Unlike Paralysis Powder, Acid Spray was just a liquid—it didn't have much of an area of effect. Ursaring didn't even need to retreat; a simple sidestep was enough to dodge it completely.
To anyone watching, this move looked utterly pointless. It had no visible effect, just a waste of Bellossom's energy.
Sure enough, just as expected, Ursaring easily evaded the purple liquid with a casual dodge. But then, Lin Yu smiled.
"Alright, looks like this battle's about to end. Bellossom, move in."
"…Huh?"
Feng Tian's brows knit in confusion. What did he mean by that? Why did he think the match was over?
Then it hit him like a lightning bolt. His expression changed drastically. "No! Ursaring, use Rest now!"
Ursaring began to lie down, attempting to use the Rest move, but just as he was getting started, his face twisted in pain.
"I knew it," Lin Yu murmured coolly.
Feng Tian stared across the field, his voice tight. "It was the Paralysis Powder, wasn't it? That Acid Spray wasn't meant to hit at all—it was just a carrier."
Lin Yu nodded. "Exactly. Acid Spray wasn't going to connect—not fast enough. But the force from the attack was enough to push the paralytic spores along the path and into Ursaring's proximity."
"I took a gamble. If Ursaring retreated, nothing would have happened. But he didn't… and now he's paralyzed."
Feng Tian was clearly impressed despite himself. "Pretty clever, I'll give you that. But even paralyzed, that doesn't mean the match is over yet."
"Oh?" Lin Yu's tone was calm. "You do realize paralysis halves speed, right? And while the odds of being completely unable to move are only one in four… that's still enough. Bellossom can capitalize on that speed gap."
As the two spoke, Bellossom was already in position.
"Bellossom, use Body Slam!"
Bellossom hurled herself toward Ursaring, wrapping her leafy arms around his massive frame and slamming him down with full force.
Boom!
A deafening crash echoed through the stadium as Ursaring hit the ground hard. The crowd collectively flinched—no one expected such a violent impact from such a small Pokémon.
"Ursaring!" Feng Tian cried out.
But when the dust settled, what they saw was unexpected: Ursaring was lying flat on his back, eyes closed… peacefully asleep.
"Rest?" Lin Yu's eyes widened. He hadn't anticipated that.
Somehow, even after taking that hit, Ursaring had successfully executed Rest.
"Bellossom, back up and use Magical Leaf!" Lin Yu commanded.
Bellossom retreated, raising her arms as a flurry of shimmering green blades materialized and shot toward the sleeping Ursaring.
Swish—slice!
The blades struck cleanly, leaving thin red lines across Ursaring's fur.
But then... those very wounds began to close.
"What?" Lin Yu muttered.
Feng Tian looked over. "It's no use. Unless you've got moves like Uproar or Heal Block, you can't stop Rest. You could try knocking him out in one hit, but... let's be real. You're not pulling that off against Ursaring."
Lin Yu grimaced. Of course he knew all that. If he had a skill like Uproar, he'd have used it already. As for one-shotting Ursaring? Forget it—unless he had some insanely high base attack, that wasn't happening.
"Bellossom, use Ingrain," he ordered instead.
The petals beneath Bellossom curled as she rooted herself to the battlefield. Vines extended into the ground, drawing in strength from the soil. Slowly, her wounds began to mend.
Feng Tian sighed. "Oh, come on… now you're healing too? Is this match just starting over?"
ROAR!
Ursaring's eyes snapped open. He let out a guttural cry and got to his feet.
"Ursaring, use Take Down! Don't let her keep healing!" Feng Tian shouted.
With a burst of rage-fueled energy, Ursaring launched himself at Bellossom like a freight train.
Lin Yu's eyes narrowed. "Bellossom, Poison Jab. Take the hit, and counter hard!"
Bellossom couldn't move—she was rooted in place. No way to dodge. They'd have to exchange blows.
Crash!
Ursaring rammed into her at full speed. The force tore Bellossom free from her rooted stance, sending her tumbling across the field. Her body rolled several times before finally coming to a painful stop.
But she hadn't gone down without a fight. Just as Ursaring crashed into her, she had jabbed her thorny arm straight into his body.
Ursaring winced. His breath grew ragged, his skin taking on a faint purple hue.
He was poisoned.
"Damn it…" Feng Tian clenched his fists. "Another status condition?!"
Status effects were the bane of his entire strategy today. Paralysis, poison—everything was tipping the momentum away from him.
"Fine then! If he's poisoned, we finish this quick. Ursaring, keep charging—use Thrash!"
Ursaring let out a savage roar, ignoring the poison as he barreled toward Bellossom once again.
Lin Yu didn't hesitate. "Bellossom, meet him head-on! Use Wrap!"
Though bruised and battered, Bellossom forced herself to her feet and dashed straight at her opponent.
The battle wasn't over. It had only just begun.
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