In the arena, the clash between the two sides resumed. By now, Hawkins had abandoned the strategy of having Claydol use Teleport. Facing Gu Yuan, a Psychic, the move had become a liability; Gu Yuan could detect the fluctuations in psychic energy to predict exactly where Claydol would reappear. Consequently, Teleport lost its utility and instead became a glaring opening. Rather than relying on tricks, Hawkins decided to try and crush Sylveon through pure strength.
To Hawkins's surprise, Gu Yuan's Sylveon was exceptionally resilient. Its mastery over various moves reached a staggering level, ensuring that Claydol's offensive not only failed to yield results but actually caused Claydol to expend more stamina than its opponent. Seeing Claydol starting to tire, Hawkins abandoned the plan to wear down Charizard later. Instead, he aimed for a double knockout to take Sylveon down with him.
"Use Rock Tomb to distract Sylveon, then Teleport in and use Psychic!"
Rocks tumbled down toward Sylveon but were deflected one by one by Moonblast. The next instant, Claydol appeared right next to Sylveon, its Psychic energy manifesting as a giant serpent lunging forward. However, a near-physical wave of sound rippled outward, shattering the spectral serpent to pieces.
Even Extrasensory could not breach the wall of sound from Sylveon's repeated use of Hyper Voice. Claydol followed up with Ancient Power, sending rocks flying from all directions under its mental control. Sylveon released a Dazzling Gleam, the intense light shattering every fragment of the incoming stones. Then, Sylveon did the unexpected—it charged forward, closing the distance to Claydol.
Orange-yellow energy condensed as Sylveon unleashed a Hyper Beam point-blank.
"Claydol, use Hyper Beam as well!"
The two beams collided, but Sylveon's version—boosted by its Pixilate ability—proved superior, overwhelming Claydol's beam.
"Hyper Voice!"
As the residual energy of the beam struck Claydol, Sylveon let out a deafening roar. A physical wave of sonic energy slammed into Claydol. The audience grew tense; Hawkins was their only hope. If Claydol fell to Sylveon, that final hope would become incredibly slim.
Hawkins, however, remained outwardly unfazed, calmly commanding Claydol to fight on. The momentum had shifted; Claydol's body was covered in fresh injuries as the two Pokémon drew closer.
"Now! Teleport, then use Explosion!"
Hawkins's resolute voice rang out. Claydol vanished and reappeared enveloped in a blinding white light. Gu Yuan didn't have Sylveon attack; instead, he followed his gut and commanded Protect. A green barrier shimmered into existence, wrapping Sylveon safely inside. Gu Yuan had anticipated this desperate move the moment Hawkins switched to an aggressive stance, though he wasn't certain Sylveon could withstand the full force of it.
Boom!
A deafening roar erupted as the force of the explosion engulfed the entire arena. When the smoke finally began to drift away, the spectators, Hawkins, and Gu Yuan all held their breath. As the cratered battlefield was revealed, Claydol lay at the center, unconscious and unable to battle.
Not far from it, Sylveon remained standing. Thanks to Protect mitigating the brunt of the explosion, it had managed to endure.
"You did well. Now, it's your turn, Metagross!"
As Metagross took the stage, Sylveon used Baton Pass on Gu Yuan's command to bring in Charizard. The stat boosts Sylveon had previously copied with Psych Up were transferred to Charizard. Flapping its wings, Charizard stared down the floating Metagross, an invisible fighting spirit burning between them. Metagross utilized Telepathy, ready to receive Hawkins's silent directions.
"Flash Cannon!"
"Flamethrower!"
Both trainers gave the order simultaneously. A silver-white beam and searing flames collided, resulting in a stalemate after the initial probe.
"Metagross, charge with Agility!"
"Charizard, take to the sky with Flame Charge! Use Hurricane to pin Metagross down!"
As Metagross accelerated, flames erupted around Charizard. It whipped up a localized cyclone, attempting to swallow its opponent.
"Cut through it with Psycho Cut!"
Blades of psychic energy sliced through the air, tearing the Hurricane apart. In the blink of an eye, Metagross reached Charizard's proximity. At this range, if Charizard used a move like Fire Blast, Metagross would find it extremely difficult to dodge.
However, Gu Yuan knew this was a trap. The system data showed that this Metagross knew both Teleport and Ally Switch. For a psychic Metagross, these moves were difficult to learn but possible with enough resources and effort. Hawkins was planning to use Ally Switch to force Charizard to take its own attack, but Gu Yuan wouldn't give him the chance.
"Charizard, Fire Spin!"
Searing flames rose, trapping both Charizard and Metagross within a fiery cage.
"Psycho Cut, then Meteor Mash!"
Seeing that Gu Yuan wasn't taking the bait, Hawkins pressed the offensive. Metagross excelled at physical combat over special attacks. The psychic blades it unleashed were incinerated by the surrounding fire, but it charged through regardless. Charizard met the charge with Dragon Claw, the two Pokémon clashing head-on. Metagross, however, clearly held the advantage in raw power.
"Charizard, retreat with Flame Charge! Let's play along with Metagross for a while."
Instead of continuing the head-to-head brawl, Gu Yuan opted for hit-and-run tactics. Charizard flapped its wings and retreated rapidly, the fire of Flame Charge boosting its speed further.
"Chase it down with Agility! Psycho Cut!"
Hawkins wouldn't let Charizard widen the gap. Compared to Flame Charge, Agility provided a much more effective boost to speed. Metagross swung its psychic blades, but Charizard dodged them with flamboyant, acrobatic maneuvers. Although Hawkins felt Gu Yuan wasn't the type to show off, he didn't overthink it. He wanted to crush Charizard as quickly as possible. Since the opponent had stopped using long-range moves to avoid the risk of Ally Switch, it provided the perfect opportunity to strike.