"Blizzard."
"Aurora Veil!"
As Glaceon's Blizzard subsided and it paused to catch its breath, Froslass swiftly summoned its own Blizzard, sending a fierce snowstorm sweeping toward its opponent.
Reacting instantly, Glaceon mimicked Froslass by conjuring an Aurora Veil for protection. The incoming Blizzard's damage was significantly reduced.
However, the moment Glaceon withstood the attack, it realized that Froslass had vanished from sight.
Without hesitation, Glaceon followed suit, utilizing its Snow Cloak ability to blend into the snowy battlefield.
Naively, Glaceon assumed that since both of them possessed Snow Cloak, they were now on equal footing.
What it failed to realize was that, for Froslass—who had spent its entire life lurking within blizzards, ambushing and preying upon travelers—its actions were nothing more than a futile attempt at deception. Every move Glaceon made was crystal clear to Froslass.
"Psychic, Will-O-Wisp!"
Suddenly, Glaceon, stealthily maneuvering through the snow, found itself immobilized. An invisible force seized its body, lifting it into the air.
Then, multiple ghostly purple flames materialized around it, converging from all directions before igniting its fur.
Even before it hit the ground, Glaceon was already engulfed in eerie flames.
Burned!
Attack stat reduced!
"Glaceon, Shadow Ball!"
Despite the burn weakening its strength, Glaceon quickly gathered itself, forming a Shadow Ball and launching it at Froslass.
Just as the attack was about to hit, Froslass' form became translucent and ethereal, allowing it to gracefully evade the Shadow Ball.
"Double Team!"
Already ghostly by nature, Froslass' figure became even more elusive, splitting into dozens of identical illusions that floated above Glaceon, circling it in an eerie, hypnotic dance.
Glaceon could use either Double Team itself or Blizzard to disrupt the clones, but based on the situation, neither would guarantee a decisive strike against Froslass. Worse, wasting energy on a futile effort would only accelerate its defeat.
Candice made up her mind—if they were going to take a risk, they were going all in!
"Hex!"
Each of the Froslass illusions raised their hands, summoning glowing orbs of ghostly purple energy, poised to strike.
Hex deals double damage to targets afflicted with a status condition!
Glaceon's eyes narrowed as it continuously adjusted its stance, trying to pinpoint Froslass' real body.
"Not yet… Wait for it!"
Candice held her breath, suppressing her excitement. She needed to time the counterattack perfectly.
The swarm of Froslass simultaneously hurled their Hex attacks toward Glaceon. Beneath the snowfall, the entire battlefield was bathed in a sinister purple glow.
"Now! Mirror Coat!"
Candice's voice rang out just as Glaceon's body shimmered with a soft lavender light, absorbing the incoming attacks.
One of the projectiles finally landed a solid hit, causing Glaceon to stumble backward.
"Glaceee!"
With a sharp cry, Glaceon endured the strike before unleashing Mirror Coat, reflecting the damage right back at the attacker.
One of the Froslass clones, caught off guard, widened its eyes in surprise as the reflected energy struck it directly—only for its body to dissolve into thin air.
A decoy!
Candice, who was just about to cheer, suddenly froze.
"Huh? Wait, how…?"
She had been watching the battle closely, and she was sure that the real Froslass had launched that attack. How could it have been a fake?
The only response she got was Paul's cold voice—
"Hex."
"Eeno~"
Out of nowhere, a Froslass materialized right in front of Glaceon, its hands raised high as it slammed a surge of ghostly energy directly onto Glaceon's head.
BOOM!
The impact sent Glaceon flying backward.
Even with Aurora Veil reducing the damage, the repeated assaults had taken their toll. Glaceon collapsed onto the battlefield, motionless.
"Glaceon is unable to battle! Froslass wins!"
The referee announced the outcome.
"Eeno~"
As the snowstorm subsided and the flurries settled, the numerous Froslass illusions disappeared, leaving only the real one as it gracefully floated back to Paul's side.
"You did great, Glaceon. Come back and rest."
Candice recalled her Pokémon, still puzzled.
"That was such a tricky strategy… But why didn't Mirror Coat hit Froslass at the end?"
She was certain the reflected attack had targeted the real Froslass. How could it have missed?
"Froslass' ability—Illusionary Art."
Paul stated matter-of-factly.
Every Froslass was capable of creating illusions, though some were more skilled than others.
But regardless of their strength, only a few ever truly mastered the art of using illusions in battle.
The Froslass he had just used had been manipulating illusions the entire time—except when it was attacking.
It was no wonder Candice had been fooled.
"So that's how it is!"
Candice had a Froslass of her own. With just a slight nudge from Paul, she figured it out.
At the same time, she dismissed the idea of having a Froslass mirror match.
After all, her Froslass was superior in every way—except for illusions.
If she went through with it, she might just get toyed to death by Paul's Froslass.
"I'm counting on you! You have to win this, Medicham!"
After some thought, Candice sent out a Pokémon that her close friend had gifted her a long time ago—Medicham.
"Medi~"
Medicham stood on one leg upon the icy battlefield, maintaining perfect balance as it gazed calmly at its opponent—the opposing Froslass.
Snow Cloak Activated!
"Snow Scene."
Froslass gracefully floated higher into the air, spreading its arms wide. Dark clouds gathered as snowflakes swirled down, and its figure gradually faded into the snowy landscape.
The snowfall thickened, and with it—Snow Cloak took effect!
"Medicham, use Yoga Pose and Calm Mind!"
Having battled in snowy conditions numerous times, Medicham showed no panic. Remaining still, it activated both moves at once, raising its own strength.
It planned to power up first—then strike with ruthless force.
A Haunting Illusion!
"Double Team, then Fake Tears!"
"Woo... woo... woo..."
"Five..."
Froslass' figure split into dozens of identical images, drifting eerily through the air like a procession of wandering spirits. The ghostly cries echoed through the icy arena, surrounding Medicham from all directions.
Medicham's concentration wavered slightly—its Special Defense dropped sharply!
"Will-O-Wisp!"
"Detect!"
Two voices rang out in succession.
A swarm of Will-O-Wisps flared to life, conjured by the countless Froslass illusions. They all hurled toward Medicham at once!
But in that instant—Medicham's Calm Mind training reached its peak. It opened its glowing eyes, detecting every incoming flame. With precise movements, it dodged each one, then clenched its fist, infusing it with psychic power—and shattered the ghostly flames in a single punch!
Counterattack!
"Psychic!"
With its focus honed, Medicham unleashed a surge of Psychic energy, obliterating most of the Froslass illusions in an instant.
"Blizzard!"
The remaining Froslass images gathered together, combining their power. A fierce Blizzard roared to life, expanding outward, threatening to engulf the entire battlefield.
"Medicham, Fire Punch!"
Knowing there was no escape in this snowstorm, Medicham didn't even try. Instead, it propelled itself forward at full speed, charging head-on through the raging Blizzard.
Eyes locked onto its target, Medicham leaped through the storm—its flaming fist crashing down on one of the Froslass.
As expected—the illusion burst into nothingness.
(To be continued...)
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