SWNOVELXO Chapter 312: # Chapter 435:440
# Chapter 435: The Beginning
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day the Master Class competition began. Hammerlocke City was packed with people, countless Pokémon Trainer and Pokémon Battle enthusiasts gathered here, all to witness this historic moment.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Above Wyndon Stadium, fireworks bloomed one after another, heightening the lively atmosphere to the extreme.
In the Arena Backstage, more than half of the sixteen Participant had arrived one after another. Lance, Steven Stone, Cynthia, Sabrina, and Calyrex were all there.
Siebold pushed open the door of the Waiting Room, scanned the area, and didn't see Bai Feng. He asked doubtfully, "Bai Feng isn't here yet?"
Caitlin chuckled softly, "You still don't know him? With the Summoning Circle in hand, there's no way he'd come until the last moment!"
Everyone laughed upon hearing this.
"That's true," Siebold said, then found a seat and started chatting with the other Competitor.
Soon, the time for the Competition to begin arrived. President Dama Lanqi was giving a speech. After he finished, the Host announced, "Now, let's invite the sixteen Participant to enter the Battlefield!"
Hearing this, Cynthia said, "What's going on with Bai Feng? He's still not here? Ash Ketchum should be with him, right?"
"Probably," Blue said.
However, just as Blue finished speaking, a Summoning Circle appeared in the Waiting Room, and Bai Feng and Ash Ketchum hurried out from it.
"Sorry, I'm late. I didn't delay things, did I?" Bai Feng said.
Caitlin said crossly, "If you were one second later, you would have delayed things!"
"Sorry, sorry," Bai Feng apologized repeatedly.
"Alright, let's go on stage!" Cynthia said with a smile.
Immediately, the sixteen people entered the Battlefield to cheers from the entire stadium. As each one entered, the Host gave a detailed introduction. The cheers from the Audience Member outside the Field were continuous, and at the same time, a giant Poster appeared on the Big Screen inside the Field.
The Poster depicted the sixteen Participant battling. Bai Feng and his eight Master Class companions were on one side, and Ash Ketchum and his eight Challenger were on the other. The Poster also featured the signature Pokémon of several Competitor, such as Lance's Dragonite, Calyrex's Gardevoir, Bruno's Machamp, Steven Stone's Metagross, and Ash Ketchum's Pikachu...
"Alright, presumably everyone is already very clear on who the Participant are this time. So, next, let's take a look at the Battle arrangements for this time!"
Saying this, the Host pointed to the Big Screen. The giant Poster on the Big Screen suddenly disappeared, replaced by a huge Tournament Bracket, which showed the Battle arrangements for this event. Each Competitor's opponent was as follows:
Bai Feng VS Bruno
Blue VS Sabrina
Lance VS Siebold
Steven Stone VS Flint
Cynthia VS Caitlin
Alder VS Ash Ketchum
Calyrex VS Raihan
Leon VS Drasna
This was the result of a random draw by the System. Furthermore, after this Competition ends, the eight defeated individuals will hold an internal Revival Match. The top two who achieve final Victory will gain the opportunity to Challenge any one of the eight winners. You can Challenge whichever one you think is easy to defeat, and if you succeed in the Challenge, you can take their place!
After representatives from both sides gave speeches, Bai Feng and the others returned to the Waiting Room, preparing for the Competition to begin.
There would only be two Battles per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Since they were 6v6 Battles, they would definitely take a long time.
The first Battle was between Bai Feng and Elite Four Bruno. Placing Bai Feng, the Pokémon League Strongest Trainer, in the first Battle was also to create a spectacle.
It must be said, the Pokémon League is quite good at creating excitement.
"I've wanted to have a match with Mister Bai Feng for a long time. I finally have the opportunity," Elite Four Bruno said.
"The feeling is mutual!" Bai Feng said politely.
Soon, the Host outside called out the names of Bai Feng and Elite Four Bruno. The two exchanged glances and then walked towards the Passage in two different directions.
"Uncle, good luck!" Ash Ketchum said quietly as Bai Feng passed by him.
"Of course!" Bai Feng smiled and nodded.
"Now, let's invite our two Competitor to enter the Battlefield! Mister Bai Feng, who holds the title of Pokémon League Strongest Trainer, and Mister Bruno, the Kanto Elite Four member!"
The Host shouted passionately. As his voice fell, Bai Feng and Elite Four Bruno walked out from the Passage simultaneously, standing on opposite sides of the Field, waving to the Audience Member in the Stands.
The moment they appeared, a roar like a mountain collapsing or a tsunami erupted from Outside the Field.
Red and Delia were also in the Stands, sitting in the very front row. Next to them stood Blissey, Mr. Mime, and Alcremie. Even Jigglypuff, Alakazam, and Gengar came. They held pom-poms, acting as cheerleaders, Dancing with Joy and cheering for Bai Feng.
Professor Oak, Brock, May, Max, and Misty also came.
They all shouted encouragement for Bai Feng. Of course, Brock, May, and Misty were there for Ash Ketchum; cheering for Bai Feng was just incidental.
"Now, please release your Pokémon, both Competitor. The number of Pokémon that can be used is six. The Battle ends when all of one side's Pokémon have Fainted. Also, during the Battle, Competitor can choose to switch Pokémon at any time, but the number of Pokémon switches cannot exceed three!" the Host announced the Competition Rules.
Bai Feng and Elite Four Bruno heard this and simultaneously took out their Poké Balls. As Radiance flashed, two Pokémon appeared on the Field.
Elite Four Bruno sent out one of his Main Pokémon—Hitmonchan!
Hitmonchan, the Punching Pokémon, a pure Fighting-type. Its punches can even split the air, but its stamina is not outstanding, making it unsuitable for long Battles.
As soon as Hitmonchan appeared, it started swinging its fists continuously, looking eager to fight.
Bai Feng, on the other hand, sent out a surprising Pokémon, one he had never used in Public—Audino.
Since Audino came to Bai Feng's House, it had never formally participated in any Battle except for regular Training. This time, it had volunteered to participate; it also wanted to win a Victory for Bai Feng.
Audino rarely participated in Battles, but that didn't mean its Strength was weak.
However, Bai Feng using a Normal Type Pokémon, which is countered by Fighting-type Pokémon, caused a commotion Outside the Field.
Bai Feng smiled slightly, not caring about the discussions Outside the Field, and only said to Audino, "Audino, unleash your Power!"
"Tabunne~~~"
So, under the surprised gazes of countless Audience Member and Elite Four Bruno, Audino underwent Mega Evolution.
After Mega Evolution, Audino gained the Fairy type. Fighting-type would no longer counter it.
But there was one point: in the Master Class, whether it was Mega Evolution, Dynamax, or Z-Move, they could only be used once, and it was only once in total, not once each.
This meant that after Bai Feng had Audino use Mega Evolution at the start, his other Pokémon could not Mega Evolve, nor could they use Dynamax or Z-Moves afterwards.
This was also the Reason for the uproar in the Stands.
Almost at the moment Audino completed Mega Evolution, Hitmonchan used Fake Out. Audino was knocked flying by a palm strike and was Flinched.
"Hitmonchan, another Mach Punch!" Elite Four Bruno commanded.
In its Flinched state, Audino couldn't attack. It could only cross its arms to protect its chest, letting Hitmonchan punch it repeatedly.
Furthermore, Elite Four Bruno's Hitmonchan had the Iron Fist Ability, which increases the Power of punch-based Moves. That would hurt even more when hitting someone.
Just then, Bai Feng suddenly said to Audino, "Audino, Simple Beam!" The Flinched state finally disappeared.
While being hit, Audino suddenly raised its head, and two beams of white Light shot out from its eyes. Hitmonchan, being too close to it, couldn't dodge at all.
Simple Beam: Launches mysterious psychic waves at the opponent. The opponent who receives the psychic waves will have their Ability become Simple!
What kind of Ability is Simple? In this situation, it essentially means having no Ability.
Pokémon with the Simple Ability have stat increases or decreases become double the original amount, but Hitmonchan's stats hadn't changed at this time.
Indeed, Audino immediately felt that the punches landing on it were not as painful.
Then Bai Feng instructed again, "Audino, Play Nice!"
Hearing this, Audino immediately stood up and hugged Hitmonchan's arm, acting as if they had a very good relationship. Hitmonchan immediately felt unable to attack Audino.
