Chapter 92: Trick Room and a Sea of Flames

"The battle begins!"

"Dusknoir, use Shadow Sneak!"

The moment the referee announced the start, Conway's command rang out.

The shadow beneath Dusknoir stretched out instantly, striking Magmar from behind with a heavy blow.

BANG!

Caught off guard, Magmar staggered forward, taking a significant hit.

An opening move—what a miscalculation.

"Barry, get ready!" Lucas said with a frown. "Magmar, Flamethrower!"

"Got it! Staravia, take to the skies and use Air Slash!" Barry replied in sync.

A stream of flames erupted from Magmar's mouth, targeting the slower-moving Dusknoir. Meanwhile, Staravia flapped its wings and soared high, creating dozens of sharp wind blades that rained down on Dusknoir.

Rather than targeting the nimble Turtwig, they chose the slower Dusknoir as their breakthrough point.

"Dusknoir, use Trick Room!"

Facing the oncoming attacks, Dusknoir didn't dodge but instead began channeling its energy, emitting a mysterious purple glow.

"Turtwig, use Razor Leaf and Magical Leaf!"

The well-trained Turtwig quickly unleashed a flurry of leaves. Razor Leaf countered the Flamethrower, while Magical Leaf intercepted the Air Slash.

The Razor Leaf cut through the stream of flames before being incinerated, and the Magical Leaf precisely collided with the falling wind blades.

Though this move didn't entirely block both attacks, it successfully shielded Dusknoir from the initial wave.

Finally, just as the attacks were about to strike Dusknoir, a peculiar force field enveloped the battlefield, creating a mysterious space that trapped all Pokémon within it.

Trick Room!

In an instant, the speed of Staravia in the air, Magmar on the ground, and Turtwig was drastically reduced. Conversely, the previously stationary Dusknoir vanished as the Trick Room took effect, dodging all attacks effortlessly.

"Trick Room activated. Thunder Punch!"

Conway seized the momentum. Dusknoir, as if teleporting, suddenly appeared above Staravia. Its massive fist crackled with electricity as it descended.

Normally, Staravia might have dodged. However, under the speed-reversing effects of Trick Room, even its specialized training was rendered ineffective.

Though its mind reacted, its body couldn't keep up. With a burst of pain, Thunder Punch struck true!

Super effective!

BANG!

"Caww!"

With a miserable cry, Staravia plummeted from the sky. Magmar considered catching it but refrained due to its Flame Body ability, fearing it might inadvertently burn Staravia and further diminish their chances of victory.

It could only watch as Staravia crashed to the ground, taking additional damage.

At this rate, one more hit would be too much for Staravia to endure.

"Continue, Thunder Punch!" Conway pressed his advantage without hesitation.

Dusknoir moved with ghostly speed, appearing beside the two Pokémon in a flash. Its Thunder Punch aimed for Staravia once again.

"Now, Will-O-Wisp!"

Magmar, which hadn't caught Staravia earlier, wasn't idle. A peculiar flame erupted from its mouth, striking Dusknoir just before Thunder Punch landed, inflicting a burn.

The burn reduced Thunder Punch's power, allowing Staravia to survive the attack.

Though it was still struck and sent flying, Staravia remained conscious.

"A burn... troublesome!" Conway muttered. "Dusknoir, keep using Thunder Punch!"

Despite the burn, Dusknoir's Thunder Punch was still highly effective against the Flying-type Staravia. It was just a matter of landing another hit.

"Staravia, use Double Team!" Barry called out.

Regaining its composure, Staravia twisted its body, creating dozens of clones that filled the battlefield.

Dusknoir's Thunder Punch only managed to dispel one of the illusions. At the same time, the burn on its body inflicted some damage.

While Double Team worked well against many opponents, it wasn't ideal for Dusknoir.

"Turtwig, use Magical Leaf!" Paul commanded.

The now fully-grown Turtwig stood tall, releasing a storm of Magical Leaf that homed in on Staravia's clones, destroying them one by one before targeting the real one.

In reality, there are no truly inescapable moves, but Magical Leaf came close.

Meanwhile, Dusknoir charged up another attack.

"Dusknoir, use Shadow Punch!"

Gathering its energy, Dusknoir launched two purple spectral fists, which unerringly flew toward Staravia's position.

"Why is everyone targeting me?!" Barry exclaimed in frustration.

"Magmar, use Smokescreen!" Lucas called out.

To support Staravia, Magmar unleashed a massive Smokescreen, engulfing the entire battlefield.

Whoosh!

Flames and smoke poured out from Magmar's body, raising the temperature of the entire area. The thick smoke obscured the battlefield, hitting everything indiscriminately.

Caught in the Smokescreen, Dusknoir couldn't dodge in time and was scorched. The airborne Magical Leaf was mostly incinerated, leaving only a few fragments that Staravia managed to counter with Air Slash.

However, the Shadow Punch remained unaffected, homing in on Staravia.

"Steel Wing!" Barry commanded.

Staravia bravely charged forward, using Steel Wing to deflect the incoming Shadow Punch. Fortunately, the burn on Dusknoir weakened the attack's power. Otherwise, Staravia might have fallen into the fiery Smokescreen below.

Magmar's Smokescreen didn't stop—it continued, turning the battlefield into a sea of flames. Staravia narrowly avoided the inferno, while Turtwig created a small safe zone with Razor Leaf and Magical Leaf.

Even so, Turtwig couldn't last long in such extreme conditions.

"This strategy is infuriating, but it's a good thing I have Dusknoir." Conway muttered.

Aware that time was running out for Turtwig, Lucas and Barry adjusted their strategy. Staravia, now freed from immediate threats, began targeting Turtwig with relentless Air Slashes.

Under pressure, Turtwig faltered, accidentally stepping into the flames and suffering a burn. Its health began to plummet.

The fiery battlefield was overwhelming, and Turtwig was on the verge of collapse.

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