Boom!
Sky blue energy flames and black-gray smoke billowed.
A spinning light gray sphere flew out from the midst, rolling far away before stopping, revealing the scorched Shelgon.
Who could have imagined that Skarmory's leg structure could erupt with such rapid speed on the ground.
In comparison, Genji's Altaria was forced into a ground battle due to gravity, and its speed was far less agile than Skarmory.
Leading to back-and-forth exchanges with Dusknoir.
But Baimu knew this had nothing to do with Genji's Altaria being inadequately trained; it was purely a difference between Pokémon themselves.
As a Steel-type Pokémon, Skarmory's joints and claws, among other body structures, were tougher than Altaria, enough to support the burden of explosive ground movement.
Da Wu made good use of the Steel attribute to enhance Skarmory's physical strength.
Within the smoke, a silver-gray bird emerged.
Shelgon didn't look at it, but instead gazed at the other side of the smoke, boldly spraying a huge blazing fireball!
The fireball exploded halfway, forming a dazzling character, dispersing the smoke along the way.
Missed the target?
No, it didn't!
The audience realized that the Skarmory that had rushed out might be a "Substitute," seeing it crash into Shelgon's body yet using no technique or moving it.
The real body was hiding somewhere, waiting to mislead Shelgon into a Rush attack.
Amidst the commotion, the Big Character Burst Flame blasted into the swirling smoke.
Suddenly, a silver light shot up like a leek sprouting from dry soil, wings unfurling like sharp arrows, dodging the flames and rushing towards Shelgon!
The speed was so fast that Shelgon's fierce eyes dared not stray.
Suddenly.
Genji's serene expression changed, and Shelgon quickly turned in disbelief, swiftly rolling to the side.
But the reaction was a little late.
That "Substitute" revealed a pair of Steel Wings with a deep gray metal luster, like sharp blades fiercely slicing into Shelgon's body!
This was no Substitute! It was the real body!
The astonishing reversal occurred in a split second, Skarmory's Steel Wings exhibiting remarkably powerful force, sending Shelgon flying sideways toward the actual Skarmory Substitute.
The opponent showed no panic, and seemingly as expected, reached out with its leg to grab Shelgon's hind leg, using the rotational force of its wings to hurl it into the air!
Illusions and reality!
Da Wu successfully deceived both Genji and Shelgon!
Baimu couldn't help but feel astonished; as far as he knew, Shelgon was extremely sensitive to attribute energy, and Genji was extremely cautious, making it unlikely for them to mistake Skarmory's real body for a fake one.
How could such a Pokémon and a Trainer be fooled by a mere Substitute?
What kind of trap did Da Wu set up?
He realized that his remote, god-like perspective couldn't fully judge the details within the arena, and needed to seek guidance from Da Wu or Genji.
This was also applicable to his Porygon II; ordinary people could hardly imagine his Porygon II could create perfect Clones capable of using Techniques.
In the field.
Shelgon, thrown into the air, began to spin, blood flames surging over its body, evidently having used Inverted Scale, a major Dragon-type Physical Attack technique.
It fearlessly plummeted toward Skarmory, with dispersing energy dragging behind it a comet-like glow.
The Substitute moved first, blocking Shelgon's path.
Though it crumbled into smoke, it enabled the real body to fully gather momentum, and Skarmory became surrounded by deep blue currents, overflowing with terrifying energy waves.
Divine Bird Frenzy!
It raised its head towards the descending Inverted Scale Shelgon, suddenly rocketing skyward like an anti-air Rocket Cannon, crashing forcefully with its opponent!
Boom!
In an instant.
A deafening roar erupted, and the arena's mid-air exploded with a visible circle of milky white shockwaves, blasting through the spectators surrounding the venue.
Many instinctively raised their hands to shield against flying dust, exclaiming continuously.
What a powerful Divine Bird Frenzy!
Shelgon likely couldn't withstand it.
Baimu knew that the power of Pokémon Techniques primarily gathered at the point of collision, with only about one percent or less as residual effects.
And now, the collision between Skarmory and Shelgon's Techniques affected spectators tens of meters away, proving the massive power of Divine Bird Frenzy.
Shelgon had endured Invisible Rock, Brave Bird Assault, Steel Wings, and another Divine Bird Frenzy.
If it couldn't withstand this, Da Wu's methods of cultivating Pokémon must have issues.
Sure enough.
When the smoke cleared, Shelgon was already unconscious, Skarmory letting out a loud cry.
Its voice sounded more hoarse and unpleasant than Honchkrow, yet no spectator cared, merely watching it in excitement.
Da Wu successfully fired the first shot in the championship defense battle!
Genji retrieved Shelgon, swiftly sending out Flygon, which had been swept off by the wind.
Invisible Rock emerged.
With a series of explosions.
The verdant Desert Elf didn't change its expression, turning into white light and charging at Skarmory with an exaggerated speed difficult to capture with the naked eye, leaving only the fluttering wing sound.
Skarmory was restoring its state with Feather Rest but immediately interrupted itself, flying into the sky without hesitation.
After battling Haxorus, Flygon, and Shelgon, and proactively using stamina-draining techniques, its state had evidently reached a very critical point; without Feather Rest, it would certainly be taken down by Flygon.
However, Feather Rest took too much time, making it easy for Flygon to get close and pin it down, defeating it with Power of the Earth.