"Did you learn any new moves?" Naoki asked, leaning forward with interest.
"Boo-ee?" Sylveon tilted its head, then closed its eyes in concentration.
A soft breeze swept across the snowy field. For a moment, Sylveon stood completely still, its ribbon-like feelers floating gently around it. A tranquil light shimmered around its body, and a soothing aura spread outward like a warm ripple in the cold air.
Naoki blinked in awe. "That's... Calm Mind?"
Indeed, Sylveon had entered a meditative state. Calm Mind, a Psychic-type move, raised its Special Attack and Special Defense, enhancing both its mystical power and resilience. But more than that, the peaceful glow radiating from Sylveon gave off a calming feeling even Naoki could feel in his chest.
"Not bad at all," Naoki nodded approvingly. "Keep going."
Sylveon dashed back toward him, a gentle white light enveloping its body. It reached up with one of its ribbon-like feelers and gave Naoki a playful kiss on the cheek.
Naoki froze for a beat, then realized what had happened. "That was... Draining Kiss, wasn't it?"
Draining Kiss is another Fairy-type move, normally used to sap the opponent's health and restore the user's. But Sylveon had masterfully controlled the energy, making sure not to cause harm. Instead, it was just a sweet gesture.
"What else have you learned?" Naoki asked, gently ruffling Sylveon's fur.
"Boo-ee!" Sylveon twirled in place like a pink sprite, then let out a clear, melodic cry.
Almost instantly, a soft mist began to spread across the snowy ground, tinting the area in gentle pastel hues.
"A Misty Terrain," Naoki murmured in awe.
Misty Terrain is a Fairy-type move that blankets the battlefield in magical mist. While active, it prevents status conditions for grounded Pokémon and halves the power of Dragon-type attacks, an excellent tactic when preparing to battle a formidable opponent like Kyurem.
Standing confidently in the middle of the mist, Sylveon was brimming with energy. With another bright "Boo-ee," it released a dazzling pink light from its body.
"Dazzling Gleam," Naoki whispered, recognizing the burst of Fairy power.
As the brilliance faded, Sylveon raised its head and began to sing a hauntingly beautiful tune. The melody was delicate and soothing, like a lullaby echoing across a moonlit shore.
"Disarming Voice," Naoki identified with a smile. "You've really come a long way."
Sylveon gave a cheerful bounce in response. Then, as if preparing for a grand finale, it stood still in the middle of the misty terrain and gathered its strength. The pink mist around it began to swirl and vibrate, reacting to the surge of energy building in Sylveon's core.
The soft color of the mist deepened until it matched the glow radiating from Sylveon's body. At the peak of its power, Sylveon released a massive burst of Fairy-type energy, an expanding pink dome of light that swept outward like a wave, vaporizing every flake of snow in its path.
There was a loud boom as a powerful explosion erupted in front of them, carving a wide crater into the snowy field.
As the smoke cleared, Sylveon was still standing in the center of the blast zone, but barely. Its legs trembled, and just as it was about to collapse, Naoki rushed forward and caught it. Without hesitation, he opened a bottle of Life Goat Milk and helped Sylveon drink.
Once its energy returned, Naoki sighed and scolded, "Why would you use such a dangerous move again?"
Sylveon wrapped one of its ribbon-like feelers around his arm and looked up with a playful, sweet smile. "BBu-yi~"
Naoki paused. "Fine."
The move it had used was Mist Explosion, a powerful Fairy-type technique. Its effect was similar to Explosion, a massive blast that damages all nearby Pokémon but also leaves the user in a fainting state or close to it.
The main difference was that Mist Explosion became even more dangerous when used on a Misty Terrain. Under those conditions, its power surged by 50 percent, turning it into a true last-resort weapon.
"Any other moves?" Naoki asked, still checking Sylveon for injuries.
Sylveon gave a small shake of its head. "Booee..." That was everything it had managed to learn.
