Chapter 313
Since attacks from above will be blocked by the opponent's tough back armor, then let's try a more suitable angle!
Despite the stone fragments hitting him, Yveltal flapped his wings and charged straight out of the encirclement.
Although these attacks still caused considerable damage, compared to the battles he had experienced before, it was still a drop in the ocean, and he could still withstand it.
Moreover, once she adjusts her angle, the balance of the battle will be completely reversed!
"Now!"
As Yveltal broke through the encirclement and swooped down to near the ground, she turned her body around and unleashed her Death Storm once again towards the Torterra.
"Torterra, defend against the opponent's attack!" Hua Wanshuang wanted Torterra to defend, but the energy emitted by Yveltal, which had already rushed close to the ground, was no longer so easy to defend against.
Even though it slightly retracted its head, it didn't have much of an effect.
From this angle, it was practically a direct hit to the face of the Torterra. While it wouldn't knock down the thick-skinned Torterra, it still caused it to let out a painful Growl.
"Did they actually charge straight out of Rock Type attack and trade blows with Torterra?"
Hua Wanshuang never expected Qiao Ran to make such a choice. Despite her surprise, she couldn't help but say something.
"If you're still thinking the same way you did in the last match, then you're seriously underestimating Torterra's defensive capabilities..."
If we compare defense and attack power, her Torterra is second to none, and she is quite confident that she can win in a direct HP exchange.
However—what happened next made her eyes widen in shock, and she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
Suddenly, Yveltal, who had appeared to be covered in wounds, began to show signs of healing, and his enormous wings began to shine brightly once more.
"This is... using a skill that restores stamina?"
Hua Wanshuang's eyes flickered.
She guessed that her opponent had used a skill, but from the start of the battle until now, her opponent hadn't had a single opportunity to use one.
If there's only one possibility, then it's --
"No, no, could it be the attack just now?"
"This skill even has a stamina-restoring effect?!"
As the Grass-type Gym Leader, Hua Wanshuang is quite familiar with this kind of move that can restore HP.
Moves like Absorb, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, and Horn Leech are exclusive to Grass-type Pokémon. These moves not only deal significant damage but also restore the Pokémon's HP, thus further suppressing the opponent.
However, all these skills have one obvious characteristic: they only work when you are close to your opponent and in Close Combat.
"... How can you absorb someone's energy just by firing a beam of light like that!"
Hua Wanshuang was truly amazed. However, looking at Yveltal opposite her, she could sense that her guess was probably correct; Ipeltar's stamina had indeed recovered.
No wonder they chose to exchange stamina directly.
In both Competition, Qiao Ran never chose a "seemingly safe" playing style, but even when he did make such choices, his judgment was still reasonable.
Because he also has his own strengths.
With the added benefit of this skill that allows it to restore its own stamina, if a prolonged battle ensues, Torterra will inevitably be unable to withstand such attrition!
"Torterra, Stone Edge!"
You can't let the other person stay close to the ground indefinitely.
She would have to drive the opponent back into the sky to launch an attack, which would inevitably prevent her from hitting the Torterra's weak points below the head, or even its abdomen!
"Roar--"
The Torterra raised its thick forelimbs and let out a deep, loud roar. Its body slammed heavily into the ground, and with its movement, countless sharp stone pillars, glowing faintly and brimming with energy, began to rise from the ground, piercing straight toward Yveltal.
"Fly!"
Qiao Ran couldn't let Yveltal stay in place and take the attack, and Hua Wanshuang's idea seemed to be just to drive Yveltal out of the area near the ground.
As expected, after Yveltal dodged, the opponent's attack immediately stopped, and they did not use the sharp stones on the ground to Pursuit Yveltal in the sky.
--Her goal was never to harm Yveltal.
She just hoped that Yveltal wouldn't be within that range, so that it would be impossible to attack any of the Torterra's weaknesses!
Unlike battles in games, real-world Pokémon have their own unique physical characteristics. Torterra's massive carapace cannot be measured by Pokémon's "normal defense" standards. This thick shell is enough to withstand most attacks.
"Difficult to handle."
Qiao Ran could already sense that things were starting to get tricky.
Even though Yveltal has a skill that can restore stamina, if this skill can only hit the back of the Torterra, it will not cause any significant damage. On the other hand, the opponent can use its extremely fast skill rotation to turn the tables and manipulate him at will.
This Torterra is indeed exceptionally well-bred. Qiao Ran even wondered if the other party had Torterra bred specifically to counter Flying type Pokémon.
From the moment she sent out the Torterra, it was already a trap.
Originally designed to counter Flying type Pokémon, the "Flying" characteristic has become its biggest hindrance. Pokémon that can use moves like Drill or Dig might be able to launch a surprise attack from below, catching their opponents off guard.
"Why is this damn thing so hard?"
Yveltal in the sky stubbornly fired Oblivion Wing at the Torterra again, but apart from hitting its back, it had virtually no noticeable effect.
In addition, while in the air, she must constantly be wary of Rock Throw that may appear at any time. These rocks, filled with Rock Type energy, can cause her great damage. Although they may not Defeat her instantly, if they accumulate, even she may find it difficult to withstand.
"What should we do, Qiao Ran?!"
Yveltal expressed her dislike for this opponent. If it were a group battle, she could simply ask Reshiram to burn them down, but now she was alone and stuck in a dilemma where she couldn't decide whether to fight or not.
"Don't rush."
At this point, Qiao Ran needed to soothe Yveltal's emotions. Continuing to wear them down might not necessarily put them at a disadvantage, but it was clear to the naked eye that Yveltal was completely unable to accept this kind of battle.
