"Using the rain as a medium to bring Sheer Cold's accuracy up to a hundred percent. That really was a clever strategy." Liu Qing sighed in admiration and threw his fourth Poké Ball. "Gengar, you're up!"
"There it is! Liu Qing's fourth Pokémon is Gengar!" the Announcer shouted.
With Gengar's arrival, the arena grew cold in more ways than the chill left by Lapras's Sheer Cold. An eerie cold seeped straight into the heart. The spectators closest to the battlefield broke out in goosebumps, watching the sinisterly chuckling Gengar with apprehension.
"Gengar, Shadow Ball!" Liu Qing ordered first.
"Lapras, dodge and use Dragon Pulse!" Knowing how quickly this Gengar could attack, Drake hurriedly called out his command.
The battlefield was now covered in smooth, slippery ice, and the Ice-type Lapras was perfectly at home on it. Gliding swiftly across the surface, Lapras avoided the Shadow Ball with a single turn, then gathered a blue ball of energy in its mouth and fired it at Gengar. Gengar easily dodged with a slight shift of its body.
"The Ice Field isn't just useful to Lapras. It's useful to me, too." A gleam flashed through Liu Qing's eyes as he watched Lapras slide across the ice. He immediately shouted, "Gengar, Hypnosis!"
Red light—dazzling red light everywhere! The Ice Field acted like a mirror, refracting the visible red light of Gengar's Hypnosis. No matter how quickly Lapras skated, it could not escape. Lapras drifted into a groggy sleep, and Gengar used Dream Eater to knock it out.
"Lapras is unable to battle! Gengar wins!" the referee announced.
I never thought the ice Lapras made to glide around and dodge attacks would end up being used against it. Drake felt a twinge of rueful admiration. After recalling Lapras, he threw another Poké Ball. "Kangaskhan, I'm counting on you once more!"
"There it is! After losing two Pokémon, Drake has sent out his powerful Kangaskhan again!" the Announcer declared.
"Kangaskhan, Rock Slide!" Drake issued his command before Liu Qing could speak.
Kangaskhan roared and punched the ground, instantly shattering the ice. The Announcer immediately cried, "The ice has been broken! It looks like Drake is worried about Gengar using Hypnosis again!"
The ice was just a tool I borrowed. It's not as though I can't use Hypnosis without it. Liu Qing chuckled inwardly and ordered, "Hypnosis!"
"This is the moment I've been waiting for! Kangaskhan, Outrage!" Just as Gengar suddenly appeared above Kangaskhan's head and covered its eyes, a smile of triumph crossed Drake's lips, and he shouted his command.
"Roar!" Kangaskhan let out a fierce roar, its entire body wreathed in a blazing aura, and sent Gengar flying with a punch. A moment later, however, Kangaskhan collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.
It actually managed to land a hit in that tiny window, then used Hypnosis's effect to avoid becoming confused. Could this Kangaskhan's Ability be Early Bird? Liu Qing was slightly puzzled, but there was no need to worry about that now. Gengar had already used Dream Eater.
"Kangaskhan, Sleep Talk!" Drake ordered with a faint smile.
As soon as Drake finished speaking, the soundly sleeping Kangaskhan suddenly stood up. The aura that had yet to fade flared again, and Kangaskhan charged straight at Gengar. As though guided by something, the sleeping Kangaskhan pinpointed Gengar's location. After enduring a hit from Dream Eater, Kangaskhan unleashed a relentless barrage of swift attacks, leaving Gengar with no choice but to take the beating.
It looks like this Kangaskhan was prepared specifically to counter Gengar's Hypnosis. Liu Qing's heart tightened. His opponent's judgment had been precise, too: he had used Outrage, a move that could attack continuously, before Kangaskhan fell asleep. Even after it fell asleep, the move's effect would linger briefly. During that brief window, using Sleep Talk meant Kangaskhan would inevitably use Outrage.
Gengar was not a Pokémon with great stamina, and Outrage was as powerful as moves such as Fire Blast and Solar Beam while allowing continuous attacks over two or three turns. By now, Gengar's stamina was at its limit, though Kangaskhan had little left either. Liu Qing ordered again, "Gengar, give it everything you have! Dark Pulse!"
As a ghost that had lived for two thousand years, Gengar had never been reduced to helplessly taking a beating like this, and it was furious. At Liu Qing's words, Gengar immediately gathered what little power it had left and unleashed it at point-blank range. With a thunderous boom, both Pokémon were blasted away and fell to the ground.
"Kangaskhan and Gengar are both unable to battle!" the referee announced after checking them.
"At this point in the match, Liu Qing has used four Pokémon: Gyarados, Arcanine, Scizor, and Gengar. Of those, Scizor and Gengar are unable to battle. Drake has used three Pokémon: Kangaskhan, Steelix, and Lapras, all of whom are unable to battle. This thrilling match continues..." The Announcer's voice once again rang throughout the stadium.
