The icy-blue lightning came without warning.
"Ludi!?"
Ludicolo sprang toward a nearby platform like a startled rabbit.
Thanks to the last few fine drops of rain, Swift Swim still gave Ludicolo just enough speed. The lightning grazed its head by a hair.
Sizzle!
Frost from the rain coated the platform, and Ludicolo's momentum sent it sliding straight toward the ice.
Ludicolo reached up in a panic. Sure enough, the tuft at the top of its "hat" had frozen solid.
"Ludi..."
"Leon's final Pokémon is Ludicolo! But things look dire! The rain clouds have cleared completely, and the Water Field has frozen over!"
The commentator knew the outcome looked obvious, but as a professional, he could not declare either trainer the winner ahead of time.
That was the Referee's job.
Leon stared at the frozen field and Ludicolo's singed head. He could no longer find a reason to keep fighting. His spirit had collapsed, as if his whole team had been wiped out in battle.
Aggron had possessed the power to freeze the entire field all along, yet it had fought Kingdra in waters that put it at a disadvantage—and won.
What kind of Pokémon was that!?
How could it be so strong!?
Leon nervously licked his lips. "F-Focus Blast?"
The weak command made Ludicolo glance back at him, worry and uncertainty plain on its face.
"Ludi..."
A Pokémon's fighting strength was closely tied to its trainer's state of mind.
If a trainer's command lacked conviction, the Pokémon could grow uncertain too, giving its opponent an opening.
Baimu pointed at Ludicolo. "Double-Edge."
"Aggron!"
Aggron clenched its claws and let out a low roar. An astonishing force gathered around it, and brilliant brownish-yellow light spilled from its body, forming wisps of energy that swirled across its frame.
The air suddenly began to