Pokemon: Psychic Master

"Slowbro is unable to battle! Mélanie is now on the defensive, preparing to summon her third Pokémon!"

Mélanie was starting to feel uneasy.

Especially when she saw the cautious, almost fearful expression on Ninetales' face.

Wait a minute.

Didn't the commentator just say I'm the one at a disadvantage right now?

You guys are clearly ahead!

Could you maybe act a little reckless like at the beginning?

How else am I supposed to turn this around?

Suppressing her frustration, Mélanie forced herself to calm down.

She knew that if she lost her composure, her Pokémon would feel it too.

As a trainer specializing in Psychic-types and with prior tournament experience, she could still hold her own.

Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself:

There's still a chance to turn this around!

"Here it comes."

On the opposite side of the battlefield, Johan raised an eyebrow at the sudden flare of flames from Mélanie's side.

"Oowoo~~"

Ninetales tensed up, immediately sensing the danger.

BOOM!

A surge of fiery energy erupted as a powerful Pokémon emerged from the Pokéball.

Standing tall with fiery red fur and flame-shaped eyebrows, the Pokémon resembled a raging gorilla. Its powerful fists slammed the ground, leaving two deep craters as a display of strength.

Darmanitan, the Blazing Pokémon!

With every exhale, steam rose from its nostrils, melting the snow around it. The falling snowflakes evaporated before they even touched its body.

"Gaaaah!!"

Darmanitan grinned confidently, pounding its chest with a resounding thump, thump, thump, its body radiating intense heat.

"Darmanitan? A Fire-type?"

"Hold on... Is this the first time Mélanie has used this Pokémon in the Indigo Conference?"

"Darmanitan also possesses powerful Psychic abilities in its Zen Mode!"

The commentator's voice boomed across the stadium.

"Mélanie seems determined to melt away the ice and snow with flames! This is definitely a smart choice!"

Fire has a clear advantage over Ice in terms of type matchups.

But... was it really a good choice?

Johan didn't even consider recalling Ninetales.

"Darmanitan, use Sunny Day!"

Mélanie had pinpointed the issue.

That seemingly endless Aurora Veil needed the snowy weather to remain effective.

If she could change the weather, those defensive barriers would collapse on their own.

"Gaaaah!!"

Darmanitan roared, pounding its chest and summoning flames to call forth sunlight.

However...

"Darmanitan's Sunny Day… seems to have failed?"

The commentator blinked, glancing at the sky, which remained filled with swirling snowflakes.

Failed?

Mélanie's eyes widened in disbelief.

She knew her Darmanitan hadn't messed up.

It had used Sunny Day perfectly.

But... the weather shifted slightly toward sunshine, only to be overwhelmed by the returning snowfall.

How strong was this Ninetales' control over the weather?!

Johan chuckled softly.

Of course.

This Ninetales had evolved specifically to counter Zapdos' storms.

No one could wrestle weather control away from her—not even a Fire-type like Darmanitan.

Suddenly, a small, glowing orb appeared in front of Darmanitan, slowly growing larger in its confused gaze.

Confuse Ray!

"Darmanitan!"

Mélanie's heart skipped a beat as she called out.

But it was too late.

The Confuse Ray hit Darmanitan head-on, leaving it dazed and disoriented.

"Darmanitan is now confused!"

Johan calmly gave his next command.

"Blizzard."

"Oowoo~~ヾ(▽')"

With the snowstorm already in full swing, Ninetales unleashed a devastating Blizzard that swept across the battlefield.

Temperatures plummeted, and the audience shivered, rubbing their arms to ward off goosebumps.

Just as the Blizzard seemed to subside...

"Oowoo~~"

Another Blizzard struck.

"Alright, Ninetales. That's enough." Johan chuckled, shaking his head.

"Oowoo?"

Finally, the relentless Blizzard died down, revealing the state of the battlefield.

Darmanitan stood frozen solid, encased in a thick layer of ice.

