Chapter 632: The Quasi-God Eats Humble Pie

Substitute!

Impossible! When did it—

Countless spectators, media, and online commentators couldn't believe their own eyes.

Pokémon moves aren't fired off on a whim; not only can they easily be interrupted by the opponent's attacks, there's also a set interval between moves.

It's like how humans need oxygen, but the process of taking in oxygen includes the step of exhaling.

Porygon2 had been locked in a clash between Thunderbolt and Archeops's Acrobatics—when did it get the chance to use Substitute, and let the Substitute take Archeops's attack?

There's no logic to it!

Unless it used Substitute much earlier, but when would it have had the chance?

Many faces were filled with bewilderment, but the purely spectacle-seeking spectators' cheers were especially loud—they didn't care about the specific logic and circumstances of the battle, as long as the visuals were shocking and stunning enough.

Bai Guang asked, "Could it be that Porygon2, this artificial Pokémon, has something special about it?"

Xiaogang thought for a long while, then shook his head: "Maybe, but as far as I know, at this stage only All Baimu has this kind of Pokémon—no one knows how many secrets it still hides."

Man Chong and Miss Liuqi offered no opinion either way.

Inside the field.

The sandstorm subsided.

Alice was not pleased.

Even though Archeops was only the first Pokémon to lose the ability to battle, the psychological pressure it brought her was comparable to going straight into the mid-battle break.

Clearly Archeops had performed so well, and the Acrobatics triggered by the Flying Gem had met her expectations in terms of power.

In the end, it still couldn't take down Porygon2.

So unreconciled!

But this was Porygon2's strength—the strength of a mysterious artificial Pokémon…

She took several deep breaths, struggling to calm the surging emotions in her heart before recalling Archeops into its ball, and said softly, "Thank you, Archeops."

Victory and defeat were decided.

Rather than keep dwelling on it, better to press on!

She refused to believe she couldn't figure out what was going on with that Substitute!

She hurled a new Poké Ball forward and shouted, "I'm counting on you! Dragonite!"

Bang!

White light flickered.

Dragonite, nicknamed Little Overlord and perpetually frowning, landed on the field, and the very first second it saw All Baimu it let out a fierce, earsplitting roar.

"ROAR!!"

It certainly hadn't forgotten how it had been defeated by Hydreigon back then.

Today it would take everything back in one go!

The commentator said, "Alice's third Pokémon is Dragonite! Now that the sandstorm has stopped, what tactics will she employ?"

All Baimu was completely unaffected by the roar, only thinking that Alice had indeed lost her patience.

The consecutive losses of Garchomp and Archeops had gradually made her somewhat impatient, and her sixth sense had been clouded by emotion.

Dragonite was certainly one of the three strongest cards in her hand, but in the current situation, it might not be a good choice…

Of course.

There weren't many Pokémon with flying capability on her team, and Porygon2's Magnet Rise combined with its long-range output ability forced her to choose Dragonite.

If only Excadrill could float, she wouldn't be this passive.

And this situation was precisely the effect All Baimu had deliberately wanted to achieve, very favorable to his upcoming tactics.

"Dragon Dance!"

Alice issued the order with a serious expression, completely casting the previous defeat out of her mind.

As a wild girl who grew up roaming the forest alongside wild Pokémon, her ability to handle pressure far exceeded that of ordinary people.

So even though she'd been knocked out countless times by Drillbur, she could still persistently challenge it, until by a stroke of luck she defeated it, and they became close partners.

The rare times she'd broken down in her early years were either when Excadrill curled up and shut itself in, refusing to communicate, or when Dragonite went on a rampage, ignoring her commands and attacking wildly.

It was clear that Alice didn't fear losing—only being unable to rekindle her fighting spirit.

"Roar!"

Little Overlord Dragonite flapped its wings and shot straight up into the sky, crimson and azure twin-colored energy pulsing around it, finally transforming into an orange status-boosting energy current.

Porygon2 wasn't idle either, lighting up its eyes with colored light first under All Baimu's command.

