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The two trainers returned to their designated positions, ready for the final showdown.
Candice released a Ninetales, and Luther chose a Kirlia.
She had really kept that one hidden well.
On reflection, it made perfect sense. Candice had probably fought in many battles centered on controlling the weather. Having a Ninetales, a Pokémon that could benefit from 'Sunny Day', which normally countered her Ice team was a stroke of strategic brilliance.
Luther, however, felt awkward. The 'Sunny Weather' that Houndoom had fought so hard to reclaim was now serving Ninetales perfectly instead.
Candice looked equally mortified. The moment Kirlia appeared, she pressed a hand to her forehead.
Ninetales's Ability was 'Flash Fire', meaning it was completely immune to Fire-type attacks. Judging by Kirlia's reaction when it entered the field, its Ability was most likely 'Trace', which copies the opponent's Ability.
This meant that the hard-won 'Sunny Day' was now utterly useless for both of them and that all Fire-type moves were effectively sealed off.
For the audience, though, the situation was electrifying. Ninetales's 'Dark Pulse' repeatedly clashed with Kirlia's 'Psychic' in pure, straightforward exchanges of power, completely devoid of tricks or gimmicks.
This kind of head-to-head combat got the academy students' blood pumping far more than complicated set-ups ever could.
But for Luther and Candice, this was turning into a battle of pure frustration.
Kirlia used her psychic power to hover in the air. Whenever Ninetales tried to close the distance, she would fire a 'Psychic blast', driving Ninetales back and forcing her to retreat to a safer range.
However, on the icy terrain, Ninetales's speed was insane, surpassing even that of Absol, leaving Kirlia with very few reliable ways to land a clean hit.
This drawn-out stalemate turned into an exhausting test of judgement and patience. After every move, both trainers painstakingly calculated whether there was an opportunity to strike or if they should simply hold back.
Candice was the first to spot a weakness. As usual, Kirlia fired off a 'Psychic attack', which Ninetales dodged nimbly to the side. The blast struck the ground instead, scattering sharp shards of ice. Suddenly, Candice had an idea.
This time, the 'Dark Pulse' wasn't aimed at Kirlia herself, but at the ice beneath her feet.
The powerful impact shattered the frozen surface, sending a spray of sharp ice fragments in all directions.
Kirlia's height wasn't quite enough to avoid the barrage. As she tried to pull back instinctively to dodge the flying shards, Ninetales, which normally retreated slightly after using its move, suddenly accelerated. Gliding forward on her momentum, she leaped high.
"Quick Attack!"
The fierce collision yanked Kirlia straight out of the air.
Barely managing to recover her balance, Kirlia looked up and saw that another 'Dark Pulse' was already streaking towards her. She could only raise a desperate 'Psychic barrier' to block it.
However, her defence crumbled instantly due to her lack of preparation. The 'Dark Pulse' shattered her shield and blasted her backwards, slamming her into one of the jagged ice pillars left behind by Spheal's Sheer Cold attack earlier.
At long range, the two had been evenly matched. However, Candice had exploited Kirlia's instinctive backward motion to find a breakthrough, and it had worked perfectly.
Kirlia managed to get back to her feet, but she could no longer risk taking to the air.
Ninetales chained Quick Attack and Dark Pulse, sealing off every possible escape route.
"Trick Room!"
Luther had no choice but to use Trick Room again, hoping to regain control of the battle's rhythm.
Sure enough, as the space around them distorted, Ninetales skidded backwards a few steps, maintaining a wary distance from Kirlia.
Both trainers hesitated, neither wanting to make a reckless move first.
From the sidelines, Mai could feel her palms growing damp with sweat. She knew that this battle was Luther's final exam: a test of how much he had grown through all his training.
The outcome didn't matter; what mattered was his performance and what he had learned.
Even so, Mai really didn't want Luther to lose.
She had already planned where to buy land, what kind of house to build, and which Pokémon they would raise together on the ranch. Her small notebook was packed full of these dreams and plans.
