"Night Shade!"
"Caw!"
Within the rolling black haze, Murkrow's screech sounded especially eerie.
A crooked arc of light flared, the black energy bathing the fog in something even more sinister!
Grey couldn't see the details inside, but he could more or less guess Karen's intent.
Night Shade—an attack that forces a terrifying phantasm on the target. Meet its gaze and ghostly energy invades the body, dealing damage equal to the user's level.
In plain terms: the higher the level, the higher the damage.
Inside the Haze, the phantasm Murkrow formed would work hand in glove with the fog!
A dozen threads of thought flashed through Grey's mind. He chopped his hand down, voice tight. "Close your eyes—Seed Bomb!"
Pup-pup-pup!
A series of pressurized bursts rang out; visible green light surged, illuminating both silhouettes within the mist!
At the same time, Grey finally saw Murkrow's setup.
Murkrow was holding a one-legged stance midair; behind it, ghost energy had condensed into a giant raven shade, sending ripples of dark current out in waves.
Seed Bombs ran headlong into those rippling waves.
The instant they collided, the seeds swollen by power strained to hold together, then—an ear-splitting detonation!
BOOM!!!
The blast blew the fog apart; the hem of Grey's coat fluttered.
"Again—Mach Punch!"
Grey barked.
"Breloom!"
Locking on, Breloom stamped hard; it blinked from sight, leaving only a white-edged afterimage to announce its charge!
Murkrow beat its wings, waiting for Karen's next line.
"Using the same move twice won't work so easily. Dojo Master Grey should know that much, right?"
Karen's shapely brows drew in. Hearing Grey's call, she couldn't figure it out. "Murkrow, Wing Attack!"
Clearly, Karen was done playing around.
So you're a Grass/Fighting Breloom?
Watch my Flying-type move send you packing!
Swoosh, swoosh!
Murkrow's wings spread wide, a faint white sheen coating the black pinions—dazzling!
"But of course."
Grey's eyes lifted to Murkrow as he answered softly.
Getting that cool reply, Karen's eyes flicked up; she held her focus tight, lips already shaping the next order.
FWIP!
The air cried out; everything bristled on edge.
A shockwave ripped through the room.
"Caw!"
Murkrow sensed the pressure front at once and swung with everything it had; its wings slammed forward!
KRAK!!!
Perfect timing—its left wing braced across its body and caught Breloom's driving fist.
Waves pulsed out. The air shuddered, and their figures wavered in the heat-haze of force.
"Caw—!"
A smile tugged at Murkrow's beak as its right wing rose high; a thin film of energy sheathed the wing, and when it passed the window, the sunlight flashed off it in pale white.
Then it chopped for Breloom's head, carving a clean arc through the air!
"Force Palm!"
"What?!"
The sudden call made Karen's eyes fly wide. She shouted her counter on instinct: "Night Shade!"
Fighting energy crackled at Breloom's knuckles, a red glow blooming there. Wild arcs spat from its palm, ran up along the incoming wing, and hammered straight into Murkrow's body, bursting into a terrifying shockwave!
Like getting hit by a runaway hauler at full speed, Murkrow's small frame rocketed upward; its pupils blew wide, nearly popping from their sockets—no doubt how brutal that blow had been!
The scene flipped in a blink. Holding its breath, Murkrow stared down at Breloom dropping back toward the floor; its wings folded back across its chest and spread again!
"Caw—caw!"
Ghostly power coursed over its form. The raven shade behind it straightened and shrieked; endless black light lashed downward like reaching tendrils!
Swish, swish, swish!
Breloom hadn't landed yet—no way to use ground recoil to evade. The blackness in its eyes grew and grew, swallowing the highlights whole!
"Brick Break straight down—then Mach Punch to disengage!"
Grey's order cut in right on time.
Breloom's arms stretched out; a brownish light gathered hard at its fists. It punched downward, riding the burst to drop fast.
THOOM!
The floor thundered. Night Shade crashed an instant later, lashing the boards like a tamer's whip.
Splinters flew; ghost energy erupted into a dim, dusty shroud. A heartbeat later, a white streak punched through it!
The blurred afterimage drove a barrage of blows skyward!
Wind howled in the ears. Smashed by consecutive Mach Punches, Murkrow felt a cold bead form on its brow; even its wingbeats slowed a fraction.
It was supposed to have the advantage in the matchup—yet getting battered like this felt like the whole fight had flipped. Quadruple effectiveness turned into quadruple resistance.
"Murkrow, wait until it comes in. Remember what I taught you?"
"Caw!" (Of course! I've been waiting for today!)
Karen only needed the one reminder. Murkrow's motion hitched, then surged, a rhythm building.
"Oh?"
Grey caught the shift, attention tightening. Let's see what trick this Murkrow thinks it's pulling.
White light shimmered; when Breloom's afterimage sharpened, that was the moment its real body arrived.
Murkrow locked on the piercing white in its sightline. Its wings folded, and it dove!
The shockwaves met before their bodies did—neither side giving an inch, their force perfectly matched!
For a breathless moment, they hung in a strange, frozen balance!
[What move is that? Since when can a little Murkrow hit like this?]
[Uwooo! The examiner lady is so cool! Does she have an account? I'm following if so!]
[So… are we actually gonna see the streamer lose this time?]
[Go, big sis with the Dark-types!]
The chat lived for the drama, and every last one of them was now chanting for Karen.
"…"
Grey glanced at the scrolling comments, and the corner of his eye twitched.
Yep—any stream that isn't Little Sis's gets brigaded this fast.
At least the gifts are real.
"Murkrow—Foul Play!"
Karen's voice snapped cold; only her hunger for victory remained.
Losing isn't the end. What's scary is losing the nerve to reach for a win!
"Caw!"
Every feather on Murkrow stood on end. Black light flared and trailed like a whip; with a fearless surge, it mirrored Breloom's motion and thrust out its left wing!
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