With the Shaymin gone, the flower fields finally returned to their familiar tranquility.
Satisfied, Peter led Arboliva back to the Pokémon Center.
He and Marley had agreed to battle here.
Before long, the two stood on opposite sides of the battlefield.
Marley spoke first.
"Peter, I'm ready."
"Alright then…" Peter raised his hand.
"Let's go—Lopunny, I choose you!"
"Arcanine, prepare for battle!"
[Lopunny lv34 vs. Arcanine lv43]
Thanks to consistent use of Intermediate Pokéblocks, Lopunny's level had risen quickly—but there was still a significant gap compared to Arcanine.
"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!" Marley commanded.
"Jump—rear diagonal!" Peter responded instantly.
Almost simultaneously, both sides issued their orders.
Peter knew very well that without buffs, Lopunny couldn't compete with Arcanine in straight-line speed.
But vertical mobility—jumping—was Lopunny's forte.
However, under the +2 priority of Extreme Speed, Arcanine arrived in the blink of an eye, riding the wind—appearing beneath Lopunny almost like teleportation.
"Cancel the jump—Copycat!"
"Flare Blitz!!"
Once again, both commands came out at the same time.
Lopunny's long legs kicked off the air itself. Streams of light trailed behind it as its speed surged dramatically, narrowly slipping past the blazing Flare Blitz.
Copycat successfully mimicked Extreme Speed!
"Arcanine, Flamethrower!"
Both Pokémon were airborne, with nowhere to brace themselves. In this situation, Arcanine's superior Special Attack clearly gave it the edge.
"ROAAAR!"
A thick pillar of fire burst forth, about to engulf Lopunny.
"Mirror Coat!"
A purple, concave light shield condensed in front of Lopunny.
Because Lopunny lacked strong ranged options, Mirror Coat had been one of Peter's main focuses in recent training.
In the anime, Jessie's Wobbuffet made Mirror Coat legendary—so much so that it earned the saying:
"Below god-tier, I'm invincible. Above god-tier, it's a one-for-one."
The roaring fire pillar bent slightly midair—then rebounded straight back!
At that moment, Peter's eyes narrowed.
"Lopunny—redirect it. Hit the ground!"
"Milo!"
The reflected Flamethrower, now even faster, slammed into the battlefield and exploded, sending up thick clouds of smoke.
"Huh…" Marley murmured in surprise.
She hadn't expected Peter to anticipate Flash Fire so precisely.
Peter exhaled quietly.
Compared to Gym battles where moves were often half-fed, Marley's battle rhythm was far tighter and more aggressive.
Both sides were constantly countering and seizing initiative—and Arcanine's level advantage kept Lopunny under pressure.
"Tap…"
Lopunny and Arcanine landed at the same time, facing each other from a distance.
Their eyes burned with shared intensity—two evenly matched fighters colliding head-on.
A faint glow of speed shimmered beneath Lopunny's feet.
Peter's familiar smile returned.
"Once more—Flamethrower, maximum output!"
"BOOM—!"
A scorching torrent of fire instantly engulfed half the battlefield.
"Useless. I read that one."
Peter lifted his head confidently.
Lopunny appeared in midair—having already avoided the attack with Jump!
"It's over… Lopunny, Rain Dance!"
"Milo~"
Fine raindrops began to fall.
For the next stretch of time, Fire-type move damage would be halved!
With that, Arcanine's revealed moveset—Flare Blitz and Flamethrower—was effectively sealed.
…
But clearly, Marley still had a card up her sleeve.
From within the fading flames beneath the rain, the crimson canine emerged silently—then lunged like a hunting tiger!
Close Combat!
A Fighting-type physical finisher.
Base Power: 120.
After use, the user's Defense and Special Defense drop by one stage.
Peter's lips curved upward.
"Use Copycat—meet it head-on!"
Battle aura erupted around Lopunny. Pale yellow light surged across its body as fists, legs, and ears struck in perfect coordination!
One leg blocked Arcanine's claw swipe—while Lopunny's right fist and long ears smashed straight into its head!
Enraged, Arcanine snapped back with a savage bite.
"Now—U-turn!"
"Milo~!"
Lopunny's remaining left fist pressed against Arcanine's snout. Using the force, its lean body spun at high speed, slipping to Arcanine's flank—
Both legs kicked out simultaneously!
"ROAR!"
Arcanine cried out as it was blasted into the air, then slammed down with a splash into a rain-filled puddle!
"So strong…"
Marley frowned.
She hadn't expected Lopunny to withstand Arcanine's assault head-on.
"After Mega Evolution, it does gain the Fighting type…" Peter muttered softly, as if answering her thoughts.
"Martial technique is basically written into Lopunny's genes."
And really—two fists, two legs, and two ears versus two claws.
The advantage was obvious.
"In that case," Marley pressed her lips together, "Arcanine—Extreme Speed, consecutive uses!"
"Then… the game truly ends here!"
Peter clenched his fist.
"Lopunny—Copycat!!"
"Milo!"
A soft glow rose again beneath Lopunny's feet.
Its Speed boosts had stacked to four layers, tripling its original speed!!
A faint afterimage of Arcanine appeared behind Lopunny—then Lopunny itself turned into a streak of light, striking later yet arriving first, slamming into Arcanine's side!
"ROAA—!"
Under the terrifying combination of speed and same-type boost, the blow was devastating. Arcanine was knocked clean off its feet, hurled several meters away.
Peter stared unblinking, fists clenched tight.
He could feel it—Lopunny was nearing its limit.
Mimicking Extreme Speed under so many layered buffs placed immense strain on its body.
"Milo!"
Lopunny turned its face slightly, eyes blazing with resolve.
It wanted to press the advantage!
"…Alright!" Peter gritted his teeth.
"Lopunny—Copycat again!"
"Step—BOOM!"
One foot struck the ground, shattering the battlefield beneath it. In the blink of an eye, Lopunny smashed into Arcanine's abdomen, completing a solo aerial follow-up!
Arcanine, not yet landed, was launched into the air once more!
"Arcanine! Guard your vitals!"
Marley's brow knit tightly—but she didn't concede.
Peter locked onto Arcanine's defensive posture midair and issued the command again through clenched teeth:
"Copycat!"
Once more, Lopunny's long leg struck home, carving a bloody line across Arcanine's fur before it landed heavily.
"Ha… ha…"
Lopunny panted as it touched down, stamina nearly exhausted.
Peter stared into the thinning smoke.
Arcanine was infamous for having no true stat weaknesses—balanced offenses, defenses, speed, and endurance.
With such a massive level advantage…
It might still be standing.
And indeed—
"ROOOAR—!"
The next instant, a roar like a lion's or tiger's tore through the field. A flame-shaped silhouette burst through the smoke, charging straight at Lopunny!
Orange-red fur whipped wildly. In a blink, Arcanine crossed nearly ten meters—almost colliding with Lopunny!
In desperation, it had broken through its limits, forcibly pushing its speed to an entirely new tier!
At point-blank range, Lopunny's pupils shrank. Every muscle in its body tightened instantly.
"Lopunny!!!"
Peter's shout rang out—like a bell tolling at dawn and dusk—smashing open a long-sealed door.
Crack—
Something shattered.
At the same time, a fresh Speed-boosting light flared beneath Lopunny's feet.
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