"This is insane!"
"Rapid Spin combined with Sand Attack can even be used like that in the end?"
"Terrifying... truly terrifying..."
Meanwhile, on the field, the faces of the Scyther trainers were as dark as storm clouds.
At first, they thought that after eliminating Charmeleon, a two-on-one would guarantee them victory.
But who would have thought that a single move from their opponent would be enough to leave one defeated and the other gravely injured!
"Is it just me, or does that failed version of Sandstorm look stronger than the original?"
"Maybe we could develop it... perhaps Sandshrew can improve the Sand Attack move."
"Sand Whirl (Rapid Spin + Sand Attack) as an official combined move? Sounds pretty good."
Ethan Black observed the field, holding his chin as he analyzed possibilities.
"Scyther, that powerful move couldn't have come without a price!"
"Let's attack now, use Quick Attack!"
While Ethan Black was still thinking of ways to perfect the combined move Sand Whirl, the rival team took the chance to launch a counterattack.
Scyther, already fast on its own, reached an astonishing speed after activating Quick Attack. In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of Sandshrew.
But Sandshrew reacted instantly: it began spinning on itself, covered in metallic energy, activating its shield-like version of Gyro Ball.
CLASH!
SCREEECH!
Scyther's blade slammed violently against Sandshrew's spinning body, producing a deafening sound. Then, by an unexpected force, it was hurled backward at an even greater speed than its own attack, crashing into the protective barrier and getting deeply embedded in it.
"It seems my theory was correct... This is the true criterion for measuring Gyro Ball's power!" Ethan Black's eyes narrowed.
In the video games, Gyro Ball is described as a move that hits harder the slower you are compared to the enemy. But in reality, that rule doesn't apply the same way.
Ethan Black deduced that the real power is determined by the opponent's speed when they ram into you. The faster they come at you, the more damage they suffer when colliding with Gyro Ball.
Just like now: Scyther used Quick Attack and charged head-on, becoming the victim of its own speed. It was likely that the principle of counterattack through inertia was involved as well.
"I should discuss this with Alex... If this theory holds, I could write another interesting article," Ethan Black thought to himself.
"What a terrifying move! Gyro Ball isn't only for defense, it also has brutal offensive power!"
The spectators didn't reflect as deeply as Ethan Black. Seeing Scyther launched like a ragdoll, they were left speechless at the power of Gyro Ball.
"More like that Sandshrew is just extraordinary, right?"
"He defeated two Scyther all on his own like it was nothing! That Sandshrew is on another level!"
"Yeah, yeah, and on top of that, all of its spinning-type moves are brutal! Rapid Spin, Rollout, Gyro Ball... That Sandshrew was made to roll!"
Amid the applause and the excited murmurs of the crowd, the referee finally announced the result: Ethan Black and Alex Baxter advanced without surprises to the grand final!
(End of chapter)