Meanwhile, Raichu adjusted its posture in midair, condensing a compressed electric sphere on its tail before blasting it down at Blaziken's head.
Not daring to let its guard down, Blaziken stomped hard against the ground and launched itself upward, while drawing Fighting-type energy through its body and gathering it in its right leg.
It directly unleashed the combined technique of Rock Smash Kick and Vacuum Wave. A dark-red energy wave, far faster and more powerful than usual, collided with the electric sphere in a dull boom.
The shockwave from the explosion spread outward, sending dust and ash flying across the ground.
Blaziken's balance shifted slightly when it landed, but it quickly steadied itself again. Its blue eyes remained fixed on Raichu, which had also landed opposite it, its posture still calm and composed.
Over the next few minutes, Xinhai stood in the command area, his gaze tightly following every change on the field.
His fingers unconsciously clenched and relaxed, while his breathing matched the rhythm of each exchange of offense and defense on the field.
By now, Blaziken was no longer being led around by the nose by Raichu as it had been at the start of the special training.
Its defense had grown increasingly solid, while the counterattacks brewing within that defense had become several times more frequent than they had been a week ago.
No matter how powerful a Pokémon was, after every attack, there was an extremely brief gap in its Closing Form. All Blaziken had to do was seize that opening and launch an effective counterattack.
Although Blaziken's attacks could only have a minor effect on Raichu, even the slightest counterattacks could have a considerable impact on an enemy once they accumulated.
Just like Raichu on the other side. After fighting Blaziken for several minutes, several