Chapter 1146

The magical shimmer was seen by the odd-colored Gastly as a defensive barrier.

Though not a native move, after trick enhancement, its power was indeed no less than that of a native move.

As a Dragon-type Pokémon, Dragonite finds it difficult to pose a strong threat to Gastly without breaking through this stage, and may even end up being defeated by it instead.

Iris: "Dark Mist!"

As the sandstorm was blown away by the wind, Dragonite exhaled large amounts of black smoke across the entire battlefield.

"Heng ga!?"

Gastly instinctively tried to dodge, but the black mist spread at an astonishing speed, inevitably leaving a trace on it.

The rapidly increasing Special Attack was quickly eliminated.

It angrily released icy-blue lightning, yet Dragonite dodged it again.

So strong!

Gastly's brows and eyes were filled with solemnity.

Accustomed to advantageous battles, it had long gone without encountering such a troublesome opponent; unable to Mega Evolve, it actually felt somewhat hesitant.

Transforming...?

It recalled Iris's earlier shout.

Compared to before, Dragonite has indeed become vastly different, its growth span even surpassing its own—at least for now.

Gastly dares to affirm that Dragonite's energy level is higher than its own!

And by quite a margin!

"Calm down! Fight it slowly! Your error tolerance is high!"

Baimu spoke up, reminding them, and his expression upon looking at Dragonite also inevitably carried a hint of surprise.

The Tyrant Dragonite actually knows such a cunning and variable move?

You should know this hot-headed fellow has always followed a pure offensive path, excelling at striking from start to finish, yet now it even knows Dark Mist.

"Heng ga..."

Gastly took large mouthfuls of "breath," attempting to stabilize its emotions.

Seeing this, Iris immediately shouted: "Go, Dragonite! Rush to Gastly's front!"

"Roar!"

The arrogant and unruly Dragonite let out a muffled roar, flapped its wings, and suddenly charged toward Gastly, yet unexpectedly used no move at all.

Huh?

Are we competing in reaction speed?

Baimu knew Iris and Dragonite were preparing to act based on Gastly's reaction, striking second to ensure no mistake.

——What audacity! What greed!

"Ability Exchange!"

He did not hesitate, actively giving Dragonite an opportunity.

Gastly's eyes glowed blue, acting upon the opponent, causing 【Cursed Body】 and 【Multiscale】 to be exchanged.

Although affected by the sandstorm, both it and Dragonite, in an unsatisfied state, could not trigger this ability, but if Dragonite used Roost to recover, it could trigger it again.

First, reduce the possibility of collapsing due to insufficient output!

Iris then quickly shouted: "Good chance! Dragon Rush!"

"Roar!"

Dragon flames ignited on Dragonite's body surface, instantly spreading across its entire form and seemingly blooming like flowers, forming an energy flying dragon with broad wings and a long tail!

Boom——!!

The air violently trembled, as if the flying dragon had let out an angry roar!

It surged forward toward the extremely close Gastly, which, while achieving the ability exchange, had already begun to dodge, but conventional means could not escape it.

Too fast!

The range is also too vast!

Dragonite's all-out strike seemed to have some extra bonus, its azure dragon flame producing a near-liquefied state, sending chills down one's spine.

In an instant.

Boom——!!

Accompanied by a blinding intense white light, the mighty shockwave instantly expanded across the entire field, the milky-white air wave resembling a high wall, sweeping over every spectator nearby!

Whoosh!

The terrifying wind pressure blew people's hair and clothing edges, made them unable to stand firm, blurred their vision, and made it hard to see the battlefield clearly.

Many timid people screamed in fright.

The regional champion unleashed full power—the move's power is incomprehensible to ordinary trainers!

Can Gastly withstand this blow?

After all, Ghost-type Pokémon are famously fragile, with only a few able to escape this fate.

Given how close the two sides are now, Dragon Rush's damage equals taking it all head-on; judging by Gastly's small frame, the situation is extremely dangerous!

Iris's champion strength is certainly not boastful—Dragonite's prior reactions, speed, and other aspects have all proven this!

In terms of growth curve, she is second only to the cheat-code Baimu and the enlightened Ash!

Of course.

If one must say, talent is also a kind of cheat.

And this simulator cheat is a talent bestowed upon Baimu by Arceus!

Several seconds later.

The frantic wind gradually subsided.

Everyone unconsciously stretched their necks, looking expectantly at the hazy battlefield shrouded in smoke and dust.

Without a big screen to show the specifics of the battle, they could only judge the situation with their own eyes, their hearts filled with intense anticipation.

Inside and outside the venue, all was silent.

"Hypnosis."

Baimu's command suddenly rang out, sounding rather abrupt.

As everyone was surprised, a strange purplish light flashed in the swirling dust and mist, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.

Bang!

Elise realized the situation was dire and shouted: "Quick Dragon! Wake up!"

"Pain Split."

"Heh heh!"

