Underestimating Misty naturally came at a heavy price.
Under Hyde's command, Qwilfish first dodged Corsola's attack, then counterattacked with Water Gun. But Misty immediately used Mirror Coat, reflecting the Water Gun in an instant!
The jet of water retraced its path and struck Qwilfish, dealing damage to Qwilfish instead.
The timing of Mirror Coat could only be described as perfect. It activated at the very instant the attack hit, leaving Hyde absolutely no time to react.
This caught Hyde completely off guard, and he hurriedly checked his Pokémon's condition. Fortunately, because the attack shared its type, Qwilfish hadn't suffered any serious injuries.
Although he felt slightly surprised, Hyde still didn't take Misty seriously even now. He simply assumed she had gotten lucky and proceeded to launch a second attack.
Qwilfish opened its mouth and began frantically sucking in seawater. Its body kept swelling and growing larger, soon turning into a spiky ball.
Xia You saw through it at a glance. This was a way to strengthen Pin Missile, a charged attack.
Using the water inside its body to increase the pressure made Pin Missile faster and more powerful, preventing its opponent from defending effectively.
This was Xia You's first encounter with such a technique. Besides broadening his horizons, he had also learned something from this man.
He had to admit that middle age counted for something. People like Hyde might not be particularly strong, but they certainly had plenty of experience. All those years as a Pokémon Trainer hadn't been for nothing, and they generally had a trick or two up their sleeves.
Faced with this attack, Misty was also rapidly thinking of a countermeasure.
Mirror Coat couldn't reflect Pin Missile, so she neither repeated her previous tactic nor had Corsola dive underwater to evade it. Instead, she chose to