Play Nice: Gets along well with the opponent, causing them to lose the will to fight, thereby lowering their Attack power.
"Tabunne~~"
Audino hugged Hitmonchan's arm and cried out twice again, with an expression like "We have such a good relationship, do you still want to hit me?". Hitmonchan's Attack was further lowered.
Because of the Simple Ability, Hitmonchan's Attack decrease was double.
"Hitmonchan!" Elite Four Bruno shouted. Only then did Hitmonchan finally snap out of it, raising its fist and smashing towards Audino again.
"Tabunne~~~"
Audino cried out in surprise, but when the punches landed on it, it didn't feel pain at all.
Mega Evolved Audino's Defenses were greatly enhanced. Now, not only did Hitmonchan lose its Ability, but its Attack was lowered again and again. How could it still deal damage?
Bai Feng was heard saying to Audino, "Audino, Life Dew!"
A drop of blue Water appeared out of thin air and dripped onto Audino. The Injuries it had sustained earlier instantly disappeared.
Hitmonchan had been hitting for a long time for nothing.
Hitmonchan was still continuously swinging punches at Audino. Audino didn't dodge, just let it hit. Seeing this, Bai Feng said, "Audino, use Dazzling Gleam!"
"Tabunne!"
Audino responded. A seven-colored Radiance erupted from its palm, and it slapped fiercely towards Hitmonchan. Caught off guard, Hitmonchan cried out in pain and flew backwards. Its head tilted, unconscious.
Fairy-type moves counter Hitmonchan.
The Referee stepped forward to inspect and then announced, "Hitmonchan has Fainted! Audino wins!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Audience Member supporting Bai Feng immediately cheered.
"Please send out your second Pokémon, Elite Four Bruno!" the Referee said.
Elite Four Bruno took out a Poké Ball and recalled Hitmonchan, then sent out his second Pokémon, Poliwrath.
Poliwrath, the Tadpole Pokémon, a Water/Fighting-type Pokémon, an Evolutionary Form of Poliwhirl, the Final Evolution Stage of Poliwag. It possesses tough muscles, and its trained arms can unleash bold and powerful punches.
As soon as Poliwrath appeared, it used Rain Dance. Dark clouds gathered above the Field, and drizzling Rainwater continuously fell.
Under the rain, the Power of Water-type moves increases, while the Power of Fire-type moves decreases.
The key is that Elite Four Bruno's Poliwrath possesses the Swift Swim Ability. Under the rain, its Speed becomes double the original.
Poliwrath's Speed was already faster than Audino's, and now it was even faster. Its body flashed and it arrived next to Audino. Two large water blades appeared in its hands, and it fiercely knocked Audino flying.
It was Liquidation.
Audino fell into the mud, trying to use Simple Beam to eliminate Poliwrath's Swift Swim, but Poliwrath's movements were too agile. No matter how hard Audino tried, it couldn't hit the opponent.
Seeing this, Bai Feng said to Audino, "Audino, Trick Room!"
Hearing this, Audino immediately stopped the Simple Beam action. It gathered its hands together, and a square Space immediately appeared in its Palm.
Audino raised its hands. The square Space in its hands quickly grew larger, then flew up into the Sky. In the blink of an eye, it enveloped the entire Battlefield.
The moment it was enveloped by the Space, Poliwrath only felt its Body was restrained by something. No matter how hard it tried, it couldn't move as agilely as before.
Audino was a Pokémon that wasn't very fast to begin with. How could Bai Feng not let it learn Trick Room, this "Miracle Move"?
The moment Trick Room appeared, Elite Four Bruno thought "not good" inwardly, but Audino had already flashed and arrived next to Poliwrath.
"Audino, Dazzling Gleam!"
Seven-colored Radiance flashed in Audino's hands. The next second, Poliwrath was slapped away. Audino moved forward again, and without waiting for Poliwrath to react, it used another Dazzling Gleam.
Dazzling Gleam also counters Poliwrath, so it directly followed in Hitmonchan's footsteps.
The Referee inspected Poliwrath's condition and then announced loudly, "Poliwrath has Fainted! Audino wins!"
While taking out a Poké Ball to Recall Poliwrath, Elite Four Bruno said admiringly, "As expected of Mister Bai Feng, I knew winning wouldn't be that easy when battling you!"
Next, he sent out his third Pokémon. This time, Elite Four Bruno sent out a Pokémon that was not a Fighting-type, but the Steel/Ground-type Steelix.
This Steelix was the one Elite Four Bruno caught in Mt. Myiacha near Pallet Town back then. When it was first caught, it was just an Onix.
This Steelix's Size far exceeded that of a normal Steelix, and it looked very imposing, giving off a strong Pressure.
"Roar~~" Steelix roared.
At this time, Trick Room was still in effect, but the Problem was that Steelix's Speed was even slower than Audino's. The situation instantly reversed; the move Audino used itself became a burden.
The Reason he cultivated a non-Fighting-type Pokémon was precisely to deal with situations where his all-Fighting-type Lineup was being countered.
See? It came in handy, didn't it?
(End of this chapter)
## Chapter 436: Cold Sweat
With the boost from Trick Room, Steelix arrived beside Audino in the blink of an eye, raising its tail and using Iron Tail to strike at Audino.
Mega Audino, being Fairy Type, was double weak to Steel-type moves.
"Audino, Fire Punch!"
Unable to dodge in time, Audino immediately raised its fist, engulfed in flames, and punched towards Steelix.
Boom!!!
Fist and tail collided. Bai Feng's Audino retreated several steps, and so did Bruno's Steelix.
While an Audino of the same level couldn't possibly win a strength contest against Steelix, Bruno's Steelix had limited training time. Bai Feng's Audino held an advantage in level, which allowed it to clash without being at a disadvantage.
At this moment, Bruno said, "Steelix, Pounce!"
The next second, Steelix transformed into a flash of lightning, its massive body crashing directly into Audino.
Pounce is a very peculiar move. Its damage calculation isn't based on the user's Physical Attack or Special Attack, but on Defense.
In terms of Defense alone, there aren't many Pokémon that can surpass Steelix. Besides its own Mega Evolution, only Eternatus in its Eternamax Form, Shuckle, Mega Aggron, and the Ultra Beast Stakataka can do so.
Therefore, when Steelix uses the move Pounce, its power is extremely terrifying.
Indeed, even though Audino had already used Reflect for defense, the Reflect was easily shattered by Steelix's impact, and Audino was sent flying backward.
Fortunately, Audino's Defense was strong enough, and it had ample HP, so it didn't Faint immediately.
Seemingly aware that it would be difficult to defeat Steelix within the Trick Room, Bai Feng decided to command Audino to make one final all-out attack.
"Audino, Work Up!"
"Tabunne!"
Audino climbed up from the Ground and began bouncing and cheering for itself.
Work Up's effect is to boost its own Attack and Special Attack by motivating itself.
"Steelix, stop it!" As if guessing Bai Feng's thought, Bruno quickly commanded Steelix.
Steelix immediately used Pounce again, crashing into Audino.
Audino had no way to dodge and could only let Steelix send it flying.
Climbing up from the Ground again, Audino continued bouncing and cheering for itself, its Attack and Special Attack increasing once more.
"Steelix, continue!"
Steelix crashed into Audino again without hesitation. Audino was sent flying once more, but relying on its excellent Defense and ample HP, it gritted its teeth and held on.
It climbed up again, bouncing and motivating itself, its Attack and Special Attack increasing yet again.
This was the last time, Bai Feng calculated precisely. If Steelix attacked one more time, Audino definitely wouldn't be able to hold on.
When Steelix crashed over once more, Bai Feng said, "Audino, Fire Blast!"
The next second, raging flames crashed into Steelix.
Boom!!!
Steelix, covered in flames, crashed into Audino again. Both Pokémon fell to the Ground, no longer moving. At the same time, Audino reverted from its Mega Evolution form.
The Referee stepped forward to check the situation and announced, "Steelix and Audino are both Fainted! Please release your next Pokémon, Competitors."
Bai Feng took out a Poké Ball and Recalled Audino, softly saying "You worked hard" through the Poké Ball. He then took out another Poké Ball.
As two flashes of red radiance shone, Bruno's fourth Pokémon and Bai Feng's second Pokémon appeared on the Field simultaneously.
Bruno's was Machamp, while Bai Feng's was Hatterene.
Following Audino, Hatterene also entered the Field.
As for Machamp...
