Chapter 358

However, compared to this Pokémon's adorable appearance, what's most eye-catching is its current state—it's actually standing on its own lightning bolt-shaped tail, Levitate in the air.

"Raichu...?"

Acerola, who was watching the Competition from the stands, got excited as soon as she saw the Pokémon.

"And it's in Alolan Form! Alolan Form Raichu!"

In the Alola Region, Raichu has a completely different form from other regions, and its type has changed from Electric-type to a dual Electric/ Psychic type.

--This change is considered an "inexplicable" mystery by researchers in the Pokémon World. No one knows why Raichu in the Alola Region would grow up to look like this. In the end, they even came to the conclusion that "Raichu was mainly affected by the food in Alola".

It's because it ate too many round Alola pancakes that it grew into this shape.

While diet might indeed be one of the reasons, the explanation of "being a regional individual due to eating pancakes" is still too cyberpunk. If it were Qiao Ran himself, he certainly wouldn't believe it.

"The attribute of Yangcheng Gym is Electric-type, which also represents modernity. The electrical age was a turning point in human history."

"My first Pokémon was Raichu, and it's been my longtime partner. Even among my main team, its strength is outstanding... So, what was your first Pokémon?"

Gym Leader Chen glanced at his Raichu, which was squinting at its opponent. Not only that, but its body was also perched on its tail, swaying in mid-air. Just like its Trainer, his Raichu seemed to Own Tempo way.

"Is it the Dianxi you used before? Or is it that wolf?"

Gym Leader Chen had clearly done some research on Qiao Ran, since videos of Qiao Ran's previous battles would go viral online for a while each time. In his observation, Qiao Ran used the diamond-like Pokémon the most. However, if we're talking about the strongest one... the one that impressed him the most was the wolf with a sword in its mouth.

He had his own assessment of Old Man Nian Hai's strength. At least in his mind, he was far inferior to Old Man Nian Hai in strength. The fact that the wolf-type Pokémon could handle Old Man Nian Hai Pokémon relative ease showed that it was far from the Pokémon's limit.

"No, they won't play today; after all, this Battle Court isn't suitable for them."

When the opponent sent out Raichu, Qiao Ran had already seen the opponent's level and made a judgment in his mind.

Lv48.

This level is quite close to that of Elite Four, and he can indeed be called a main force of the "Gym Leader". Moreover, judging from the somewhat unkempt appearance of this Gym Leader Chen, he must have trained a lot to reach this level.

Since that's the case...

Neither Yveltal nor Reshiram are suited to this kind of battlefield due to their size. As for Zacian, with her current strength, she's not suitable to deal with Pokémon below the Elite Four. As for the other Pokémon...

"... Suicune and Latias? Suicune's type isn't really suitable, so let's get Latias instead."

Qiao Ran was eager to have Suicune participate in a Gym Battle, but given Suicune's pure water type, it would definitely not fare well against Electric-type Gym. If it were to be electrocuted and fall to the ground, it would certainly be the fault of him, the Trainer, for being too stubborn.

Qiao Ran didn't think he had any reverse attribute master buff, so it was best to be cautious in this situation.

"Then it's you!"

Latias!!

Having made her decision, Qiao Ran Fling her Poké Ball. With a flash of light, a peculiar Pokémon that resembled both a bird and a dragon appeared on the Battle Court. Most of its body was covered in red, with only a white area on its head. Although it wasn't very large, the surrounding audience couldn't help but gasp when it appeared.

Gym Leader Chen, sitting opposite, also perked up immediately.

"... What kind of Pokémon is this?"

Welcome to [Seele's Library] 7..4'60,.9!"4;0;7;6! '"External Group"1"0:9"0,2''5!:1'5:7;,6 "Is it another new Pokémon?"

"... I've never seen this before... where did you catch it?"

To everyone's surprise, Qiao Ran pulled out another Pokémon no one recognized—however, considering Qiao Ran's fighting strength, the audience wasn't particularly surprised.

It's strange, because having this level of strength is the foundation for discovering new Pokémon. If you weren't strong enough, you'd probably just have to rely on luck and chance.

"This Pokémon... is interesting."

Chen Leizhong stared at Latias for a long time, but ultimately couldn't figure out anything about it. However Latias, judging from the two wings on its back and its Levitate state, this Pokémon have the Flying type.

But—if it really is Flying type, would a trainer like Qiao Ran bring it out at a time like this?

Chen Leizhong hesitated to draw a conclusion.

"Both sides are ready!"

Seeing that the Trainer on both sides had brought out their Pokémon, the Referee in the center raised his flag high, and at the same time, the cheers from the audience rose.

From outside the Battle Court and inside the tower, everyone watching the broadcast of the Competition was shouting. Their passion for Pokémon and Pokémon Competition was infectious, even reaching Cynthia and the others in the stands.