"Trick Room."

Four blue light waves rose from the edges of the field, connecting with each other to outline the shape of a cube, like a giant glass greenhouse.

The space had been opened up after all.

No matter how much Alice tried to guard against it, the initiative was in All Baimu's hands, and she was ultimately powerless to stop it.

Dragonite had just finished using Dragon Dance, and upon seeing this scene couldn't help looking around.

The Tailwind was still active on the field.

Dragonite's speed undoubtedly far surpassed Porygon2's, and the two speed-boosting moves of Tailwind and Dragon Dance made the latter's mobility boost utterly uncontested.

However.

No matter how powerful Trick Room was, it wasn't omnipotent!

Alice clenched her right fist—the main purpose of using Dragon Dance was actually to boost Attack power; she planned to take down Porygon2 with even fiercer attacks, to avoid a repeat of the Archeops situation.

Suddenly.

Porygon2 rapidly descended from the sky.

The wisps of electricity that had been swirling around its feet dissipated.

【Electromagnetic Levitation】 time over?

Caught off guard, she was both startled and delighted, and hurriedly commanded: "Divine—"

Fwip!

The recalled red light streaked through the air, enveloped Porygon-II, and returned to the Poké Ball in All Baimu's hand. Losing its target, the Dragonite faltered for a moment, then flapped its wings and held its position in the air.

The commentator exclaimed: "Trainer Baimu has suddenly recalled Porygon-II! What Pokémon will he send out to replace it?"

The Poké Ball flew out.

Bang!

"Hrrrooo!"

A colossal Steelix, towering like Shanfeng, entered the field. Its roar was like the hum of a hollow metal cavity, and its absurdly exaggerated size drew plenty of excited cheers.

The commentator was equally thrilled, shouting: "Steelix! Trainer Baimu's second Pokémon is Steelix! This is a rare specimen in history—a metal behemoth estimated to exceed twenty meters in length!"

It stood in the middle of the field, its gaze perfectly level with the Dragonite hovering in midair.

"Roooar."

Locked in the gaze of the giant Steelix's eyes, seemingly forged from red copper, even the tyrant Dragonite could not help but show a wary expression.

In the world of wild Pokémon, being big doesn't necessarily mean being the strongest, but it's definitely never weak!

Iris's expression turned solemn. "Steelix…"

This Pokémon, which had only appeared during the preliminary tournament, had left a deep impression on everyone present at the time.

The destructive power it displayed might not have been as unrivaled as Mega Mawile's, but given its sheer size, its presence was absolutely breathtaking.

The audience's excitement was precisely for this reason.

"Flamethrower!"

She waved her hand and gave the order, decisively abandoning the physical attack she had just boosted with Dragon Dance.

To strike a snake, aim for the seven-inch mark; to battle a Pokémon, aim for its weak point. Steelix's Special Defense was undoubtedly a vulnerability worth exploiting.

"Hiss—"

The tyrant Dragonite didn't dare hesitate. It took a deep breath, its chest swelling high, and terrifying crimson flames erupted from its mouth.

The next second, flames brimming with destructive aura surged toward Steelix like a rolling sea of fire, accompanied by a terrifying rumble!

All Baimu was unperturbed. "Gyro Ball."

Whooooosh—

The sharp whistle of wind came from Steelix's horizontally spinning steel bones. Under the stunned gaze of everyone, the fiercely burning flames were torn apart by three pale-blue rings of light—upper, middle, and lower.

A move that should have had the type advantage was dispelled so easily?

Iris's eyes went wide.

"No effect! Flamethrower couldn't break through the defensive barrier Steelix built with Gyro Ball!" the commentator cried, voice high-pitched.

Brock allowed himself a slightly smug smile.

Dawn gasped. "Counter Shield? That's Ash's Counter Shield, isn't it?"

Before she could get an answer—

Steelix kept its massive steel bones spinning, driving the three pale-blue rings toward Dragonite. Under Trick Room, its speed was vastly enhanced, making it look like a silver tornado!

