As Kalia pondered her strategy for the upcoming battles, her phone beeped.
She opened it to find a message from Professor Evergreen containing research on hidden powers within Pokemon. Additionally, he requested that she visit Rockcliff City and collect some unique rocks from the meteorite crater, then send them back to him.
Attached were several pictures of vibrant, colorful rocks, appearing quite beautiful, with some even translucent.
Taking note of Professor Evergreen's request, Kalia decided to head to Rockcliff City's meteorite crater after the double battle competition concludes.
The Rockcliff City meteorite crater is well-known, existing for a long time and forming a massive pit. Strangely, however, the original meteorite itself disappeared at some point.
The colorful rocks depicted in the images might be remnants left behind by the fallen meteorite, but there was no guarantee they would still be found.
After replying to the message, Kalia continued watching the matches, aware that her turn was approaching according to the schedule.
Her opponent this round was called Cameron, seemingly also hailing from Rhine City.
Cameron was a boy, and based on his previous battles, he had a Normal-type Raticate. Don't underestimate this Raticate; it possessed the hidden Hustle Ability.
The Hustle Ability invigorates the Pokemon's cells, significantly enhancing its attack capabilities. However, due to the unique nature of the Hustle-induced strength, the Pokemon struggles to control it effectively, leading to decreased accuracy in attacks.
But with the pink ribbon accessory worn by Cameron's Raticate, the power of Normal-type moves is further boosted, making this Raticate exceptionally formidable. When using Double-Edge in battle, its impact becomes truly astonishing.
If that were all, the Raticate might not pose significant threats, considering the side effects of the Hustle Ability. However, this is a double battle, and Cameron's second Pokémon is a rare Ghost-type Dusclops, capable of utilizing the Gravity move.
When successfully activated, Gravity increases the gravitational force across the entire battlefield, compelling any flying or levitating Pokémon to descend as they can no longer sustain their flight due to the intensified gravity.
Apart from slowing down the movement speed of all Pokemon under Gravity, making certain moves easier to hit, this move also had its drawbacks. The entire battlefield would be affected by gravity, impacting not just the opponent's Pokemon.
Combining Gravity with a Hustle Ability Pokemon undoubtedly formed an excellent strategy, and pairing Ghost and Normal type Pokemon was a common attribute combination.
If facing Cameron, once Gravity took effect, Charizard would no longer be able to fly, becoming vulnerable to Ground-type attacks. Simultaneously, Raticate would overcome the negative effects of Hustle, effectively amplifying its attack capabilities without any hindrance.
As Kalia pondered, her name and Cameron's appeared on the large screen.
It's my turn now.
Kalia stood up, took a deep breath, and walked towards the battlefield. This was her second match; winning would secure her place among the top sixteen, while losing would result in immediate elimination, ending her participation in further rounds.
Upon reaching the battlefield, Kalia observed Cameron—a handsome boy who seemed slightly ahead in physical development. He stood tall at around 170 cm but appeared somewhat slender.
With the referee's announcement, the battle commenced.
Kalia immediately sent out Charizard and Ninetales, employing her usual strategy. The Drought Ability proved invaluable, significantly amplifying Fire-type Pokémon under Sunny Day conditions.
As Kalia anticipated, Cameron deployed Raticate paired with Dusclops. This combination was indeed formidable, especially for a mid-level trainer with highly developed Pokémon, making them challenging opponents to overcome.
Lian emerged from his Poké Ball, observing Raticate and Dusclops on the ground below. Dusclops, despite being a Ghost-type, did not possess the typical floating ability of its category due to its defensive nature.
True to its name, Dusclops aimlessly roamed the world, seemingly unaware of any purpose. Its movements were slow, often merely circling in place.
However, Dusclops excelled with high Double Defense capabilities and mastery over unique moves, securing it a significant role in double battles.
In single battles, Dusclops was virtually useless, lacking any effective counter against ranged Pokemon. However, in double battles, it excelled as an exceptional support Pokemon.
With moves like Gravity, Curse, and Mean Look, it could significantly aid its teammate in defeating opponents.
