Pokémon, Ash is going to become a perfect man from now on.

Serena actually managed to get Diancie to trade Claydol's Levitate ability, allowing her to take Mawile into the air with her—a tactic he never expected.

"Milotic, use boiling water! Claydol, use psychic interference to assist in control!"

However, Robert's offensive did not stop there. Milotic in the back row spewed out a stream of scorching water, and Claydol also released its psychic powers, turning the water into a steaming dragon that coiled and pounced forward!

"Mouthwa, Sword Dance! Diancie, Trick Room!"

Serena calmly responded, Mawile immediately activated its buff, and Diancie seized the moment when the water dragon pounced and instantly created a spatial dimension, then quickly teleported away with Mawile!

Diancie and Mawile were both slower than each other, and this trickery directly increased their mobility, which also had a counterproductive effect on the high-speed rotation of the Psychic Claydot.

"Mouthwa, attack!"

Seeing that the water dragon that had been dodged was about to return, Diancie threw Mawile forward. Mawile used the momentum to unleash its power again, swinging its huge jaws fiercely at the Claydol.

The opponent is continuously using mental interference, which is equivalent to constantly using offensive moves. The surprise attack is bound to succeed!

"Claydot, protect!" Robert obviously knew this too, so he could only have Claydot stop all its superpowers and activate its protection as it landed.

Bang! !

The giant jaws struck the protective shield with a loud bang. The Maw of Basilisk, having missed its target, did not linger and immediately retreated.

Serena knew very well that Robert wouldn't let any opportunity slip by.

"Milotic, use Iron Tail!" Sure enough, as Mawile left, Robert had already ordered Milotic to charge forward and unleash its massive, metallic tail at Diancie!

Fortunately, Mouthball returned to defense in time and steadily blocked the attack for his partner.

"Mouthwa... I'm sorry." A hint of apology flashed in Diancie's eyes, and her mental interference immediately erupted, firmly controlling Milotic's body!

"Koo!" Mega Mouthball regrouped and launched his Playful Trick head-on!

"Milanos, use Regeneration!" Robert instinctively sensed something was wrong and quickly told Milanos to activate Regeneration.

The next second, a tremendous force sent it flying!

"Clay Doll of Psychic Power, Earth Power!" Although Robert was very worried about Milotic's condition, the battle was still ongoing, so he could only let his other companions attack with all their might.

"Mouthwa, use Surprise Attack! Diancie, use Psychic!"

"Oh no..." Robert's expression changed instantly.

With the help of Diancie's mental interference, Mawile flew out like a cannonball, knocking out the psychic clay idol in one blow!

This also made Robert realize that his chances of winning were slim.

In the ensuing battle, Milotic managed to get up and unleashed its Surf move with all its might, but Diancie once again swapped abilities with her partner and used Psychic to levitate.

The floating giant frog and the strongman Diancie stood in the air at the same time, ending the game with a double frolic!

"The match is over! Congratulations to Ms. Serena for successfully advancing to the finals!!"

Chapter 923 The object of contention is…Salina?

The match ended, but the cheers from the crowd continued, and even seemed to be getting louder.

Among the audience were many knowledgeable people, who could certainly tell that the fight between Serena and Robert was the most exciting duel of the entire grand celebration.

Serena won decisively and beautifully!

With its ability swap and Trick Room, Diancie's support is agile and fluid; with its Huge Power ability and Sucker Punch burst, Mega Mawile's offensive is also exceptionally fierce.

The combination of the two is like adding acceleration guidance to a long spear, making it even more powerful.

"I've completely lost. Miss Serena is truly an amazing trainer." Robert stepped forward, shook hands with Serena, and readily admitted defeat.

"That was a good match. Let's go all out again next time," Serena said with a smile.

Defeating a formidable opponent truly gave her an indescribable sense of excitement.

What she wants to do most right now is to celebrate with her partner after the hard work.

"Salina, did we really win?" Tianxi was still a little stunned when the girl hugged her.

This was its first time playing such a battle; it was tense, yet exhilarating.

"Of course we won! It's all thanks to your efforts!" Serena affirmed with a smile. "Mouthwa's attack was very effective, and Diancie's support was timely. We weren't hit by any Ground-type attacks the entire time."

Like Musashi's two venomous snakes, Serena's two snakes were actually countered by the psychic clay golems... but under Serena's command, they gained the ability to fly.

