Hideo grinned; he caught the joke, and he liked it. "True. But that's what I got Elga here for."

A shame he couldn't use the vr device included with the tournament, but this was how he did most battles anyways. It was how he already knew Cian was wearing a Sygna Suit before it was even said. "At least we both dressed our best!"

"So let's do our best!"

And doing his best meant going for the first strike. "Get'em, Elga!"

There would be a quick 1-2 combo from the Beheeyem: first, a bright glow around its body indicating the Calm Mind it'd used. Followed shortly by an odd tune sounding out from it, the Round aimed straight for the Froakie.

HP 3/3

BPmJNuSd +10

CIAN MAHER

It could indeed sing. "Yeah, kinda shocked me too! He's usually really quiet around me, but a lotta Pokemon learned to Round. Starmie learned it, Solrock and Lunatone learned it, Clefable got it too."

He felt like there was some kind of pattern there, but he was still missing it. He never got a chance to combo them together in a battle, but he'd heard their combined singing before - not that bad, albeit strange.

Alas, the strength behind it wasn't enough: the Smokescreen proved an effective defense, and the Hydro Pump hit his Beheeyem straight on. The smoke made it hard to guess where the Froakie had moved to this time.

Well, that just meant using the one attack it had with the largest range.

"Another round of Rounds!" Hideo shouted, his Beheeyem blindly singing into the smoke.

HP 2/3

I5TKwDj2 +10

CIAN MAHER

Sounded like those Rounds did the trick that time around, but he'd have been shocked if that attack alone won the battle.

His Beheeyem was already preparing for whatever attack the Froakie came at it with next, chunks of rock pulled up from the ground with an anticipatory Rock Tomb. It just had to wait, aaaaaaaand…

There!

The Beheeyem was able to evade the Smack Down, and its hand swung to the side - the Rock Tomb following suit, towards the Froakie.

HP 2/3

XfZ_YQCs +10

CIAN MAHER

The attack struck - but their opponent was far from finished. That Double Team would prove tricky to deal with; they had to choose one target.

The Beheeyem let Hideo make the choice. And with no hint to the real one, he had to guess: "The left one!"

The Beheeyem Psychically lifted some of the spare Rock Tomb shards, tossing it at the chosen target - and proved to everyone that Hideo chose the wrong target.

That Lick caught the Beheeyem, who seemed to have a bit of trouble standing after that attack. It had to be careful not to catch another one.

It sent the remained of the rocks it'd lifted towards the Froakie that'd licked it - the actual Froakie.

HP 1/3

FPgW|mXb +10

CIAN MAHER

They were neck-in-neck: one more hit would take down either Pokemon. Hideo was listening carefully, to hear for any incoming attacks. The moment he heard the Hydro Pump be fired, he was quick to act; "Move, Elga!" he shouted.

His Beheeyem just barely managed to avoid the attack, and was already readying an attack of its own: it went to focus Psychic energy around the Froakie, to toss it aside.

But would the attack take before the Froakie could strike first?

HP 1/3

cBVvA58K +10

CIAN MAHER

Unfortunately, his Beheeyem wasn't a fast Pokemon: it was able to avoid the initial Hydro Pump, but all it took was the Froakie adjusting where it aimed to catch the Pokemon. The Beheeyem was left drenched - and knocked out.

"Dang," Hideo muttered, recalling his Beheeyem into its ball, "and after such a strong start. Can't say I saw that coming."

It was a good battle, at least. "'Least we both put up a pretty good fight. Not like we needed to prove ourselves to each other."

They'd been through enough Wilds expeditions to know that.

CIAN MAHER