Boulders continued to hurl towards Lian with decent accuracy but fell far short of making him unable to dodge.
Lian didn't even need to burst his speed; as each rock descended, he swiftly reacted. Utilizing his exceptional flying skills, he effortlessly evaded every giant boulder.
Honestly, avoiding wasn't necessary for Lian. With the Rock Resistance granted by the system, Rock-type moves only caused double the normal damage upon hitting him. A single Rock Slide attack might barely dent a quarter of Lian's stamina.
As he dodged these rocks, Lian's eyes flickered—it was now time for his performance. His opponent was a Steel and Rock-type Aggron.
The Aggron had a predominantly black body, partially covered with silver armor-like plating. It belonged to a large category of Pokemon, boasting an imposing size, standing over two meters tall.
In the crowd, it resembled a colossal iron tower. However, its massive frame and metallic armored body significantly hindered its agility, making it slow and disadvantaged against swift opponents.
Additionally, Aggron's Special Defense is relatively low. Due to its Rock-type attribute, Fire-type moves inflict only twice the usual damage on it.
Despite its size disadvantage, the most effective strategy against Aggron remains using Fire-type Special Attack moves. After evading Rock Slide, Sunny Day's effect became evident as the Sandstorm gradually dissipated.
"The sandstorm has stopped."
"It seems like Sunny Day is now active."
Everyone noticed that the once raging sandstorm had subsided; instead, the sunlight intensified significantly, which was unusual for November. The only explanation was the use of Sunny Day.
Under the blazing sun of Sunny Day, even in November, the intensity remained unaffected, generating intense heat and rapidly increasing the surrounding fire energy levels.
With Sunny Day successfully activated, Lian immediately launched his attack by unleashing a Flame Spiral from his mouth. Although casting Sunny Day consumed considerable fire energy, it simultaneously filled the area with abundant fire energy, making it relatively easy to release a Flame Spiral.
The Flame Spiral consumes about the same amount of energy as a regular Flamethrower but possesses greater power, currently being Lian's most successful Fire-type move.
"Aggron, use Protect and then continue with Rock Slide!" Joel confidently employed Protect, a well-practiced move to counter Lian's attack.
Lian remained unfazed; Protect is indeed versatile, capable of blocking most attacks. Many skilled Trainers opt for their Pokemon to learn this move.
In crucial moments, it can prevent significant damage to the Pokemon, even mitigating much of the power from Z-moves, highlighting its immense utility.
Having already unleashed Flame Spiral, there was no stopping now. The scorching swirling flames charged forward as Aggron activated Protect, successfully deflecting the impact.
After releasing the initial Flame Spiral, Lian paused momentarily before casting Wrath of Fire, which he hadn't used in quite some time.
The advantage of Wrath of Fire lies in its sustained long-term consumption effect. However, its drawback is vulnerability to weather changes, weakening its potency; under Rain Dance, it would dissipate entirely.
Thus, using Wrath of Fire now seemed advantageous since Joel's Pokemon typically favor Sandstorm weather. Although Sandstorm does weaken Wrath of Fire's strength, it wouldn't be enough to extinguish the fireballs completely.
Lian roared towards the sky, summoning numerous massive fireballs, creating a breathtaking spectacle akin to the end of the world.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, the first fireball burst, releasing countless flames that plummeted towards the ground, predominantly targeting his opponent's field.
His 60% Control Rating allowed Lian to direct the Wrath of Fire, shifting its focus specifically towards the enemy territory instead of indiscriminate attacks.
"What kind of move is this?"
"I'm not sure; I've never seen anything like it."
The spectators gazed at the fireballs in the sky, feeling puzzled as they had never witnessed such a move, nor anything similar.
Nevertheless, this did not diminish their appreciation for the impressive display. The exploding fireballs falling to the ground looked visually stunning, resembling a fiery meteor shower.
Against this Wrath of Fire, Aggron could not evade. Joel was witnessing this move for the first time, especially under Sunny Day conditions. As the flames struck Aggron's armored body, they caused evident scorching and impact damage, which would accumulate over repeated hits.
Meanwhile, Aggron paid no heed to the falling flames; they were akin to harmless raindrops due to its armored body providing ample protection.
Aggron continued unleashing Rock Slide, sending numerous boulders hurtling towards Lian in mid-air, one after another.
"Still not learning? Haven't you realized that Rock Slide can't hit me?" Lian was speechless. This top mid-level Trainer lacked adaptability and seemed to rely on just a few moves despite knowing many.
Effortlessly dodging all the rocks, Lian cast a scornful glance at Aggron, letting out a low roar as if mocking it.
Roar!
Enraged, Aggron turned to Joel with a fierce cry, clearly indicating its determination to defeat Lian.
Seeing Rock Slide fail again, Joel understood that this Charizard, like Sceptile, possessed exceptional evasive capabilities.
"This Charizard is quite formidable too. In that case, let's finish it with a Z-Move," Joel decided resolutely. While a Z-Move might not have guaranteed victory against the previous Sceptile, against Charizard, it would undoubtedly be an instant knockout. The Rock-type advantage over Charizard was indisputable.
Joel even had concerns that the Z-Move might be too powerful, potentially endangering Charizard's life. However, since his opponent was from the Sebas region, he didn't particularly care; winning was paramount.
In the next moment, Joel raised his wrist, revealing the Z-Ring. He was already highly proficient with releasing Z-Moves, ready to unleash one at any time.
"Aggron, get ready!" Joel shouted, alerting Aggron that they were about to execute a Z-Move.
"He's going for a Z-Move!"
"What's the name of the Rock-type Z-Move? This Charizard is doomed, it has no chance now."
"I think it's called Continental Crush. Against a Rock-type move, Charizard stands absolutely no chance and could even face grave danger!"
As soon as the audience saw Joel preparing a Z-Move, they realized he was stepping up his game, taking things seriously now. With a Z-Move, this Charizard seemed to have little hope of survival.
"Charizard, use Protect!" Kalia commanded urgently, knowing they couldn't afford any mistakes. They needed to employ Protect to withstand the attack. No other move could possibly resist a Z-Move; its overwhelming power would crush anything instantly.