The Thunder Wave rippled forward, expanding in circular pulses of golden light.
Under the confused gazes of Gastrodon and Mila, the electricity didn't strike the Pokémon directly. Instead, it coalesced into a brilliant sphere of light right above Gastrodon's head, before detonating in a blinding flash.
CRACK!
The move burst into a frantic dance of silver serpents. The arena, already dim under the rain clouds, became unbearably bright—it was a literal flashbang in a dark room.
Having watched the move with too much curiosity, both Mila and Gastrodon were temporarily blinded. They winced, shaking their heads and rubbing their eyes, desperately trying to regain their vision.
Vivian's excited voice echoed through the hall.
"Unbelievable!"
"Thunder Wave was just bait! Both Mila and Gastrodon fell for it and have been caught in the flash!"
Mila's point bar took an immediate hit on the scoreboard.
By the time the spots cleared from their eyes, they realized Chansey had already closed the gap, standing a mere four or five paces away. The sudden pressure made Mila panic.
"Water Pulse!" she screamed.
A swirling sphere of blue water formed in front of Gastrodon and shot toward Chansey. But just before impact, Chansey began to glow with a soft, pale pink light.
"Skill Swap!"
The pink aura dived into Gastrodon, extracted its essence, and flowed back into Chansey.
Sploosh!
The Water Pulse blossomed like a flower, creating a rolling wave that crashed against Chansey—but it did zero damage!
Having stolen the Storm Drain ability, Chansey was now a literal water sponge.
The currents coiled around her like liquid serpents before being absorbed, boosting Chansey's Special Attack.
It was a magnificent scene! A brilliant counter-play that used the opponent's own strength to empower herself.
Though Chansey's execution was a bit unpolished, the display was so impactful that it wiped out nearly a third of Mila's remaining points.
Mila, who had started the match with the upper hand, was now being completely suppressed. Even the rain falling from the sky seemed drawn to Chansey, surrounding her in a faint, ethereal shimmer.
"Sing!"
"Yawn!"
Both trainers gave their commands simultaneously.
Chansey cupped her hands and sang a moving melody, with colorful musical notes dancing out like tiny spirits.
Opposite her, Gastrodon opened its mouth wide and let out a massive yawn, exhaling a puff of milky-white mist.
The mist collided with the notes, but instead of canceling out, the energy surged toward the ceiling, exploding into a dazzling firework display of white fog and rainbow light!
However, Gastrodon's Yawn lacked the endurance of Chansey's Sing.
While most of the notes were blown upward, Chansey continued to sing with motherly devotion.
"la.. la.la.la...laa"
More musical notes fluttered out, swirling gracefully around Gastrodon's head.
Pop!
A single note burst against its forehead, and Gastrodon's eyes immediately grew heavy.
Within seconds, its soft head slumped to the ground. It was fast asleep.
Panic flared on Mila's face.
Her points were hemorrhaging now—she had less than half left, while Kashiwagi had only lost a small fraction!
With both sides fighting for control, the clock had ticked down to under two minutes.
Was it all over?
"Gastrodon, wake up!" Mila yelled, hoping her voice would break the spell.
The sea slug's body twitched; it was responding to its Trainer.
But before it could wake up on its own, Chansey reached out a "helping hand" under Kashiwagi's command.
"Heal Bell!"
Ding-ling~ Ding-ling~
The soothing sound of bells echoed through the arena. Emerald light rippled out in waves toward Gastrodon, emanating from a very motherly-looking Chansey.
"Soft-Boiled!"
Curing the status condition wasn't enough. Chansey reached into her pouch, pulled out a ball of warm light, and gently pressed it into Gastrodon's body, restoring its lost stamina.
Mila's heart sank. She looked at the big screen and saw her points being deducted in massive chunks!
There was no question why.
Chansey's actions perfectly embodied her species' unique personality—the desire to care for others and share her "eggs."
"Mr. Kashiwagi has beautifully showcased Chansey's character! Nurse Joy looks absolutely delighted!" Vivian cried.
"Body Slam!" Mila shouted, glancing at the final seconds of the clock. She was visibly frazzled.
But Chansey wasn't about to let Gastrodon land a hit. As the sea slug launched itself into the air, a surge of psychic power locked onto its body.
"Telekinesis!"
Gastrodon was shrouded in a blue glow, frozen mid-air like a statue. Mila's points took another hit.
"Move! Use Earth Power!"
Mila screamed, but Gastrodon was helpless. It desperately tried to gather ground energy, but a piercing siren cut through the stadium.
BEEEEP—!!
"Time's up!" Vivian swung her arm down.
Chansey immediately released her psychic grip, gently lowering Gastrodon to the ground. The sea slug slunk back to Mila's side, looking dejected and confused.
On the screen, the results were clear. One bar was mostly full; the other was a microscopic sliver.
The portraits of Kashiwagi and Chansey filled the display.
"The winner advancing to the finals is—Mr. Kashiwagi!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Mr. Sukizo opened his mic: "A remarkable performance. Using a move that should have been ineffective as bait, then seizing the opponent's ability... Remarkable. Truly remarkable."
Mr. Contesta flipped his hair: "Subarashii~!"
Nurse Joy was all smiles: "Seeing such fluid, caring behavior in a Contest battle is truly heartwarming!"
Kashiwagi and Chansey bowed in unison to the judges and the fans.
...
...
The Participant Tunnel
As Kashiwagi was leaving with Chansey, Mila called out to him.
"Your Chansey was incredible. But don't think I'll lose so easily next time." She held out her hand.
Kashiwagi took it, offering a friendly shake. "
Can I ask why you didn't use Milotic?"
"Why else?" Mila sighed.
"I wanted to counter your Mawile. Who would have guessed you had such a strong Chansey hidden away? That Skill Swap completely ruined the momentum I built with Gastrodon."
"Haha," Kashiwagi smiled.
In truth, he had only picked up that move through the Simulator a couple of days ago.
Between the luck of Deino's evolution and the timely Skill Swap, it felt like his Lucky Scale was working overtime.