Chapter 316: The Ultimate Move Dragonite Learned from Lugia!

Boom—!

The surging, galloping water flow, like an arrow loosed from a bow, instantly pierced the rain curtain, striking close to the abdomen of the Dragonite hovering in mid-air.

Even though Xiaozhuang's Kingdra did not possess the "Sniper" Ability, the power of this strike was likely even greater than that of an ordinary Kingdra with the "Sniper" Ability.

This was the foundation bestowed upon Xiaozhuang by the main family, inherited over many years.

But the opponent she faced was a monster of an even higher tier, a "genius" beyond conventional description, just like her cousin, Lance.

In an instant, the Dragonite's body flipped at a speed unimaginable to the onlookers, directly dodging that water cannon strike that had seemed certain to kill.

A emerald glow gathered on the Dragonite's twin claws, transforming into giant energy claws constructed from Dragon-type energy; accompanied by a howling wind, the Dragonite slammed its Dragon Claw heavily toward the Kingdra!

However, the Kingdra's agility in the rain was simply like having a cheat enabled; its figure vanished from the spot in an instant, and upon a second glance, it was already nearly ten meters away from the Dragonite.

The Dragonite's Dragon Claw smashed fiercely onto the ground, causing the entire arena to emit a groaning tremor as if under unbearable stress; amidst the scattering gravel, the spectating audience had to support one another just to barely maintain their footing.

Cynthia pulled Iris into her embrace, protecting her firmly.

Immediately after, the sea waves crashed down with a momentum that nothing could block, bringing a deafening roar, as if the entire world were trembling.

To her, Iris was a junior who needed care, yet she did not know that Iris had grown up in the wilds, capable of leaping between tree branches and swinging on vines like Taishan without any issue, possessing first-rate bodily balance.

Just as the Dragonite used the momentum brought by Dragon Rush to accelerate further, on the verge of catching up to the Kingdra, Xiaozhuang declared without hesitation: "Smokescreen!"

Seeing the Dragonite spinning toward itself like a top, the Kingdra frowned, whipping up a howling cold wind within its long tubular mouth and lunging directly at the Dragonite!

Catching the flashing Dragon Pulse in the corner of its eye, the Kingdra even had the leisure to turn around and fire a water cannon of modest power but immense insult into the gap of the Dragon Pulse, before sliding elegantly across the arena, rushing out of the bombardment zone of the Dragon Pulse.

"Boo-wuu—!"

For the Dragonite, this recent chase battle was merely a warm-up.

But to the Kingdra's surprised expression, swirling winds immediately rose around the spinning Dragonite, winds that, like armor solemnly handed by a loyal paladin to a Princess, firmly protected the Dragonite within.

"Charge through, Dragon Dance!"

Yet that was merely the Dragonite's limit speed under unobstructed conditions.

Because of its massive size, it was not agile; because of its immense strength, it did not engage in guerrilla tactics.

Although the Dragonite could fly around the planet in a single day, seemingly possessing terrifying speed, in reality, this was because during flight the Dragonite hardly needed to turn, allowing it to fully control the swirling winds wrapping around its dragon wings to accelerate itself until breaking the sound barrier.

Luo Mu waved his right hand, issuing his command.

The Dragonite took flight again, charging toward the Kingdra's direction; simultaneously, a stream of blue, purple, and red light composed of Dragon-type energy wrapped around the Dragonite, transforming along with its rotation into a dazzling tri-colored wheel of light.

The next instant.

Water and ice are not separate families; for a Water and Dragon-type Kingdra to learn an Ice-type move is nothing rare, after all, on the land of Paldea, there exists a Pokémon named Baxcalibur that is both Dragon and Ice-type.

The Dragonite was currently in a low-altitude flight state; Luo Mu made his judgment that rather than wasting time gaining altitude and losing the Kingdra whose pace he had finally matched, it was better to further increase speed and pierce through this giant wave with brute force.

This also made the Dragonite, which was gradually mastering the mysteries of wind, feel slightly aggrieved, but only slightly; the Dragonite knew very well that its advantages were forever its nearly all-encompassing multi-type move arsenal, and the powerful body brought by its Dragon-type and Late Bloomer Pokémon status.

Surf was torn apart by the Dragonite's unreasonable strength; the splashing spray joined the rain curtain, surging toward the surroundings of the arena, while the trainers present very tacitly stepped back in unison, dodging the wash of the water as Surf dispersed.

To narrow the speed gap with the Kingdra, enhancement was necessary.

"This Dragonite's talent in the Flying type might be far greater than its talent in the Dragon type."