Machamp, the Superpower Pokémon, a pure Fighting type, the Evolutionary Form of Machoke. It likes to compete in strength with large-sized Pokémon and can send a truck flying with a single slap.
The moment Machamp appeared, it used Fake Out. Hatterene didn't even have time to react before taking a slap and immediately entering the Flinched status.
Bruno naturally wouldn't miss such a good opportunity and immediately commanded Machamp to pursue, "Machamp, Poison Jab!"
Machamp's fist glowed with a purple radiance. It closed in and swung its fist fiercely, landing a punch on Hatterene's abdomen, sending Hatterene rolling several times on the Ground.
Seeing such a beautiful and cute Pokémon suffer such a heavy attack, the Audience Members Outside the Field couldn't bear to watch and covered their eyes.
This Machamp's Ability was Guts, and it was holding a Flame Orb, so its Attack power was even higher.
Pokémon with the Guts Ability have their Attack raised when they have a status condition and also ignore the side effect of Physical Attack being halved under the Burn status.
Of course, the drawback is that holding a Flame Orb causes it to continuously lose HP, making it unable to Battle for a long time.
"Machamp, continue!"
Upon hearing this, Machamp took a large stride forward, grabbed Hatterene by the neck, and raised its fist to smash it again.
However, Hatterene's Flinched status had passed. When Machamp lifted it, its eyes met Machamp's.
Hatterene's eyes narrowed, and Machamp immediately became unable to move.
Although Hatterene looks sweet and cute, it is actually a very violent Pokémon. Otherwise, the Forest where Hatterene lives wouldn't be devoid of other Pokémon. Because of this, they also have the nicknames "Forest Witch" and "Violent Goddess".
Bai Feng's Hatterene was usually gentle, but being pressed to the Ground and treated so roughly, it couldn't remain indifferent.
A Violent Goddess whose anger has been ignited is very terrifying.
At this moment, Machamp felt as if it was about to be squeezed into a ball. The bones all over its body were contracting and making cracking sounds.
"Machamp! Machamp!" Bruno kept calling out to his Pokémon, but Machamp was suffering in silence.
Boom!!!
After a round of frantic Psychic power squeezing, Machamp was violently thrown out, crashing directly into the Battlefield's barrier, causing the barrier to shake.
A pure Fighting type like Machamp was completely Countered by the Psychic Type and Fairy Type Hatterene. Its Fighting-type moves could only deal a quarter of the damage to Hatterene, while Hatterene's Psychic-type moves or Fairy-type moves both dealt double damage to Machamp.
One could only say Bruno was unlucky to be assigned as Bai Feng's opponent. Although Bai Feng wasn't a Pokémon Trainer specializing in Psychic-type Pokémon, the majority of his Pokémon were indeed Psychic Type.
And Psychic Type happens to Counter Fighting type.
Machamp fell from the barrier and hadn't even hit the Ground yet when Hatterene's next attack arrived.
Purple Psychic power transformed into a beam, striking Machamp directly.
It was Psyshock!
At the same time, the Audience Members also noticed that the entire Field had changed color, turning purplish-red and emitting a faint radiance.
It turned out that while Hatterene was firing Psyshock, it also activated Psychic Terrain.
First Audino, then Hatterene, both suffered greatly from the priority move Fake Out. Bai Feng had to be prepared.
Psychic Terrain can defend against priority moves while also increasing the power of Psychic-type moves.
Indeed, by the time Machamp hit the Ground, it had completely Fainted.
The Referee announced, "Machamp is Fainted! Hatterene wins! Please release your next Pokémon, Competitor Bruno!"
The Audience Members Outside the Field were completely silent at this point, amazed by Hatterene's ferocity. In this situation, saying Machamp was instantly defeated wouldn't be an exaggeration!
This was the Master Class, yet an instant defeat could still occur.
Bruno took a deep breath, then took out a Poké Ball to Recall Machamp and took out another Poké Ball.
At this moment, his forehead was covered in cold sweat. The pressure was simply too great! Too great! As expected of the Pokémon League Strongest Trainer!
As radiance flashed, Bruno's fifth Pokémon appeared on the Field. It was none other than his Ace Pokémon, Machamp!
Could it be that Bruno was going to use Gigantamax or a Z-Move in this Battle? Everyone couldn't help but theorize, and even Bai Feng had this thought.
"Machamp, use Strength!"
Fighting-type moves were limited against Hatterene, so Machamp had to use a Normal Type move.
"Hatterene, Trick Room!"
Both Pokémon Trainers spoke simultaneously.
Machamp burst out with intense white radiance and charged towards Hatterene.
At the same time, Hatterene enveloped the entire Battlefield with a square Space.
The Trick Room that Audino had created earlier had expired before Machamp came out. Hatterene was even slower than Audino, so using Trick Room was necessary.
The moment Trick Room formed, Hatterene dodged Machamp's attack at an extremely fast speed. However, strangely, it seemed to have successfully dodged, yet it was still sent flying.
Bai Feng knew the reason clearly. Bruno's Machamp had the No Guard Ability. Its attacks could not be dodged.
Of course, because of this Ability, it also couldn't dodge others' attacks, but Defense moves could still function normally. Moves like Protect, Quick Guard, Wide Guard, etc., could all be used. The No Guard Ability only affected accuracy.
Since that was the case...
"Hatterene, Dazzling Gleam!"
"Machamp, Strength again!"
The two Pokémon began trading blows like this, you hit me, I hit you, neither could dodge the other's attack anyway.
Boom!
After another exchange of blows, thick smoke rose on the Field. When the smoke dissipated, both Machamp and Hatterene lay on the Ground simultaneously.
The Referee stepped forward to check and announced, "Hatterene and Machamp are both Fainted! Please release your next Pokémon, Competitors!"
At this point, Bruno only had one Pokémon left, while Bai Feng had only lost two. The Audience Members supporting Bruno couldn't help but feel their hearts tighten.
Bruno hadn't used Gigantamax or a Z-Move in the previous Battle, meaning he had pinned his hopes on his last Pokémon. This made people curious about what his last Pokémon would be.
As two flashes of radiance shone, two Pokémon appeared on the Field. Bruno's was Medicham, and Bai Feng's was Dragonair. Both sides were quite surprising.
Bruno had never used this Medicham in public. Could it be a secret weapon?
Medicham, the Meditate Pokémon, Fighting and Psychic Type, the Evolutionary Form of Meditite. It is a Pokémon extremely skilled at practicing yoga, and it has even developed a super strong sixth sense through training yoga. Its battle stance is very elegant, like dancing.
And Bai Feng actually brought out Dragonair, which hadn't even evolved into its Final Form, leaving people even more bewildered.
"Medicham, Mega Evolution!"
"Dragonair, Rain Dance!"
As the voices of the two Pokémon Trainers rang out, Medicham's body burst forth with rainbow-colored radiance, and at the same time, thick dark clouds gathered above the Field.
Seeing the Key Stone in Bruno's hand and the Mega Stone on Medicham's hair bun, the Audience Members and Bai Feng suddenly realized.
So the trump card was here!
The radiance of Mega Evolution disappeared, and Medicham's appearance had undergone a huge change. It had four white ribbons on each side, a golden ring on each wrist, and many decorations on its head and waist.
Because of Dragonair's Rain Dance, pouring rainwater fell on the Field. Dragonair swam within it, truly like a fish in water.
And Mega Medicham stood on one leg, hands clasped together, like a yoga master. It was surrounded by faint white radiance, keeping the rainwater out.
Mega Medicham can use its powerful Psychic power to solidify its "aura", thereby enhancing its own ability. The stronger a Medicham's Psychic power, the more exquisite its Fighting techniques.
The white radiance surrounding it was the solidified "aura"!
"Medicham, Ice Punch!"
"Dragonair, Aqua Tail!"
As the voices of the two Pokémon Trainers rang out, both Pokémon launched their attacks simultaneously.
Medicham leaped up, lightly soaring into the Sky, and swung its fist, carrying cold air, towards Dragonair.
Medicham has a very powerful Ability called Pure Power. Its effect is to double the damage of the user's non-fixed damage physical moves.
Simple, brutal.
If Medicham wasn't naturally less powerful in Attack compared to other Fighting-type Pokémon, those with this Ability would have long been popular Pokémon.
However, the appearance of Mega Evolution compensated for Medicham's natural species disadvantage.
Boom!!!
