At this moment, Milotic's Substitute moved like a nimble shadow, constantly weaving and drifting in front of its true body.
It deliberately blocked Blaziken's approach path, preventing it from easily getting close to the real Milotic positioned behind.
Blaziken had no choice but to first break through the decoy.
Bang!
Blaziken's fist struck the Milotic in front with heavy force, and that Milotic instantly turned into a flash of white light, dispersing into the air.
However, at the exact moment the Substitute was shattered, Blaziken's movement inevitably paused for just a brief instant.
"Now! Icy Wind!"
Theo's command rang out like thunder.
The real Milotic behind flashed with a sharp light in its eyes. It suddenly opened its mouth and released a stream of air carrying a bone chilling cold.
This Icy Wind appeared strangely black, clearly mixed with the effects of Haze!
"Ha-cha!"
By the time Blaziken realized something was wrong, it was already too late to fully evade.
The black Icy Wind instantly engulfed its body, and the piercing cold made its movements stiff and sluggish.
At the same time, the Haze mixed within the wind once again completely erased the attack boost it had just gained from Swords Dance, along with the speed boost granted by its Speed Boost ability.
Blaziken's condition weakened once more, its speed and power dropping drastically.
"Press the advantage, Surf!"
Theo's next command followed immediately.
Milotic swung its tail fin repeatedly, sending wave after wave crashing forward like surging tides, continuously forcing Blaziken backward.
Having lost both its speed and power boosts, and now further slowed by Icy Wind, Blaziken's movements became noticeably sluggish.
It could only retreat again and again, struggling to dodge the incoming attacks. Its earlier agility was completely gone, leaving it looking extremely battered and awkward.
After finally managing to steady itself and retreat to the edge of the battlefield, Blaziken looked up—
Only to see another flash of white light appear in front of Milotic, forming yet another Substitute.
Meanwhile, the real Milotic floated calmly behind, its body glowing with a crystalline green light. The soft blue glow of Aqua Ring intertwined with the green light.
This was Recover.
Milotic was using this opportunity to rapidly restore its stamina.
The spectators at the sidelines were completely stunned. One after another, they exclaimed in amazement, their gazes toward Milotic filled with envy.
"Damn! Another recovery move!"
"How are you even supposed to fight this? Every bit of damage just gets healed, it can remove buffs, and it uses Substitute to block attacks… there is no way to win!"
"No wonder he sent out Milotic! This is basically an unbreakable strategy! Milotic is way too strong!"
The livestream chat exploded even more wildly:
"Milotic is insanely strong! Is this its true power after evolution? This is terrifying!"
"66666! This strategy is genius! I did not know battles could be fought like this, I learned something today!"
"This is so unfair! Blaziken cannot even get close, how is it supposed to fight?"
"Calling it unfair just sounds like jealousy. A winning strategy is a good strategy. The streamer's play here is amazing!"
"Blaziken has it rough. It cannot get close and is at a type disadvantage. Anyone would be confused in this situation!"
Moore's brows were already tightly furrowed into a deep crease. Of course, he fully understood Milotic's strategy.
It used Rain Dance to create a favorable environment.
It used the Flame Orb to trigger Marvel Scale and boost its Defense, then used Haze to remove Blaziken's enhancements.
After that, it relied on Substitute to protect itself and create opportunities, while continuously using Aqua Ring and Recover to maintain its endurance.
Moore understood the strategy clearly.
But understanding it did not mean he could break it.
Unless Blaziken's strength could absolutely overwhelm Milotic and deal massive damage in a single strike,
Or unless it possessed Electric or Grass type moves that could counter Water types,
Otherwise, within this cycle of "buffs being removed, damage being sustained, and recovery being maintained,"
It would only become more and more passive, eventually being worn down completely.
At this moment, Blaziken on the battlefield was already breathing heavily, its chest rising and falling.
Maintaining its Speed Boost ability continuously already consumed stamina.
On top of that, using Sunny Day, Swords Dance, and other moves had caused its stamina consumption to far exceed normal levels.
Yet all those enhancements were repeatedly reset by Haze, and it still had to struggle to dodge Milotic's attacks. The rate at which its stamina was draining was astonishing.
In contrast, Milotic, nourished by the rain and sustained by the dual recovery of Aqua Ring and Recover, remained in high spirits.
Its posture was elegant and composed, as if the battle just now had been nothing more than a leisurely performance in the rain.
Moore looked at the situation on the battlefield, watching Blaziken pant heavily, and let out a deep sigh.
He could not help but think that if his Ninetales or Typhlosion had been on the field instead, things might have been very different.
His Blaziken had been specifically trained for close combat.
Against a Water type like Milotic, which had Marvel Scale, excelled at ranged attacks, and possessed multiple recovery moves, it was completely suppressed.
If it had been his Ninetales or Typhlosion instead,
They would not have feared Haze at all. The mist would not even have been able to reach them before being burned away by flames.
After that, they could have directly used moves like Calm Mind and Substitute to engage Milotic in long range combat.
The battle would never have been this passive.
Moore shook his head, dispelling these thoughts, and raised his hand to recall Blaziken.
"Enough. You win this match."
"Grandpa!"
Flannery could not help but shout when she saw this, her tone filled with unwillingness.
As Mr. Moore's words of surrender fell, the entire Lavaridge Gym seemed as if a stone had been thrown into a still lake, instantly stirring up massive waves.
The spectators at the sidelines erupted completely. Cheers and exclamations surged like a tidal wave, almost lifting the roof off the gym.
"Incredible! That was insane! He actually defeated the former Elite Four Moore!"
"If I remember correctly, Elder Moore used to be one of the strongest Elite Four members in Hoenn! This victory is insanely valuable!"
The crowd was flushed with excitement. Many people stood up, waving their arms, shouting and cheering for the thrilling battle and its unexpected outcome. The noise grew louder and louder with each passing moment.
The livestream chat flooded like a waterfall, filled with endless praise and amazement:
"Amazing! This is definitely the best battle since the stream started!"
"I have followed from Rustboro City all the way here. Watching the streamer grow from a beginner to defeating an Elite Four level trainer is so inspiring!"
"I thought sending out Milotic earlier was cowardly, but now I realize I was narrow minded. This is true strategy!"
"The streamer is about to take off! Defeating a former Elite Four… that is something no rookie trainer can match!"
Moore gently stroked the Poké Ball in his hand, feeling the faint emotional fluctuations coming from Blaziken inside. He softly comforted it,
"You did well, Blaziken.
Facing such a sticky and relentless opponent like that, it is only natural to feel frustrated.
Next time, I will find you an opponent you can fight head on, one where you can truly enjoy close combat."
As for the loss in this battle, there was not much disappointment on Moore's face.
(End of Chapter)