The Kingdra's dragon eyes narrowed; although unwilling, it indeed had a gap in hard power compared to the Dragonite, and rather than recklessly rushing up to fight the Dragonite, it preferred to suppress its instincts and obey the commands of Xiaozhuang, who had grown up alongside it since childhood.

The Dragonite, currently in rapid flight, furrowed its brow; unable to whip up a wild wind to blow away the smoke, it plunged into the smokescreen carrying terrifying energy and kinetic force.

Some people realized it: whether in movement speed or agile turning ability, the Kingdra could play the Dragonite like a puppet in the palm of its hand; the "Swift Swim" Ability under rainy conditions provided a boost far too great for a Pokémon of the Kingdra's caliber.

Under the Kingdra's call, water flows gathered, rising in height and transforming in the blink of an eye into a massive white tidal wave, as if about to touch the sky.

Under the shocked expressions of the surrounding trainers, Luo Mu's calm voice echoed across the arena: "Charge through in one go, Dragon Rush!"

The Kingdra knew that Icy Wind could effectively reduce the Dragonite's speed, so there was no need to worry about the Dragonite having the capital to chase it after using Dragon Dance.

While protecting Iris, Cynthia voiced the details she had observed: "Just now, the Dragonite created a fierce head-on air current in an instant, forcibly compelling its massive and unagile body to complete a turn; no wonder you saw a storm, Iris."

The surrounding Dragon-type trainers also understood this point.

Cynthia's voice carried a touch of emotion; nearby, Drasna, hearing Cynthia's analysis, revealed a look of surprise—one had to say, as expected of the Sinnoh Champion, this meticulous power of observation was far superior to that of an old auntie like herself.

The Dragonite flapped its wings, chasing the high-speed moving Kingdra; howling wild winds filled the entire battle arena as it opened its lower jaw, where dazzling energy transformed in the rain curtain into a ferocious, clawing giant dragon; Dragon Pulse shot straight toward the sky, and with an aura intending to utterly destroy the enemy, it spread its membrane-less "bone wings" and descended from the heavens.

Luo Mu understood very well the reason why the Dragonite could not catch up to the Kingdra.

Cynthia was always like this, doing her utmost to care for juniors; even if an unknown trainer stopped her on the road to challenge her, she would gladly accept, and after the battle, provide suggestions that yielded rich rewards.

Icy Wind!

Boom—!

Dragon Pulse descended upon the empty ground, raising a terrifying rumbling sound; the shockwave brought by the energy explosion blew so hard that the surrounding spectating trainers clutched their umbrellas tightly, lest they be soaked like drowned rats.

But the expected hit did not arrive; the wild wind was whipped up by the Dragonite, which had rushed into the smokescreen only to find nothing, scattering along with the surrounding water droplets; standing in the large crater, the Dragonite gazed heavily at the Kingdra, which had somehow run far away, its expression unchanged.

The release speed of moves, agility in battle, and reaction speed—these truly embodied the Dragonite's "80" base Speed stat.

It was precisely because of this that such a Cynthia was deeply loved by the people of the Sinnoh League.

A cold wind carrying frosty air froze the rain curtain along its path, descending instantly upon the Dragonite.

Even though she seemed to have gained the upper hand, Xiaozhuang's face remained solemn, showing no carelessness: "Surf!"

A pitch-black curtain gushed forth from the Kingdra's long tubular mouth, covering a large surrounding area in the blink of an eye; even with the suppression of the rain curtain, it completely swallowed the Kingdra.

The Dragonite let out a loud roar, its whole body wrapped in surging airwaves made of energy; the next instant, a azure energy giant dragon roared as it tore through Surf, releasing a terrifying aura while chasing after the Kingdra.

The contact between the swirling wind and the cold wind canceled out the portion of Icy Wind's energy that affected the Dragonite the most, while the soaring Dragon-type energy whipped up by Dragon Dance blocked one of its natural enemies, Ice-type energy; the final result was that the Dragonite completed a Dragon Dance enhancement, its speed skyrocketing!

Having completed the enhancement, the Dragonite, like a fierce tiger descending from the mountains, lunged directly at the Kingdra, which had used Icy Wind without moving and was now right before its eyes!

A trace of shock flashed across Xiaozhuang's face; wasn't the Dragonite just using the move Dragon Dance? Where did those winds come from? Could it be that while using a move, the Dragonite could still spare the mental focus to control those free and unfettered winds?

Clutching her violently pounding heart, Xiaozhuang shouted: "Use a move of greater power, Ice Beam!"

The Kingdra's dragon eyes glared in anger; facing the Dragonite which had ceased its rotation and was lunging toward it, a flash of ice-blue brilliance erupted from its long tubular mouth.

