Desert Tyrant!

Even if it was hard to believe, Swellow had indeed overcome its intense drowsiness and delivered the final blow to Skeledirge.

".Is this the power the teacher spoke of, born from connecting with a Pokémon's heart?"

Zhen Si murmured to himself, but there was not a trace of confusion in his eyes.

He knew perfectly well that he would not choose such a path.

Power driven by emotion might erupt with unimaginable strength at crucial moments, but Zhen Si did not want to entrust his "future" to that uncertain possibility.

—What he pursued was pure, unwavering strength.

"You did well enough, Skeledirge."

Raising a hand to recall the Skeledirge embedded in the wall with a Poké Ball, Zhen Si did not hesitate before releasing his third Pokémon.

"It's your turn, Froslass!"

Accompanied by an ethereal hum, a Pokémon wearing an ice-crystal mask and a kimono-like garment, resembling a young girl, appeared on the field.

Froslass, an Ice- and Ghost-type Pokémon.

As a Pokémon that was exclusively female, Froslass possessed the additional Ghost-type attribute unlike its other evolution branch, Glalie, which normally had both male and female sexes.

That also reflected its abilities to a certain extent.

However, for Ash, who was seeing Zhen Si send out Froslass for the first time, he had no such awareness or caution.

He merely raised his hand and shouted spiritedly, "Keep the momentum going and take another win! Quick Attack!"

"Swah!" Swellow flapped its wings and dove down, trailing white streaks of light like a falling meteor as it charged at Froslass.

"You still love using Quick Attack." Zhen Si gave his command confidently. "Hail!"

A milky-white fog immediately blanketed the entire battlefield, while hail began falling from the sky at some unknown point.

The area Swellow swept through no longer held any trace