In the Huaxia Alliance, watching Pokémon Competition and participating in such events is already a well-known form of entertainment.

Then, the Referee forcefully waved his flag.

"... The Competition begins!!"

"Raichu! Thunderbolt!"

Under Gym Leader Chen's command, Raichu launched an attack the moment the Competition began. Blazing lightning erupted from its body, leaving a golden trail in the air. The twisting electric sparks spread outwards like leaping lightning snakes.

"What a powerful Electric-type move."

Mei was watching the battle, couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. The power of that Thunderbolt looked like Thunder.

The layman sees the spectacle, the expert sees the skill. Just this one skill alone shows how much training this Raichu has received. It's definitely not an opponent to be underestimated.

"Latias! Get out of the way!"

Although Raichu is very fast, Latias is just as fast. Although Latias joined their team relatively late, she quickly leveled up through battles in Alola. Although there is still a difference of several levels compared to the opposing Raichu, it is not very noticeable between Latias and her opponent.

Most importantly, Qiao Ran had clearly realized something from the opponent's first skill.

... Latias's type... did he mistakenly classify Latias as Flying type?

"... Perhaps this will come in handy."

Qiao Ran watched as Latias Agility across the Battle Court, dodging the opponent's Thunderbolt attack, and couldn't help but think to himself.

Since the other party has never seen Latias, they naturally cannot directly discern her attributes, and this information gap is something that Trainer can exploit.

Everything is permitted within this rectangular Battle Court.

Among ordinary Pokémon, Pikachu and Raichu are known for their lightning-fast speed. These electric mice often use their speed to overwhelm their opponents. However, when this ability is applied to Latias, which is also known for its speed, it is clearly ineffective.

Latias placed her hands on her sides and transformed into a jet plane, circling the Battle Court at incredible speed. As time went on, her speed even seemed to increase, while Raichu's Thunderbolt, after a period of Stockpile, was beginning to weaken and was no longer likely to hit.

Furthermore, during this brief exchange, Qiao Ran also realized a very important fact—most Electric-type moves do not cause any damage to the structure itself. Even if Chen Leizhong unleashed his Pokémon full power, the Electric-type attacks would be completely absorbed by the surrounding area. This type might indeed be the most suitable for this Battle Court.

This is probably why the Yangcheng Gym chose to be located here.

"That's fast!"

He let Raichu test it out for a while, but the result only made Chen Leizhong frown. It was fast and had wings, which were indeed the characteristics of Flying type Pokémon. However, this speed was really too amazing. It was even faster than his Raichu.

"Raichu! Electric Terrain!"

Chen Leizhong immediately changed his approach and had Raichu unleash another skill.

Latias! Calm Mind!

Qiao Ran naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass, and immediately had Latias activate its boost mode. A faint purple light emanated from Latias's body. Under the effect of the Calm Mind skill, Latias's Special Attack and Special Defense would both receive a level increase. The effect of Special Attack goes without saying, and Special Defense would also be very important in the battle against Raichu.

--Especially when Latias's Special Defense is as high as 130, only 20 points lower than Dianxi's. If you choose the wrong type when attacking her, and use a special attack, then she will definitely be a shield wall that makes people feel hopeless.

Raichu on the opposite side didn't lag behind either, unleashing a move called "Electric Terrain." As Raichu uttered the "Hukhu" sound, rings of electricity began to spread around it.

A moment later, the entire Battlefield floor seemed to be covered by spreading electric current, turning golden yellow while crackling and popping.

Electric Terrain – This skill is similar to the Grassy Terrain that Tapu Bulu released when Qiao Ran encountered it in the Distortion World. Moreover, these Battle Court were originally the signature skills of these Island deity. However, Tapu Bulu and other Tapu do not need to actively release Battle Court; they already have these effects when they appear.

Electric Terrain's special ability, besides amplifying the power of Electric moves, also prevents Pokémon on the field from falling asleep. However, looking at the brightly lit scene, Qiao Ran knew that if he were on the field, he definitely wouldn't be able to fall asleep either.

"Qiu--Qiu!"

As the Electric Terrain gradually unfolded, Raichu, Levitate in mid-air, seemed to be in its element, stepping on its tail and gliding across the ground. A fine current even formed between its large tail and the ground, propelling its body and increasing its original speed by several levels.

"In Electric Terrain mode, Raichu's Surf's Tail Ability can double its speed again!"

When Chen Leizhong saw Qiao Ran use Calm Mind, he wasn't afraid at all, because he knew that once Raichu used Electric Terrain and triggered the Surf's Tail Ability, the opponent's Flying type Pokémon would have no way to dodge the following moves.

"Give him a fatal blow, Raichu, Thunderbolt!"

"Mound!!!"