As the smoke and dust cleared, everyone could see Gengar releasing black beams from its eyes, which fell into the prone Quick Dragon, rapidly restoring its stamina.

【Pain Split】, a general attribute-changing move, divides the sum of the user's and target's stamina equally, making it very suitable for Pokémon with low HP.

Gengar's condition quickly improved.

The power of Dragon Rush was truly terrifying, letting it take a heavy blow and nearly collapsing on the spot.

Fortunately, Baimu's Pokémon, no matter which direction they go, are generally able to withstand blows, which is why Quick Dragon wasn't knocked out in one hit.

"Quick Dragon!!"

Elise shouted sharply.

Gengar let out a strange laugh, its plump paw raised high, condensing icy blue electric light filled with cold air, about to take down the Quick Dragon whose stamina was less than half.

Who would have thought that just as it released the ice beam, the sleeping Quick Dragon suddenly woke up!

"Roar!"

It let out a loud roar, stubbornly resisting the erosion of the cold air, and swung its emerald green claws at Gengar!

【Dragon Claw】!

Bang bang!

Two clouds of smoke exploded!

Quick Dragon and Gengar each flew backward in opposite directions!

"Woke up in a second? No, it was shouted awake!"

Baimu furrowed his brow, having succeeded with hypnosis so many times, this was the first time he encountered an opponent waking up so quickly.

Moreover, striking back while still under the ice beam and hitting Gengar shows just how ferociously fast Quick Dragon's sudden burst of speed was.

The two Pokémon fell to the ground, rolling several times before stopping.

Looking around, Gengar's large face was pressed to the ground, while Quick Dragon had half its body turned into frozen snow-white, yet it struggled in unison to try to stand up.

"Roar..."

"Heh heh..."

They stared at each other from afar, then in the next second fell backward, each revealing spiral eyes.

The area around the battlefield fell silent once again.

The airborne Rotom flew toward the two Pokémon on either side, confirmed their status, and said: "Quick Dragon and Gengar have lost battle capability!"

Draw!

The crowd erupted in noise, then burst into applause.

Gengar actually fought to the end without relying on Mega Evolution, battling Quick Dragon to a draw!

"Really unexpected, it ended in a draw!"

"Actually quite normal, after Pain Split, both sides' stamina situations are unclear, Quick Dragon is Flying and Dragon type, Gengar has extremely low physical defense..."

"If Pain Split wasn't used, would a direct Ice Beam have been better?"

"What you say has some merit, but if Quick Dragon had held on then? Like just now, waking up and counterattacking Gengar, Baimu would have suffered a big loss!"

"Exactly! Quick Dragon can recover via Roost."

"But if it could be defeated directly——"

Trainers discussed based on their respective assumptions, and ultimately concluded that Baimu's tactic might not be the optimal solution, but it belongs to the safest approach.

Successfully avoided the possibility of Quick Dragon being affected by Elise's Revival Blessing.

But...

Why didn't Baimu let Gengar use Mega Evolution?

This question was quickly answered.

"Rumble!"

Diglett reappeared, having taken Gengar's Focus Blast, its stamina condition worthy of a question mark.

Fortunately, the status condition disappeared again, preventing it from being helpless.

It looked into the distance, where an unprecedented metallic beast descended, its dragon-like body rising upright, resembling a rock pillar standing tall and firm.

"Hiss——"

The air echoed with a roar like the rumbling of large engineering machinery.

The colossal Mega Steelix appeared!

At the same time, Baimu revealed the Key Stone in his pocket, resonating with Mega Steelix's Mega Stone.

"Feel the pulse of the earth...... Mega Evolution!"

"Hiss!"

The astonishing colorful light flashed brilliantly!

Alice immediately gave the order, "True Qi Blast!"

"Dorulu!"

The Dragon Head Ground Rat's steel claws gathered, and in the blink of an eye condensed into a sapphire-blue energy blast, hurled at the Mega Steelix undergoing super evolution!

Its attack timing was extremely clever, perfectly seizing the moment when the Mega Steelix's evolution ended—neither interfering with its super evolution nor missing the chance to strike!

As for using physical attack moves against the Dragon Head Ground Rat with special attack fighting-type moves...

One can only say Alice's breeding level allowed it to reach a standard on par with its physical attack moves of the same type in this move.

And compared to using physical attack moves against the Mega Steelix, the special attack True Qi Blast could inflict higher damage!

Baimu naturally understood this, and the Mega Steelix's tail swung according to his will, the massive object sweeping through the air and stirring up a heavy wind sound!

Boom!

【Iron Tail】!

The crystal giant tail gleaming with silver light collided with the True Qi Blast, the two energies clashing and exploding with a roar!

The rising smoke once again spread across the battlefield.

But this time it dissipated quickly, only because the Mega Steelix's continuously rotating lateral steel bones stirred the air and dispersed the thick smoke and dust.

Alice's brows were filled with solemnity, "Straight Charge Drill!"