"We still need to go down to the surface. Are you afraid it will hurt?"
"Are you underestimating me?"
Yveltal wasn't afraid at all; she wasn't even afraid of death, so why would she be afraid of something like this?
If she has broken any Rules, let Arceus Punishment her instead of her fighting back and forth with a tortoise.
All she wanted to do right now was finish work quickly.
"Then trust me. And never underestimate your opponent."
Qiao Ran didn't want Yveltal to suddenly fall into her opponent's trap and be Defeat here. No matter what, her opponent was an Elite Four-level Torterra. Although it was currently impossible to attack, its strength was undeniable.
"Then hurry up!"
Otherwise, find a chance to make up for the lost time!
Yveltal snorted and dodged the opponent's attack in mid-air again. However, as time went by, her dodging was no longer as fast as before, and she was even grazed a few times in the process.
"As expected of the Flower Gym Leader's ace Pokémon... even with a type disadvantage, it still managed to gain the upper hand."
"After all, Gym Leader Hana was a very famous Trainer when she was young. Although she was still a bit below the Elite Four-level, she was one of the strongest among the younger generation of Gym Leader, right?"
"Really."
The Trainer watching from the sidelines also discussed the battle situation. Although the current situation was somewhat deadlocked, it was actually a very good situation for Hua Wanshuang's side, whose type was countered by the opponent.
"What are you planning to do, Qiao Ran?"
Hua Wanshuang showed no signs of agitation. She remained as composed as a tree standing on the sidelines, observing the battle unfold on the field.
The characteristics of the Grass-type are fully embodied in her.
"Don't forget, my Torterra can also recover its stamina."
Synthesis!
The blinding sunlight focused on the Torterra's body, and gradually, its wounds began to heal.
"..."
Qiao Ran had no way to retaliate against the other party's behavior and could only be dragged into an endless cycle of trouble.
"Oh no, it's the same as this morning."
Mei was all too familiar with this situation. She had faced a similar predicament during her battle that morning. If Serperior hadn't grown stronger with each battle, to the point that even the Serperior couldn't hold on, she might have collapsed as well.
"Once you get dragged into Sister Wan Shuang Frost's usual rhythm, this is basically the result."
Hua Wanshuang's fighting style is like that of Grass-type Pokémon hunting its prey, taking its time to gradually wear down its opponent and drain its stamina.
"If we want to change this situation, the only way is to do something 'unexpected'."
Mei, standing nearby, offered her opinion. Tomorrow, she would be facing such a battle, but after watching the matches in the morning and afternoon, she was somewhat bewildered. She even wondered how she would handle such a situation if she were in her shoes.
"That's true, but..."
Mei paused for a moment.
"Let's trust Qiao Ran."
He'll definitely find a way.
Mei chose to believe in Qiao Ran on the Battlefield. And Qiao Ran on the stage certainly did not disappoint her.
After several tentative exchanges, Qiao Ran and Yveltal ultimately chose to "take the risk".
"Sucker Punch!"
"Roar!!!"
With a piercing roar, Yveltal transformed into a streak of light, plunging directly from the sky to the ground.
"Stone Edge!"
Hua Wanshuang immediately gave the order to retaliate, but this time Qiao Ran and Yveltal's choice surprised her, causing her eyes to widen in astonishment. "What?"
This time, Yveltal did not land in the area in front of the Torterra as before, but instead used its two huge claws to grab the Torterra's shell.
"Frenzy Plant!" Hua Wanshuang quickly changed her command.
At this distance, those Rock Type moves become less effective, as one requires rising from the ground and the other requires falling from the air, both of which take a certain amount of time.
Hua Wanshuang ultimately chose Grass-type ultimate move to counterattack. Countless hard, thorny, yellowish-brown vines surged out from beside Torterra and squeezed towards Yveltal.
Despite being whipped by the vines, Yveltal didn't utter a single Growl; her claws remained firmly gripping the other side.
The moment her opponent launched their attack, her attack also erupted simultaneously.
The beam of light, brimming with death energy, splattered directly onto the face of the Torterra at the closest distance.
"This..."
Mei Mei, and the others in the audience were completely stunned. Although they kept saying they needed some "accidents" to end the battle, this was definitely not an accident at all!
This is practically forcing the other side to fight to the death!
Torterra got its face washed by Oblivion Wing, while Yveltal also took a bath amidst the opponent's fierce attacks; both Pokémon were completely enraged.
"But... if it's that Yveltal, it certainly has her style," Lillie added.
"Okay, it seems so."
Recalling their encounters with Yveltal, they all remembered the girl who was in a bad mood and had a foul mouth that was quite out of control. If it were her, she would not have been able to Bide such a battle.
There was nothing fancy about it, just a simple collision, but the scene was indeed out of Hua Wanshuang's control.
She could only stare, mouth agape, at this hellish scene.
Under the impact of the death ray, Torterra's stamina was being rapidly depleted. Without the protection of its carapace, Torterra could no longer withstand Yveltal's attacks head-on.
Tar's attack.
Finally, the Torterra's thick limbs completely bent over, and its huge body collapsed on the Battle Court. Yveltal body was also covered in wounds, roared and vented its inner emotions.
"We won... we won!"
"The victor is Yveltal!"
The Trainer watching from below cheered, celebrating Yveltal's victory. In their imagination, Yveltal seemed to be so excited and happy because of her victory. However, in Qiao Ran's ears, the situation was completely different.
"It's finally over!!"
She was so excited simply because she was able to finish the Competition.
"It's a promise, you have to heal all these injuries for me."