The four Magical Leaves accurately hit Kecleon. Due to being flung by the Vine Whip, Kecleon hadn't yet entered its hidden state and lost its battling capability.
Soku final Pokémon was the same Shuppet he had been using throughout the tournament, and it was also his strongest.
This Shuppet, just like Floette, had a green qualification. Although its level couldn't match the previous level 38 Camerumpt and Robert level 38 Cinccino, it was 2 levels higher than Yuga highest-level Absol, reaching level 35.
Upon Shuppet appearance, Soku didn't rush to issue a command. Shuppet ominously hovered in midair, occasionally emitting eerie laughter, creating a sense of psychological pressure on Floette.
Interestingly, Shuppet and Floette shared a common trait—they were both capable of flight for now, but they would lose that ability once they evolved into Banette and Florges, respectively.
"Floette, Magical Leaf!"
Seeing that Shuppet remained motionless for a while, Yuga took the initiative to command Floette to launch an attack.
As Yuga voice fell, Floette, already prepared, immediately moved into action. The blade-like green leaves shot straight toward Shuppet.
Unexpectedly, Shuppet, instead of dodging, moved closer to the Magical Leaves.
As Shuppet neared the Magical Leaves, its body emitted a dark light, causing the four Magical Leaves to transform into ordinary leaves that gently fell to the ground.
Seeing his Magical Leaves being easily swatted away, Floette couldn't comprehend the situation, feeling a surge of annoyance.
However, Yuga understood clearly. In that instant of approach, Shuppet had swiftly utilized its Ghost-type skill, Shadow Sneak.
In previous matches, this Shuppet had relied on its proficient use of Shadow Sneak, in combination with Will-O-Wisp, and its elusive form, to toy with opponents.
Based on its past performances, this Shuppet had shown mastery over the currently used skills, especially Shadow Sneak.
"Shuppet, Will-O-Wisp."
As Floette attack missed, Soku immediately commanded Shuppet to use Will-O-Wisp.
A ring of ghostly blue flames appeared around Shuppet, swiftly swirling around Floette.
Seeing the eerie flames surrounding her, Floette screamed and tried to avoid them. However, the flames compressed the surrounding space, leaving her with no choice but to watch as the Will-O-Wisp landed on her.
"Floette, Magical Leaf!"
Observing Floette hit by Will-O-Wisp, Yuga intensified Floette attack rhythm. He understood that Floette, affected by the flames, wouldn't be able to hold out for long, and the situation required a quick resolution.
Seeing the Magical Leaves flying toward her, Shuppet form disappeared in the air. It seemed like an attempt to evade the attack.
However, this tactic proved ineffective. When Shuppet reappeared from another direction on the arena, the Magical Leaves still accurately hit it.
Despite the successful hit, Floette lower level became evident. Although the Magical Leaves struck Shuppet, the damage inflicted wasn't substantial.
When Yuga decided to press the attack on Shuppet, he heard a scream from Floette, causing his momentum to waver. Floette face turned pale, showing the effect of the Will-O-Wisp.
"Shuppet, Shadow Sneak."
Taking advantage of Floette distracted state from the Will-O-Wisp, Soku promptly ordered Shuppet to retaliate. Shuppet shadow elongated beneath it, morphing into a pitch-black claw that forcefully knocked Floette to the ground.
"Floette is unable to battle. The victory goes to Shuppet. Trainer Shimizu, please send out your next Pokémon."
As the announcer voice echoed, Yuga recalled the fallen Floette and sent out his final Pokémon, Absol.
"Shuppet, Will-O-Wisp."
With Absol ready on the stage, Soku promptly commanded his Shuppet to launch an attack. Ghostly blue flames appeared around Shuppet.
"Absol, Swords Dance."
As the blue flames neared Absol, a ring of bright blue energy swords formed around it, blocking and extinguishing the encroaching flames. Absol had previously used this move effectively against Houndour leader Smog.
"Absol, Sucker Punch."
As the flames dissipated, Yuga voice resonated. Absol leaped high into the air with a forward thrust, aiming to strike Shuppet aggressively.
However, Shuppet form once again disappeared mysteriously in midair, causing Absol attack to miss.
But when Shuppet form suddenly reappeared from another direction on the arena, preparing to ambush Absol, it was as if Absol had eyes on the back of its head. It swiftly turned around, its crescent-shaped horns on its head releasing a light blade that knocked down the unsuspecting Shuppet.
Interestingly, Yuga had noticed that Absol seemed to possess strong predictive abilities in battles, possibly due to learning the skill of Future Sight. This predictive ability greatly enhanced its combat effectiveness.
With Shuppet low defense, Absol Psycho Cut hit it solidly. As Shuppet once again floated up from the ground, it gave the impression that it could collapse at any moment.
"Your Absol is formidable," Soku suddenly said to Yuga.
Yuga hadn't expected Soku to suddenly speak to him, so he replied, "Your Shuppet is also strong."
Soku peculiar gaze left Yuga feeling somewhat puzzled.
"Shuppet, Shadow Sneak."
Soku skipped further conversation and commanded Shuppet to continue its attack. The claws formed from shadows immediately lunged toward Absol.
"Absol, Quick Attack."
In the instant that the shadow Sneak attack approached, Absol accelerated with a Quick Attack of speed, evading the Shadow Sneak attack.
"Absol, Sucker Punch."
As the Shadow Sneak attack missed, Yuga command reached Absol without delay. Without giving the opposing Shuppet any time to react, Absol claws gleaming with dark energy, Absol leaped high into the air, then slammed its paws down onto the airborne Shuppet, knocking it to the ground.
The battered Shuppet, already covered in injuries, couldn't withstand Absol successive attacks. It lost its battling capability after Absol assault.