Umbreon's Special Defense was now so high that it couldn't even be damaged.
Kōmei wasn't stupid, so he immediately switched the main targets of Gallade and Alakazam.
Alakazam turned its focus on Tyranitar, bombarding it with Psychic attacks. Even if the damage wasn't much, it was more than enough to keep Tyranitar occupied.
Meanwhile, Gallade turned to Umbreon, determined to crush it before its Defense caught up.
Teleport + Close Combat!
A flash of white light… Gallade stumbled in place.
Surprised, it quickly realized Umbreon's eyes were now glowing red.
Mean Look!
In battle, Teleport was classified as an escape-type move, which made it fully susceptible to Mean Look's restriction.
That stumble gave Umbreon the perfect opportunity to use another move.
[Psych Up: Modified.]
Target: Itself!
Using the logic of Psych Up, Umbreon copied its already boosted Special Defense stat over to its Physical Defense.
Just like that, Umbreon's dual-defense strategy was fully established at maximum speed.
This was one of the core techniques Sato had learned from Champion Fujin, perfect for Umbreon's dual-wall role.
The next moment, Gallade lunged forward and swung a blade glowing orange straight at Umbreon.
But something felt wrong!
Umbreon was right in front of it, yet its blade couldn't seem to land a hit.
During that instant of deadlock, Umbreon's fur suddenly flared outward, releasing Toxic hidden in its pores that splattered across Gallade's entire body.
Toxic hit!
The poison burned its skin and quickly spread inside.
Gallade cried out in pain, but rage took over. Its eyes turned red as it glared at the seemingly harmless Umbreon.
Fury Cutter!
A Bug-type move whose power increased with each consecutive strike.
Swish~
Fury Cutter landed, but its effect and damage were underwhelming. Umbreon barely felt it and calmly began searching for an opening to escape.
But Gallade wasn't about to let Umbreon off the hook. Gritting its teeth through the poison, it used its incredible close combat skill to pin Umbreon in place.
Swish…
Another Fury Cutter hit. Umbreon's stance wavered, but it quickly recovered, still holding firm under pressure.
Seeing no chance to escape, Umbreon didn't waste any more time. Its eyes flashed with starlight, though nothing seemed to happen at first glance.
Swish~
Swish~
Two more Fury Cutter strikes landed in succession, their power now fully stacked, stronger even than Giga Impact.
Umbreon was sent flying, its body marked by two deep slash wounds.
But then, starlight descended. A mysterious celestial energy bathed Umbreon's injuries, and the wounds quickly closed.
Wish!
All the damage from those Fury Cutter strikes had just been erased!
"Umbreeee~!"
Umbreon tilted its head back and howled proudly. Despite being only Low Elite Four level, it stood confidently against Elite Four Kōmei's Gallade without losing an ounce of presence.
'My dual-defense strategy is now complete~ You'll only writhe under poison and fall in agony!'
Poison spread. Gallade's face turned even paler, and it stared hard at Umbreon, now fully resolved.
Suddenly, Gallade stopped attacking. It lowered its blade and brought it to its side, focusing all of its energy into one point.
"GALLADE, DON'T!"
Kōmei recognized the motion instantly, he knew what Gallade was planning. But for just one match, it wasn't worth the cost.
…Unfortunately, Gallade had already made up its mind. Its eyes burned with determination and resolve.
Focus Energy + Fury Cutter!
Fury Cutter couldn't be interrupted, or the damage scaling would break.
Focus Energy increases critical hit rate, and once it lands a critical hit, the move's power doubles. It also bypasses Light Screen, Reflect, and similar defenses.
Besides, Gallade usually didn't even learn Focus Energy… no one knew how this one managed to.
And once Gallade truly began preparing that finishing move, Umbreon was immediately overwhelmed with terror, every hair on its body stood on end.
Escape or interrupt. Those were the only options!
Sucker Punch… strike first!
Umbreon turned into a shadow and slammed into Gallade with full force.
Sucker Punch hit, knocking Gallade back several meters. But the Focus Energy state wasn't broken; in fact, it had reached its peak!
Flash…
A white light flickered, so fast that no one could react before it disappeared.
On the field, Tyranitar and Mega Alakazam, who had been locked in combat, both stopped their attacks and turned to look at their teammates.
Umbreon's eyes were blank. There were no visible wounds, but everyone could see at a glance… it had lost consciousness.
Gallade was gasping for breath. Before it could enjoy the thrill of victory, a series of poisonous bubbles began rising from its body.
Toxic took effect. Gallade's face went pale(?), and it slowly collapsed to the ground.
At last, both Umbreon and Gallade were unable to battle.
The 4V4 Double Battle match had come down to just two Pokémon on each side.
Alakazam and Tyranitar were already on the field. Sato and Kōmei stared each other down, both wondering what the other would send out.
"Both sides, send out your next Pokémon!"
At this point, Sato had nothing left to hide. In perfect sync with Kōmei, they released their final Pokémon.
"Starmie!"
"Cacturne."
Sato had the type advantage!
At the critical moment, luck was finally on Sato's side.
Kōmei's expression darkened, because that golden Cacturne before him…
Was way too big!
"Tyranitar, Mega Evolution!"
Before the shock over Cacturne could even settle, Tyranitar's body was engulfed in multicolored light. When it faded, it had transformed completely.
Stronger.
More imposing.
More reliable.
"Tyrani…TAAAAAAAAAAR!"
Tyranitar's deafening roar echoed through the arena. An invisible force radiated from its body, and even though it wasn't an attack, both Alakazam and Starmie instinctively stepped back.
This Tyranitar was nothing like before.
Now fully unleashed, it resembled the big brother guarding the rear, letting the younger siblings play around, only to step in and carry the team at the decisive moment.
The battle continued!
"Tyranitar, [Sandstorm Vortex]! Cacturne, use continuous Drain Punch!"
"Alakazam, Future Sight! Starmie, Agility!"
The towering Cacturne loomed like a skyscraper, and every swing of its fists carried immense pressure.
Kōmei wasn't sure how strong this Cacturne really was, so he had Starmie play to its speed advantage for now.
Meanwhile, the fading sandstorm roared back to life. This time, it moved in patterns, sweeping toward Alakazam, binding it, wearing it down, compressing it…
"Z-ZAAAAM!"
A pained cry rang out. Already frail, Alakazam looked even thinner now, its skin cracking and peeling… it was a disturbing sight.
"Recover!"
"Taunt!"
Kōmei was shaken by the sand's corrosive power, but Sato had already predicted he'd try to Recover.
Recover failed. Alakazam, like a desiccated corpse, stared ahead with bloodshot eyes, its mind filled with grim determination.
On the other side, Cacturne pressed in with overwhelming force. Its massive area of attack left Starmie scrambling to dodge.
Alakazam noticed its teammate's struggle and could only sigh inwardly.
With nowhere left to retreat… might as well fight to the end!
The next moment, Alakazam extended its arms and drew a semicircle upward. The five floating spoons merged into one.
As purple light flickered, Alakazam -just like Gallade- merged all its energy, spirit, and will into a single strike.
Kōmei looked on with a complicated expression. In that moment, he even wished… he'd never learned this secret technique.