The battle intensified. Dreepy, having barely dodged the worst of Hypno's Confusion, hovered high above, a shimmering, elusive target. The little girl's serene demeanor cracked just a fraction, a hint of annoyance flickering in her eyes.
"Hypno, don't let it escape! Use Psychic!" she commanded,
her voice now laced with a steely edge.
Hypno's pendulum glowed intensely, and a surge of raw, amethyst-colored psychic energy erupted from its body, reaching out like an invisible hand to grasp at Dreepy. The air around Dreepy began to warp, and the little Pokémon found itself caught in an invisible, crushing grip, slowly being pulled closer to the ground.
"Dreepy, don't give up! Use Bite!" Gilgamesh urged, knowing Dreepy's ethereal form could temporarily solidify for the attack. "Break free!"
With a defiant cry, Dreepy focused its energy. Its ghostly jaw shimmered, and with surprising force, it snapped at the invisible psychic tether, biting into the energy that held it.
A small, almost imperceptible tear appeared in the Psychic grip, and with a desperate surge of its own ghostly energy, Dreepy managed to wrench itself free, falling a short distance before regaining its composure.
Hypno, surprised by the unexpected resistance, visibly recoiled.
The little girl's eyes narrowed. "Impressive," she murmured, a rare flicker of emotion crossing her face. "But not enough. Hypno, Disable!"
Hypno's eyes glowed, and a focused pulse of mental energy shot out, aiming directly at Dreepy. Gilgamesh knew Disable would prevent Dreepy from using its last used move, Bite, for a short period.
"Dreepy, rapid Ice Beam!" Gilgamesh shouted, not giving Hypno a moment to fully prepare.
Before Disable could fully take effect, Dreepy unleashed another swift Ice Beam, a colder, more concentrated stream of ice than before. It struck Hypno squarely in the chest, causing the large Pokémon to cry out in surprise and pain. A significant layer of ice now coated Hypno's upper body, hindering its movements.
Hypno staggered, its pendulum swinging erratically. The little girl watched, her doll clutched tighter. "This opponent... is different," she whispered, almost to herself.
The air grew heavy with the strain of the battle. Hypno, encased in a growing layer of ice, struggled to maintain its psychic focus. Dreepy, despite its small size, was proving to be an unexpectedly resilient and offensive force. The little girl, her usual detached expression now tinged with genuine surprise, narrowed her eyes.
"Hypno, you must push through! Use Psychic again, full power!" she urged, her voice losing its earlier calm.
With a guttural groan, Hypno channeled all its remaining energy. A massive, swirling vortex of purple psychic power erupted from it, far wider and more potent than before, encompassing a larger area of the gym floor. It was clearly an all-out assault, meant to trap and crush the nimble Dreepy.
"Dreepy, evasive Fly! Don't let it get a lock on you!" Gilgamesh bellowed, his voice cutting through the rising psychic hum. He knew this was a critical moment.
Dreepy, already high in the air, became a blur. It darted and weaved with incredible agility, its ghostly form flickering in and out of phase as it attempted to outmaneuver the expanding psychic vortex.
The air shimmered, the mental pressure immense, and Dreepy was buffeted by the fringes of the attack, but it continued to evade the direct impact, driven by Gilgamesh's urgent commands and its own burgeoning determination.
The little girl watched, her doll now held almost defensively. "It's too fast," she whispered, a flicker of frustration crossing her features. "Hypno, finish it with Disable!"
Hypno, already exhausted from the powerful Psychic attack, gathered its last reserves. Its eyes glowed, and a focused beam of energy shot out, aiming to cripple Dreepy's ability to use its most effective moves.
"Dreepy, Astonish! Now!" Gilgamesh roared, a daring move.
He was gambling on Dreepy's speed.
In a breathtaking burst of speed, Dreepy shot downwards, closing the distance to Hypno in an instant. Just as Hypno's Disable beam was about to connect, Dreepy materialized directly in front of the larger Pokémon, letting out a truly horrifying, piercing shriek. The sound wasn't just auditory; it seemed to echo directly within Hypno's mind, a pure, unadulterated ghostly terror.
Hypno's eyes went wide with shock and fear.
The Disable attack dissipated harmlessly, its concentration completely shattered by the sheer unexpectedness and intensity of Dreepy's final Astonish. The mighty Psychic Pokémon reeled backward, trembling, its eyes swirling before it collapsed onto the gym floor, unconscious.
A stunned silence fell over the gym. The little girl stood frozen, her eyes wide, the doll slipping from her grasp. Gilgamesh let out a triumphant yell.
"Yes! You did it, Dreepy! Incredible!" he cheered, rushing forward to scoop up the tiny, exhausted Pokémon.