The Pokémon journey begins in Galar

Marie let out a small breath of relief. At least the final Pokémon wasn't Gardevoir or Rapidash, but a Gothitelle.

With Trick Room still in effect, what had once been Baru's overwhelming speed advantage had now turned into a liability. He was suddenly slower than most opponents on the field.

If the white-haired boy had sent out a Fairy-type instead, one fast enough to outspeed even under Trick Room, Baru might not have been able to rely on Phantom Force to dodge in time.

The boy raised his hand almost absentmindedly.

"Charm."

"Dragon Pulse!"

"Protect!"

As the light screen shimmered in front of her, Gothitelle batted her lashes at the oncoming Baru, sending a flirty wink his way. Unfortunately for her, it didn't reduce his attack power.

"Shew~"

"Rrraaagh! (You conniving woman!)"

"Baru, fall back!"

"Hypnosis!"

Before Baru could get too worked up, he responded instantly to Marie's voice, pulling back mid-air and retreating as far as he could.

Psychic energy surged toward him, a soothing sleepiness trying to take hold, but Baru resisted the urge with a strong shake of his head. Gothitelle didn't seem particularly surprised by the failed attempt. It was likely she had never expected it to work in the first place.

Marie's expression remained unreadable. Gothitelle was clearly well-trained, and Marie still couldn't gauge exactly how much influence she could exert over Baru. The safest move was to increase the distance and try to weaken that influence.

Those last two exchanges had given the silver-haired boy some insight into Baru's capabilities and his Ability. It hadn't been a waste.

"Hmph. Calm Mind."

"Dragon Pulse! Interrupt her before she powers up!"

Marie reacted the moment she heard his command. She couldn't let Gothitelle boost her stats. Her base abilities were already nothing to scoff at if she got even one or two Calm Minds off, Baru might not survive the resulting attacks.

But the Gothitelle's technique was sharper than Marie had anticipated. The white-haired boy smirked with confidence as he waved his hand.

"Psychic! You think interrupting her would be that easy?"

"Raaagh! (No way I'm letting you get away with that!)"

"Shew! (Go ahead and try!)"

Boom!

A surge of Dragon and Psychic energy clashed in mid-air, lighting up the field with bursts of color and clouds of dust. The explosion threw the entire battlefield into a haze, obscuring everything from view.

"Cough... Shadow Ball!"

"Dodge it, Baru!"

Whoosh!

Baru's instincts screamed danger as a dark orb of Ghost-type energy tore through the dust. He twisted his body sharply mid-air, reacting almost the instant Marie called out, narrowly evading the attack.

It had been close too close. Shadow Ball was notoriously hard to control once fired, and Baru doubted even a seasoned Gothitelle could curve it mid-flight. But thanks to his own affinity with Ghost-type energy, he managed to slip past it at an extreme angle, avoiding a direct hit.

That earlier clash had made it clear: Gothitelle's Special Attack had been boosted. If it had just been a standard hit, Baru might have risked a trade. But now?

Now he couldn't afford to take a single blow.

"Phantom Force!"

Even though she couldn't see clearly, Marie gave her next command without hesitation. She trusted Baru to have dodged the attack, and so didn't wait before calling out the next move.

Baru didn't reply aloud. The dodge had been too close for comfort. To be honest, even he hadn't been completely confident about pulling it off.

But Marie's voice rang out with complete certainty.

She really trusts me that much?

Baru grinned, his mouth already wide but stretching into a pleased, dangerous smile. He didn't respond, didn't risk giving away his position. Instead, he slipped silently into the ghostly space between worlds, just before Gothitelle could lock onto him for another strike.

Gothitelle's psychic senses swept across the battlefield, but just as she caught hold of Baru's position, he vanished.

"Shew... (So, he's hiding now...)"

"Tch. Hiding again? Reflect, and stay alert."

The white-haired boy noticed his Pokémon's reaction and instantly realized what had happened. He'd already experienced how devastating Phantom Force could be none of his team could take another hit like that.

"Shew! (You got it!)"

A tense silence blanketed the field.

Then, without warning, Baru emerged right by Gothitelle's feet, bursting from the shadows with a storm of Ghost-type energy.

But Gothitelle was a Pokémon naturally attuned to space itself. The instant Baru began to materialize, she sensed the disturbance.

Still, this close, she had almost no time to react.

Her most trusted move Psychic blasted forth.

Crash! Boom!

"Raaagh! (Go down already!)"

"Shew! (In your dreams!)"

Baru struck first, landing a clean hit with Phantom Force. But as Gothitelle was thrown backward, she unleashed her psychic power in a desperate counterattack that slammed Baru head-on.

Both Pokémon were flung across the battlefield.

Baru skidded along the ground for dozens of meters, knocked flat by the sheer force of the Psychic blast. Gothitelle was sent soaring, landing far in the opposite direction.

"Baru, are you okay?!"

Marie stared through the lingering smoke, worry in her voice. The enemy hadn't followed up with another Shadow Ball, so if it was only Psychic, Baru should still be able to fight.

But Gothitelle had powered up her Special Attack. That made things less certain.

The silver-haired boy was thinking the same thing. Phantom Force was too strong to shrug off, especially one that had hit so squarely. Even with Reflect softening the blow, he couldn't be sure Gothitelle was still in fighting shape.

As both trainers strained to assess their Pokémon's conditions, a strange ripple faded from the air.

Trick Room's effect had finally ended.

The boy silently supported his Gothitelle, staring across the battlefield at Marie with an unwilling expression. The end of Trick Room marked the end of his chances.

Baru's speed far surpassed Gothitelle's. Even if she somehow managed to get up and cast Trick Room again, there was a high chance Baru would land a hit before she could finish.

It was over.

The boy held Gothitelle back as she tried to stand. That last strike had clearly hit a vital spot just standing was difficult for her now.

"Shew...!!"

She trembled, shaking her head stubbornly. But the boy, still facing away from Marie, forced a crooked smile. He moved his lips in silent words she couldn't hear.

Then, gently, he took out her Poké Ball and returned her inside.