in the future.
"If Mismagius can truly digest and process what it's accumulated over the past six months, then it has a real chance of defeating Magnezone!" Terrance thought with certainty.
Under normal circumstances, this digestion process would take a long time, but facing a situation like this, Terrance decided to take a gamble.
He would use the pressure from Magnezone, and the pressure from this battle, to unleash the part of the dormant potential buried within Mismagius!
"Mismagius, channel the fear energy and push yourself further!" Terrance shouted.
On the battlefield, Mismagius's expression was tense. Trapped in a hard-fought battle, it could feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness. If things kept going like this, it might end up bringing Terrance a defeat, and that was absolutely unacceptable!
"Mis~magius~…"
Upon hearing the command, Mismagius froze for a moment. Then, nodding slightly, the red gem on its body began to glow even more brilliantly. Its gaze became firm as it understood Terrance's intention.
Immediately, it began channeling all of the fear energy it had absorbed throughout its growth, energy that had long since integrated with its body.
This pure energy was a great nourishment for Mismagius.
In the next instant, Magnezone sensed the increasingly repulsive energy radiating from Mismagius's body, its gaze turning slightly fierce.
This disgusting fear energy is something only a Ghost-type Pokémon like Mismagius could love so much.
Any other type of Pokémon would instinctively avoid it.
A violet aura enveloped Mismagius as it channeled waves of fear energy hidden within its body, violently clashing against its existing power in an attempt to merge with it, and thus grasp even greater strength.
"Mismagius's energy control has always been its strong suit. The reason it hasn't reached the top level is, first, its growth period has been too short, so it lacks experience, and second, it has never experienced a higher level like Altaria. Otherwise, with its foundation, it should have already reached greater heights long ago!" Terrance watched Mismagius nervously. Success or failure hinged on this moment.
"Do you think we don't exist? Magnezone, lock onto Mismagius with electromagnetic waves!"
****Please support on pat*eon for extra chapters; there is date to date subscription enabled on patreon. [There is a 7-day trial version availabe on patreon.]
https://www.pat*eon.com/dmtranslations
You can read ahead upto 65 chapters on my pa*reon.