This time.
Candice truly felt the pressure Xia Yan brought to bear.
Though they were both Near-Elite Four-level Pokémon, Xia Yan's Volcarona clearly could not be measured by the standards of an ordinary Near-Elite Four-level Pokémon.
The two clean, decisive one-shot defeats of her Pokémon made Candice understand the gap between them.
However.
Candice was not discouraged because of it.
Living in Snowpoint City, a remote city blanketed in frost, she had rarely had anyone come to challenge her, much less faced top-tier Trainers. Candice, who was passionate about Pokémon battles, had always yearned to fight others.
Now.
A truly top-tier Trainer stood right before her. How could Candice not be excited?
She recalled Glalie.
Then she took out another Poké Ball.
"This is my last one."
As she spoke, she threw the Poké Ball.
Within the red light, a snow-white figure appeared. As the hazy white mist drifted outward, it made that figure even more indistinct.
The phantom beauty in the snow, Froslass!
An Ice-type and Ghost-type Pokémon.
Like Glalie, Froslass evolved from Snorunt, but their different evolutionary methods had given them different appearances and types.
This was Candice's strongest Pokémon.
Though it was still a Near-Elite Four-level Pokémon, judging by its presence alone, it was likely not far from Elite Four-level.
But.
What it faced was a Volcarona that had already received the dual boosts of Quiver Dance and Fiery Dance.
"Froslass, Double Team!"
Candice still chose to seize the initiative, but unlike before, she no longer charged headlong with a fierce offensive. Instead, she chose the more reliable Double Team.
In an instant.
Within the hazy, drifting white mist, Froslass's figure became even blurrier. Then a second, a third, and more and more figures appeared.
Xia Yan's expression grew slightly more serious.
"Volcarona, Hurricane!"
Whoosh—
As Xia