The moment Ethan leapt to the side and stepped into the Sand Attack's range, his paws pressed firmly on the protruding stones, his mind was crystal clear.

Thanks to his psychic aptitude, Ethan could still track his opponent's position even with his vision obscured. He didn't need to fully extend his psychic presence just sensing the disturbance in the flow of sand and air was enough to read Drednaw's movements.

Of course, Drednaw wasn't about to just sit there and take it. The terrain it had so carefully manipulated wasn't going to be discarded so easily. If it couldn't land a direct hit, then it would just expand the range of its attack to cover the entire area!

Drednaw made its decision in an instant.

Water surged up around its body, forming ring after ring of spinning currents that radiated outward. The torrent spiraled at astonishing speed, catching Ethan off guard and forcing him to shift course before he could fully close the distance.

Aqua Ring? No... Ethan narrowed his eyes.

It was Whirlpool.

He recognized the move right away Inteleon loved using it to set up tricky traps. It was a lingering move that created a continuous hazard. Ethan had no plans to walk right into it. Having witnessed Inteleon's skillful manipulation of that technique, he wasn't about to risk seeing whether this Drednaw had trained in the same way.

But avoiding it didn't mean he had no options.

"Ee—yah!" Ethan let out a sharp cry.

In a sudden burst, psychic energy exploded from his body. Though not a Psychic-type by nature, his innate gift gave him a force to be reckoned with. Surging outward like a blade, his telekinetic field cut through the raging vortex as if it were tissue paper.

His paws dug into the ground again, and his speed spiked. A blur of violet and silver streaked across the battlefield as Ethan ripped through the Whirlpool and dashed toward the eye of the storm Drednaw.

The distance between them was barely ten meters to begin with. By the time the Whirlpool had blown away the last of the sand, Ethan had already emerged from its core. His sleek fur shimmered under the lights, not a single drop of water clinging to him.

"Raaaargh!"

Drednaw knew the moment Ethan slipped into the center that the attack was coming. It had already prepared its counter. The swirling water collapsed around it, and its head jerked upward. A gleam of light flared from the spike atop its skull.

Shell Blade. Again, the deadly strike came down with no hesitation, aimed directly at Ethan.

But Ethan had been ready for this, too.

He let his psychic field fade, conserving it. Maintaining Agility instead, he pushed off from the ground with all four limbs and shot forward straight at the blade.

This time, he didn't dodge.

He jumped.

Foul Play was already charged and waiting.

The blade slashed down. Ethan twisted in midair. He didn't avoid the edge completely, but his front paws landed cleanly on Drednaw's head.

Tear—

Boom!

The sound of impact swallowed everything. The screech of the blade tearing through fur was drowned out by the heavy thud of a body being slammed into the earth.

Behind the scattered rocks, both Marie and Nessa could only vaguely catch glimpses of what had happened. But the viewers watching through Rotom-controlled cameras saw it all in stunning clarity.

Ethan flipped midair and landed safely, his body low to the ground, breathing steadily as he remained alert. A long gash stretched from his front limb to his tail, blood seeping slowly into his black fur, nearly invisible under the dark sheen.

Nessa winced. Marie's fingers brushed the Heal Ball on her belt.

But Ethan didn't waver. The wound, while dramatic, was superficial. It had missed all vital points. The Shell Blade hadn't hit squarely, and his spine was untouched. In truth, it looked worse than it was.

On the other side, Drednaw wasn't nearly as lucky.

Pinned by the full weight of Ethan's Foul Play, its head had been driven straight into the dirt. Most of its own Shell Blade's force had been redirected right back at itself.

"Raa... raa..."

The screen showed a crater formed beneath Drednaw's skull. Its eyes were dazed, its breathing heavy and uneven. It hadn't even managed to lift its head again.

Marie's expression darkened.

The Heal Ball at her hip shifted slightly. Inside, Sylveon stirred, sensing Ethan's pain.

Marie gently rubbed her thumb across the glossy surface, reassuring it. She and Nessa had both judged the injury for what it was alarming in appearance, but not life-threatening. No broken bones. No deep bleeding. It only looked bad because of the surface area affected.

Truth be told, Ethan might've been the most visually battered Pokémon to fight in this entire match, even if his injuries weren't the worst. It just so happened that his opponent relied on slicing water blades, and those always left dramatic marks.

Marie brought her thoughts back to the field and gave her next command calmly.

"Ethan, Moonlight!"

"Ee-yah!"

Though he didn't believe the wound was serious, Ethan still responded seriously. His fur shimmered as silvery light gathered above him. The healing glow bathed his body, closing the gash and stopping the bloodflow. Slowly, the angry red wound softened and began to seal.

Moonlight was a move Ethan rarely got the chance to use in battle. Most of his opponents Baru, Farfetch'd were lightning-fast and relentless. Trying to stall for healing in those fights was foolish.

But this time was different.

That Foul Play had landed squarely on Drednaw's head, and while it didn't knock him out, it had stunned him hard. The damage was significant, especially considering Drednaw had already committed all its force into its failed counterattack.

If he'd taken that hit anywhere else, Nessa might have risked pushing on. But a direct hit to the skull? Watching her partner barely able to lift its head?

She didn't hesitate.

Nessa pulled out Drednaw's Poké Ball, her fingers tapping the Dynamax Band at the same time.

If her Pokémon couldn't keep fighting in its current state, then she'd change the rules of the battle altogether.

"Let's turn this entire arena into an ocean! Drednaw, Gigantamax!"

With a deep breath, she raised the enlarged, purple-glowing Poké Ball above her head and hurled it behind her with all her strength.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The stadium quaked with the roar of Gigantamax energy surging through the field. The lights flared, and the ground itself trembled as Drednaw's body expanded to gargantuan size its form shifting, transforming into something massive and monstrous.

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