With Eliza stepping off the battlefield, only Lin Yu and Feng Tian remained in the arena, locking eyes with unwavering focus.
"Hello. I'm Lin Yu," Lin Yu said with a calm smile. "I'm looking forward to battling your Pokémon."
Feng Tian gave a nod of respect. "Same here. I hope we both give it our all."
He was the first to act, tossing his Pokéball high. A towering bear-like Pokémon nearly two meters tall landed on the field with a thud. A golden ring adorned its belly—an Ursaring. Its sheer presence alone drew a murmur from the crowd.
"I won't hold back," Lin Yu responded, throwing out his own Pokéball. A tall, intimidating Gloom appeared on the field. Its wide mouth and unsettling presence made it look far from cute, but the air of strength it exuded left no room for doubt.
Both Pokémon tensed, aware that this was a battle—not just a showcase.
"Please prepare yourselves," the referee's voice rang out across the field.
Instantly, both trainers' expressions shifted. Seriousness replaced politeness. They weren't just here to participate—they were here to win.
"Begin!"
"Ursaring, close the distance!"
Feng Tian's command came sharp and fast. Ursaring burst into motion, charging across the field.
"Gloom, keep your distance! Use Vine Whip to disrupt it!" Lin Yu countered without hesitation.
Vines shot from Gloom's sides, lashing out toward the oncoming opponent. Ursaring dodged the first with impressive agility, but the second came sweeping in immediately behind it.
"Dodge again!" Feng Tian ordered.
The bear twisted, but not fast enough this time. The vine grazed its shoulder.
"Tch… Ursaring, use Slash! If we can't dodge it, break it!"
Ursaring roared and brought its claws down hard on the vine, shrrkkk—the tendrils snapped and coiled to the ground.
"Well done! Now, Scary Face and close in again!"
Ursaring's eyes narrowed and glinted red. Gloom flinched slightly under the oppressive gaze.
"Gloom, use Growth, then keep backing off! Scatter Poison Powder while you do!" Lin Yu responded immediately.
Energy surged around Gloom. It grew slightly in size, thickening its leaves and petals. But Ursaring had already covered much of the ground between them.
Still, Gloom maintained its composure. It retreated swiftly, then released a cloud of toxic purple powder into the air.
"Stop, Ursaring! Don't let that powder touch you—fall back!"
Feng Tian's voice rang out in alarm. A single misstep here and Ursaring could be poisoned before the real fight even began.
But even as Ursaring retreated, Feng Tian frowned deeply. If things kept going this way, Gloom's superior range and mobility would turn the battle into a slow but sure defeat.
He needed a plan.
"Gloom has too many ranged options... I need to get closer. If I don't, this'll be over before I can do real damage."
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
"Ursaring, use Scary Face again, then approach from the right!"
The bear launched another menacing glare toward Gloom, its expression twisted with intimidating ferocity. It then shifted direction, charging at an angle.
"Scary Face lowers Gloom's speed," Lin Yu muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Alright, Gloom, don't let up. Use Razor Leaf to keep pressuring him!"
Gloom spun around as it moved, flinging out glowing green blades that sliced through the air.
Shwish! Shwish!
The leaves rained down on Ursaring, who was now too committed to dodge.
"Keep moving! Don't let those slow you down! Use Fury Swipes once you close in!"
Feng Tian's voice was calm but firm.
Ursaring didn't flinch. It powered through the barrage of Razor Leaf, grunting in pain as the sharp edges tore small wounds into its fur—but it kept charging.
Shrrrkk! Shnk!
Bloodied but determined, Ursaring advanced.
"He's tanking it?" Lin Yu frowned. "He's not even dodging… what's he trying to pull?"
Then Lin Yu's face paled.
"Crap. We're getting too close to the edge of the field!"
Due to the Scary Face debuffs, Gloom had been forced to run in a straight line. Now it was nearly backed into the arena's edge. One more push, and it would have nowhere left to go.
"Gloom, turn around! Use Pound to knock him back!"
"Ursaring, use Hammer Arm! Push through!"
Feng Tian's eyes locked onto Lin Yu's. "Even if you see it now, it's too late. I'm not letting you get away again."
Their Pokémon collided with a deafening BOOM. The ground trembled beneath the force of the clash.
Dust settled. Neither Pokémon had been knocked out. But they were both panting, staring at each other with fierce intensity.
They backed off instinctively, awaiting their trainers' next orders.
Lin Yu exhaled and gave a faint smile.
"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" He straightened up. "Fine then. If you want close combat... Gloom's not afraid of getting its hands dirty."
He raised his hand, voice steady and confident.
"Let's do this."
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