Boom!

Iris shouted: "Extreme Speed!"

"Roooar!"

Dragonite's body flashed into a white arc and vanished on the spot. The ferocious Steelix lunged with a thunderous crash, missing entirely and kicking up a storm of sand and gravel.

【Extreme Speed】, as a move with the priority effect, can ignore Trick Room's effect to boost its own speed, allowing it to dodge or attack.

Thwack!

Dragonite, having flown behind Steelix, slammed a heavy fist onto its head.

But…

Apart from the recoil numbing its own hand and Steelix ducking its head slightly with the force, the attack had no effect whatsoever.

Even though a Normal-type move didn't perform well against the Steel-type Steelix, the feedback still made Dragonite doubt its own attack power.

The commentator couldn't help but shout: "What a pity! Dragonite successfully dodged Steelix's Gyro Ball, but the Extreme Speed attack still didn't do much! Steelix's defense is terrifying!"

"Sandstorm!"

All Baimu waved his hand.

Steelix threw back its head and roared. The three horizontal steel bones spun at high speed once more, whipping up violent sand and wind that instantly spread outward in all directions!

Boom!

A terrifying tornado-sandstorm, utterly unlike the previous Sandstorm, ravaged the entire field!

Dragonite had nowhere to dodge and could only raise its claws in front of itself. Enduring the baptism of sand and gale, it was forced to fly backward.

"Grrr…"

"Dragonite!"

Iris cried out that things were going badly.

Dragonite's ability is 【Multiscale】, which reduces damage taken when its HP is full.

The Sandstorm was enough to nullify that ability.

"Dragonite, charge in with Fire Punch!"

She resolved to make one final attempt.

If it still doesn't work, she'll switch.

To think it couldn't do anything about Steelix—it gave her a real headache.

Hearing this, Dragonite's little wings on its back flapped furiously, its fists igniting with crimson flames as it charged forward against the raging sand tornado.

Steelix neither dodged nor flinched, staring at the incoming Dragonite as it accelerated the rotation of its lateral steel frame.

"Hah—"

Whoosh!

The sandstorm's power surged once more!

As a relatively common weather move in the anime, it isn't like in the games where it deals pure percentage-based sustained damage—its power can shift based on the Pokémon's subtle control.

Many trainers even treat it as an independent damage move rather than a weather technique.

And Steelix happens to be a master at manipulating sandstorms.

It had once used a sandstorm at Iron Town to hold off dozens of dark Pokémon—dealing with a mere little overlord like Dragonite was child's play!

It just doesn't usually stay by All Baimu's side.

That doesn't mean it's weak!

"Grrr—"

Dragonite strained to flap its wings until its face twisted grotesquely, but the sandstorm held it at bay like a shield—let alone throwing a punch, it couldn't even get close.

The audience gasped in amazement; using a sandstorm to keep an opponent at bay and prevent them from approaching—why, they'd never heard of such a thing, let alone seen it.

Perhaps only a Pokémon the size of Steelix could pull it off?

Most of the sand filling the sky was pouring out from its body!

Seeing the standoff drag on.

Knowing that Dragonite never shied away from confrontation, Alice clenched her fist and shouted: "Go, Dragonite! You can do it!"

Having been tempered together in the Dragon's Nest, the two had long since shared one mind and understood each other perfectly.

Dragonite would willingly follow Alice's advice, and Alice would respect Dragonite's resolve.

The Dragon's Heart stirred faintly in resonance.

In an instant.

The trainer's call drew a roar from Dragonite; like a cosmic eruption, the flames on its fists swelled violently, growing into something like fire thrusters.

It closed the distance to Steelix's position step by step.

Just as the commentators in the broadcast booth were about to speak up and praise it.

Suddenly.

"Release!"

The overwhelming sand tornado collapsed with a roar.

The resistance vanishing without warning left Dragonite unable to control its momentum, and it shot past Steelix's flank at tremendous speed.

It only managed to stop after flapping its wings like mad.