"Darmanitan... has been frozen solid!"

The commentator's voice trembled with disbelief.

A Fire-type Pokémon... frozen?

The audience was stunned.

Even more shocking was the sheer thickness of the ice encasing Darmanitan.

"This is insane! Ninetales could have easily knocked out Darmanitan, but instead chose to play it safe with Confuse Ray first!"

"And don't forget the two Blizzards! So cautious!"

"Johan-sensei is really playing it safe today!"

"Can you blame him? He's aiming for the semifinals!"

Johan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Was he being overly cautious?

No, it was Ninetales.

She was just too careful.

Back in the VIP box, Morty finally broke his silence.

"This Ninetales... has exceptional control over Ice energy."

"Right?" Professor Oak beamed proudly.

Morty shot him a sideways glance.

Why are you gloating like it's your achievement?

Bruno chimed in, "Darmanitan's Sunny Day didn't fail—it was just overpowered by Ninetales' weather control."

The commentator continued excitedly, "Mélanie is down to her fourth Pokémon. Can she still turn things around?"

Mélanie sighed and released her next Pokémon.

"Go, Delphox!"

The elegant, fox-like Pokémon wielded a flaming staff, its crimson fur resembling a witch's cloak.

Delphox, the Fox Pokémon. Fire/Psychic-type.

The crowd roared in excitement.

"Delphox is Mélanie's ace! The Fox Showdown: Fire vs. Ice!"

"But Ninetales must be exhausted by now. Come on, Mélanie! Take down the 'Final Boss'!"

Mélanie clenched her fists.

There was still a way to win.

"Ninetales is overly defensive. If I use an unblockable attack..."

"Delphox, Future Sight!"

"Delphox!"

Waving its staff, Delphox's eyes glowed as it glimpsed future events, planting a powerful psychic attack that would strike from another dimension.

Facing Ninetales' barriers, Future Sight was a brilliant move.

After all, how can you block an attack from the future?

Johan remained calm.

"Oowoo~~"

With a graceful flick of her nine tails, Ninetales launched Dark Pulse.

The dark energy rippled through the air, crashing into Delphox.

Though Delphox staggered, it managed to stay on its feet.

"Hold on, Delphox! We can't go down yet!" Mélanie yelled.

Suddenly, flames erupted from Delphox's staff, burning brighter than ever.

Blaze and Focus Sash?

Johan realized the combination at play.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"Delphox is still standing!"

"Blaze is activated! Let's go, Delphox!"

"Take down that 'evil' Johan-sensei—but please, go easy on Ninetales!"

Mélanie clenched her teeth.

Now was the time.

"Delphox, Mystical Fire!"

Johan adjusted his monocle with a calm expression.

"Ninetales, Dig."

Crash!

Delphox's blazing flames shattered the remaining Aurora Veil layers.

But as the dust settled...

Ninetales was gone.

All that remained was a snowman.

"What?! A snowman?!"

The crowd erupted into laughter and confusion.

Suddenly—

BOOM!

The ground beneath Delphox exploded as Ninetales burst forth, delivering the final blow.

"Delphox is unable to battle!"

Four down.

The entire stadium sat in stunned silence.

"Is... is Johan going for a clean sweep?"

"Could he really take down all six of Mélanie's Pokémon with just one Ninetales?"

Mélanie's face paled.

Even her ace had fallen.

Her final Pokémon, Exeggutor, emerged—only to be instantly frozen by another Blizzard.

When the referee announced Johan's victory, the stadium erupted into deafening cheers.

"Oowoo~~!!"

Ninetales pranced over to Johan, playfully tackling him to the ground.

"That was close! We almost lost!"

Johan sighed.

"Ninetales... you do realize you have teammates, right?"

But as he looked at her proud expression, he couldn't help but smile.

"Forget it. Being cautious worked out just fine."

After all...

A clean sweep? That's just a matter of effort.

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Powerstones?

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