Every time Luther took a step forward, she'd quietly update the details in her notebook: new decorations, better equipment, and a bigger space.
However, ever since their time in Whitewind Town, she had realised something important: there was no need to improve the plans anymore. This simple setup that Luther was striving for was already perfect.
And probably the same for her, too.
It was different from what her family had envisioned for her future, but it was more than good enough.
"Go for it, Kirlia."
Luther's mind was racing. At this stage, the battle was no longer about who was stronger; it was about who could remain the calmest.
One mistake by Kirlia had given Candice the opening she needed, and her plan to break the stalemate was now paying off.
Candice was being incredibly cautious, however. Once 'Trick Room' took effect, Ninetales didn't move at all; she just kept her sharp gaze fixed on Kirlia.
Kirlia could use 'Trick Room's' speed advantage to attack first, but Ninetales could instantly respond with Quick Attack, suppressing Kirlia's offence.
Candice wanted to force Kirlia to strike first.
Kirlia's 'Psychic attack' did hit Ninetales, but the accumulated damage was negligible. In contrast, Ninetales had already landed a clean string of moves, leaving Kirlia visibly shaken.
Drenched in sweat, Luther searched desperately for a solution. His thoughts spun at high speed until, suddenly, he locked onto something.
The battlefield was still marked by Spheal's Sheer Cold from earlier; the centre was filled with small ice spikes and thick ice pillars as wide as a bucket. The uneven, frozen terrain caused both sides to instinctively avoid that area throughout the battle.
Luther had worried that Ninetales could use the ice spikes as stepping stones to close in on Kirlia rapidly, but Candice also seemed reluctant to go near them.
"Head into the ice pillar zone."
Kirlia finally received Luther's command.
The order shattered the long silence and Candice froze for a moment, hesitating, just as Luther had expected.
"Quick Attack! Stop her before she gets there!"
Forced to act, Candice sent Ninetales racing across the icy field. It caught up with Kirlia right before she reached the pillar zone and slammed into her.
Kirlia's body spun through the air.
It was the perfect chance. Even with Trick Room active, there was no way Kirlia could properly aim from that twisted position.
"Aim carefully, Shadow Ball!"
Candice swung her arm.
"Psychic!"
Kirlia's mind was a blur. Due to her awkward position in mid-air, she was unable to aim behind her at Ninetales.
She wanted to tell Luther: "I can't do it!
"Destroy all the ice spikes and pillars!"
Kirlia froze for a moment, then smiled.
Candice glanced at Ninetales's position and immediately shouted,
"Ninetales! Stop the attack! Get out of there!"
It was too late.
To guarantee accuracy, Ninetales had already leapt between the pillars, bounding from one to another and circling behind Kirlia. From that angle, Kirlia wouldn't be able to retaliate immediately, even if she regained control.
It was a battle instinct honed through countless fights, an unspoken understanding between trainer and Pokémon. Candice hadn't stopped her for this very reason: this kind of wordless coordination. It was the essence of Pokémon battles: two living beings acting as one, responding and adjusting together.
Then, centred around Kirlia, a psychic ripple spread outwards quickly and sharply. It reached the surrounding pillars in an instant.
In Ninetales's vision, every ice pillar around her cracked under the force. Shards and splinters filled the air, snowflakes and broken ice dancing chaotically.
The world turned white. The noise was deafening.
The pillars closest to her shattered and began to collapse towards her.
Abandoning her attack, Ninetales tried to weave through the falling debris with agile leaps. However, a sudden pain in her abdomen threw her off balance.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kirlia on the ground, using psychic powers to protect herself from the falling ice and wearing a mischievous grin.
Frustrated and angry, Ninetales heard Candice's urgent command and curled her body tightly, activating Protect.
Several seconds later, the entire ice pillar zone, created earlier by Spheal's Sheer Cold, came crumbling down with several thunderous crashes.
(End of Chapter)