"Charizard, Outrage!" A flash of delight crossed Drake's face as he gave another command.
"Roar!" Charizard bellowed, a fiery red aura seeming to blaze around its entire body. Its eyes shone an eerie red as it charged down toward Salamence, who was still wreathed in flames.
This shiny Charizard's special ability makes it immune to status conditions. I'll have to be careful! Recalling the conclusion he had reached while watching Drake's matches the day before, Liu Qing grew wary and shouted, "Salamence, Giga Impact!"
Boom! At Liu Qing's command, the flames surrounding Salamence burst apart, and a rapidly spinning pillar of purple light shot straight toward Charizard. It was as though Kangaskhan and Gyarados's clash between Giga Impact and Outrage were playing out again, only with two different Pokémon—and the attacking and defending sides reversed.
Outrage was undoubtedly a powerful Dragon-type move, while Giga Impact was an even stronger Normal-type move. Besides attacking, its surrounding purple energy offered some protection. The two moves locked together, and under Charizard's attacks, the purple pillar steadily shrank, scattering sparks like shattered stars. Charizard's strength gradually dwindled as well. At last, the purple light dissipated, and the fiery aura around Charizard faded. Salamence's last burst of force sent Charizard tumbling backward, while a final swing of Charizard's tail slammed Salamence toward the ground. Both fell, then struggled to their feet, panting.
"Your Salamence is strong!" Drake had a soft spot for Dragon-type Pokémon and could not help praising it.
"Your Charizard is no slouch either." Liu Qing had a heartfelt fondness for Flying-type Pokémon, so he was equally generous with his praise.
"But your Salamence can't move now, can it?" Drake smiled. "My Charizard's special ability makes it immune to all status conditions, so this round is mine. Charizard, Outrage!"
"Roar!" Charizard bellowed, its fiery aura blazing up again. It was clearly much weaker than before, but it still charged toward Salamence.
"Salamence, store up your strength!" Liu Qing knew that with Salamence's remaining stamina, it could never withstand another hit from Outrage. That left only one final move.
Boom! After a rapid series of attacks, Charizard punched Salamence away, then immediately pursued it, preparing a second assault. Just then, Salamence suddenly let out a tremendous roar, and Liu Qing shouted at once, "Salamence, Draco Meteor!"
Yellow energy gathered in Salamence's abdomen and flowed into its mouth. At the very moment Charizard struck again, Salamence fired it straight at its opponent. The tremendous force carried Charizard high into the air before bursting into countless falling meteors, which kicked up dust across the field. When the dust cleared, both Pokémon lay on the ground.
"Charizard and Salamence are both unable to battle," the referee announced, drawing thunderous cheers from the crowd.
"Come back, Salamence. You did great. Get some rest now!" Liu Qing recalled Salamence and offered it a few comforting words.
"Liu Qing still has an Exeggutor at full strength, along with an injured Gyarados and Arcanine. But his opponent has two Pokémon at full strength left too. It's hard to say who'll win," Brock told Ash and Misty in the stands.
On the field, Drake took out his fifth Poké Ball and threw it. "Go, Kingdra!" In a flash of white light, a blue Pokémon roughly two meters tall appeared on the battlefield.
Kingdra. Now that's a tough opponent! Liu Qing sent Exeggutor out again.
"Kingdra, Rain Dance!" Drake called first.
"Exeggutor, Sunny Day!" Liu Qing gave his command at the same time.
The two Pokémon simultaneously launched balls of light into the sky, one blue and one white. The balls tangled together, then scattered into countless points of light. The weather remained unchanged.
"Both competitors tried to change the weather at the same time, but unfortunately, the opposing effects of Sunny Day and Rain Dance can't take effect together..." The commentator's voice rang across the stadium.
Rain Dance was only meant to help it move faster. If it didn't work, so be it. Drake took the initiative again. "Kingdra, Agility!"
As soon as Drake spoke, Kingdra began moving swiftly around the field. Liu Qing smiled faintly at the sight. "No matter how fast you move, you're still on the ground. Exeggutor, Nature Power!"
Rumble! Violent tremors swept across the field. Kingdra stopped in its tracks, squeezing its eyes shut as it endured the damage from Earthquake.
"Kingdra, Octazooka!" Despite seeing Kingdra take damage, Drake showed no concern as he issued his command.
