"Arcanine, Flamethrower Flame Wheel, but don't compress the flames!" There was no way to dodge now, and judging by the height of the wave, Arcanine could not jump over it. Liu Qing hurriedly gave the command. Arcanine knew the danger was imminent too. It spat out a jet of flame, used Flame Wheel, and charged into it, instantly becoming a massive wheel of fire five or six meters across that spun in place.
The spectators in the stands had a clearer view. A huge wave rose above the mist, with Feraligatr standing proudly at the very crest of its Surf as it roared toward Arcanine's side of the field.
Hiss! At last, Surf crashed down and met the terrifying heat of Flame Wheel. As the wheel of fire shrank, vast amounts of steam spread through the air again. Only when the flames around Arcanine had dwindled to a thin layer was all the water from Surf finally evaporated. The mist was now several times denser than before, making it impossible to see even a meter ahead.
"Feraligatr, Earthquake!" Han Ye clearly knew how keen a dog's nose was. As soon as the mist spread again, he shouted the command. Feraligatr was on Liu Qing's half of the field now. Although he did not know what condition Arcanine was in, if it counterattacked, he might not even have time to react.
"Arcanine, Bulldoze!" Besides jumping into the air, another way to counter Earthquake was to meet it with Bulldoze. Arcanine had already expended a great deal of stamina dealing with Surf. If it jumped and ran out of strength, falling straight into Earthquake, the consequences would be disastrous.
Following their commands, cracking sounds and deep rumbles shook the entire battlefield. The spectators could not see what was happening through the mist, but they could imagine the result of the two attacks colliding. By now, the field was probably all but destroyed.
"Thunder Fang!" The instant Earthquake stopped, Liu Qing gave his next command.
"Feraligatr, watch your surroundings!" With no good way to deal with Arcanine, Han Ye could only wait for it to come.
Arcanine lived up to its name, running as silently as the wind and matching its speed. That made finding it a daunting task for Feraligatr. By the time Feraligatr noticed it, Arcanine was already right in front of it, leaving no time to react. Arcanine sank its Thunder Fang into Feraligatr, and electricity instantly coursed through its entire body. Its agonized cries echoed across the battlefield.
"Feraligatr!" Han Ye went pale at its screams and shouted anxiously, "Feraligatr, hang in there! Hydro Pump!"
"Flamethrower Flame Wheel!" Liu Qing gave his command at the same moment.
Boom! Two streaks of blue light flashed through the mist, followed by a sudden explosion. The blast unleashed a shock wave so powerful that even Liu Qing had to raise his arms to shield himself. It also blew away all the mist, revealing the devastated battlefield and the two Pokémon lying in an enormous crater.
"Arcanine and Feraligatr are both unable to battle!" The referee lowered both flags at once as he delivered his ruling.
The crowd, which had been quietly awaiting the result, erupted into an uproar when they saw that both Pokémon were unable to battle.
Han Ye froze. Feraligatr had fallen too. He had now lost five Pokémon. Although Liu Qing had lost two, and two of his others were injured, could Han Ye's final Pokémon really defeat all four of Liu Qing's remaining Pokémon? Even knowing that he had almost no chance of winning, Han Ye refused to give up. He would fight!
"Go, Tyranitar!" Han Ye clenched his fist, recalled Feraligatr, and threw his final Poké Ball with determination written across his face.
A flash of white light revealed a two-meter-tall Tyranitar on the field. The moment it appeared, sand swept across the entire battlefield. This was Tyranitar's Ability, Sand Stream. Unless its opponent was a Steel, Ground, or Rock type, the sand would drain one-sixteenth of its stamina each turn. It also boosted Tyranitar's own Special Defense to one and a half times its normal level. It was an excellent Ability.
"At this point in the match, Han Ye has lost five Pokémon, while Liu Qing has lost only two. We could say that the semifinal spot is practically decided. But Han Ye still hasn't given up! He's sent out Tyranitar, a Pokémon native to the Johto Region. Tyranitar is..." The Announcer began his explanation.
"Come out, Gyarados!" After recalling Arcanine, Liu Qing took out a Poké Ball, enlarged it, and threw it. White light flashed, and amid a scattering of golden sparkles, the deep-red Gyarados appeared. For the first time, the spectators saw its entire body. Its enormous frame radiated overwhelming pressure as a tremendous roar rang across the battlefield. Looking at Tyranitar, which was relatively "tiny" beside it, Gyarados sensed its formidable strength and immediately grew excited.
"Oh, my goodness! What am I seeing? Why does Liu Qing's Gyarados have one more dorsal fin than a Normal-type Gyarados? Is this something special about Shiny Pokémon?" The last time Gyarados appeared was on the Water Field, where most of its body was submerged, so no one noticed. Now that it was visible, the Announcer immediately cried out in surprise, and the spectators began discussing it among themselves.
