On the battlefield, a faint aqua-blue glow flickered over Blissey's body, but aside from its feet bouncing up and down, nothing happened. Just then, Kingdra's Ice Beam struck it head-on. Blissey cried out in pain and plummeted from the air amid an explosive bang.
"Oh dear, it was actually Splash! Looks like Blissey's luck isn't always that good!" Cynthia teased, though she wasn't worried that a single Ice Beam would seriously injure Blissey, given its tremendous special defense and stamina.
"Kingdra, use Outrage!" As the fins on either side of Kingdra's face fluttered, steadying its body for a firm landing, Lance calculated how long Blissey would take to fall and the distance between the two Pokémon, then immediately gave his command.
An eerie purple glow spread over Kingdra's body once more. Though its expression was pained, it unleashed its move with unwavering resolve. Scarlet light flashed in its eyes, and a blazing blue aura overwhelmed the purple glow. Moving like the wind, it charged straight toward the spot where Blissey was about to land.
"Kingdra is almost at its limit!" The effects of Toxic and the damage from its earlier battle with Salamence had severely depleted Kingdra's stamina, so Lance was now staking everything on this attack. Liu Qing, however, had no intention of meeting him head-on, nor was Blissey suited to such a clash. After calculating how long it would take for the attack to reach Blissey, his expression relaxed slightly, and he calmly commanded, "Substitute!"
At Liu Qing's command, Blissey immediately opened its tightly shut eyes. Seeing Kingdra charging ferociously toward it, it waved both arms. The faint glow had barely spread before Kingdra struck it head-on. Blissey shot away like a cannonball, then burst into a cloud of white smoke in midair.
"Just in time!" Lance's expression