The corner of his eye caught a glimpse of the big screen, making his heart skip a beat. He looked again at the poised Blissey and Baimu, silently feeling that things were not going well.
He didn't know much about Baimu and hadn't watched the Gorgeous Competitions that made him famous. Observing only Xiaofeng's match, he was oblivious to Baimu's specialty in countering strategies, leaving him at a loss, led by the nose unexpectedly.
Now experiencing this firsthand, the seasoned Kimimaro immediately realized he had overreached.
What to do?
The reactive style is one of the hardest to deal with among all Coordinator Trainers. With such limited time in a Gorgeous Competition, if you don't make a move, you can't deduct points from your opponent. But if you do, you end up losing more points yourself.
How can anyone bear that!
Although reactive strategies seem invincible, they actually test a Coordinator Trainer's skills greatly. After all, to not only block the opponent's attack but also do so beautifully, one must have both skill and adaptability.
And this skill doesn't just refer to the Pokémon's combat capabilities but also includes the trainer's insight and sensitivity to timing.
A single mistake could easily backfire.
The expression beneath Kimimaro's mask changed repeatedly, and the single eye of the Dusknoir flickered accordingly. Seeing that Baimu and Blissey had yet to make a move, he ultimately dared not delay any longer.
All in!
I don't believe you can counter every move! How could such an absurd thing exist in this world!
"Shadow Clone!"
With a shout, the Dusknoir abruptly vanished, and then countless Dusknoir appeared like phantoms around the field, surrounding Blissey from all directions.
Baimu's brow furrowed, and he shouted, "Don't panic, hold your ground!"
"Happy!"
Blissey surveyed the Dusknoir clones surrounding it, its face serious without a trace of tension.
Faced with great challenges, it remains calm. It is no longer the Pokémon that could only watch its Trainer's shoulder be bitten by a Mightyena!
Make your move!
"Shadow Strike!"
As Kimimaro's voice rang out, the Dusknoir all shrunk into the ground, transforming into countless shadows flickering chaotically on the floor.
Almost dazzling Blissey's eyes.
Vivian was surprised, explaining, "What a clever Shadow Manipulation! Blissey seems unable to tell which is real and which is fake! What should Mr. Baimu do?"
As her words fell, the shadow-formed Dusknoir launched a fierce assault, and countless shadow spikes glowing with violet light shot up from the ground. Resembling a forest of sharp spikes, they carried an unusual splendor, haunting yet filled with a unique aesthetic.
Baimu's score was instantly reduced by nearly a quarter.
When the "Puncture" goddess's effect was completed, even without causing reliable attack damage, the epic tableau alone was enough to lower his score to below half.
Meaningless, Kimimaro didn't aim to defeat the opponent with damage, which also aligned with a major feature of Gorgeous Competitions.
No damage, still winning!
And to combine terror and beauty, Kimimaro had to be considered an exceptionally skilled Coordinator Trainer.
Yet facing the overwhelming forest of spikes, Blissey actually closed its eyes, brought its hands together at its chest, appearing ready to face its fate.
But before the audience could gasp, an unprecedented intense flash burst forth like dawn breaking the night, illuminating the entire venue and rendering the shadow spikes from all directions visible!
The sacred radiance was emanating from Blissey, its fearless expression paired with its classic goddess attire—nothing less than radiant.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Countless shadow spikes dissipated into white smoke, except the one from behind which slowly disintegrated, holding firm for nearly two seconds before vanishing.
The real entity was there!
Blissey's eyes slightly opened, abruptly turning its head.
"Angel's Kiss!"
"Happy~"
It placed a small hand to its mouth, shyly blowing a kiss, sending a pink heart toward that shadow.
"Incredible! Dusknoir's terrifying assault was so easily nullified! Do you see this, folks? It's practically a stage performance between a goddess and a Demon King!" Vivian exclaimed in excitement, while the audience was utterly enchanted.
The Magic Brilliance under which Blissey shone was extraordinarily beautiful!
How could any move be so fitting!
The significant deduction in the opponent's score validated that the judges shared the same sentiment.
As compared to the audience.