Medicham's icy fist collided with Dragonair's tail, which was wrapped in water.
Crack, crack, crack~~
The water quickly froze into ice. Dragonair pulled back its tail forcefully, and the ice scattered everywhere. By this time, Medicham had already landed lightly.
Rumble!
Thunder rumbled in the Sky. Dragonair used the move Thunder.
Golden lightning shot towards Medicham, which was running quickly. Unfortunately, Thunder in the Rain was a guaranteed hit. Medicham was instantly swallowed by the roaring thunder dragon.
When the lightning dissipated, everyone was surprised to see Medicham standing on one leg on the Ground, hands clasped together, with white radiance shooting out all around. The damage Thunder had dealt to it was extremely limited.
It was the "aura"!
Medicham had used the power of its "aura"!
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 437: Continue
The moment the lightning dissipated, Medicham leaped high into the High Altitude, swinging its Ice Punch towards Dragonair.
Bai Feng commanded, "Dragonair, Dragon Dance!"
Dragonair circled its body in the air, generating air currents that, mixed with water droplets, formed a barrier of air and water, instantly sending Medicham flying back.
Although the barrier Dragonair created using Dragon Dance froze slightly under Medicham's punch, it was instantly shattered by the rotating air currents.
After one dance, Dragonair's Attack and Speed were both boosted.
"Dragonair, continue Dragon Dance!" Bai Feng said again.
"Woo~~~"
Dragonair let out a long cry, its body emitting a faint white light in the Rain. As it rapidly rotated, air current vortexes formed around its body, merging with the Rainwater.
Compared to the first Dragon Dance, Dragonair created a bigger stir this time. The merging wind and water even formed a waterspout, sweeping towards Medicham.
"Medicham, Psychic Terrain!" Elite Four Bruno said.
The Psychic Terrain created by Hatterene earlier had long since disappeared with the passing of time.
As Elite Four Bruno's words fell, Medicham, which was running and dodging the waterspout, burst forth with streaks of purplish-red light. The light spread across the Field, gradually covering the entire Field.
Dragonair's second round of Dragon Dance enhancement finished, and the Psychic Terrain was also completely formed.
"Dragonair, Dragon Dance!"
"Medicham, Expanding Force!"
Bai Feng and Elite Four Bruno spoke up simultaneously.
Just then, due to the third Dragon Dance, the range of the waterspout further expanded, almost covering the entire Battlefield.
Meanwhile, Medicham's entire body burst forth with countless purple light. The air-water vortexes affected by the purple light began to dissipate one after another.
Expanding Force is an area-of-effect special attack move. Although Medicham's Special Attack wouldn't deal much damage with it, it was enough to destroy the waterspout created by Dragon Dance. After all, Dragon Dance is a Support Move, not an Attack Move.
Finally, Dragonair's third round of Dragon Dance enhancement finished, and the waterspout also completely disappeared under the destruction of Expanding Force.
"Medicham, Ice Punch!"
Under Elite Four Bruno's Command, Medicham swung its fist towards Dragonair again.
At the same time, Bai Feng finally had Dragonair launch a counterattack.
"Dragonair, Dragon Rush!"
"Woo~~~"
Dragonair let out a soft cry, and streaks of bluish-purple air currents suddenly gathered around its body. The next second, it crashed towards Medicham, wrapped in Dragon-type Energy.
Boom!!!
A loud bang came, and Dragonair and Medicham both flew backward simultaneously.
Dragonair flew backward a distance upward and then stabilized its body, but half of its body was frozen, looking very painful.
Medicham, on the other hand, crashed directly onto the Ground, smashing a pit into the Ground. With a flash of light, it reverted from its Mega Evolution.
After the Dragon Dance enhancement, Dragonair ultimately gained the upper hand.
The Referee announced, "Medicham has Fainted! Dragonair wins! Given that Elite Four Bruno has lost all his Pokémon, the winner is... Mr. Bai Feng!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Outside the Field immediately erupted in cheers like a mountain roar and a Tsunami. These were the people who supported Bai Feng. As for the Audience Members who supported Elite Four Bruno, they were quite dejected at this moment.
Actually, they had long anticipated such a result. After all, the Opponent was that League Champion.
Through the incident in Alto Mare, Bai Feng's powerful strength had become completely known to the outside world. Therefore, no one felt dissatisfied with Elite Four Bruno's defeat.
"Bai Feng! Bai Feng! Red, did you see? Bai Feng won!"
Delia was jumping and cheering in the Stands, not forgetting to hug Red and give him a fierce kiss on the face.
"Happy~~" "Bari~~" "Mahou~~"
"Purin~" "Gengar~" "Hu~~"
Blissey, Mr. Mime, Alcremie, Jigglypuff, Gengar, and Alakazam also followed suit, cheering.
Ash Ketchum was also very happy, but he was in the Waiting Room, where there were other Seniors, so he didn't show too much emotion.
After Bai Feng and Elite Four Bruno Recalled their Pokémon into their Poké Balls, the two of them walked to the center of the Field simultaneously. Elite Four Bruno let out a bitter laugh and said,
"As expected, I couldn't win against you."
Bai Feng extended his hand to Elite Four Bruno and said, "It was a wonderful Battle. I'm very happy to have battled with Elite Four Bruno!"
"Me too!"
Elite Four Bruno smiled and shook Bai Feng's hand.
The moment they shook hands, the Audience Members Outside the Field erupted in intense cheers again.
The morning Competition ended, and the Audience Members left one after another. In the afternoon, the second Competition would restart.
At noon, the Pokémon League arranged for Bai Feng to accept an Interview. It wasn't an Exclusive Interview with one media outlet, but a Group Interview with many media outlets.
Not only did Bai Feng participate, but Elite Four Bruno also participated.
The two of them shared their thoughts on this Competition, and also talked about their views on the subsequent Competitions and encouragement for young Pokémon Trainers, etc., and then the Interview ended.
The second Competition was between Blue and Sabrina.
Originally, everyone predicted that Blue would win this Competition. However, the actual situation was that Sabrina achieved victory with absolute advantage.
Sabrina's performance was certainly brilliant. As a rising star, she is definitely one of the most outstanding Pokémon Trainers in the Pokémon League in recent years.
But Blue, as a veteran Champion of the Pokémon League, his defeat truly made people's jaws drop.
Later, Sabrina only found out that this was all the Pokémon League's arrangement.
Blue was already planning to withdraw from the position of League Champion and didn't plan to serve as one of the Eight Masters. In order to make way for younger generations, he didn't use his full strength in the Battle against Sabrina.
This can also be considered a kind of social etiquette for survival in the Pokémon League. Since he already planned to step down, he would pave the way for the junior who was about to take the position.
However, Blue gave full affirmation to Sabrina's strength.
But even so, Sabrina didn't feel happy at all. She understood the Pokémon League's arrangement, but when the situation happened to her, she felt unwilling.
If they could have a proper Match, even if she lost, she would have no regrets.
Finally, Blue promised that in private, he was willing to find an Opportunity to have a full-power Battle with Sabrina again. Only then did Sabrina gradually let go of this matter.
Time flew by, and it was the next day.
The morning Competition was between Lance and Siebold. The result was that Siebold lost.
These two were both friends who had deposited Pokémon with Bai Feng. Regarding their strength, Bai Feng naturally knew very well, so he was not surprised by Siebold's defeat.
Lance and Siebold's Battle was much more exciting than Bai Feng and Elite Four Bruno's Battle. Both sides fought until the last moment. Lance used Charizard's Gigantamax, and Siebold used Blastoise's Mega Evolution. Finally, Blastoise was defeated by Charizard by a slight advantage.
Because of Bai Feng's help, with Siebold's strength, putting him into the Original Anime would absolutely make him a Champion without a problem.
The afternoon Competition was between Steven Stone and Flint.
The result of this Competition was even less suspenseful.
In terms of Pokémon Type, Flint, who specializes in Fire Type, indeed counters Steven Stone, who specializes in Steel type. But in the face of absolute strength, Type Advantage was not as effective.
Steven Stone and Flint were both friends who had deposited Pokémon with Bai Feng, but Steven Stone's strength was originally stronger than Flint's, and the time he had deposited Pokémon was also much longer than Flint's.
This guy, Steven Stone, is also someone who doesn't lack Money. Whatever Resource Bai Feng has, he has always spent a lot of Money to maximize everything. Flint couldn't compare with him.
Next was the third day's Competition.