Pop! Suddenly, that Kingdra vanished in a puff of smoke. Liu Qing froze for a moment, then immediately realized his opponent had used Substitute. The real Kingdra appeared around Exeggutor, moving rapidly as it sprayed Octazooka over the eyes on all three of Exeggutor's heads. Blinded, Exeggutor panicked, letting out loud, discordant cries.
"Kingdra, Twister!" Drake seized the opportunity to give another command. As Kingdra sped around Exeggutor, the winglike fins on its back and beneath its jaw began beating rapidly. A huge tornado formed in an instant, sweeping Exeggutor inside.
"That really caught me off guard." The attacks had come so quickly that Exeggutor was already trapped in the tornado before Liu Qing could react. But Kingdra was now occupied with maintaining the tornado, giving him an opening. He immediately commanded, "Exeggutor, calm down! Use Confusion in place of your eyes."
At Liu Qing's words, Exeggutor indeed settled down. Sensing trouble, Drake immediately shouted, "Kingdra, increase the power!"
Rumble! The towering vortex swept up loose stones from the field, making it even more powerful. Liu Qing hastily shouted, "Exeggutor, Sunny Day!"
A bright ball of light flew out of the tornado and burst apart, bathing the field in intense sunlight. A faint smile appeared on Liu Qing's face as he commanded, "Solar Beam!"
Since Exeggutor was now sensing its surroundings through Confusion, the spinning tornado no longer interfered with it. It quickly pinpointed Kingdra's position, and a massive beam of light broke through the vortex, shooting straight toward its target. With an explosive boom, a blue figure was hurled away. The tornado under Kingdra's control gradually subsided, and Exeggutor, panting slightly, used Confusion to lower itself gently to the ground.
"Solar Beam!" With the sunlight blazing down, Exeggutor was in its element, and Liu Qing issued the command again.
"Damn it! Kingdra, use Twister again!" Drake ordered urgently.
Unfortunately, before Kingdra's Twister could reach Exeggutor, a Solar Beam pierced straight through it and struck Kingdra directly. The blast erupted, knocking it unconscious.
"Kingdra is unable to battle. Exeggutor wins!" the referee announced.
"The match has finally reached its closing stage! Drake has only one Pokémon remaining, while Liu Qing still has three. Can Drake turn the tables and claim victory?" the commentator called loudly.
"I didn't think I'd still have to use this one in the end." After recalling Kingdra, Drake took out his final Poké Ball, his eyes filled with affection. He kissed it, then threw it. "Go, my darling, Dragonair!"
A flash of white light revealed a long, blue Pokémon floating in the air. Its glistening eyes, the small pointed horn on its forehead, the winglike ears on either side of its face, and the three mysterious crystal orbs beneath its jaw and on its tail all proclaimed its identity, drawing a tremendous roar of excitement from the entire crowd.
"It's actually a Dragonair!" Liu Qing had once visited the Safari Zone hoping to find the Dragonair he had seen on television, but had been unlucky and failed to locate it. He had never expected to encounter one here. In a way, a wish had come true.
"Dragonair, Rain Dance!" Drake commanded first.
"Not so easily! Exeggutor, Confusion!" Liu Qing ordered at once.
"Woo..." Dragonair gave a soft cry and raised the two crystal orbs on its tail. They emitted an enchanting blue radiance, and dark clouds gathered, obscuring the brilliant sunlight. Rain began to patter down. At the same time, multicolored light enveloped Dragonair, slamming it toward the ground—the effect of Exeggutor's Confusion.
"Legend has it that the three crystal orbs on Dragonair's body and tail have the power to change the weather. To think it's true." Liu Qing was somewhat awed. He could sense that Dragonair had not used a move, but an innate ability, much like Steelix and Dugtrio's natural ability to burrow. This power was even stronger than a move, though it would disappear once Dragonair evolved into Dragonite.
Boom! Dragonair was a remarkable Pokémon. Though it had no wings, it could fly and never touched the ground, as though something beneath it were holding it up. That was exactly what happened now. Despite being hurled downward, it stopped a meter above the ground and could fall no farther. A small cloud of dust still rose from the ground beneath it, only to be quickly soaked by the rain.
"Dragonair, Thunder!" Drake commanded.
"Woo!" Dragonair cried again. Electricity flickered around the pointed horn on its forehead, then shot straight into the dark clouds overhead. Thunder rolled, and a bolt came crashing down toward Exeggutor. It was as fast as real lightning. Exeggutor had no chance to counterattack before it collapsed unconscious, steam rising from its body.
"Exeggutor is unable to battle. Dragonair wins!" the referee announced after checking on it.
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