In the distance, Kimimaro almost dropped his jaw in shock. He couldn't believe that the elaborate Gorgeous Techniques he planned with Dusknoir were so easily countered!
Impossible!
Countered again! And it's still, still Magic Brilliance...
So the final move used during the performance was Magic Brilliance!
Kimimaro belatedly remembered the move used by Blissey at the end of the first review. Clearly, he didn't have as keen an eye as Mr. Baimu, and without the opposing Trainer announcing it, it was difficult to discern the original move after its transformation.
"Quick, dodge!"
Kimimaro understood the critical situation. At this moment, he dared not have a direct clash with Blissey. Not to mention there was only a minute and a half left on the countdown, and his score was in jeopardy. Being hit by Angel's Kiss was practically announcing the end of the match.
Under the intense light, Dusknoir was already revealed. Its single crimson eye seemed to lose its brightness as if blinded, making it more anxious. The Trainer's anxiety further made the already uneasy and momentarily blinded Dusknoir panic.
Feeling the energy rapidly approaching its front, it instinctively swung a move: Shadow Punch!
"Quick, dodge! Don't try to fight head-on!"
Kimimaro exclaimed in shock. Dusknoir's punching stance suddenly froze, but both its action and move were already complete, and although Shadow Punch scattered the incoming pink heart at the front, it couldn't block the subsequent pink heart.
In an instant.
Dusknoir's barely brightened single eye began to flicker, evidently falling into a state of confusion!
Kimimaro's score visibly started to decrease.
Seeing this, Baimu knew it was their ideal moment to strike, "Sing!"
"Happy~"
Standing in place, Blissey ignored the tottering Dusknoir in front and calmly began to sing.
"Use Shadow Punch on your head! Quickly!" Kimimaro tried to use a heavy hit to help Dusknoir break free from its confused state, but unfortunately, the idea was good, but it couldn't keep up with the rhythm.
The opponent struck faster!
So, after a few breaths, Dusknoir tipped backward, falling into a baby-like sleep.
Blissey, with a "loving" expression, approached its side, hugged its tall figure, and sang a lullaby as if soothing a child to sleep.
Exactly.
The front-row audience and judges heard what was clearly a lullaby.
As Blissey began to sing, the rear-row audience also gradually quieted down. For a moment, only Kimimaro's shouting and Blissey's comforting song were heard.
After the lullaby was finished, Blissey unleashed Healing Fluctuation, providing some recovery to its already minimally depleted energy.
Dusknoir's entire body glowed green, appearing full of vitality.
"What a touching scene. Indeed, Blissey is the most suited Pokémon for being a Pokémon Nurse." Vivian dramatically wiped tears from the corners of her eyes, showing how moved she was by Blissey's actions.
Miss Joy on the judge panel's mouth widened in a grin to her ears, but fortunately, she managed to maintain her gentle and beautiful demeanor.
If it were a Pokémon battle, Kimimaro would be thrilled to see Dusknoir recover its stamina. But this was a Gorgeous Competition! This Healing Fluctuation was far from healing; it was destruction!
Turning his head towards the adjacent giant screen, indeed, his score was nearly bottomed out! Time was running out too!
An anxious Kimimaro wished he could throw his hat over to wake Dusknoir, but alas, he could only watch as Blissey, like a saint, released Healing Bell to Dusknoir.
This move had an immediate effect, quickly waking Dusknoir.
Kimimaro's score was instantly drained.
BEEP——!!
"End of the match!"
Vivian, holding the microphone, abruptly swung her arm down.
On the giant screen, the avatars of Baimu and Blissey were dramatically enlarged, occupying the entire screen.
"The winner of this tournament is——Mr. Baimu!"
Vivian's announcement sparked countless cheers and applause.
Seeing this, Blissey smiled at the bewildered Dusknoir, relieved in its heart— "Motherly Love Strategy" triumphed greatly, ensuring it didn't disappoint its Trainer!
Dusknoir scratched its head in confusion. From its perspective, normal consciousness vanished the moment the pink heart hit.
It was akin to closing and opening its eyes.
The match was lost.
What on earth!