The morning Competition was between Cynthia and Caitlin. These two are both popular Pokémon Trainers. The commotion caused when they appeared was much bigger than when rough guys like Bai Feng appeared; the Audience Members' voices were hoarse from shouting.
However, the Audience Members' enthusiasm couldn't affect the Competition result. As expected, Cynthia won, and won very dominantly.
When the Competition reached roughly the halfway point, Cynthia brought out her Ace, Garchomp, had Garchomp Mega Evolve, and then, Sweeping three Pokémon, successively defeated Caitlin's Musharna, Solosis, and Dynamaxed Gothitelle.
The moment she lost the Competition, Caitlin's face was incredibly unsightly. The friendship between the friends almost flipped.
Don't look at Caitlin appearing frail and weak, but she completely has the Nature of a Young Lady. She has an arrogant temperament and also cares about appearances. How could she not be angry after being beaten so badly by Cynthia?
Fortunately, her Temper came quickly and went quickly. She didn't even need Cynthia to coax her; she got over it herself and happily went to find Cynthia to talk again.
The afternoon Competition finally it was the turn of Ash Ketchum and Mr. Alder. This Competition was a true clash between an older generation Pokémon Trainer and a younger generation Pokémon Trainer.
After the two of them entered the Field, Mr. Alder said with a smile, "That little Xi..."
Hearing this, Ash Ketchum quickly corrected him, "That Mr. Alder, my name is Ash Ketchum."
"Oh oh oh~~~ Ash Ketchum!" Mr. Alder corrected himself, "I've witnessed the Battles of your Uncle and your father. They are both very outstanding Pokémon Trainers. I wonder how your performance will be today!"
"Mr. Alder, please rest assured, I will work hard!" Ash Ketchum said with full spirit.
"Okay!" Mr. Alder nodded, "Then I'll look forward to it, Little Hei!"
"Mr. Alder, my name is Ash Ketchum," Ash Ketchum corrected him once again.
"Right right right, Ash Ketchum, Ash Ketchum!" Mr. Alder said laughingly.
"Now please, both Competitors simultaneously release your Pokémon. The number of usable Pokémon is six. If either side's Pokémon are all..." The Referee loudly announced the Competition Rule.
As the Referee's words fell, two red lights flashed across the Field, and two Pokémon appeared on the Field simultaneously, facing each other.
The Pokémon Mr. Alder released was Escavalier.
Escavalier, the Cavalry Pokémon, Bug- and Steel-type. It is a Pokémon that evolved from Karrablast stealing Shelmet's shell. It will defend while rapidly swinging two lances to stab enemies. Facing unfavorable enemies, it will also bravely Challenge.
Escavalier's classic depiction is its Battle with Sirfetch'd.
And Ash Ketchum's Pokémon was Pidgeot.
In the Original Work, Ash Ketchum's Pidgeot was released by him to protect the Forest, but it's not here. His Pidgeot has always been deposited at Bai Feng's House, usually following behind Red's Pidgeot for Training.
Facing a Champion-level Trainer, even Ash Ketchum, the "Against-Type Master," also had to be cautious.
"Pidgeot, Air Cutter!" Ash Ketchum commanded.
"Escavalier, Fury Cutter!" Elite Four Bruno immediately said.
Just then, streaks of wind blades controlled by Pidgeot slashed towards Escavalier. However, Escavalier rapidly swung the lances in its hand, using Fury Cutter several times, easily blocked Pidgeot's attack.
After thinking for a second, Ash Ketchum said, "If that's the case... Pidgeot, use Agility!"
Escavalier's Defenses are certainly outstanding, but its Speed is very slow. To deal with it, using Speed to interfere is the simplest and clearest, after all, Escavalier can't learn the powerful move Trick Room, and doesn't have teammates who can help it.
If Escavalier could learn Trick Room, this Competition for Ash Ketchum would be difficult.
Of course, facing such a veteran Champion-level Trainer like Mr. Alder, Ash Ketchum's Battle itself is difficult.
As Ash Ketchum's words fell, Pidgeot began to circle in the air, flying rapidly around Escavalier's head. The faster it flew, the faster its Speed became.
"Little Lu, that's not very kind of you!" Mr. Alder looked at Pidgeot teasingly and said.
"Mr. Alder, my name is Ash Ketchum," Ash Ketchum corrected him once again.
But this time, Mr. Alder didn't say anything more. Instead, he said to Escavalier, "Swords Dance!"
Just then, one after another long sword suddenly appeared around Escavalier's body. After circling around it once, the long sword disappeared.
"Pidgeot, Hurricane!" Ash Ketchum saw the timing was right and issued the Attack Command to Pidgeot.
Just then, a Wind Pillar controlled by Pidgeot swept towards Escavalier.
However, Mr. Alder did not Command Escavalier to counterattack. Instead, he continued to say, "Swords Dance!"
Soon, Escavalier was swept into the Hurricane, enduring the cutting wind. However, Escavalier was wearing metal Armor and wouldn't fall after just one hit.
Waiting until the Hurricane disappeared, Escavalier stood there tall and straight. Although covered in injuries, it still stood out remarkably.
"Pidgeot, Hurricane again!" Ash Ketchum continued to say.
However, Mr. Alder still did not Command Escavalier to dodge, only saying two words, "Swords Dance!"
As expected, Escavalier was swept into the Hurricane again, but it still persisted in using Swords Dance within the strong wind.
This was already the third Swords Dance.
At this point, Ash Ketchum naturally became vigilant. He said, "Pidgeot, get a bit further away from Escavalier."
However, before Pidgeot could react, a Black Shadow descended. The moment it saw the Black Shadow, Pidgeot froze stiffly on the Original spot, unable to act according to Ash Ketchum's instructions.
Escavalier and Mr. Alder Cooperated perfectly. Without needing Mr. Alder's Command, it already knew what it should do. It used Scary Face to stop Pidgeot from moving.
Waiting until Pidgeot reacted, Escavalier had already flashed to its side.
It used Double-Edge.
Boom~~
With a loud bang, Pidgeot fell from the air.
The Referee stepped forward to check the situation and then announced, "Pidgeot has Fainted! Escavalier wins! Ash Ketchum, please release your second Pokémon."
Facing Escavalier, which had been boosted three times by Swords Dance, Pidgeot simply couldn't withstand its full-power Attack.
"As expected, it's not easy! Truly worthy of being Mr. Alder!" Losing the Competition, Ash Ketchum didn't become dejected because of this. Instead, he became even more full of Fighting Spirit.
Taking out a Poké Ball, he released his second Pokémon.
(End of Chapter)
## Valiant
Following a flash of red light, Ash Ketchum's second Pokémon appeared on the field.
It was Heracross!
Since the Flying-type didn't achieve victory against the Bug-type, then it would be Bug-type against Bug-type directly! Ash Ketchum's idea was very simple.
"Kro~~"
As soon as Heracross appeared, it swaggered, gesturing towards the opposing Escavalier with its enormous horn.
"Heracross, Megahorn!"
As Ash Ketchum's words fell, Heracross flapped its wings, and its giant horn erupted with intense light, charging towards the Escavalier on the other side.
Hearing this, Mr. Alder also shouted, "Escavalier, we'll use Megahorn too!"
Escavalier nodded, raising its twin lances and charging towards Heracross.
Boom!
The two Pokémon crashed together, and dust and smoke immediately rose everywhere in the arena.
When the smoke dispersed, the Audience Members saw the two Pokémon standing face to face, completely still.
"Hera~"
Finally, Heracross moved, followed by Escavalier collapsing heavily onto the Ground.
It turned out that during the battle against Pidgeot earlier, although Escavalier had defeated the opponent, it was actually already covered in injuries and didn't have much HP left. Now, clashing head-on with a full HP Heracross, the outcome of defeat was naturally already decided.
In fact, Mr. Alder had seen Escavalier's condition, which was why he decided to let Escavalier go all out.
"Escavalier is Fainted! Heracross wins! Mr. Alder, please send out your second Pokémon."
Following a flash of red light, Mr. Alder's second Pokémon appeared on the field. It stood with its arms crossed, its ribbon fluttering behind it, like a mysterious ninja.
Mr. Alder's second Pokémon was still a Bug-type Pokémon.
Accelgor, the Shell Out Pokémon, a pure Bug-type. It's a Pokémon that evolved from Shelmet after shedding its shell. Because it lost its heavy shell, its body became extremely agile, and it battles like a ninja.
