"You did great, Salamence. Come back and rest!" Liu Qing was genuinely pleased that Salamence had performed so well in its first battle. After recalling it, he glanced at Kingdra, whose Outrage energy still lingered on the field, and at Lance opposite him. He weighed his options for a while before taking out his fifth Poké Ball and throwing it. "Blissey, you're up!"
As Liu Qing threw the Poké Ball, a plump, pink Blissey appeared on the field with a happy cry. Combined with its sweet expression, it looked as though it had no desire to fight at all, winning over the female spectators throughout the stands. The male spectators, however, let out a chorus of dubious murmurs. Clearly, they considered Blissey a Pokémon that assisted Nurse Joy with medical care rather than one that fought.
"He's actually using Blissey?!" Even Lance, a Champion, showed a flicker of surprise when he saw Blissey appear. That surprise soon turned to caution. He knew that the easier a Pokémon was to underestimate, the less he could afford to take it lightly when Liu Qing used it. But even if he wanted to probe cautiously now, he had no chance. Still in the midst of Outrage, Kingdra was already trailing a ribbon of blue light as it charged at Blissey like lightning.
Liu Qing watched Kingdra rush toward them. Its repeated use of Agility had raised its speed to an astonishing level, yet Blissey remained utterly relaxed, seemingly unconcerned by its opponent. Liu Qing merely said calmly, "Blissey, get ready!"
Blissey gave a cheerful cry at his words, but its arms had barely begun to move when Kingdra slammed into it head-on. The tremendous force sent its round body flying. Even after landing, it kept rolling across the ground, kicking up a trail