Drifblim was taken down by the explosion it triggered itself.
As it turns out, not only did Drifblim look like a balloon, but its body structure was also somewhat balloon-like. Except instead of air, it was filled with strange gases capable of detonation.
Dominic, who had originally believed victory was assured, no longer looked so calm. Even now, he still couldn't believe his Drifblim had been sliced open like that.
It was a living balloon… no, a Pokémon!
However, staring at the ferocious Mega Sharpedo in the sky, Dominic couldn't find any words to argue back.
In silence, he recalled Drifblim and immediately sent out a stronger Pokémon for a counterattack. Having lost two Pokémon in a row, Dominic finally got serious.
"Crobat, give it everything you've got!"
A flash of red light. Without wasting any words, Dominic sent out his "signature" Pokémon.
Three meters tall with a six-meter wingspan, this Crobat radiated a presence Sato recognized instantly…
Totem!
He hadn't expected this relatively unknown Dominic to possess a Totem Pokémon.
Even so, Sato didn't switch out his Pokémon.
After finishing its Speed Boost setup and activating Mega Evolution, Sharpedo hadn't even finished warming up; there was no way it would leave the field now.
Besides, he was only going to battle twice in Cianwood City, and both were in wild areas without cameras. Revealing a little strength wouldn't hurt.
"Then let the battle continue!"
The moment the referee's words ended, Crobat and Sharpedo exploded forward at terrifying speed.
"Poison Fang!"
"Ice Fang."
Both sides simultaneously chose close-quarters combat. Under current conditions, special moves -aside from Psychic- were difficult to use effectively.
In the air, purple shadows and silver-blue flashes clashed nonstop, even producing explosive sounds.
However, Sharpedo had been Burned by Drifblim earlier. With its attack halved, it could only rely on its sharp "blades" to barely match Crobat.
But the unexpected happened, Crobat was knocked back by Sharpedo. Looking closer, its body was covered in icy shards and densely packed slash marks.
Mega Sharpedo was fully armed to the teeth. Calling it a battle machine wasn't an exaggeration.
But then, a stream of purple poison bubbles suddenly leaked from Sharpedo's gills. During the clash, it had been poisoned by Crobat.
Poisoned and Burned…
Even in its Mega Evolved state, Sharpedo was in agony.
Yet the thought of pulling off a "three-Pokémon sweep" somehow filled it with excitement.
As a… flying fish, the concept of "impossible" didn't exist in Sharpedo's world.
So when Sato sensed Sharpedo's emotional state through synchronized resonance, he found himself affected as well.
'Guess I'll reveal just a little more.'
With that thought, Sato began channeling his Dark Energy. Using the connection established by the Key Stone, he silently transferred that power into Sharpedo's body.
Feeling the explosive surge of energy inside, Sharpedo's teeth no longer ached, its back no longer hurt, and the look it gave Crobat was a mix of excitement and frenzy.
"SHAAR!"
The next moment, Sharpedo charged at Crobat again; its white pupils now dyed a blood-red hue.
"Cro~Cro!"
Crobat wasn't backing down either. As a member of the "vampiric" Pokémon line, its blood was just as wild and frenzied.
Its body was covered in countless slash wounds, only fueling its feral, death-defying aggression.
Fear?
It had never known the meaning of fear!
Flesh and blood rained from the sky. The two Pokémon were like meat grinders, each inflicting the deepest pain upon the other.
The temporary referee clutched the flag with trembling hands. He wasn't sure if he should stop the match; neither Trainer so much as furrowed a brow.
'Hey, these are your carefully trained partners, aren't they? You're just going to let them tear each other apart like this…?
This… this wasn't even a battle anymore!'
On the side, Rei had also fallen silent. Even though Sato was his idol, deep down, he couldn't help but object to this kind of lawless fighting.
Because both Sharpedo and Crobat… looked absolutely devastated.
"C-CRO!"
Suddenly, a pained shriek rang through the field. Sharpedo had broken from its slicing frenzy and lunged forward, jaws wide, catching Crobat off guard.
Its bite landed directly at the base of Crobat's right wing; a completely fatal spot!
"I FORFEIT!"
"Sharpedo, stop!"
Dominic and Sato shouted almost at the same time. The bloodthirsty Sharpedo suddenly felt its energy draining rapidly, and its raging emotion was instantly suppressed.
It opened its massive jaws. Crobat's blood sprayed out in a torrent. Had Sharpedo applied just a bit more force, it might've torn the wing clean off.
"Wigglytuff, Heal Pulse!"
"Gardevoir, Heal Pulse. On Crobat."
Neither Trainer waited for the referee to declare a winner. They immediately took action.
Both were seasoned Elite Four level Trainers, and of course, they each carried support Pokémon capable of healing.
And Crobat's injuries were so severe, even Sato had to assist with emergency treatment. After all, every one of those wounds had been slashed open by his own Sharpedo.
Dominic's Wigglytuff was Elite Four level, and combined with Gardevoir's aid, Crobat's wounds began visibly healing at high speed.
Soon, under the miraculous effect of Heal Pulse, all of Crobat's external injuries had completely closed.
But the blood lost during the battle, and the torn flesh, couldn't be magically restored. Only time and care would bring those back.
Next came treatment for Sharpedo. Being fully armored made it hard to injure directly, so most of its wounds came from the continuous Poisoned and Burned conditions.
"Use this. It's a specialized antidote for Crobat's toxin."
Dominic's expression was conflicted, but in the end, he handed Sato a bottle of glowing green Antidote.
"Mhm? Thank you."
Using his Dark Energy to investigate, Sato sensed no malice from Dominic. Without hesitation, he injected the Antidote into Sharpedo's body.
The result was immediate. The purplish hue on Sharpedo's face began to fade visibly.
As for the Burned status, it had already been soothed by Heal Bell. All it needed now was rest and recovery.
Only now did the two Trainers turn their attention back to the match result.
"This round… I lost fair and square. Leader Sato, the win is yours."
Dominic patted Sato on the shoulder as he spoke with relaxed sincerity.