"Let the battle begin!"
Right from the start, Skyla issued her attack command according to what she had imagined, following the course of the battle that had already played out in her mind.
"Swoobat, seize the initiative! Pick up speed!"
Her tactical intent was clear. Since she was facing a Dark-type Pokémon and Psychic-type moves would no longer work, she would make full use of her advantage in flight. Attacking from above, with a clear view and no cover in the way, she would draw her opponent into her rhythm.
Of course, that did not mean her Swoobat would defeat this black Greninja.
After all, there was a type disadvantage, so in her imagination, Swoobat had also lost to Greninja. But it had drained a great deal of its opponent's stamina, laying the groundwork for victory in the second round.
That was also the key to her success!
High in the air, Swoobat gave a powerful beat of its wings, abruptly gaining altitude and stirring up a rush of air.
Rather than ascending in a straight line, it climbed rapidly along an unpredictable zigzag path, attempting to disrupt its opponent's judgment with irregular maneuvers while quickly securing the advantage of height.
This was a well-practiced opening aerial maneuver for Skyla and her Pokémon, allowing them to evade potential surprise attacks while taking a favorable position.
At the same time, Skyla kept a close eye on Greninja's every move.
In her imagination, Greninja would next try to counterattack with a ranged Water Gun or Water Shuriken, but her Swoobat would easily evade those attacks.
In the blink of an eye, Swoobat streaked through the air like a shadow.
Yet, fast as it was, Greninja was even faster!
Although Greninja reacted second, it caught up first. Like a black shadow, it moved