Accelgor is extremely fast, and it excels at Special Attack moves, mostly ranged attacks. For Pokémon like Heracross, which rely on close combat and aren't as fast as Accelgor, it is a very troublesome opponent.
After appearing, Accelgor immediately used Agility. Already very fast, it became even faster, leaving streaks of afterimages in the arena.
"Accelgor, Toxic Spikes!"
As Mr. Alder spoke again, Accelgor rapidly leaped around the arena while spraying a large amount of venom onto the field.
Despite not being Poison-type, Accelgor is actually very good at using venom attacks.
Facing such an Accelgor, Heracross was powerless to stop it.
"Heracross, fly up!" Ash Ketchum shouted to Heracross.
If it fell into the Toxic Spikes, Heracross's situation would become even more disadvantageous.
Hearing this, Heracross immediately spread its wings and flew into Mid-air, but doing so made it very easy for Accelgor to hit.
"Accelgor, Acid Spray." Mr. Alder commanded Accelgor.
As soon as his words fell, clumps of purple venom came attacking towards Heracross.
"Heracross, Pin Missile!" Ash Ketchum said, thinking quickly.
"Hera~Kro~"
Heracross's entire body erupted with streaks of yellowish-green light. The next second, countless needles shot out, shattering the incoming venom one after another.
The venom turned into raindrops and fell into the arena. Combined with the Toxic Spikes Accelgor had laid out before, it looked even more dangerous.
Fortunately, Heracross could fly.
"Heracross, Rock Tomb!" Ash Ketchum continued to command.
You're fast, Accelgor? Then I'll limit your speed.
As Ash Ketchum's words fell, countless boulders fell towards Accelgor. Accelgor was indeed fast, nimbly dodging the boulders' attacks, and wasn't hit even once.
But as time passed, the number of boulders standing tall in the arena increased, gradually turning into a stone forest. Even the Toxic Spikes were destroyed one after another.
The stone forest not only hindered Accelgor's speed but also blocked its line of sight.
It's important to know that Accelgor is very small, less than a meter tall, and it can't fly. Therefore, the boulders just right blocked the Heracross flying in the air, making it unable to aim at Heracross to attack.
Meanwhile, Heracross in the air could clearly see it.
However, Ash Ketchum had an even more devious trick. Just as Mr. Alder planned to let Accelgor jump onto the boulders, Ash Ketchum shouted, "Heracross, Stone Edge!"
"Hera~Kro~~"
Under Heracross's control, sharp stone spikes sprouted from the boulders in the stone forest one by one. They were densely spread across every single boulder. Accelgor had just jumped on when it let out a scream, and then fell to the Ground.
Accelgor was pierced by the stone spikes!
"Heracross, Earthquake!"
A rare opportunity! Under Ash Ketchum's command, Heracross descended from the sky, slamming its giant horn into the boulder in the very center of the arena. The boulder shattered upon impact, and the shockwave power it caused spread outwards.
Following a loud noise, The Earth trembled, and all the boulders collapsed one after another, quickly burying Accelgor within.
The Referee dug for a while before finally digging Accelgor out, and then announced, "Accelgor is Fainted! Heracross wins."
The moment Accelgor was defeated, Heracross's aura surged.
Ash Ketchum's Heracross's Ability is Moxie. Each time it defeats an opponent, its Attack will increase once.
After recalling Accelgor, Mr. Alder laughed heartily, "You kid have some skill!" Saying this, he sent out his third Pokémon.
Krookodile.
Krookodile, the Intimidation Pokémon, Ground-type and Dark-type. It possesses special eyes that can see clearly even in a Sandstorm. Although its nature is ferocious, it is very good at enduring, and is called the "Sand Tyrant". Its powerful jaws can easily bite through even thick steel plates.
As soon as Krookodile appeared, it let out an angry roar, and then stomped violently on the Ground. Just as countless airwaves spread out centered around it, the crisscrossing boulders on the Ground all turned into dust under its single attack.
Unlike Heracross, Krookodile can't fly, and the uneven ground caused by the boulders was not conducive to displaying its strength. Therefore, it took this action.
The move it used was the same as the one Heracross used to defeat Accelgor, Earthquake.
At the same time, the moment Krookodile appeared, Heracross's Attack ability was greatly reduced. The amplification it gained from defeating Accelgor in the previous match instantly returned to normal.
Clearly, Krookodile's Ability is Intimidate!
"Hahaha~~~ Little Sand, let's have a match of power against power!" Mr. Alder said with a laugh.
"Mr. Alder, my name is Ash Ketchum." Ash Ketchum seriously corrected.
"What you're called isn't important!" Mr. Alder waved his hand and said, "Krookodile, use Sandstorm!"
As Mr. Alder's words fell, a fierce Sandstorm began to blow in the arena. The sharp sand hit Heracross, causing Heracross to cry out in pain.
"Heracross, Aerial Ace!"
As Ash Ketchum's words fell, Heracross endured the Sandstorm, quickly dived down from the air, and slammed into Krookodile.
"Krookodile, Dragon Claw!" Mr. Alder said.
"Biya~~"
Krookodile swung its claws, and a large amount of green light emitted from them. Its claws immediately became even larger.
Boom!!!
Following a loud noise, the two Pokémon crashed into each other, stirring up streaks of giant waves.
Heracross's giant horn was pushing against Krookodile, while Krookodile's claws tightly gripped Heracross's giant horn. The two Pokémon pushed against each other, neither giving way, and were actually locked in a stalemate there.
At this time, Ash Ketchum suddenly thought quickly and shouted, "Heracross, fly up!" As long as it flew into the air, wouldn't that be Heracross's home ground?
"Hera!"
Hearing this, Heracross immediately spread its wings, planning to take Krookodile into the air. Krookodile was really lifted up little by little.
Mr. Alder similarly suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said, "Krookodile, use Sand Tomb on yourself!"
Following Mr. Alder's words, a quicksand vortex suddenly appeared under Krookodile's feet. The suction power generated by the vortex tightly pulled at Krookodile, causing Heracross to be unable to pull Krookodile any further, no matter how hard it tried.
The two Pokémon were locked in a stalemate again.
During the stalemate, the Sandstorm gradually stopped.
"Krookodile, Fire Fang!"
After a moment of stalemate, Mr. Alder suddenly shouted.
Although Krookodile's claws were restricted, and its tail couldn't reach Heracross, its mouth happened to be close to Heracross and was free.
Krookodile opened its large mouth, flames surged from within, and its upper and lower rows of sharp teeth were covered in scorching hot flames, biting fiercely towards Heracross.
Heracross is countered by Fire-type moves!
"Heracross, Counter!" At the critical moment, Ash Ketchum commanded.
Boom!
Heracross was hit by Fire Fang and let out a cry of pain. The moment it was bitten, a layer of blue light appeared on its body.
The blue light flashed, and Krookodile wailed as it was sent flying backwards.
In this situation, Counter can truly be called a miracle move!
Counter: Returns double the damage taken from the opponent's physical attack to the opponent.
Heracross, covered in injuries, flew into the air, while Krookodile collapsed and couldn't get up.
As the light on its body flashed, Heracross's Attack power was boosted again.
It relied on Counter to defeat Krookodile.
The moment Krookodile fell, fierce cheers erupted Outside the Field. May, Brock, and Max cheered excitedly for Ash Ketchum's victory.
The Referee immediately announced, "Krookodile is Fainted! Heracross wins! Competitor Ash Ketchum, please send out your next Pokémon."
Mr. Alder let out a bitter laugh, took out a Poké Ball to recall Krookodile, and then sent out his fourth Pokémon.
"Little Fire, you've impressed me!" Mr. Alder said.
"Mr. Alder, it's Ash Ketchum!" Ash Ketchum helplessly corrected.
"Hahaha, was I wrong again?" Mr. Alder showed no trace of embarrassment on his face.
Mr. Alder's fourth Pokémon was Chandelure.
Ash Ketchum was very familiar with this Pokémon, because his Uncle Bai Feng's Home also had one. When he was at his Uncle's Home, he would often play with Chandelure.
Chandelure, the Luring Pokémon, Ghost-type and Fire-type. It looks like a chandelier. It is said that if one is surrounded by Chandelure's flames, their soul will be absorbed and burned, turning them into a mindless zombie. This rumor has given Chandelure a terrifying color.