With Electric Terrain and Surf's Tail, Raichu moves through the air like Surf by riding on its tail, its entire body wrapped in Golden electricity. Moreover, with its speed doubled, it accelerates to a point almost invisible to the naked eye.

After all, Raichu's original speed is already as high as 110. If it is doubled, there are probably very few other Pokémon that can surpass this terrifying speed.

"Crackling and popping."

Golden electric snakes spread wildly. Although Latias had the advantage of being able to fly, this advantage was nothing in front of Alolan Raichu.

"Owner."

Should we move aside?

However, Latias, Levitate in mid-air, did not panic because she knew that, based on her true attributes, she was not afraid of Electric-type attacks, and even if these attacks hit her, they would not be fatal.

Furthermore, as a Psychic type Pokémon, besides flying directly, she has many other options for dealing with situations. If possible, she could also try to dodge directly.

However, Qiao Ran clearly wouldn't let go of this good opportunity to exploit the opponent's weakness.

Latias!

Qiao Ran issued the command to her directly in his mind.

"Use Shadow Ball on it while it slows down its attack!"

It's very difficult to attack an opponent when Raichu is moving at full speed. However, even the fastest Pokémon will leave openings when attacking.

This is an experience he gained while battling other Trainer, especially Sister Wan Shuang from Rongcheng. Her Ludicolo and the Raichu in front of her are actually quite similar.

As expected of Trainer from the same era, do they share some common traits in this regard?

"..."

The onlookers watched the situation on the Battle Court with tense expressions. It was only the beginning, but both sides seemed to already have the idea of deciding the winner. When Raichu approached Latias at an extremely fast speed, preparing to unleash Thunderbolt at close range to take it down, Latias actually charged directly towards Raichu.

"...!"

Not only the Gym Leader of the venue, but even Chen Leizhong was startled by this sudden change. However, he quickly sensed something was wrong, but by then it was too late.

Meanwhile, in the audience, Mei and the others silently suppressed their laughter.

They knew Latias's attributes and just how resilient she was.

Latias charged straight at the Thunderbolt —her body was quickly covered in a golden film, golden lightning bolts dancing on her skin. However, there was not a trace of panic in her eyes. Although the Thunderbolt was extremely powerful, the damage was nothing compared to the injuries she had suffered in the battle in Alola.

Most importantly, with her dual Dragon and Psychic type attributes, she has inherent resistance to electricity. This Thunderbolt attack would only take half the damage when it hit her.

As Latios flew, a black Shadow Ball emerged from her mouth and then flew straight towards Raichu at an extremely fast speed.

Shadow Ball!

The sphere brimming with Ghost Type energy undoubtedly Tackle Raichu. Its body had only been momentarily stunned from releasing the move, and this extremely short time was witnessed by Qiao Ran and Latias.

"Mound--!!"

The hit Raichu let out a mournful cry, and its body, which had been flying on its own tail, suddenly lost its balance and fell directly to the ground.

On the ground.

Compared to its powerful speed, Raichu is not a Pokémon that excels at defense. More importantly, the Ghost-type Shadow Ball can deal double damage to the Psychic type Raichu, and Latios learned this move precisely to deal with Pokémon that also have the Psychic type.

It just so happens that I can use it right now.

"Raichu!"

The sudden turn of events caused concern among the spectators, and Chen Leizhong also sensed something was wrong. For Raichu, maintaining high speed was the cornerstone of its survival, but if it were knocked off its "tail Surf," it would be no different from losing the Competition!

Sure enough, after being unable to maintain its high-speed Surf posture, Latias launched a Hurricane attack on Raichu, who had "fallen into the water."

"Dragon Pulse!!"

Latias Levitate in the air, a blue beam of light condensing in its mouth, and blasted it towards Raichu. Of course, to avoid any "building destruction" consequences, Qiao Ran still had Latias slightly control the power of the attack. Although holding back is a big taboo in normal battles, due to the limitations of the Battle Court, holding back here was unavoidable.

Moreover, this is also a test of their control. A Pokémon that can unleash powerful skills at any time, but can also control the power of its skills and manage its stamina consumption at any time, is undoubtedly a more terrifying existence.

"Dragon Pulse... it's actually Dragon Pulse."

Based on the Pokémon's performance after being hit by Thunderbolt, and considering the moves Latias is using now, Chen Leizhong has no doubt that the Pokémon in front of him is not a Flying type Pokémon at all; it should be Dragon-type!

In the Pokémon World, besides the Flying type, the only other type that can fly in the sky using two wings is probably the Dragon-type. However, judging from its appearance, Latias doesn't look like a "dragon" in the traditional sense at all. Moreover, her body seems to be covered with fine and Limber feathers, which is why Chen Leizhong misjudged her.

However, after realizing Latias's potential attributes, he already had his own ideas. He could then adjust his fighting style to be more efficient.