The next instant.

Beams of ice-light that froze everything along their path burst forth; the beams, like cold snakes hissing, split into three streams approaching the Dragonite from three directions, intending to tear and bite to their heart's content.

The biting cold contained within the beam of light, even before making contact with the Dragonite, left traces of frost in the air, coating the Dragonite's eyelashes in a layer of white frost.

"Heat Wave!"

Luo Mu's voice was as cold as frost, yet the command he issued brimmed with a scorching intensity.

"Bo-wu!"

Just before being struck by the three ice-blue beams, the Dragonite let out a long roar, forcibly mobilizing its Fire-type energy despite the suppression of the rain curtain.

Blinding flames instantly erupted; colorful sparks, like endless stars in the night sky, exploded in all directions amidst the howling wind, not only blocking the assault of the Ice Beam but also evaporating the surrounding rain curtain entirely, transforming it into massive plumes of white steam that rose toward the sky.

The rolling waves of heat forced everyone to retreat several steps, with some even exclaiming in shock, "To possess such power under the suppression of Rain Dance, what an incredibly powerful Heat Wave!"

Luo Mu did not miss this praise; he smiled slightly. Not only from the battle with the Fire God, but with the presence of Moltres and Victini on the farm, wasn't it perfectly normal for the Dragonite's Fire-type moves to exceed standard power levels under such "constant exposure" and the care of Victini's energy?

The Dragonite stirred up another gale, dispersing all the mist to avoid obstructing its vision, only to find the Kingdra, which had fallen into shock upon realizing its Ice Beam had been utterly ineffective, was now within arm's reach.

The Dragonite beat its wings once and surged forward!

Finally, the Dragonite arrived before the Kingdra.

Accompanied by a humming sound that made even the air tremble, the Dragonite swung its dragon claws, smashing them down upon the slippery loach it had taken such great effort to catch up to!

Xia Ka naturally would not sit idly by awaiting death; without hesitation, she commanded, "Draco Meteor!"

Hearing Xia Ka's command, some trainers cried out in bewildered shock, "Has she gone mad!?"

Everyone knew that releasing Draco Meteor at this distance would drag the Kingdra itself into the blast!

Cynthia's cherry-red lips parted slightly: "No, her choice is correct."

Drayden also displayed an expression of agreement.

"Rather than allowing a Dragonite buffed by Dragon Dance to get into close range, it is better to suffer mutual destruction; moreover, Pokémon often possess a stronger adaptability to the energy generated within their own bodies."

"Simply put, it adds a layer of damage reduction."

The Kingdra did not choose to tilt its head upward and release Draco Meteor into the sky, as that would be too late to stop the wolf-like, tiger-fierce Dragonite pouncing upon it.

It stared intently at the Dragonite's dragon claws, which shimmered with emerald light as they swung toward it; before its long tubular mouth, surging Dragon-type energy converged, transforming in the blink of an eye into a massive sphere of deep purple energy, containing power so heart-thumping that its eruption seemed destined to bring terrifying calamity.

Indeed, as a move with such powerful side effects, Dragon-type Pokémon would not easily unleash Draco Meteor unless absolutely necessary.

Yet once released, its power could even turn defeat into victory!

Furthermore, the Draco Meteor had not yet split apart at this moment; if struck now, one would have to take the full brunt of the damage!

Even with the Dragonite's Multiscale ability acting as a talisman, it would likely be blown into a miserable state.

In Xia Ka's expectations, facing the imminent explosion of Draco Meteor, Luo Mu had only two choices.

First: Have the Dragonite abandon its attack or expend a precious Protect; in that case, she could once again create distance between the Kingdra and the Dragonite, and having learned her lesson, she would not give the Dragonite such an easy opportunity to approach the Kingdra this time.

Second: Ignore the danger and charge straight in; the full-force damage of Draco Meteor would be excruciating even for a Pokémon of the Dragonite's caliber. As one of the heirs of the Dragon Clan, Xia Ka had immense confidence in the power of her starter partner Kingdra's Draco Meteor; even her cousin Lance would not be willing to let a Dragonite take this move head-on!

But.

Under Xia Ka's suddenly constricted pupils, Luo Mu... chose a third option!

A slightly unrestrained smile curled upon his lips as Luo Mu's voice, which made people feel inexplicably mad, rang out.

"Dragonite, Draco Meteor!"

The Dragonite also executed Luo Mu's command without the slightest hesitation!

A dazzling deep purple halo, tinged with a hint of profundity, erupted; an energy sphere even more brilliant and massive than the Kingdra's Draco Meteor formed before the Dragonite's chest, and from the moment of its birth, every trainer present felt immense pressure descending upon them.