As soon as the battle commenced, Ninetales entered the field, swiftly changing the weather to Sunny Day. Simultaneously, Kalia issued her command:
"Ninetales, use Fusion Flame with Charizard!"
Kalia wanted to test the combined move of these two Pokemon. Under Sunny Day conditions, the power of Fusion Flame should reach impressive levels.
Although using Fusion Flame right from the start might seem unconventional, if the opponent's Pokemon couldn't defend against it, or even if they attempted to block, facing such a wide-ranging Fire-type move would inevitably result in severe damage to at least one of their Pokemon.
Lian promptly descended to the ground, aware that the opposing Dusclops would likely employ Gravity. He knew he'd have to come down eventually, and staying airborne would hinder coordinating Fusion Flame with Ninetales.
As Kalia issued her command, Cameron also gave his instruction, but surprisingly to Kalia, Raticate did not attack.
"Dusclops, use Gravity! Raticate, employ Quick Attack and dodge your opponent's move!" Instead of launching an offensive, Cameron chose to have Raticate utilize Quick Attack for speed, aiming to evade incoming attacks.
Considering sheer agility, both Ninetales and Charizard were undoubtedly faster. In this scenario, a direct assault would likely result in significant damage or even render Raticate unable to continue battling.
Cameron demonstrated his cleverness by waiting for Gravity to take effect, impacting all Pokemon on both sides. Only then would be the opportune moment for Raticate to strike.
Thinking they could simply avoid the flames?
Not that easy!
Lian dismissed their strategy with contempt. Dusclops indeed had high defense, making it challenging to swiftly defeat, but allowing Raticate to evade his flames wouldn't be so simple.
Ninetales unleashed Incinerate first, sending a broad fan-shaped wave of flames towards the opposing Pokémon. After a week of training, Lian and Ninetales' coordination had significantly improved. Their timing and fusion success rate reached optimal levels.
After Ninetales unleashed Incinerate, Lian also released a fan-shaped flame from his position on the ground, chasing after Ninetales' flames.
As Lian's flames caught up, they gradually merged with Ninetales' flames, forming a unified blaze.
"What kind of move is this? They actually combined together!"
"I've never seen two moves fuse like that before; it looks incredibly powerful!"
The audience was astounded by this spectacle as the merged Incinerate transformed into a massive wave of flames, sweeping towards Dusclops and Raticate, covering an enormous area.
Dusclops disregarded the approaching firewave and began casting Gravity, knowing evasion would be futile due to its slow speed.
On the other hand, Raticate utilized Quick Attack's speed boost to attempt dodging the fiery wave. However, the sheer coverage of the flames, coupled with Lian's deliberate control, quickly cornered Raticate near the battlefield's edge.
Cameron swiftly retreated to avoid getting engulfed by the scorching flames, which were spreading beyond the battlefield boundaries due to their immense size.
"That move covers too large an area," Cameron remarked, amazed. Regardless of its power, the combined attack from Charizard and Ninetales had an astonishingly wide range, especially as the flames fanned out, occupying nearly half the arena.
Cameron marveled at the spectacle. Regardless of its power, the combined attack from Charizard and Ninetales covered an immense area. As the flames spread outward in a fan-like shape, they quickly dominated most of the battlefield.
Unsurprisingly, both Raticate and Dusclops were engulfed by the Fusion Flame's scorching impact. Although the intensity diminished as it expanded, the crucial factor was the amplification from Sunny Day. Even weakened, the power remained substantial.
Raticate endured the massive wave of flames, and once the blaze subsided, it retained its fighting capability.
Mid-level trainers' Pokémon undergo rigorous training, resulting in high growth potential and strong resilience, unlike the weaker Pokémon Kalia had encountered earlier.
Suddenly, Lian felt a heavy pressure, instinctively lowering his head. It turned out that after enduring the flame assault, Dusclops successfully activated the Gravity move. With Dusclops at the center, gravity intensified throughout the entire battlefield.
As the battle arena entered a state of increased gravity, Lian noticed his body becoming significantly heavier, rendering flight impossible due to the weight on his wings.
Even movement became arduous, feeling as though his body weighed several times more, akin to transforming into a Snorlax.