When Sebastian saw that Nathan had sent out Blaziken, a flicker of satisfaction crossed his face.
Swampert's typing was solid defensively, with only a single quadruple weakness to Grass.
More importantly, it held a natural advantage over Blaziken.
The matchup favored him.
Sebastian allowed himself a faint smirk. He turned to Aaron and said coolly,
"Slowbro's yours. Grovyle matches up well against it."
"I'll handle Blaziken."
Aaron said nothing.
"Trying to make a statement?" he thought calmly.
"We'll see."
"Swampert, Muddy Water."
Sebastian moved first.
With a heavy roar, Swampert opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of murky water straight at Blaziken.
"Blaziken… Flamethrower."
Nathan's expression remained unchanged.
"Blazi—!"
A sharp glint flashed in Blaziken's eyes as a surge of scorching flames burst from its mouth.
The fire met Muddy Water head-on.
Boom—
The two attacks collided in midair, erupting into a blast of steam as they canceled each other out.
At the same time, Emma issued her command.
"Slowbro, Flamethrower—Grovyle."
"Slow—bro…"
Slowbro gave its usual vacant cry before releasing a stream of blazing fire toward Grovyle.
Slowbro didn't normally learn Flamethrower on its own. It had clearly been taught via Technical Machine.
"Grovyle… Sage Mode."
"Sage Art, Wood Release—Wood Barrier Jutsu."
The instant the command was given, natural energy surged through Grovyle's body.
Its pupils shifted into cross-shaped slits, and dark markings spread around its eyes.
The pressure in the air around it intensified.
Aaron had sent Grovyle out for one reason—to observe Sage Mode in real combat and gauge its limits.
"Grovyle!"
With a sharp cry, Grovyle pressed its palms together and drove them into the ground.
Boom—
The earth split as a massive, mask-shaped wooden barrier erupted upward, intercepting Slowbro's Flamethrower head-on.
Infused with Sage energy, the Wood Barrier had evolved into a Sage Art. Even flames could no longer overwhelm it.
"What kind of move was that?"
Emma stared in disbelief. Since when could Grovyle do something like that?
"Grovyle—Grassy Terrain."
Before she could fully process what had happened, Aaron issued another command.
Still in Sage Mode, Grovyle brought its hands together once more. A pulse of green energy rippled outward.
Grass and wildflowers burst from the ground, spreading rapidly across the battlefield. Young trees followed, rising high enough to alter sightlines and movement.
In moments, the arena had transformed into dense woodland.
Even the far edges of the field were overtaken.
The shift in terrain caught both Nathan and Sebastian off guard.
A hint of surprise flickered in Sebastian's eyes.
"So he's not completely useless," he muttered.
He refocused on the battle and continued directing Swampert's offense.
But every attack was methodically deflected by Blaziken.
What Sebastian failed to notice was that Nathan's controlled defense had a purpose—he was buying time for Speed Boost to stack.
Blaziken's Speed Boost had already triggered multiple times. Its Speed was now at +3.
Nathan still hadn't let it fully unleash that advantage.
He was continuing to build pressure.
Meanwhile, Sebastian believed Swampert had the upper hand, forcing Blaziken onto the defensive.
"Swampert, keep using Muddy Water!"
In his mind, this was a battle of attrition. A striker like Blaziken couldn't possibly outlast a tank like Swampert.
Victory felt inevitable.
"Blaziken, Protect."
"Then Swords Dance."
Nathan's tone remained steady.
"Blazi!"
Blaziken spread its arms as a translucent barrier formed around it, absorbing another Muddy Water.
The barrier faded, and it began to move—measured, deliberate.
Its presence on the field grew heavier with each motion.
Sebastian clicked his tongue.
"Swampert, Mud Bomb."
"Swam!"
Swampert let out a roar and launched several heavy clumps of mud toward Blaziken.
At that moment, Nathan's gaze sharpened.
"That's enough, Blaziken."
"Our turn."
"Dodge the Mud Bombs—"
"Close the distance. High Jump Kick."
The instant the command was given—
"Blaziken!"
Its figure blurred.
With Speed boosted to +3, its movements were nearly impossible to follow. It slipped cleanly past the incoming Mud Bombs and closed the gap in a heartbeat.
Before Swampert could react—
impact.
A crushing knee drove into its side with explosive force.
The shockwave rippled through the transformed battlefield.
"Swampert!"
Swampert's massive body was hurled backward, tearing through several newly grown trees before crashing hard onto the ground.
Its eyes spiraled.
Unable to continue.
One strike.
Blaziken had dropped a Swampert of equal level in a single blow.
A fully set-up High Jump Kick—boosted further by Swords Dance—left no room for error.
The outcome was decisive.