Some wore expressions of terror: Did these two remember this was supposed to be a sparring match!?

When the two clusters of Draco Meteor collided, the resulting energy explosion would likely engulf even those of them standing outside the battlefield!

Some immediately turned and ran without hesitation, while others summoned their Pokémon to shield themselves; there were no protective measures at this battlefield, and it would be no fun to attend a banquet only to end up injured.

Fortunately, everyone present was a trainer, and moreover, a trainer of powerful Dragon-type Pokémon.

If they could not protect themselves from the aftermath, they might as well retire on the spot and go home to farm.

It was precisely because Luo Mu was clear on this point that he proceeded without a second thought.

Cynthia immediately summoned her Garchomp to block between herself and Iris, while Drayden also called out an Altaria adorned with a Mystic Stone to protect himself.

The next instant.

The two fierce spheres of Draco Meteor collided; a flash of light so brilliant it seemed to drain the world of color erupted, deafening roars echoed through the surroundings, and terrifying shockwaves battered outward; the raindrops, not yet having time to scatter, were evaporated by the heat of the explosion, turning into steam.

A small mushroom cloud soared straight into the sky before the ancestral manor of the Dragon Clan.

Even the battlefield on the other side, where Lance and Xia Ka were locked in a fierce struggle, was caught in the aftermath; a Haxorus wielding a scarlet battle axe in its mouth and a Dragonite clashing fiercely with dragon claws, neither noticing the danger, failed to steady themselves and were both knocked off their feet by the shockwave, landing flat on their backs in utter disgrace.

A moment later.

The aftermath and the blinding light gradually dissipated.

Coming to their senses, the crowd hurriedly looked toward the arena, eager to know the outcome.

Beside Luo Mu, a Serperior used its vines to effortlessly cancel out all the aftermath, with the vines not even ignited by the heat.

Beside Xia Ka, a Charizard used its dragon wings to shield her tightly, similarly suffering no harm whatsoever.

And within the battlefield, where several azure scales lay scattered in a large crater, upon seeing the Kingdra covered in injuries and its aura slightly withered, the crowd fell silent.

For on the other side, a storm shield as tangible as a solid object protected the Dragonite's surface; thanks to this storm shield combined with its "Multiscale" ability, the Dragonite bore only some minor burn marks and scratches.

Pressing her lips together lightly, Cynthia looked at Luo Mu, unable to detect any trace of surprise in his expression.

"Acting with impunity... is that it?"

Just as Cynthia had guessed, Luo Mu had made that seemingly mad choice precisely because he knew the Dragonite possessed the ability to protect itself amidst the ravages of Draco Meteor.

The true form of the storm shield was a gale rotating at high speed around the Dragonite; logically, it should be nearly impossible for an ordinary Pokémon to manipulate wind to this degree, and even if it were possible, it would likely be distracted from controlling it while unleashing a major move like Draco Meteor.

Perhaps a Serperior could manage to use one move while multitasking to employ another, but the dumb and cute Dragonite could not do so.

These gales rotating at high speed around the Dragonite were not actually a move at all; they were simply the result of Lugia teaching the Dragonite the technique of the psychic shield it often deployed during battles, and helping the Dragonite cultivate the ability to achieve this through its innate weather-manipulating talents from its Hakuryu stage, even without using a formal move.

As the Dragonite's understanding of it grew deeper, there would come a day when it might command the wind as effortlessly as an extension of its own arm.

Looking at the Kingdra, covered in scars and in a miserable state, Xia Ka fell silent.

She had not expected the gap between herself and Luo Mu to be so vast; this Dragonite was not even Luo Mu's trump card, yet its strength was already gradually approaching that figure in her mind whom she needed to chase.

Though filled with frustration, Xiao Zhuang showed not a shred of intention to admit defeat; biting her lips tightly, her expression was more solemn than ever before: "Dragon Pulse!"

In the end, under the complex gazes of numerous Trainers, Xiao Zhuang still lost.

After unveiling the trump card of Storm Shield, Luo Mu and Dragonite stopped holding back; the wide-area Hurricane move, amplified by the rain, would have required considerable effort for a Kingdra at its peak to counter, let alone a Kingdra already in poor condition, which found escape utterly impossible.

The curtain of rain she had summoned herself had instead become a boon for Dragonite.

The Air Cutter, capable of slicing through the very sky, easily pierced Kingdra's dragon scales, inflicting tons of damage upon it.

Kingdra could only fall in reluctance before the Dragonite it had never wished to show weakness to.

(End of Chapter)