"Floragato, Sucker Punch!"
"Skeledirge, Torch Song!"
The arrival of the second Pokémon signaled the battle's continuation, and the two commands rang out across the battlefield in quick succession.
Gray-black Dark-type energy cloaked Floragato as it darted forward.
The priority of Sucker Punch let it rush to Skeledirge's side even faster.
Just as its claws descended, wreathed in gray-black Dark-type energy, Skeledirge opened its jaws wide and burst into song.
Infused with the flames in its mouth, the song became brilliant crimson waves that rippled outward as Skeledirge's voice rose.
The independent soul on its snout, shaped like a firebird, responded to the song by releasing a stream of pale golden energy back into Skeledirge's body.
The indiscriminate reach of sound-based moves ensured that the fiery ripples struck Floragato behind it.
Floragato's face tightened in pain.
Torch Song-Skeledirge's signature move. A special Fire-type attack with 80 power and an additional effect that raised the user's Special Attack by one stage!
The description alone offered a glimpse of just how powerful this signature move was.
It was almost as powerful as Flamethrower, with a free one-stage Special Attack boost thrown in!
Xia Chi clicked his tongue softly. If only Floragato knew Throat Chop.
A move that temporarily prevented the opponent from using sound-based moves would have been perfect right now.
"Floragato, Shadow Claw!"
Since Sucker Punch failed if the opponent didn't use an attacking move, Xia Chi switched to Shadow Claw, which was likewise super effective and had a high critical-hit ratio.
He also had a deeper plan: turn Floragato into a Ghost type to bait the opponent into attacking with Ghost-type moves.
Floragato would take more damage, but that was still better than letting Skeledirge keep stacking Special Attack boosts, wasn't it?
The moment Xia Chi finished speaking, spectral power gathered