Blocked?
Paul's heart sank.
Miss Joy had used Thought Shield so rarely that he hadn't thought of it right away.
"Rock Wrecker!"
He shouted the command.
Blissey wasn't a Psychic-type Pokémon. Thought Shield was a mass of psychic energy, and with enough power, it could be broken through!
"Rhy! Perior!"
Rhyperior roared. Its battering-ram arms strained before its chest as a molten projectile, like something drawn from the planet's core, rapidly took shape—
Boom!
The projectile hurtled straight at Blissey's face, only to stop dead inches away.
As if time had frozen, a pale blue glow held it suspended in midair.
The glow came from the psychic energy Blissey had released. It wrapped around the projectile like a net, trapping it and shielding her from the attack.
Paul and Rhyperior looked stunned. Even Professor Oak showed some surprise. Only Ash's eyes shone like stars.
"That's... that's amazing!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu heartily agreed.
For something like this to happen, there had to be an enormous gap between the two sides.
Blissey was a Normal-type Pokémon, so her psychic power was undoubtedly weaker than that of a Psychic-type Pokémon at the same level.
Paul was certain that even Cynthia's Spiritomb could never have stopped Rhyperior's Rock Wrecker this way.
Just what level is that Pokémon...?
He was never going to get an answer.
At Blissey's psychic command, the suspended projectile suddenly shot back. Rhyperior struggled to raise its arms to block, but the recoil left its body too stiff to brace itself. Its own attack blasted it several meters backward.
Bang!
Smoke billowed.
"Rhy... perior..."
Rhyperior lowered its arms with difficulty.
Looking at the perfectly composed Blissey, Paul felt as if he were back in his battles against Cynthia and Brandon.
He had grown so much over the years, yet he still couldn't