Shalin could barely hear even the sound of the starting horn over not one, but two giant bugs buzzing their wings. She put in her earplugs she used when she rode her flying insects. Even with them, the buzzing was still quite audible. She would have time to catch up with Thomas after their bout.

Having learned how to handle Pokémon with metallic armor, Queen Zing knew what to do. Her front foreleg stings whirled like a Rhydon's horn. Thrusting them into Ripper in a DRILL RUN, her goal was to bore through her foe's red, metallic plating deeply enough that her envenomed stinger could find the soft flesh beneath.

The whirling stings landed at an oblique angle, sliding off the Scizor's metal armor and failing to find purchase. Ripper's pincers clamped down on Queen Zing, a loud cracking sound making Shalin wince. Her carapace already cracked, her trainer's hand had been forced early. Raising her fingers to the Key Stone embedded in her MEGA CIRCLET, both she and her partner glowed with the light of MEGA EVOLUTION.

The larger form perhaps putting pressure on Ripper's pincers, the red bug would have to hold on tight to be able to make the throw it wanted to. It might not get the chance, with Queen Zing furiously buzzing her enlarged wings as hard as she could. While the TAILWIND would not whisk her away unless she could escape, the vibration might rock and ring Ripper's metal armor -- and the body wearing it!

The vibration was clearly grating for Ripper to endure, and perhaps even Thomas, too. Shalin, through use of her Sygna Suit, was used to vibration like that. Even when not wearing it, she could handle a little rumbling from her Kommo-o. If anything, being exposed to it was fun for her.

The BULLET PUNCH's strength was mitigated by Queen Zing flying away from it as it smacked her. The cacophony of angry buzzing would be joined by the sound of whirling stings. Zipping toward Ripper in a DRILL RUN that was doubly powerful thanks to her four stings instead of two, sparks would fly between them if they caught purchase on this second attempt.

Learning where Ripper's weak point was, the wasp's drills were able to find purchase this time. Sparks flew as the whirling stings drilled into the red, metal armor, sounding like a construction site. The noise was loud enough that it could even be heard alongside the bee's already loud buzzing.

Ripper's BRUTAL SWING smacked her away, but the damage had already been zone. There was now a glaring weak point in his armor, and one Queen Zing was eager to take advantage of, even after she reverted out of her apex form. Raising her rear toward one of the holes she had drilled, she thrust her FELL STINGER outward. Were it to find squishy flesh beneath that armor, the burning sensation might be too much for even the ex-Elite Four's ace to handle.

The BRUTAL SWING smashed into Queen Zing like a flyswatter, her hard carapace unable to protect her from the impact of Ripper's metallic pincers. Now, both of them had their armor cracked, weak points exposed. Shalin couldn't take advantage of Mega Evolution to patch up her Pokémon's carapace, either.

All she needed was one more blow, no matter how small, to push the Scizor over the edge. Even a single TWINEEDLE, if it were to find the gap Queen Zing had created, could be the difference maker. Keeping her distance as the clock wound down, she hovered shakily, firing a haphazard barrage of the poisonous projectiles Ripper's way. All it would take would be a single lucky hit, Shalin felt, and she would walk away a winner.

Shalin's time had run out, unable to watch as the ALL-OUT PUMMELING loudly cracked Queen Zing's carapace. With such a decisive blow, Thomas was presented the judge's green flag, declared the winner. "Hey, I made it close! Like I had a shot against someone like you to begin with," she humbly joked.

Healing time was a concern; with how powerful the Z-Move was, there might not be enough time to get her Pokémon into top shape. With a wave, Shalin was off in a frantic rush, hoping a machine would be open.