Ch. 661Dragon Slayer
Chapter Summary: Dragon Beast Nemesis
Key Plot Points and Events
- Mega Mawile battles Drake’s Mega Salamence in a fiery, high-level showdown.
- Mawile uses the floating, electrically charged boulders as stepping stones, exploiting her speed and mobility to evade Salamence’s cutting wing attacks.
- She lands an Ice Punch from below, but Salamence counters with Heat Wave, melting much of the freezing attack and avoiding serious impairment.
- Recognizing that Salamence’s Fire-type attacks, Hyper Beam, and speed pose major threats, Mawile retreats and begins using Stockpile to raise her physical and special defenses.
- Salamence fires a devastating Hyper Beam, forcing Mawile to use Double Team rather than block it directly. Salamence sweeps the battlefield, destroying numerous illusions, but fails to hit her true body.
- Mawile repeatedly uses Taunt, exploiting Salamence’s brief vulnerability after Hyper Beam and keeping it from using status-based tactics.
- Salamence responds with Fire Blast, but Mawile’s illusions evade the attack. Mawile then uses a second Stockpile and prepares to complete a third defensive boost.
- The spectators question why Mawile is not attacking with her powerful Play Rough. Aoyanagi explains that Baimu is deliberately building a safe advantage rather than risking a direct assault against Drake’s experienced Salamence.
- Salamence combines its flames with the Fire Blast still burning on the ground, creating towering walls of fire that destroy many of Mawile’s Double Team copies. It then carefully redirects its Flamethrower to eliminate the remaining illusions, leaving Mawile in an increasingly dangerous position.
Character Developments
- Mega Mawile demonstrates tremendous speed, tactical awareness, and confidence in her improved abilities after Mega Evolution. However, she also recognizes the limits of her Fire resistance and understands that one mistake could be fatal.
- Baimu shows a patient, defensive battle strategy. Rather than relying immediately on Mawile’s strongest attack, he prioritizes survival, stacking Stockpile boosts and maintaining Taunt so Salamence cannot exploit status moves.
- Drake remains an exceptionally skilled and observant opponent. He quickly identifies the purpose of the floating rocks, tracks Mawile’s movements, and uses Salamence’s attacks creatively, including combining fire attacks to counter Double Team.
- Mega Salamence is portrayed as powerful, fast, adaptable, and highly aggressive. Its Aerilate-enhanced wing attacks, heat-based techniques, and ability to exploit the battlefield make it a formidable opponent. Its frustration at being Taunted also reveals an impulsive, prideful side.
- Aoyanagi provides strategic insight for the spectators, recognizing that Baimu is deliberately adopting a slow, defensive approach against a stronger offensive threat.
Significant Themes
- Strategy over raw power: Baimu avoids reckless attacks and instead builds defensive advantages while waiting for the right opportunity.
- Adaptability in battle: Both Pokémon continually adjust to each other’s tactics—Mawile uses rocks, illusions, and stat boosts, while Salamence changes attack angles and combines moves.
- Risk and endurance: The battle emphasizes the importance of surviving an opponent’s strongest attacks before attempting to retaliate.
- Experience versus innovation: Drake’s battle experience allows Salamence to counter familiar tactics, while Baimu’s precise timing and unconventional defensive plan keep him competitive.
- Control versus aggression: Mawile’s Taunt and Stockpile seek to control the pace, while Salamence relies on overwhelming firepower and relentless pressure.
Character Interactions
- Baimu and Mega Mawile communicate increasingly effectively through their psychic link, allowing them to coordinate complex maneuvers with minimal verbal instruction.
- Drake and Mega Salamence also operate with strong synchronization, though Drake’s commands often compensate for Salamence’s aggressive temperament.
- Mega Mawile and Mega Salamence engage in a tactical contest: Mawile attempts to evade, weaken, and frustrate Salamence, while Salamence tries to expose her true position and overwhelm her with area-wide attacks.
- Aoyanagi’s comments contrast the spectators’ impatience with Baimu’s measured strategy, reinforcing that the battle is being decided as much by judgment and timing as by attack power.
- The chapter ends with Mega Mawile’s defensive plan under severe pressure, as Salamence’s combined fire attacks rapidly eliminate her Double Team copies and threaten to reveal her real body.