Alice froze for a beat, then her face changed drastically. "No good! Dragonite, turn around—!"

All Baimu shouted abruptly: "The moment's here! Ice Fang!"

"Hahn!"

Steelix opened its pitch-black maw, cold air spilling out to form a phantom set of icy-blue fangs, and bit down on the mid-air Dragonite as it turned and threw a punch!

Boom!

Cold and heat clashed, and the two opposing elemental energies exploded.

The air boiled in an instant; gray-white mist rolled outward in all directions, and the massive temperature differential caused the air currents to expand and contract, forming a terrifying hurricane!

Alice instinctively raised a hand to shield herself, because this hurricane was mixed with grit from the Rock-type field.

She hadn't expected this sandstorm to be part of All Baimu's scheme as well.

It's like a tug-of-war—both sides gather their focus and give their all in a stalemate, then suddenly one side lets go, and the other naturally tumbles head over heels, completely out of control.

Another trap!

And she'd fallen into it once again.

Alice felt like a foolish Magikarp—never learning her lesson, no matter how many times she fell into the traps All Baimu set.

On the other side.

All Baimu brushed the dust off his shoulder, marveling at how battle-hardened Dragonite truly was.

Under normal circumstances, what Pokémon could react that quickly?

As for traps and the like…

The factors that matter in a Pokémon battle have never been just the opponent's Pokémon—the opponent themselves are also a crucial element in deciding the outcome.

Adjusting tactics based on the opponent's personality.

That was one of the fruits of his short-by-a-week stint as a Gym Leader; previously, the concept had been a bit fuzzy to him, something he'd only ever deployed unconsciously.

But the identity of Gym Leader had quickly given him insight into how different trainers' personalities influenced their Pokémon and tactics.

Alice—favoring straightforward, head-on aggression.

Normally, she rarely used status moves against her opponents; an endless barrage of attacks was her habit, and it had indeed left many people gasping for air.

The fact that she'd used so many status moves against him this time made it easy to understand her desire to change herself.

Unfortunately, habits aren't so easy to change.

Once both sides entered a stalemate, Alice would almost never choose to retreat and adopt another method of attack—especially when Dragonite was on the field.

What kind of personality does Dragonite have?

Even if it had begun following Alice's commands, fundamentally vicious as it was, it could never give up the confrontation it was best at and loved most.

The smoke on the field cleared.

One could see a layer of frost clinging to Dragonite's body, its face written with agony.

Meanwhile, the towering, mountain-like Steelix standing before it wasn't even breathing hard, casting a shadow over it that made it look especially terrifying.

The clash between Fire Punch and Ice Fang ended with Dragonite's defeat.

There was no helping it.

Its Multiscale ability had been broken by the Sandstorm attack, so even if it wanted to endure, it couldn't — that was a four-times effect!

Alice decisively pulled out a Poké Ball.

Baimu, who had already sent out a Garchomp, was hardly going to give Dragonite another chance to leave the field, and ordered:

"Bind!"

The giant Steelix nimbly coiled around Dragonite. The latter flapped its wings trying to take off and flee, but without Extreme Speed, it couldn't outpace the former under Trick Room.

Clack-clack—

Dragonite was unmistakably locked down by Steelix's thick tail!

The recall beam shot over, hit it, and bounced off — the Bind move carried the additional status of 【Trap】, and without using a forced-switching move or certain spin moves, it couldn't leave the field.

"Dragonite! Use Flamethrower!"

Alice called out anxiously.

Close range was actually an opportunity too — Steelix's lateral steel bones couldn't rotate, making it hard to defend against Flamethrower.

Unfortunately, the Dragonite suffering under the Trap could only manage to howl.

"Dragon Breath!"

Steelix blasted a mouthful of azure breath straight down!

Boom!

Smoke billowed.

"Dragonite…"

Alice clenched her silver teeth, then lowered her head and sighed weakly.

Beep!

The referee waved his flag the instant the smoke cleared. "Dragonite is unable to battle! Steelix wins!"