"Imprison!"
Alakazam unleashed the sealing technique. Hovering directly over Venusaur, the psychic energy cascaded down like a gilded cage. There was nowhere for the heavy-set Venusaur to hide.
In this world's mechanics, Imprison prevents the opponent from using any move that the user also knows. Between Toxic, Protect, and Substitute—the core pillars of Silver Wolf's stalling strategy—Alakazam couldn't use Toxic, but it certainly knew the other two.
Normally, a trainer would have to verbally specify which move to seal, giving the opponent a split-second to react. But through the telepathic link of the Grand Diviner, Fu Xuan's intent was silent and instantaneous.
This was a nightmare for Silver Wolf. If she chose the wrong defensive move now, and it turned out to be the one sealed, Venusaur would be left wide open for a lethal blow.
She wouldn't seal randomly; she follows logic, Silver Wolf thought, her eyes darting. To end this quickly, sealing Substitute is best because it forces a direct hit. But Fu Xuan values perfection. To prevent me from dragging this out like the last round, she might seal Protect instead...
"I have to gamble. Venusaur, Energy Ball!"
Instead of cowering, Silver Wolf went for a counter-pressure.
"Dodge and use Psychic." Fu Xuan's command was effortless.
This is the real one, Silver Wolf's intuition screamed. "Use Substitute!"
The mental wave of Psychic slammed into Venusaur, but the body shattered into digital smoke, and the real Venusaur reappeared to the left. A flicker of surprise crossed Fu Xuan's face. Silver Wolf had guessed correctly; Fu Xuan had sealed Protect, banking on Silver Wolf choosing the safer defensive option. By picking the "less optimal" sub-stat move, Silver Wolf had survived.
"Frenzy Plant!"
Silver Wolf knew she was on the ropes. She unleashed the ultimate Grass-type move. Massive, thorny roots erupted from the stadium floor, churning the earth into a chaotic mess of vegetation.
"Endure it. Psychic," Fu Xuan ordered.
Fu Xuan had calculated that even if Alakazam took the hit, the stacking damage from Toxic would eventually win the war of attrition. But in the Real Version, a poisoned, exhausted Pokémon doesn't just lose HP; it loses its will to fight. She decided to end it now rather than risk a lucky break for the hacker.
The roots slammed into Alakazam just as the psychic blast hit Venusaur. Both Pokémon cried out as they were thrown back.
"Venusaur is incapacitated!" Owlbert shouted.
Fu Xuan immediately recalled her panting Alakazam. The poison was ticking faster now. She had to swap to reset the "Toxic" scaling, even if only for a moment.
"Go, Gyarados! Whirlpool!" Silver Wolf yelled, sending out her own sea serpent to greet the returning Alakazam.
Silver Wolf was relentless. She knew that if Alakazam was poisoned, Fu Xuan would have to play aggressively. She set up the water curtain of Whirlpool to lock the spatial coordinates, making Teleport incredibly risky.
Sure enough, Alakazam flickered into existence right in Gyarados's face to avoid being trapped in the water wall.
"Waiting for you! Aqua Tail!" "Mega Punch!"
The fist and the tail clashed with a bone-shaking thud. Normally, Fu Xuan used telepathy to provide "frame-perfect" data to her Pokémon, but Silver Wolf had successfully dragged the fight into a frantic melee. Even with the Diviner's brain, the sheer speed of the exchanges was making it impossible to pinpoint the "perfect" counter-frame.
"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"
Silver Wolf chose a point-blank ranged attack, knowing it would mean taking the Mega Punch to the face.
CRACK.
Alakazam's fist buried itself in Gyarados's scales, but the serpent didn't flinch. It opened its maw and unleashed a localized tsunami. The high-pressure torrent sent the frail Alakazam flying across the arena.
The combination of the physical impact and the advanced stage of the Toxic was finally too much. Alakazam's eyes rolled back.
"Alakazam is incapacitated!"
Julian Reed laughed from the stands. "She found the key. She's stopped trying to out-calculate the calculator and started forcing trades she can win on bulk."
Fu Xuan's eyes sparkled. She wasn't angry; she was delighted. "To catch me off guard by abandoning the stall... you really have grown, little hacker."
"Go, Slowbro!"
Fu Xuan sent out her Water/Psychic tank. Since Slowbro can't learn Teleport, the mobility advantage was gone.
"Gyarados, Hurricane!" Silver Wolf opened with a massive windstorm. She wanted to see if Fu Xuan would retreat or try to out-muscle the storm.
"Slowbro, Protect."
Fu Xuan took the defensive. It was an open challenge: If you want to drag me into your rhythm, you'll have to break my shell first.
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