"The Gym battle will be best two out of three. If you have no objections, we can begin." Seeing Liuqing nod, Blaine threw out his first Pokémon. "Go, Ninetales!"
"You're up, Shelgon." Liu Qing threw out a Poké Ball as well.
The two Poké Balls opened on opposite sides of the battlefield, releasing their Pokémon. Blaine had chosen his lead fighter, Ninetales, while Liuqing had chosen Shelgon, who had begun to grasp Draco Meteor after a long period of practice.
"Oh, a Dragon-type? Let's see what you can do." Blaine gave the first attack command. "Ninetales, Flamethrower!"
Whoosh! In this scorching environment, the heat of Ninetales's Flamethrower was almost comparable to Fire Blast. It roared across half the battlefield in an instant, surging toward Shelgon.
"Hydro Pump!" Faced with flames like these, Liuqing did not dare let Shelgon take the attack head-on and ordered a counterattack.
Boom! Facing the Flamethrower, Shelgon swiftly unleashed a massive jet of water. It collided with the column of fire and exploded, sending steam billowing outward to obscure both sides' vision.
Shelgon's Hydro Pump has lost more than half its power, while Ninetales's Fire-type moves are boosted by roughly fifty percent. Winning this battle really won't be easy. From that first exchange, Liuqing had roughly gauged the effects of this unusual battlefield.
"Ninetales, Iron Tail!" Blaine's voice rang out just then.
"Hm? This is bad. That Ninetales can actually locate Shelgon." Watching Ninetales's hazy silhouette zigzag swiftly toward Shelgon through the mist, Liuqing could not tell exactly which direction the attack would come from. Still, he could wait for it to come to him. He hurriedly called, "Shelgon, Zen Headbutt!"
Hum! As soon as the command rang out, a blue veil of light spread from Shelgon's head, surrounding its entire body. Shelgon watched its surroundings warily, ready to attack the instant it spotted where Ninetales appeared.
Boom! A tail gleaming with a metallic sheen swept into the blue veil with an explosive crack. Shelgon's eyes lit up. With a roar, it contracted the veil, gathered it before its head, and charged at Ninetales. At the same time, a second tail swept toward it.
Boom! After eight successive explosive clashes, Ninetales's final tail pressed hard against the blue veil, now reduced to a faint layer. The two Pokémon were locked in a stalemate.
"Shelgon, bite down on Ninetales's tail, then use Draco Meteor!" Though stunned by the sight of Ninetales using all its tails together, Liuqing recovered quickly and shouted his command.
Roar! Shelgon roared, and the blue veil vanished instantly. As the tail pressed down, Shelgon bit hard into it. Then a yellow sphere of energy gathered in its abdomen and traveled toward its mouth.
"Oh no! Ninetales, Flamethrower!" By now, the mist had completely dispersed. Seeing what was happening on the battlefield, Blaine hurriedly shouted in alarm.
Whoosh! With its tail trapped in Shelgon's jaws, Ninetales had been struggling desperately. At Blaine's command, it turned and breathed a stream of fire over Shelgon, engulfing it in an attempt to force it to let go. But Shelgon's exceptional defenses allowed it to withstand the heat, and it kept its jaws firmly clamped shut. Then the yellow sphere of energy emerged from Shelgon's mouth, enveloped Ninetales, and launched it into the sky. It burst like a firework, scattering meteors toward the battlefield in a dazzling display.
Bang, bang, bang! When the last of the meteors had struck the battlefield, Ninetales was still able to fight, but its legs trembled and it panted heavily. Even so, its eyes remained fixed on Shelgon, filled with an unyielding resolve.
"Incredible. I didn't expect your Ninetales to have such fighting spirit, Blaine. Even in this state, it refuses to give in." Liu Qing could not help praising Ninetales at the sight.
"Haha, of course!" Blaine looked delighted by Liuqing's praise. He called to Ninetales, "Ninetales, one final strike! Fire Spin!"
He knows Fire-type attacks aren't very effective against Shelgon, so he wants to wear it down with sustained damage? Blaine certainly is experienced. Understanding Blaine's command, Liuqing immediately said, "Shelgon, Hydro Pump!"
At their commands, a crimson vortex of fire collided with a blue jet of water. The water swiftly pierced the center of the flames, then erupted in a tremendous explosion as it reached Ninetales's mouth. Ninetales cried out in pain and was flung backward, landing on the ground unable to battle. The entire Fire Spin dispersed as well.
"Well done, Shelgon. Keep it up in the next round." Liu Qing smiled at Shelgon, who responded happily.
Explosive power, quick thinking, and a cool head. A very good Trainer. Blaine silently recalled Ninetales, privately assessing Liuqing. He took out a second Poké Ball and called, "For the second round, you're up, Rhydon!"
Roar! A white light flashed, and Rhydon's massive body appeared on the battlefield. It let out a mighty roar, cutting an imposing figure. Not to be outdone, Shelgon roared back, and tension immediately rose between the two Pokémon.
"Strike first, Rhydon! Horn Drill!" Blaine ordered before Liuqing could act.
Horn Drill was a one-hit knockout move. The horn on Rhydon's head began spinning rapidly as it charged toward Shelgon like a tank.
Horn Drill can knock an opponent out in one hit, but its accuracy is low. Blaine has clearly noticed Shelgon's lack of speed and wants to settle the match with this move. And since he knows Shelgon can use Hydro Pump yet still chose Rhydon despite its weakness to water, he must have trained this Rhydon to withstand water attacks. Liu Qing quickly saw through Blaine's plan, but he was not worried. He simply watched the distance between Rhydon and Shelgon shrink.
Seeing Liuqing's composure, Blaine showed no change in expression either. He clearly had great confidence in this attack.
Closer, closer... Just as Rhydon came within roughly two meters of Shelgon, Liuqing gave his command.
"Shelgon, jump up and use Hydro Pump!"
An ordinary Shelgon could never have jumped because of its enormous weight, but Liuqing's Shelgon had trained in Chansey's Gravity field. Though it could not jump high, it could at least get off the ground. A massive jet of water blasted Rhydon at close range, immediately drawing a pained expression from it, while the recoil from Hydro Pump carried Shelgon backward through the air.
"Rhydon, use Horn Drill to push through the water!" Blaine's command rang out at the same time.
Rhydon obeyed, immediately aiming its horn into Hydro Pump and drilling through it as it continued charging toward Shelgon.
"Oh no! Shelgon, use Hydro Pump on the ground!" Liuqing had not expected Rhydon's Horn Drill to be so powerful. It pierced through Hydro Pump in an instant, and the horn was about to strike Shelgon. Hearing Liuqing's command, Shelgon hastily lowered its head and blasted Hydro Pump at the ground. The force hurled it away, narrowly clearing Horn Drill.
Boom! Horn Drill struck the ground, producing an explosive crash and sending stone fragments flying.
"Now's our chance! Hydro Pump!" Ignoring the flying debris, Liuqing gave another command before Rhydon could get up.
Roar! Hydro Pump struck its mark, and Rhydon let out an agonized roar. Its body, which had just begun to rise, collapsed again.
"Rhydon, pull yourself together! Arm Strike!" Blaine shouted at Rhydon, as though trying to pour all his own fighting spirit into it.
Roar! As if sensing Blaine's spirit, Rhydon let out a furious roar. Its arms shone with white light as it slammed them hard into the ground.
Rumble! Crack! The entire battlefield shook violently. Two enormous fissures raced across the ground toward Shelgon, who was near the edge of the field. Then the ground beneath Shelgon broke apart and fell toward the lava below.