Since the beginning of the clash, Annihilape has been hit by Alakazam's Psychic once, while Alakazam has been struck once by Annihilape's Phantom Force and Brick Break.
Under normal circumstances, Alakazam should have taken more damage. After all, Phantom Force is also a move that restrains Alakazam. Adding the damage from Brick Break, considering Alakazam's frailty, it would likely already be unable to continue battling now.
However, Alakazam used Reflect, so the damage from Phantom Force was halved. Although Brick Break can ignore the effects of Reflect, the damage from a Fighting Type move to Alakazam is still halved.
On the other hand, not only does Alakazam's Psychic have a restraining effect, but it also added damage with Calm Mind. Annihilape excels in attack and speed, but defense is its significant weak point. Being hit by Psychic directly took away more than half of its health.
One more hit like that, and it seems Annihilape's debut could end in failure this match.
"Alakazam, the opponent is on its last legs, finish it with the next move!" Gary saw the panting Annihilape, and his eyes seemed to shimmer with boundless brilliance. Could it be... today is the day?!!
Even if not defeating Ash, at least defeating one of Ash's Pokemon should be manageable, right? As long as he can defeat one of Ash's Pokemon, history will be made!
Because until now, whether battling him or at the Quartz Conference, none of Ash's Pokemon have lost the ability to battle, not even the substitute team sent out to battle before.
During the times Ash deployed second-team Pokemon in battles, he used rotation and various tactics, never giving the opponent a chance to defeat his Pokemon.
And now, since Primeape just evolved into Annihilape, considering Ash's temperament, it's unlikely he would withdraw Annihilape. Just having evolved, returning in defeat without even taking down an opponent wouldn't be like Ash.
Moreover, it would also undermine Annihilape's confidence and morale, so Ash would certainly want to win this battle directly, giving him an opportunity.
As long as Ash doesn't recall Annihilape, considering Annihilape's current state, it might not be unable to win!
"Alakazam, Psybeam!" Gary planned to repeat his trick, first using Psybeam for a feint to see how Annihilape would respond, and then counterattack accordingly.
"Phantom Force." Ash's expression became noticeably more serious as he directed Annihilape to continue using Phantom Force. This move allows it to vanish into the void, evading the opponent's attack while ignoring barriers to hit the enemy.
Annihilape's condition might not be great, but is Alakazam's condition any better?
Without Reflect, if hit by Phantom Force, Alakazam would be out cold until dark, given that Annihilape's attack attribute far exceeds its current level.
Annihilape disappeared into the shadows, Alakazam's Psybeam hitting the ground, creating a sizable crater, but not even touching a hair on Annihilape.
"Reflect!" Gary also realized that Protect was useless against Phantom Force. The only defensive option is Reflect; halving the opponent's attack, then seizing the chance to counterattack could secure the victory.
"Alakazam!" Alakazam's spoons glowed with blue light, and a transparent reflective wall appeared around it.
In the next moment, Annihilape emerged from the ground, landing a punch on Alakazam's jaw!
Its fist penetrated the Reflect wall, reducing its power by half, even lessening the Ghost Type energy accompanying it, yet Alakazam was still punched high into the air.
"Ally Switch, Alakazam!" Though Alakazam was struck, Gary remained unperturbed. This scenario was expected. The role of Reflect showed through, even under the forceful combination of Phantom Force and Annihilape's powerful attack, Alakazam couldn't be taken out entirely.
Using what little energy remained, Alakazam performed Ally Switch, space shifting at that very instant, exchanging its position with Annihilape's, putting Annihilape in the air while Alakazam lay below.
Finding itself swapped into the sky, Annihilape momentarily failed to respond, disoriented by the void beneath its feet and the sense of weightlessness in the air.
"Now's the time! Psychic, finish it!!" Gary excitedly shouted.
Throughout the match, Gary had been waiting for this opportunity—hitting Annihilape once would allow him to clinch the win!
"Annihilape, Rage Fist!" Ash's voice resonated in Annihilape's ears like a strong and powerful focal point, calming the somewhat flustered Annihilape, which adjusted its posture in midair, facing downward.
Both fists swung like machine guns; Rage Fist isn't limited to just one punch. The more damage Annihilape takes, the more powerful Rage Fist becomes, and the intervals at which Annihilape can execute Rage Fist also decrease.
However, the power of Rage Fist is determined by the number of times Annihilape gets hit, not the amount of damage taken. Otherwise, with Annihilape's current fragile state, the power of Rage Fist would be maximized.
Even so, with the boost from one enhancement, Rage Fist elevated from a basic to an advanced skill!
Each blow of Rage Fist carries power just a notch below Fire Blast!