The situation was not favorable for her; the Mega Steelix appeared weak to Ground-type, which the Dragon Head Ground Rat countered.

Conversely, it was the same!

"One Hundred Thousand Horsepower."

"Roar!"

The Mega Steelix roared as it leapt up, charging at the spiraling Dragon Head Ground Rat!

Clang!

The metallic collision echoed throughout the entire arena!

Countless sparks flew as the steel drill and steel plate clashed head-on; the lighter Dragon Head Ground Rat had no doubt and was immediately flung away by the Mega Steelix!

They were like a motorcycle and a high-speed train colliding, already surpassing the severity of a highway truck accident!

The Mega Steelix didn't even need to sing: "We're all working hard to live."

"Electromagnetic Float."

"Roar!"

Baimu did not let his Pokémon press the attack; his idea remained to start steadily.

After all, it's a promotion match and the opponent is a regional champion—no amount of caution is excessive, and Dragonite's performance already exceeded his expectations.

As Alice's first-trained Pokémon, the Dragon Head Ground Rat might have some tricky skills.

On Alice's side, seeing the Mega Steelix take flight, she helplessly said, "Really troublesome."

Ground-type moves lost effectiveness, and the Dragon Head Ground Rat doesn't have moves like 【Gravity】 or 【Knock Down】 to bring the Mega Steelix back to ground, leaving her in a very disadvantageous situation.

Perhaps...

Let's go all out!

Alice's face was firm with determination, exchanging glances with the rising Dragon Head Ground Rat.

"Dorulu!"

The Dragon Head Ground Rat slightly nodded, already resolved in heart.

Go!

It hesitated not, leapt high, dug into the ground, and again attempted to conceal its presence.

An uproar inside and outside the venue!

Has Alice gone mad? Digging a hole in front of a Ground-type Pokémon?

Is she betting the Mega Steelix won't use 【Earthquake】?

Everyone knows that when a Pokémon is underground, the earthquake power it suffers may double—this is a devastating decision for a weak Ground-type Pokémon!

"Hmm..."

Baimu narrowed his eyes.

To be honest, Alice's intention is somewhat easy to understand.

Especially since I know her quite well, I can better grasp the meaning of this suicidal hiding tactic.

However.

He is precisely using this Mega Steelix to guard against this point!

"Earthquake!"

Baimu decisively chose "take the bait," following Alice's script to proceed with the match.

The Mega Steelix roared, its giant tail swinging its body and suddenly sinking, like a meteorite striking Earth, directly impacting the entire arena!

Boom——!!

The earth seemed to surge like waves, then shattered with a roar, terrifying shockwaves sweeping across!

Many spectators fell in this sudden tremor, cries of alarm rising and falling!

But many also stood firm, eyes fixed on the situation inside the arena.

"The Dragon Head Ground Rat has come out!"

"It rushed out early! Alice was actually waiting for Baimu to use Earthquake!"

"This is preparation..."

"Horn Drill! It's Horn Drill!"

Their voices were drowned out by the continuous shaking.

In midair, the dragon-headed mole rat, transformed into a pale spiral, resembled a ground-drilling bomb, rushing straight toward the smoke-shrouded Mega Steelix below.

It actually burst from the earth before the earthquake, using the force to fly upward, crossing paths with the Mega Steelix.

All of this, everything, was for this very strike!

【Angle Drill】!

A high-stakes gamble for a one-hit knockout!

Once, due to insufficient level, it lost to Baimu's Happy Egg; now its level has reached an astonishing degree.

Impossible to lose!

Get down!

The dragon-headed mole rat's eyes, hidden within the drill, were extraordinarily resolute.

But as it drew near, a sudden bright light flashed in its eyes, as if something had happened.

Then, the high-speed spinning drill struck the Mega Steelix's body surface, sending countless sparks flying, as if the drill were about to bore through steel plating!

But as it kept spinning, the dragon-headed mole rat realized something was wrong.

"Get out of the way!"

The trainer's shout rang clear, yet when it tried to withdraw, the Mega Steelix seized it with its tail, and then a yellowish shockwave struck it!

Boom——!!

Earth-shaking and mountain-moving!

The dragon-headed mole rat let out a painful groan, its thoughts quickly blurring until it lost all responsiveness.

Everyone inside and outside the arena watched this scene.

"This..."

"Mega Steelix has disengaged from Mega Evolution..."

"I get it! Sturdy Ability! Mega Steelix has the Sturdy Ability!"

Baimu's Mega Steelix actually has the Sturdy Ability!

One-hit knockout moves have no effect on it!

Did he foresee this?

Countless trainers' pupils trembled as they stared at Baimu in disbelief.

Even more astonishing to them was that the champion's ace Pokémon had only now revealed its Ability.

Because until now, no trainer's Pokémon had been capable of instantly KOing Baimu's Mega Steelix, triggering the Sturdy Ability!

(End of Chapter)