Chapter Sixty-Four: Insights in Battle, Limitless Clash

The hail had ceased, revealing the sky bathed in the hues of sunset.

The Plucking Bird’s body shivered with cold, its feathers bearing the marks of frostbite.

“Plucking Bird, can you still fight?” Su Yi asked with concern.

“Caw…” The Plucking Bird let out a cry, then shook itself vigorously, shedding the lingering frost. Yet its crest drooped, and its spirit seemed diminished.

“Beep beep! Looks like I overslept, Rotom! Su Yi, are you battling Champion Leon?” The Rotom smartphone floated out of the backpack.

Su Yi kept his eyes on the field and replied, “Yes, Leon is truly formidable.”

Though Su Yi had other strategies at his disposal, they were reserved for Leon’s trump card. Facing such an experienced champion, he could not reveal his ace too soon—if Leon caught wind of it, the chance of success would plummet.

“Mr. Ice Puppet, use Freeze-Dry,” Leon commanded, seeing that Su Yi had not recalled the Plucking Bird.

“Ku~” The Ice Puppet brandished its icy staff, sending a blast of chilling air swirling.

“Plucking Bird! Try to dodge, then rush in close!” Su Yi shouted.

“Caw!” Plucking Bird dashed forward, the Ice Puppet swinging its staff again and again, each sweep unleashing a wave of biting cold towards the bird.

“Push through!” Su Yi urged, watching as Plucking Bird drew closer to the Ice Puppet, his fists clenched, his voice taut with tension.

Leon smiled faintly. “Grab it! Use Psychic!”

“Kulu!” The eye on the Ice Puppet’s abdomen glowed purple. Powerful psychic energy seized the Plucking Bird, suspending it in mid-air and bombarding it with waves of psychic force.

“Plucking Bird!” Su Yi’s heart tightened with anxiety.

“Caw!” The Plucking Bird shrieked in agony under the psychic assault.

“Hang on! Break free!” Su Yi cried.

“Caw! Caw! Caw!” The bird’s cries grew louder, its body struggling against the telekinetic grip. All the while, a deep blue energy began to envelop its form.

“What is this?” Su Yi was startled. Had it learned a new move?

“Oh?” Leon watched with interest.

“Beep beep! Su Yi, that move looks like Brave Bird, Rotom!” the smartphone Rotom said excitedly.

“Learning a new move mid-battle?” Su Yi murmured.

“Cawa!” Determined, the Plucking Bird was soon shrouded entirely in blue light, which surged brighter and began to contest the purple psychic energy holding it.

“Ku?!” The Ice Puppet’s hands trembled, struggling to maintain control.

“Go! Plucking Bird, break the chains with Brave Bird! Strike with all your might!” Su Yi shouted, fist raised.

Sensing Su Yi’s momentum and encouragement, the Plucking Bird cried out, and the blue aura of Brave Bird shattered the psychic restraint. It sped across the field like a piercing arrow, charging toward the Ice Puppet.

Hop and Gloria clenched their fists. Though they admired Leon, witnessing the Plucking Bird learn a new move and fight its way out of trouble had them fired up.

“Ice Puppet!” Leon called out in warning.

“Ku?!” Just as the Ice Puppet regained its senses after its psychic grip was broken, it found itself face-to-face with the Plucking Bird’s Brave Bird.

Bang!

The azure bird crashed ferociously into the Ice Puppet, sending its small body flying in an arc before slamming it to the ground.

“That was a mighty blow—what enormous damage!” Sonia exclaimed.

“Su Yi and his Pokémon are so strong! The tide of battle turned in an instant!” Hop watched with nervous fascination, utterly absorbed by the match.

“So this is Pokémon battling?” Gloria’s eyes sparkled. The constant reversals, the offense and defense, the strategies—it was utterly captivating.

Screech!

Plucking Bird halted its attack with a sudden brake across the open field.

“Finish it! Use Stone Crash!” Su Yi commanded without hesitation.

“Caw!” Plucking Bird grabbed a rock charged with energy and rushed forward once more.

“Don’t underestimate us! Freeze-Dry!” Leon shouted.

The fallen Ice Puppet struggled to its feet, waving its staff and releasing a furious blast of dry, freezing air.

“Throw it!”

“Caw!” Plucking Bird stopped, aimed at the Ice Puppet nearby, and hurled the stone with all its might.

Whoosh!

The energy-charged rock tore through the Freeze-Dry attack and struck the Ice Puppet with a heavy blow.

“Ku!” Realizing it was about to be knocked out by the Stone Crash, the Ice Puppet unleashed all its remaining power, firing off the strongest Freeze-Dry it could muster at the Plucking Bird before it fell.

Bang!

The Ice Puppet’s eyes spun like a spiraling mosquito, while Plucking Bird let out a mournful cry, battered by the icy, knife-like storm. Its body was covered in frost and lay prone on the ground, riddled with the marks of frostbite.

Though it still called out weakly, its voice was nearly gone. Just one more hit and it would be at death’s door—it was clearly unable to continue.

Before collapsing, the Ice Puppet managed to pull off a last-resort one-for-one trade.

“Well done, Ice Puppet,” Leon said softly, recalling his Pokémon with a gentle voice.

“Excellent work, Plucking Bird!” Su Yi praised without reservation.

To take down the Ice Puppet despite the quadruple weakness, and to inflict considerable damage on the Inteleon—Plucking Bird had done more than could ever be expected.

“Next Pokémon!” Leon tossed out a Poké Ball.

Su Yi released his companion as well.

“Roar!”

“Click!”

“Oh? Dread Wyvern and Inteleon? Another clash between the two who once battled each other?” Leon said with a smile.

“I thought I’d see your other Pokémon,” Su Yi replied.

Leon grinned, “You haven’t sent out your third Pokémon either. But I already know all about Dread Wyvern—this time, Inteleon and I won’t let you seize the advantage so easily. If you’re sending it out again, do you have a new strategy?”

Leon’s question was casual, but his eyes were sharp.

Su Yi smiled, “Who can say?”

“Then I won’t hold back! Ice Beam!” Leon waved his hand.

“Click!” Inteleon pointed, firing a streak of icy energy.

“Dodge!”

Dread Wyvern knew its speed was insufficient to evade by crawling alone, so it quickly rolled sideways several times to avoid the Ice Beam.

“Dark Roar!” Su Yi ordered urgently.

Roar!

Dread Wyvern unleashed a fierce, intimidating cry, halting Inteleon’s next move.

“Charge!”

“Don’t let it succeed!” Leon remembered Dread Wyvern’s powerful Bite.

“Click!” Inteleon dashed nimbly, with Dread Wyvern hot on its tail.

“Dark Roar again!”

Dread Wyvern, still running, roared once more, sending a wave of dark energy surging toward Inteleon.

“Break it with Snipe Shot!”

“Click!” Inteleon spun gracefully and formed its hands into a pistol, firing two snipe shots.

Bang!

Energy exploded, smoke and dust rising across the field. In the next instant, Dread Wyvern burst from the haze, jaws bared in a savage bite.

“Dodge!”

Inteleon withdrew its hands and sidestepped the attack.

“Dragon Tail!” Su Yi clenched his fists, his plan about to come to fruition.

“Huh?” Leon was caught off guard.