Although the reality is not as exaggerated as the rumor, Chandelure is indeed a very dangerous Pokémon.
The important thing is that Heracross is countered by Fire-type Chandelure, and Fighting-type moves are completely ineffective against it.
After appearing, Chandelure's pair of golden eyes stared intently at Heracross. The eerie flames on its body gently flickered, causing Heracross to feel a chill in its heart for no reason.
"Heracross, Abyss Thrust!" Ash Ketchum launched an attack on Chandelure first. The Dark-type Abyss Thrust counters Chandelure.
Heracross flapped its wings, dark light flickered on its giant horn, and it fiercely stabbed towards Chandelure.
"Chandelure, Abyssal Flames."
At first, Chandelure didn't move, but instead quietly watched Heracross attacking it. Just as Heracross was only an inch away from it, Mr. Alder suddenly spoke.
Countless crimson flames surged out, instantly surrounding Heracross and completely engulfing it.
Abyssal Flames' power is quite considerable, and it also comes with the additional effect that burns the opponent. The drawback is that it is difficult to control, so its accuracy is very low.
But Heracross was already this close. If Chandelure still couldn't hit, that would be too incompetent.
Following a wail, Heracross fell from the air with sparks flying from its body. It fell into the burn status.
The burn status brings not only physical pain and constant loss of HP, but also the special effect that halves the damage caused by physical attack moves. It is one of the most undesirable status conditions for Pokémon that excel at physical attack to fall into.
Although Ash Ketchum's Heracross is normally very gentle, at critical moments it still has a lot of spirit. Even though it was already swaying, it still shakily stood up from the Ground, raising its giant horn and showing off to Chandelure.
"Heracross, Stone Edge!" Ash Ketchum and Heracross understood each other perfectly. After sensing Heracross's determination, he also didn't give up. He shouted loudly to Heracross.
However, spirit and determination cannot influence the victory of the competition in most cases.
One stone shot after another was shot towards Chandelure under Heracross's control. However, Chandelure easily dodged them using the Minimize move.
"Chandelure, Flamethrower!"
As Mr. Alder's words fell, countless eerie blue flames surged out from Chandelure's body, instantly engulfing Heracross, which had no time to dodge.
When the flames disappeared, Heracross had already lost consciousness.
The Referee directly announced, "Heracross is Fainted! Chandelure wins! Competitor Ash Ketchum, please send out your next Pokémon!"
"Heracross, you worked hard!" After recalling Heracross, Ash Ketchum said softly to it.
Heracross successively helped Ash Ketchum defeat Mr. Alder's Escavalier, Accelgor, and Krookodile, achieving three consecutive victories. It was already extremely outstanding.
It deserves a word of praise: Valiant!
Following a flash of red light, Ash Ketchum's third Pokémon appeared on the field. That was a Flash Noctowl with golden feathers. It gently flapped its wings, but didn't make the slightest commotion.
This Pokémon is precisely the Flash Noctowl Ash Ketchum caught when traveling in the Johto Region.
Although this Noctowl is a Normal-type and Flying-type Pokémon, just like Senior Ninetales at Bai Feng's Home, it has extraordinary talent in the Psychic Power aspect. Therefore, it has always been following Senior Ninetales for training, and considers Senior Ninetales as its goal.
What type of Pokémon is the most powerful at Bai Feng's Home? Needless to say, that must be the Psychic type. The two Mewtwo, Bai Ye, Deoxys, Delphox, etc., are all existences at the peak of Psychic-type Pokémon.
As the saying goes, "Being close to the source has its advantages." Therefore, Noctowl not only trained with Senior Ninetales but also often sought advice from these Bosses.
As its Psychic Power training deepened continuously, Noctowl's surroundings became quieter. Often, the place where Noctowl stayed would appear completely silent.
The two Pokémon just quietly faced off like that. Streaks of sparks seemed to be generated in the air.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 439: Sneaky Tactics
"Noctowl, Extrasensory!"
"Chandelure, Flamethrower!"
As the voices of the two Pokémon Trainers rang out simultaneously, a purple beam of light and a ghostly blue pillar of fire collided, creating a violent explosion in Mid-air.
"Chandelure, Smog!"
Mr. Alder commanded again, and streams of purplish-black smoke spewed from Chandelure.
Smog, which carries strong poison, can sometimes leave the opponent in a poisoned state.
Seeing this, Ash Ketchum shouted to Noctowl: "Noctowl, Heat Wave!"
Since Noctowl had trained with Senior Ninetales, how could it not learn Fire-type moves? A rolling heatwave surged towards the Smog, instantly reacting violently with it.
Crackling!
The foul Smog was ignited by the scorching Heat Wave, and fierce flames immediately burned in the Sky.
"Noctowl, Hurricane!" Seeing this, Ash Ketchum commanded again.
"Hoo~~~"
Noctowl let out a long cry, its wings flapping rapidly. A fierce gale whipped up, gradually forming a rapidly rotating wind pillar, sweeping the flames and poisonous smoke towards Chandelure.
"Chandelure, dodge quickly!" Mr. Alder shouted.
However, the range of Hurricane was too large, and Chandelure was powerless to dodge. As soon as Mr. Alder finished shouting, it was swept in.
When the Hurricane dissipated, Chandelure was swaying unsteadily and had fallen into a poisoned state. It had poisoned itself with its own move, how miserable!
"Chandelure, Pain Split!" Suddenly, Mr. Alder said.
A light flashed on Chandelure, and Noctowl immediately showed a pained expression.
Pain Split adds the user's HP to the opponent's HP and then amicably divides it evenly. It truly is a very friendly move.
Chandelure's HP bar was originally not as long as Noctowl's, and it was now heavily injured. As soon as Pain Split was used, it immediately gained a huge advantage.
"Noctowl, Skill Swap!" Ash Ketchum suddenly pulled out his trump card.
Noctowl's eyes shone with purple light. The next second, a flash of fire lit up on its body, then disappeared.
Mr. Alder's Chandelure's ability was Flash Fire. Now that it was swapped to Noctowl, Noctowl became completely immune to Fire-type moves. Furthermore, after being hit by a Fire-type move, the power of its own Fire-type moves would increase.
Coupled with the fact that it was a Normal type Pokémon and also immune to Ghost type moves, Mr. Alder felt his vision go dark.
"You kid, you're too sneaky!"
"Hehe~~~" Ash Ketchum scratched his head sheepishly. He learned it all from uncle.
"Chandelure, Dark Pulse."
Since Fire-type and Ghost type moves were useless, Mr. Alder had to find another way.
"Noctowl, Moonblast!"
The moment the dark energy struck, a full moon appeared behind Noctowl. Immediately after, a silver beam shot out, colliding with Chandelure's Dark Pulse.
Boom!
The smoke generated by the explosion of the two attacks blocked their vision of each other. At this moment, Ash Ketchum suddenly made a gesture towards Noctowl. Noctowl nodded slightly, and then a speck of light flickered in its eyes, rising into the Sky and quickly disappearing.
The smoke and dust dissipated, and the two Pokémon faced off again.
"Chandelure, Dark Pulse!"
"Noctowl, Moonblast!"
The two Pokémon clashed again.
However, just as the two attacks finished, two rings of light suddenly descended from the Sky, hitting Chandelure unexpectedly.
Chandelure let out a cry of pain and fell straight towards the Ground.
But Chandelure's reaction speed was incredibly fast. The moment it was hit, it used its last move.
Parting Shot!
The moment the move took effect, Noctowl's offensive stats began to drop significantly.
This was Chandelure's usual means.
Noctowl was not a Pokémon with particularly strong offensive stats to begin with. The reason it could fight back and forth with Chandelure was entirely due to diligent training, which leveled the disadvantage in Base Stats. But now, with the further reduction from Parting Shot, it was instantly back to square one.
Recalling Chandelure, Mr. Alder said, "You kid, you're getting sneakier and sneakier as you fight, even secretly using Future Sight!"
Saying this, he released his fifth Pokémon, a bovine Pokémon with an afro.
Bouffalant, the Headbutt Pokémon, a pure Normal type. It has a body covered in fluffy fur. Its special body hair can absorb damage taken. These Pokémon mostly live in Tribes. The larger the afro on its head, the higher its status in the Tribe.
And the afro on Mr. Alder's Bouffalant was extremely fluffy, indicating its extraordinary strength at a glance.