"I still didn't do well enough... I had to let Mawile take the hits for me," Diancie said in a low voice, seemingly somewhat annoyed.

"It's okay, because we're comrades." "Ku~"

Serena offered gentle words of comfort, and Mawile waved his hand to indicate that he didn't care about that level of harm at all.

“Companions… I think I understand now!” Looking at her companions, Diancie seemed to have a sudden realization.

Only those who can protect you regardless of danger and provide full support can be called your comrades!

hum~

A ray of colorful light quietly bloomed, connecting Diancie's heart and Serena's pocket... where Diancie's first successfully crafted diamond was kept, which Serena always carried with her.

"Tianci, we've gained something else too." "Indeed~"

The two partners looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without a word.

...

"Salina is really amazing... She can actually turn this kind of lineup into an aerial battle." In the stands, Higana couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Her graceful flying style was something even the Meteor Clan, who was most skilled in aerial combat, admired!

"Because she is a person who soars!" Ash said with a smile.

"The one who soars... How did you come up with that term? But it's really fitting." Higana recalled Serena's various behaviors and felt that it was a title tailor-made for Serena.

Xiao Zhi simply smiled and remained silent.

The terms "dancer of the sky" and "soaring person" are not enough to describe Serena as she is today.

Little Intelligence discovered many qualities in her.

Even now, Serena remains just like in the anime, exceptionally devoted to Ash, yet sometimes very shy... She is usually gentle and generous, and also has excellent cooking skills.

Hanako herself said that Serena's cooking skills are the best among all the girls, and her dessert skills have even surpassed those of Hanako, a professional chef.

Her specially made poppies have always been highly praised in Ash's social circle.

Besides being a married woman, she is also a person who soars through the skies. What was originally a hobby of wingsuit flying has now been perfectly combined with a splendid performance.

Finally, there's her match, where she displays a strong style while also emphasizing technique, a perfect blend of elegance and power.

Every time Ash sees her in battle, he is reminded of the female protagonist from the XY games.

These three qualities, one before and one after, are perfectly integrated in her, creating the unique Serena we know today.

This Serena belongs entirely to Ash!

...

As the excitement of the first semi-final gradually subsided, the match between Haruka and Rukia finally officially began!

"I will definitely beat you!" Before the match, Rukia excitedly declared her determination to win, "and then advance to the finals to face Serena!"

“That’s what I should say!” Xiaoyao refused to back down. “The reason I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am today is so that I can be with Serena and strive for the highest honor!”

...

“Wait… there’s something off about their conversation.” Higanbana turned to Ash speechlessly. “It’s like they’re holding back, trying to steal Serena away from you.”

"Don't ask, I'm having a bad time right now too." Ash waved his hand speechlessly.

These people are all quite good at creating entertaining content.

However, despite the outrageous pre-match rhetoric, there's nothing to worry about regarding the match result.

Start with Mega Evolution, then try to keep Blaziken safe... This strategy was already taught to May long ago.

May did the same thing. Faced with Milotic's opening Hydro Pump attack, she had Blaziken use Protect to Mega Evolve!

A flash of light accelerated the turkey as it began to run around the arena, continuously unleashing vortexes of fire while casting Clear Skies.

The hunting swallowtail butterfly wasn't idle either, unleashing a double attack of butterfly dance and paralysis powder, attempting to cover the entire area with powder.

As for Milotic's water cannon and Altaria's mysterious protective aura after Mega Evolution, May simply ignored them.

She had made up her mind that she and Ryukia would each play their own part in this battle... because that would put her in an invincible position!

Rukia's weapon has a complete advantage over May, but even so, she still has to deal with May's special moves.

She cannot allow the flame vortex to spread, because once it develops into a bound state, her Pokémon will have to continuously lose stamina.

She also couldn't let the paralyzing powder spread; if someone actually got hit, the subsequent battles would be incredibly frustrating.

However, if she is distracted like this, she will inevitably miss Xiaoyao's backup plan.

First, Blaziken's speed is getting faster and faster; second, clear skies affect more than just the power of the Flame Vortex!

"Butterfly Hunting, Solar Beam!" "Blazing Chicken, Sky Punch!"

"Oh no..."

After patiently guerrilla tactics, Haruka finally seized the opportunity and launched a full-scale attack before the clear weather ended!