Shaking off the water from its shell, Drednaw rose from the crater and turned to face Silk again, locking eyes with her.

"Grrr... (You dodged that pretty fast, runt.)"

Its deep, growling voice rumbled from its throat, a low, menacing sound meant to intimidate the much smaller opponent.

"Chiru— (Not bad, but sneak attacks like that won't work twice.)"

Silk remained calm, though she stayed alert. Drednaw's speed and explosive strikes had already proven themselves more than enough to compensate for its low mobility. Add that armor-plated shell into the mix…

If it had been someone like Little Chirp out there, they wouldn't have stood a chance.

"Rock Tomb!"

"GRAAH!"

Nessa wasted no time. Seeing that Drednaw had gotten back up and wasn't showing signs of confusion, she issued her next command immediately.

"Teleport in close! Then use Hypnosis!"

"Chiru!"

"GRAAH!"

Drednaw let out a roar, raising its heavy front limbs and slamming them into the ground. The already cracked arena floor shattered again as jagged stone pillars erupted in a ring around Silk, threatening to bury her beneath a rain of stone.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

But Silk had stayed on guard from the start. She blinked out of harm's way in a flash, reappearing within striking range of Drednaw.

It was a calculated risk.

If Hypnosis landed, this match would be all but over. That was why Marie had gone for it closing the gap to increase the odds of success, gambling for the win.

"Chiru— (Take a nap for me, will you~)"

The moment she appeared, Silk's mental energy pulsed outward in a peculiar rhythm, weaving an invisible net that stretched toward Drednaw.

"Grrr…"

The beast's rage seemed to ease. Its violent aggression softened, and its eyes glazed over slightly. It really looked like Hypnosis had landed...

"Snap out of it! Use Bite!"

Nessa's voice carried a faint edge of urgency, though her tone remained even. Marie didn't have time to figure out whether that calm was real or just a front.

Before Nessa's words had even finished, Drednaw suddenly lunged!

"GRAAH!"

Its massive jaws opened wide, snapping toward Silk. Its thick neck shot forward like a spring, dark energy crackling around its fangs. The shadowy outline of a massive, spectral maw formed in midair, ready to clamp down hard.

CRACK!

The attack came out of nowhere. Marie hadn't anticipated it, or at least not fast enough to react with the right command.

But that didn't mean Silk didn't know what to do.

She might not have been directed, but she wasn't helpless. In training, Marie had learned that Hypnosis at this distance, against a Pokémon of similar level, could usually disrupt at least one counterattack, even if it didn't knock them out cold.

Yet Drednaw had powered through it.

Still, Silk had been wary of its spring-loaded neck since the start. Her mental energy, which had never left her body, activated in time.

Psychic force jerked her to the side midair, sending her tumbling in a clumsy roll just as the snapping jaws tore through the space where she'd been. The wind from the bite tousled her hair as she rolled away.

Landing hard, Silk twisted her body and glanced up. Drednaw's extended neck was still there, its massive head looming overhead.

"Psychic, now!"

Marie finally caught up to the pace of the battle. Seeing Silk's movement, she instantly recognized the intent: a counterattack.

Worried that Silk might try something unfamiliar in the heat of the moment, Marie called out the move she knew her partner had perfected.

"Chiru~"

The sound of Marie's voice gave Silk a sudden surge of confidence.

Her thoughts had been aligned with Marie's from the beginning. In situations like this, there was no time to strategize. She would always fall back on her strongest move by instinct.

The psychic energy that had shielded her body pulled inward. In one smooth motion, she abandoned defense, drew on her deepest reserves, and funneled it all into a single point.

A direct, brute-force psychic strike.

She didn't bother keeping herself upright. Her entire body staggered as she redirected all her focus, unleashing a concentrated blast of energy right into Drednaw's still-extended neck.

WHAM!

"GRAAAAH!"

Drednaw's cry echoed through the stadium. Its vulnerable throat was struck dead-on. Its massive head reeled, balance shattered, vision dimming from the sudden shock. The hit had nearly cut off its breathing.

It flailed, desperate to retract its neck and escape.

At the same time, Silk, having sacrificed all control over her own movement, tumbled across the ground, bouncing and rolling several times. She barely stopped short of falling into the water channel lining the field.

Covered in dust and dirt, she braced herself against the ground and forced herself to her feet.

First thing check Drednaw's condition.

It was bad.

The hit had clearly struck a vital point. The creature gagged, gasping for air, its head lowered as it dry-heaved in place.

"Grrr… khh…"

Marie turned toward Nessa.

Drednaw clearly couldn't keep fighting. With its neck damaged, even basic movement was a challenge. While the Pokémon Center and Nurse Joy's care would heal it fully, this match… did she really need to have Silk deliver the finishing blow?

Marie loved battles but she wasn't the type to stake everything on winning. To her, a Trainer's greatest role was raising and nurturing their Pokémon, not proving dominance.

So she instinctively looked toward Nessa, seeking her judgment.

But that glance, simple and unintended, seemed to strike a nerve.

"What kind of look is that? Are you trying to get me to forfeit? Neither I nor Drednaw will accept that. Don't look at us like that, Marie!"

Her voice wasn't raised, but her conviction rang clear.

"Silk, use Psybeam. End it."

"Chiru!"

Silk didn't hesitate. With her Trainer's command, she moved into position. She teleported a short distance forward, locking into range. Psychic energy shimmered around her as she began to charge the beam.

"Liquidation, Drednaw!"

"Ugh… GRAAH! (Cough... you think we'd let it end that easily?!)"

Like its Trainer, Drednaw refused to admit defeat.

As long as it could move, it would keep fighting.

The ground trembled.

Surging water erupted around Drednaw. Even in its weakened state, it braced itself, dragging its battered body upright. With a roar that shook the walls, it charged Silk with one final burst of determination.

The battle wasn't over yet.

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