"Moo~~"
Bouffalant breathed heavily, its hooves constantly stomping the Ground, staring menacingly at Noctowl in the Sky above.
"Bouffalant, Head Charge!"
As Mr. Alder called out, Bouffalant leaped up, soaring high until it was level with Noctowl, and slammed into Noctowl fiercely.
Head Charge is a move unique to Bouffalant. Its power is considerable, but the drawback is that the user takes recoil damage.
Furthermore, Mr. Alder's Bouffalant's ability is Reckless. When using moves with recoil damage, the move's power is increased. Moves like Take Down, Double-Edge, Flare Blitz, Wild Charge, etc., will activate this ability, and naturally, Head Charge is included.
Of course, while the move's power is increased, the Reckless ability also increases the recoil damage the user takes.
A Pokémon with the Reckless ability that likes to use moves with recoil damage is characterized by being "reckless".
Noctowl had the advantage of the air and naturally couldn't be easily hit by Bouffalant's attack. It flapped its wings to dodge the attack and simultaneously counterattacked with Air Cutter.
Unfortunately, due to Parting Shot, the damage Noctowl could inflict on Bouffalant was very limited. When the Air Cutter hit Bouffalant, Bouffalant showed no reaction and leaped up again to charge at Noctowl.
Of course, the result was the same; Head Charge couldn't hit Noctowl.
However, just as Ash Ketchum and Noctowl were secretly relieved that Bouffalant's attack consistently missed, Mr. Alder suddenly shouted:
"Bouffalant, Rock Slide!"
In an instant, countless boulders fell from the Sky, instantly engulfing Noctowl.
"Hoo~~"
Noctowl cried out miserably and was smashed to the Ground.
Noctowl was just shakily trying to fly up from the Ground when it saw Bouffalant charging over, covered in lightning.
Boom!
With a loud noise, Noctowl was sent flying and immediately fainted.
Bouffalant used Wild Charge. Electric type moves counter Flying type Noctowl, so Noctowl naturally couldn't withstand this blow.
The Referee announced loudly: "Noctowl is fainted, Bouffalant wins! Ash Ketchum, please release your next Pokémon!"
Hearing this, the Audience Members supporting Ash Ketchum Outside the Field clenched their fists.
Recalling Noctowl, Ash Ketchum threw out another Poké Ball and shouted: "I choose you, Tauros!"
"Moo~~"
With a bovine roar, another bovine Pokémon appeared on the field.
Ash Ketchum's fourth Pokémon was Tauros. As expected, Ash Ketchum is still Ash Ketchum! To deal with a bovine Pokémon, you have to use a bovine Pokémon!
Exciting!
"Tauros, Zen Headbutt!"
"Bouffalant, Head Charge!"
As the two Pokémon Trainers spoke simultaneously, the two bovine Pokémon roared and charged at each other.
"Moo~~"
"Moo~~"
Boom!!!
The impact generated airwaves that caused Ash Ketchum's and Mr. Alder's clothes to flap loudly.
Ultimately, Ash Ketchum's Tauros was slightly inferior to Bouffalant, which had the Reckless ability, in the attack power clash and was sent flying directly.
However, Tauros and Ash Ketchum did not back down because of this. Instead, they continued to attack Bouffalant with full aura.
The two Pokémon charged at each other again with high spirits.
However, the moment the two Pokémon touched, Ash Ketchum's Tauros suddenly shifted its body slightly, allowing Bouffalant's sharp horns to strike its vital point.
"Moo~~~"
With a mournful cry, Tauros's eyes turned red, and its aura immediately began to surge.
It turned out that Ash Ketchum's Tauros's ability was Anger Point. To activate the ability, Tauros had deliberately allowed Bouffalant to attack its vital point just now.
This was also a type of battle tactic.
Anger Point: When hit by a critical hit, attack power is immediately boosted to the maximum!
If this ability can be successfully activated, the boost to the Pokémon is terrifying.
"Tauros, Giga Impact!"
"Bouffalant, Head Charge!"
Mr. Alder hadn't realized that Tauros's ability had been activated yet and was still commanding Bouffalant to clash with Ash Ketchum's Tauros as before.
Boom!
The two Pokémon collided, and without any surprise, Bouffalant was sent flying.
Bouffalant, already suffering recoil damage from using Head Charge multiple times, took a Giga Impact and immediately tilted its head, unconscious.
Mr. Alder: ...
What happened?
After thinking for a while, Mr. Alder gradually came to his senses.
"Little Ash, you're too cunning!"
"Mr. Alder, my name is Ash Ketchum!" Ash Ketchum reminded him. "My uncle taught me everything!" Ash Ketchum didn't hesitate to sell out Bai Feng.
"Your uncle is cunning too!"
To think of deliberately taking a hit to activate the Anger Point ability, that's too cunning!
"Last Pokémon!" Mr. Alder said. "I'm really getting old, being pushed this far by a young person." He sighed deeply.
In fact, as a veteran Champion Trainer of the Pokémon League, Mr. Alder's strength back then was far more than this. It was just that during an operation to protect the Pokémon League, his main Pokémon was severely injured and didn't receive timely healing, eventually passing away from illness. This caused Mr. Alder's strength to drop significantly.
In the years after losing his main Pokémon, Mr. Alder was deeply affected and traveled around the Unova Region for a long time before gradually adjusting his mindset and resuming the position of Champion.
Many Pokémon Trainers in the Unova Region, such as Icirrus City Gym Gym Leader Clay, Elite Four Shauntal, and others, had received guidance from Mr. Alder during that period.
Mr. Alder threw out a Poké Ball. As a red light flashed, his last Pokémon appeared on the field.
The moment this Pokémon appeared, the temperature on the field suddenly rose, and even the light became much brighter. It gently flapped its wings, and speckles of scales scattered from the Sky.
Volcarona, the Sun Pokémon, a dual Bug-type and Fire type. A Pokémon born from a blazing cocoon of flames, it was once worshipped as the incarnation of the Sun. It can easily dispel severe cold and can freely cause fires.
Volcarona was undoubtedly Mr. Alder's Ace Pokémon.
Although his previous Volcarona had died, this newly cultivated one was still undeniably powerful.
The moment Volcarona appeared, it used Sunny Day, and the temperature on the field rose further.
"Volcarona, Fiery Dance!"
The next second, a spiral pillar of fire descended from the Sky, striking directly at Tauros.
Fiery Dance: While dealing damage to the enemy, it also has a chance to boost the user's special attack.
Volcarona was lucky. The first time it used this move, its special attack was boosted.
"Tauros, Horn Leech!"
Tauros's horns suddenly grew longer, stabbing like sharp swords into the incoming pillar of fire, instantly shattering it.
Volcarona was strong, but Tauros, with its attack power boosted to the maximum, was also not to be underestimated. However, facing Volcarona, which was flying in the air and skilled at long-range attacks with flames, Tauros, which only excelled at close-quarters combat, was still struggling.
"Volcarona, continue Fiery Dance!"
The pillar of fire struck again, still being cleaved apart by Tauros's Horn Leech.
But over time, Volcarona's special attack grew higher and higher, and Tauros gradually began to struggle. After Volcarona boosted its special attack for the third time, Tauros was already breathing heavily.
Tauros had a fiery nature and was not a Pokémon suited for prolonged battles requiring patience.
After thinking for a while, Ash Ketchum took out a Poké Ball and recalled Tauros, then released his fifth Pokémon.
Facing such a powerful Volcarona, Ash Ketchum didn't dare to be careless, so the Pokémon he released was Blastoise, which had a type advantage against Volcarona.
"Volcarona, Solar Beam!"
This time, Alder didn't have Volcarona use Fiery Dance but instead used the Grass type move that counters Water-type Pokémon—Solar Beam.
Because Sunny Day was still active on the field, Solar Beam was instantaneous at this time and didn't require charge up.
"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!"
Seeing the golden beam approaching, Ash Ketchum didn't hesitate to have Blastoise counterattack.
Boom!!!
Solar Beam and Hydro Pump collided, generating a large amount of water mist in the air, obscuring everyone's vision.
Volcarona gently flapped its wings, and a rolling heat wave surged out, instantly dispelling all the steam. The Audience Members saw that Blastoise was currently retracted in its shell and had used Whirlpool to protect itself.
Volcarona's special attack had become very terrifying after three boosts. The residual airwave from its attack's explosion could easily affect Blastoise below, which was why Blastoise had to resort to this means.
(end of chapter)