It now had a move pool including Calm Mind, Draining Kiss, Misty Terrain, Dazzling Gleam, Mist Explosion, and Disarming Voice.
Combined with the techniques it had already mastered, Moonblast, Protect, Swift, and Quick Attack, Sylveon had become a versatile and high-tier battler.
Naoki stood and turned his attention to Articuno, who was watching from nearby, visibly shocked by Sylveon's progress.
"Articuno," Naoki called, his eyes calm but serious, "would you be willing to battle us once more?"
"Booee!" Sylveon cried out with renewed determination, hopping forward eagerly.
This time, it wasn't the same Sylveon as before. It had grown stronger, faster, and more confident. It was ready to prove itself again.
Hearing Naoki's voice, Articuno snapped back to its senses.
Perhaps it wanted to confirm the suspicion forming in its mind, or maybe it was simply curious about how far Sylveon had come. Either way, it nodded in acknowledgment.
Sylveon versus Articuno, round two had officially begun!
Sylveon immediately activated Misty Terrain. Gentle pink mist flowed outward from its paws, spreading across the snowy battlefield and bathing everything in a soft, magical glow.
From above, Articuno let out a cry and began its dive. It opened its beak and gathered cold energy, forming a gleaming blue-white beam. A powerful Ice Beam shot down, slicing through the air like a spear of frost.
"Dodge it!" Naoki called out urgently.
Sylveon reacted instantly, its ribbons fluttering as it sprinted across the snow-covered field with agile, light steps. The freezing beam trailed close behind, chasing the path Sylveon had just run through.
Articuno flapped its wings with incredible speed, continuing to pursue its opponent from the sky. The Ice Beam curved and tracked Sylveon's movements, as though it had a mind of its own.
Naoki watched the scene unfold with nervous tension.
In the games, Ice Beam was a single-shot move. If it missed, it was over. But in the real world, things were different. As long as the user still had energy, a move like Ice Beam could be maintained continuously, adjusting its direction in real-time.
Articuno, hailed as the "Ice Guardian," possessed immense stores of ice energy. Its Ice Beam could be sustained for far longer than most Pokémon could manage.
Sylveon kept weaving through the snow, avoiding direct hits by the narrowest margins.
Then Naoki noticed several large snow-covered boulders nearby, and an idea lit up in his mind.
"Sylveon, use the terrain!" he shouted.
Sylveon blinked in confusion for a second, but soon spotted a large rock directly ahead. Instantly, it understood what Naoki meant.
"Boo!" it called back.
Sylveon picked up speed, leaped into the air just before reaching the boulder, soared over it in a graceful arc, and landed nimbly behind it for cover.
Articuno swooped down right after, unleashing its Ice Beam at the rock. The beam struck the boulder instead of its intended target.
"Now, Swift!" Naoki shouted, seizing the opening.
Sylveon jumped out from behind the boulder and locked eyes with Articuno mid-flight. From its mouth, it launched a flurry of golden, star-shaped projectiles.
The stars streaked upward and struck Articuno head-on.
Articuno flinched in mid-air, visibly shaken. For the first time in this battle, it was hurt.
Its eyes widened in disbelief. How? Just minutes ago, Sylveon hadn't been anywhere close to this level of strength. How had it improved so much, so fast?
Articuno hovered in place, stunned, with its expression showing equal parts confusion, astonishment, and disbelief.
Naoki and Sylveon didn't let the opportunity go to waste.
"Moonblast!" Naoki commanded.
A radiant full moon shimmered behind Sylveon, glowing with gathered fairy energy. The light condensed into a sparkling orb, pulsing with power.
With precision, Sylveon fired the orb straight at Articuno. Caught off guard and still reeling from Swift, Articuno had no time to dodge.
The Moonblast hit directly, and a brilliant pink explosion burst around the legendary bird, momentarily engulfing its form in glowing fairy light.
"Boo-ye-ee!"