Baimu focused his peripheral vision on Huayue.
Suddenly, a burst of astonishment erupted from the surrounding audience.
He quickly turned his head, only to see the sea of flames spewed by Salamence being blanketed by a monstrous white frozen qi.
The swirling cold mist resembled a thick, white fireproof cloth, dissipating the flames wherever it passed. Crackling sounds echoed loudly, and countless menacing ice spikes rose from the ground!
In an instant,
The expansive battlefield transformed into a dazzling and radiant forest of ice crystals, reflecting the piercing light of the sun, making it impossible for the audience to look directly with the naked eye.
Many people exclaimed again.
Salamence soared into the sky to evade the bone-chilling cold stream. As it searched for the enemy, the shimmering cold light entered its eyes, and it instinctively avoided looking.
Genji, as a human Trainer, was not exempt from this.
"Oh no!"
Amidst the large and small ice spikes, Mega Glalie had been waiting for this moment for some time. Responding to Bonnie's command, it spun like a top at high speed, surrounded by an icy blue cross star, and fiercely charged towards the airborne Salamence!
[Ice Skin: Ultimate Impact]!
Though it lacked the apocalyptic aura of the Ice Skin Explosion, its momentum was equally impressive, making anyone feel that Salamence might not be able to withstand this technique.
However, wisdom comes with age.
Obstructed vision does not equate to an inability to use techniques. Genji seemed to anticipate Bonnie's attack opportunity and commanded Salamence to rotate in place, stirring Hot Wind—
This technique was familiar to Baimu; Genji had once attempted to use it to break through Mega Mawile's double defense after charging.
Evidently, under the hands of the Old Celestial King, many techniques could not only alter their contact and non-contact nature but also possess defensive effects.
Ice Skin Impact clashed with swirling Hot Wind, mixing hot and cold currents in an exchange that seemed to twist the air, abruptly triggering a violent explosion!
Boom!
The shockwave sent the two Pokémon colliding in different directions, even propelling them beyond the field's boundary.
Then, under the audience's tense and expectant gaze, they swiftly charged back into the field, disappearing into rolling dust clouds, until the natural dispersal of the field's air revealed the shattered, pointed ice crystals scattered everywhere.
And there was Super Glalie, somehow pinned beneath Salamence, its dislocated jaws biting onto Salamence's wing, with scorching flames poised to pour down from above.
A fierce expression suddenly appeared in its eyes.
A chill abruptly penetrated from behind into Baimu's mind, the familiar eerie sensation causing the corners of his mouth to twitch, while he couldn't help but be amazed, "Queen Bonnie, she wouldn't—"
Before he could finish speaking, the earth-shattering magnitude of the Big Explosion swept through the entire inner field, with surging cold air pressing right up to the audience seats, triggering the start of the protective shield.
The current Ice Skin Explosion was decidedly stronger than the one against Mega Absol!
It made him briefly doubt if Super Glalie had "burst seed".
But to suddenly burst seed in mutual demise...
Was a bit psychologically taxing.
Yet more than that, Baimu was stunned that Bonnie chose to use Big Explosion despite knowing she had no Pokémon left to field.
Why?
Though the hope was slim, to fight for that possible instant of victory was the true essence of being a Trainer.
Baimu had always believed this.
The various scenes from the animation made him confident in this belief.
Therefore, Bonnie's actions left him somewhat perplexed, wondering if the Celestial King had other plans?
As if confirming his speculation,
Furong beside him rested her chin on her hand, speaking calmly:
"Very strange, right? But this is her personal battle style. When faced with an impossible-to-reverse situation, she won't gamble on the last sliver of possibility but instead ends with a Big Explosion.
"'A fiery heart beneath a cold exterior,' the fiery part is not simply stubborn resistance in battle, but the unwavering belief that she will certainly win next time—it's what she told me."
Pragmatist, huh?
Baimu thought, if he hadn't had prior understanding, he might also think battles sometimes relying on passion and bonds was unreasonable.
Clearly, one ought to believe more in the physique and will honed through time and effort.
But saying that.
He looked at Furong, opened his mouth slightly, and softly said, "But from what I know, Queen Bonnie..."
"Has never defeated Grandpa Genji."
Furong seemed to know what he wanted to say, speaking objectively: "Bonnie highly praises Grandpa's Pokémon cultivation methods, which can be seen from her deliberate venture to Hoenn, an environment unsuitable for Ice Attributes...
"She always thinks her Pokémon lack training, needing more resilient bodies and wills, which is why she keeps losing to Grandpa Genji, who's stronger in these aspects."
Huayue, leaning back further, rested his head on crossed hands, remarked:
"Among the four of us, Bonnie has the highest talent, even Da Wu and Mikoli agree. But she's clearly reached a bottleneck in recent years, with no significant improvement in strength."
Without major improvement, yet she can still beat you?
Baimu's odd stare made Huayue's forehead veins pop as he clenched his fist and gritted, "Kid! Want me to teach you how to respect your elders?"
"No offense intended."
He slightly raised his hand to indicate his innocence.
Furong laughed heartily, a scene rarely seen, as among Hoenn's Four Heavenly Kings, one's cold and rigid nature was not conducive to playfulness, and another's high prestige made joking with him impossible.
Neither were ever "lively" in any situation.
Inside the field.
The smoke cleared.
The final Big Explosion from Super Glalie remarkably failed to defeat Salamence, the reason being Genji made it use Feather Rest just in time.