"Tyranitar, Stone Edge!" On the battlefield, Han Ye gave the first attack command.
Hearing Han Ye's command, Tyranitar let out a roar and swiftly unleashed Stone Edge, sending the sharp rocks hurtling toward Gyarados.
"Aqua Tail!" Faced with Tyranitar's Stone Edge, Liu Qing did not dare let Gyarados take the attack head-on and immediately shouted his command.
"Roar!" Gyarados bellowed. A ring of water wrapped around its thick tail before it swept straight into Stone Edge. A small explosion sounded as the attacks collided, and all the sharp rocks were swept aside. Aqua Tail lost a good deal of its power as well, but it continued crashing down toward Tyranitar's head.
"Tyranitar, catch it!" Han Ye commanded coldly.
Facing the incoming Aqua Tail, Tyranitar reached out with both hands. Ignoring the damage from the attack, it let out a mighty roar, retreated a few steps, and caught the tail.
"Just like that! Hyper Beam!" A trace of delight appeared on Han Ye's face when he saw Tyranitar grab Gyarados's tail, and he followed up with another command.
This Tyranitar is incredibly strong. The moment its tail was caught, Gyarados began struggling, but it could not break free. Tyranitar was already gathering energy for Hyper Beam in its mouth. Liu Qing's heart lurched, and he hurriedly shouted, "Gyarados, Giga Impact!"
"ROAR!" Unable to pull free, Gyarados was already furious. As soon as it received the attack command, it gave a tremendous roar. Rapidly spinning purple light enveloped its body, and it twisted around before charging toward Tyranitar.
Boom! The purple Giga Impact collided with the orange-yellow Hyper Beam. The attacks held against each other briefly before erupting in a violent explosion. The shock wave hurled both Tyranitar and Gyarados away, leaving them unable to move. An enormous crater several meters deep lay at the point of impact, displaying the power of that clash to the spectators both in the stadium and watching on television. The excitement in the arena reached its peak as everyone stared fixedly at the two motionless Pokémon.
"They're so strong! This match is incredible!" Ash could not help shouting as he watched.
"Both of these Trainers are highly skilled. It really is a thrilling match." Brock nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, Gyarados, which had still been immobilized, let out an earth-shaking roar, while Tyranitar remained motionless. A satisfied smile immediately appeared on Liu Qing's face, while Han Ye turned deathly pale.
In the stands, the more experienced Trainers knew at that moment that the match was over.
"Gyarados, Aqua Tail!"
At Liu Qing's command, a ring of water immediately wrapped around Gyarados's tail as it swung down toward Tyranitar. Its enormous body cast a vast shadow over the ground.
This Aqua Tail had not been weakened by Stone Edge. With a thunderous crash, the entire battlefield seemed to shake several times beneath the impact of Gyarados's massive tail. When Gyarados lifted it again, a huge water-filled trench had appeared in the already devastated field. Tyranitar lay inside it, but it had not yet been knocked out. Its hands were raised, showing that it had recovered its ability to move at the very last moment and barely managed to block the blow. Even so, the double damage from Aqua Tail was no easy thing to endure.
"Tyranitar..." Watching Tyranitar stagger to its feet and take a fighting stance against Gyarados once more, Han Ye suddenly felt his eyes sting. He shouted, "Tyranitar, one final attack! Hyper Beam!"
"You still won't give up, even now?" Liu Qing was deeply moved. He had not expected this Tyranitar to be so fiercely competitive. All right. If you still want to fight, then let's fight! He turned to Gyarados and said, "Thunderbolt!"
"Roar!" Gyarados bellowed. Golden electricity flashed across its body before a Thunderbolt shot out, striking Tyranitar directly while it was still gathering energy. When the electricity faded, Tyranitar remained standing rigidly, wisps of black smoke rising from its body as it stared motionlessly at Gyarados.
"Tyranitar!" Amid Han Ye's anguished cry, Tyranitar finally toppled backward, unable to battle.
"Tyranitar is unable to battle! All six of Han Ye's Pokémon are unable to battle. The winner is Liu Qing of Saffron City, Kanto!"
With the match over, the Announcer resumed his commentary, and the spectators erupted into enthusiastic cheers.
After recalling their Pokémon, Han Ye and Liu Qing did not leave immediately. Instead, they walked to the edge of the field and shook hands.
"I lost to you this time, but next time, I'll win. Namikaze Liu Qing of the Golden Feather family," Han Ye said as they left the battlefield.
"I'm looking forward to it too, Yuexia Han Ye!" Liu Qing's mother had told him Han Ye's true identity before the match, so he was not surprised that Han Ye knew his as well. He spoke with a slight smile.
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