"How is that possible?!" Ryūnan cried out in shock.
Water was super effective against Rock, super effective against Ground—against Graveler, it was a quadruple weakness.
On top of that, Gyarados held a clear level advantage… yet it still couldn't one-shot it?!
Though Graveler wasn't knocked out instantly, its condition was far from good. Thanks to its Water Absorb Ability, it could nullify same-tier Water-type attacks and even withstand stronger ones to some degree.
But the level gap between it and Gyarados was simply too wide.
Gyarados's Hydro Pump had been blocked, and Graveler even managed a counterattack—but now it was gasping for breath.
Ryūnan naturally wouldn't let this opportunity slip."Gyarados, use Water Pulse!"
A deep-blue sphere of water blasted into Graveler, bursting on its body with a violent crash. Spray and waves surged outward in all directions.
Graveler had no strength left to resist. It collapsed heavily to the ground.
"Graveler is unable to battle! Gyarados wins!" The referee announced the result of the round. At this point, both Yozora and Ryūnan had claimed two victories each—2:2, an even match.
Ryūnan had sent out three Pokémon and lost two. Gyarados was the one still standing.
Yozora had also used three, with two defeated. Besides Pidgeot and Graveler, he had also fielded Machoke.
Machoke was still in top condition.
But against Gyarados, Yozora did not choose Machoke.
Machoke's level was simply too low. It lacked both gap-closing mobility and ranged attacks. Against Ryūnan's Gyarados, it had no chance.
Yozora thought for a moment, then tossed out his next choice—Gengar.
"Keheheh…" Gengar landed lightly, flashing its signature grin.
"What a strong Gengar…"
Ryūnan's eyes widened. He immediately sensed its frightening aura.
In his judgment, Gengar's level was far higher—far stronger than Pidgeot, Machoke, or Graveler before it.
This was a truly troublesome opponent.
Still, Ryūnan knew well Gengar's weakness.
As a high-speed assassin mage, it was extremely fragile—glass cannon through and through.
That was the nature of an assassin.
It could unleash devastating damage, enough to one-shot foes—but with its thin defenses, it could also be one-shot in return.
A double-edged sword, nothing more.
"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!" Ryūnan launched the assault.
A terrifying torrent of high-pressure water burst from Gyarados's jaws, surging straight for Gengar.
Yozora, calm as ever, gave a quiet order:"Dodge, then use Shadow Ball."
Gengar cackled wickedly.
Despite its plump body, it moved with unnerving agility. With a flicker, it slipped past the Hydro Pump with ease.
Then, raising both hands, it hurled two Shadow Balls at once, slamming them hard against Gyarados's jaw.
Smoke and dust exploded outward—
"Gyaaaah!" Gyarados screamed as its massive body crashed to the ground. The impact shook the arena, sending up clouds of dust and forcing spectators to stumble backward.
The battle was too intense—no less than a finals match at the Indigo Plateau Conference! The sheer scale of their Pokémon and the range of their attacks made it dangerous to stand too close.
If the audience got caught in the crossfire, the results could be disastrous.
"Gyarados is unable to battle! Gengar wins!" The referee's voice rang out firmly.
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
The tension was suffocating.
This fight was overwhelming, exhilarating—on par with the Elite Eight of any Indigo Plateau Conference! The sheer pressure left the crowd breathless.
"Return, Gyarados."
Ryūnan recalled his fallen Pokémon. Without hesitation, he pulled a Luxury Ball from his belt, enlarged it, and hurled it out."Your turn—Flygon!"
Sure enough, the Pokémon within that Luxury Ball was none other than Flygon.
Flygon wasn't native to Kanto or Johto—it hailed from Hoenn.
A powerhouse species, Flygon's base stats rivaled the starter trios themselves.
It stood close to two meters tall, draconic in form, with broad wings and a long tail. With dragon's blood flowing in its veins, it was a genuine Dragon-type Pokémon.
[Flygon] (Ground + Dragon): Lord-tier, Champion potential.
Flygon was a ground dragon, dual Ground and Dragon-type. Its base stats even edged out the starter trios.
And this individual…
Ryūnan's Flygon was powerful and imposing, with sharp eyes and brimming spirit. It carried Champion-level potential, a specimen far superior to most starter-class Pokémon.
Of course—
It wasn't necessarily destined to be a Champion on its own. But under Ryūnan's guidance, with the Blackthorn Clan's Power of Dragons, its potential could be cultivated further.
And Flygon was Dragon-type.
It wouldn't be surprising if Ryūnan had raised it from a Trapinch since childhood.
"A Flygon?! As expected of the Blackthorn Clan's core disciple! He even has a Hoenn-region Dragon-type Pokémon!"
"Flygon is so cool! I want one too!"
The spectators erupted the moment Flygon appeared.
But Ryūnan paid them no heed.
His sharp eyes never left Yozora and Gengar. He remained on guard. That Gengar was simply too strong. Even with Flygon here, he couldn't allow himself to relax.
"Flygon, charge in—use Dragon Claw!" Ryūnan commanded.
"Shuuuuuuuu!"
"Shuuu!"
Flygon's body shifted, wings vibrating as it shot forward like a streak of light, claws glowing with draconic power as it closed in on Gengar.
But halfway there—
It suddenly realized that Gengar's figure had vanished.
Ryūnan froze, stunned. Flygon too halted in midair, glancing rapidly from side to side, searching, but unable to catch sight of its foe.
Gengar… had turned invisible.
This was the natural-born talent of the Gengar line! Far more troublesome than Double Team.
Double Team merely split off illusions to confuse the opponent, while the true body remained hidden among them. If the opponent unleashed an attack that struck everything at once, the real one could still be hit.
But invisibility was different.
Gengar simply disappeared without a trace, leaving nothing for the opponent to lock onto. It was far harder to react to.
"Flygon, stay calm! Carefully observe everything around you!" Ryūnan shouted, reminding both his partner and himself to keep composed.
On the other side, Yozora wore a faint smile.
Through Aura, he had already sensed where Gengar had slunk off to—lurking right at Flygon's side.
"Perfect. Gengar, now—use Lick!"
"Keheheh…"
Gengar reappeared in a burst of eerie laughter, startling Flygon so badly its scales bristled.
A grotesquely long tongue lashed out, slathering across Flygon's face.
The Desert Spirit reeled, dizzy and stiff, its whole body locking up as paralysis set in.
Once paralyzed, a Pokémon's movements became sluggish and unsteady—just like how a human's legs go numb after squatting too long.
Even if it tried to move, its speed would be pitifully slow.
...
...
(End of Chapter)