"The rain has stopped!" Liu Qing looked up at the sky, where the thick storm clouds were gradually dispersing, then threw his fifth Poké Ball. "Come out, Exeggutor!"
"I didn't expect you to still be in the lead at this point, but things won't be so easy from here on." Drake looked at Liu Qing, the corners of his mouth lifting. He kissed the Poké Ball in his hand and threw it. "Come out, my ace! Charizard!"
"Roar!" A tremendous roar rang out amid a scattering of golden sparkles, and a gray-black Charizard appeared. Its powerful limbs, towering build, and piercing gaze all spoke of its formidable strength.
"This is the second shiny Pokémon of this tournament—Drake's Charizard!" The Announcer's astonished voice spread through the stadium alongside the crowd's cheers.
"So you've brought out your ace!" Liu Qing smiled faintly and commanded, "Exeggutor, Nature Power!"
Green light instantly shone from Exeggutor's entire body, and the whole battlefield began shaking violently. Although Charizard was a Flying-type, it had not yet taken to the air and still suffered damage. Yet Charizard showed little sign of distress. At Drake's command, it flapped its wings, flew into the air, and unleashed a stream of searing flames.
This Charizard really is at a very high level. Liu Qing's expression grew exceptionally serious. He recalled Exeggutor and took out his sixth Poké Ball. "Since you've brought out your ace, it's time for this one to take the stage! Go, Salamence!"
The Poké Ball opened, and the white light faded to reveal a blue Pokémon flying in the air on blood-red wings. Salamence let out a draconic cry, activating its intimidate ability.
"There it is! Liu Qing's sixth Pokémon, which he has kept secret all this time, has finally appeared!" the Announcer shouted at the top of his lungs. "Salamence, a Dragon-type Pokémon native to Hoenn! Like Kanto's Dragonite, it is an exceptionally rare and prized Pokémon!"
"A Salamence!" As a member of the Dragon Clan, Drake was naturally very familiar with every Dragon-type Pokémon. Watching Salamence soar through the sky and feeling the draconic pressure radiating from it, his eyes shone with excitement. "Only a Pokémon like this deserves to be my Charizard's opponent! Charizard, Flamethrower!"
"Salamence, Hydro Pump!" Liu Qing chose to meet the attack head-on.
A stream of searing flames and a powerful jet of water collided in midair. The water extinguished the flames even as the flames evaporated the water. Still, the water jet could visibly be seen pushing forward. When the two forces finally reached a balance, they exploded with a thunderous crash. The remaining force of Hydro Pump struck Charizard's neck, driving it backward.
"Salamence, close in!" Aerial combat was the Golden Feather family's specialty. With Drake and Liu Qing evenly matched in strength, Drake was already at a disadvantage when it came to fighting in the air. Naturally, Liu Qing intended to make full use of his advantage.
Salamence flew swiftly, becoming a streak of blue light as it rapidly closed in on Charizard. By now, Charizard had regained its balance. With a beat of its wings, it flew higher into the sky.
"Chase it! Don't let it get away!" Liu Qing immediately shouted.
Salamence beat its wings, turned ninety degrees, and flew straight up toward Charizard. Within moments, it had closed the gap. At Liu Qing's command, Salamence used Dragon Claw and was about to strike Charizard's back when Charizard suddenly slowed, dodging the blow. Charizard immediately retaliated with Flamethrower, but Salamence scattered the flames with a swipe of its claw, and the chase resumed.
"Salamence and Charizard are putting on a spectacular aerial battle..." the Announcer said excitedly.
"Charizard, Dragon Rage!" Dragon-type Pokémon were highly resistant to fire, so Flamethrower had hardly any effect on Salamence, which was why it had been swatted apart. Drake immediately changed his command and shouted.
Hearing the command, Charizard once again barely escaped Salamence's pursuit, then turned and fired a ball of light wrapped in flames at Salamence—a Fire-type Dragon Rage unleashed by Charizard. Salamence immediately fired Hydro Pump, blasting Dragon Rage apart before striking Charizard once again. Charizard cried out in pain. Just as Salamence was about to catch up, Charizard beat its wings and plunged toward the ground, with Salamence pursuing once more.
Both Pokémon were flying at tremendous speed as they hurtled toward the ground. One careless collision might knock them straight out of the match. However, they had already displayed flawless flying skills high in the sky and clearly would not make such a mistake. Just before reaching the ground, Charizard rapidly beat its wings, leveled out, then shot upward again.
"Charizard, Overheat!" Salamence was still flying level to bleed off the momentum of its dive. Drake seized the opening and immediately gave his command.
At the command, Charizard's entire body blazed with crimson light. Then it unleashed a massive pillar of three-colored flames from its mouth. Although Salamence fired Hydro Pump in time to counter, the water quickly dissipated before the power of those flames, and Salamence was engulfed.
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