Recalling Dragapult, Jiang Chen sent Lucario onto the field.
Lucario's strength had already reached Quasi-Elite Four Stage 9, but unfortunately, it was stuck at that level, having not yet reached the Elite Four rank.
"Go, Charizard!" Zhang Zhongtian countered by sending out Charizard.
This was a Dragon Gym, but that didn't mean every one of Zhang Zhongtian's Pokémon was a Dragon-type; after all, actual Dragon-types were not easy to come by. This Charizard was quite formidable, sitting at Quasi-Elite Four Stage 9, the same as Lucario.
As soon as Charizard emerged, it immediately took to the skies. With its wings, it naturally wanted to maintain an aerial advantage.
"Lucario, jump and use Metal Claw!"
"Charizard, fly higher! Don't let Lucario reach you!" Zhang Zhongtian commanded.
Charizard followed orders and continued to climb, but Zhang Zhongtian had underestimated Lucario's jumping ability. Leaping into the air, Lucario still managed to strike Charizard. Furthermore, the target was Charizard's wing.
Having taken a heavy blow to its wing, Charizard lost its balance and plummeted from the sky.
"Not good," Zhang Zhongtian realized something was wrong, but there was little he could do. With an injured wing, Charizard couldn't stabilize itself.
"Use Flamethrower on Lucario!"
Charizard was going to crash regardless, but it wasn't about to let Lucario off easily. It unleashed a Flamethrower directly at its opponent. It was difficult to dodge in mid-air, and Lucario was instantly enveloped in flames.
Charizard crashed into the ground while Lucario charged out from the fire, its body marked with scorched patches. Fire-types were effective against Steel-types, and Lucario was a dual Fighting and Steel-type. That Flamethrower had certainly dealt some damage.
However, given Lucario's perseverance, such injuries wouldn't have much of an impact. With its momentum still surging, it rushed toward Charizard.
"Use Metal Claw again!" Jiang Chen commanded.
The target was still Charizard's wing. Even though the wing was injured, Charizard might still be able to fly; but if it took another hit, it likely wouldn't be getting off the ground again. Stripping Charizard of its air superiority was vital to Jiang Chen.
Lucario could use Aura Sphere to lock onto targets and possessed extraordinary jumping abilities, but a flying Charizard still put a great deal of pressure on it.
"Use Air Slash to knock Lucario back!"
Zhang Zhongtian's expression turned solemn. If Charizard's wing was hit by Metal Claw again, the battle would fall into a state of absolute disadvantage.
As it sprinted toward Charizard, Lucario showed incredible agility. Maintaining its high-speed movement, it dodged the Air Slash by a hair's breadth. Immediately after, its Metal Claw struck Charizard once more.
However, it didn't hit the wing. At the critical moment, Charizard had shifted its body, using its torso to tank the Metal Claw.
"Charizard, try to fly!"
Seeing that the wing hadn't been hit again, Zhang Zhongtian breathed a sigh of relief and ordered Charizard to attempt a takeoff. It would be best if it could fly; he just hoped it wouldn't crash.
"Aura Sphere!"
Jiang Chen's eyes flashed with a strange light. He channeled his Aura Power into Lucario, causing the Aura Sphere it was about to release to expand instantly.
"An Aura User?"
Sensing the unusual power behind the Aura Sphere, the well-traveled Zhang Zhongtian immediately realized that Jiang Chen was an Aura User, using the power of Aura to buff Lucario.
"That's right, I am an Aura User."
It wasn't some forbidden secret. In battle, using psychic or special powers wasn't prohibited. Of course, using such powers to directly attack the opposing trainer was strictly forbidden. Under no circumstances could a trainer be attacked during a match.
"We can't tank that! Charizard, use Protect!"
They definitely couldn't take it head-on. That Aura Sphere was too large. Even if Fighting-type moves weren't very effective against Charizard, a hit of that magnitude would leave it crippled. Using the god-tier skill Protect, Charizard successfully blocked Lucario's Aura Sphere.
"Good, we blocked it." Seeing the successful defense, Zhang Zhongtian's expression relaxed slightly as he let out a breath.
"Can you block a second one?" Jiang Chen asked.
"What?"
Another Aura Sphere was already flying toward Charizard.
"Quick, use Dragon Pulse!"
Charizard's Dragon Pulse collided accurately with the Aura Sphere. However, while Charizard was occupied with the beam struggle, Lucario had already jumped above it.
A rapid succession of Power-Up Punches rained down on Charizard, slamming the Pokémon which had barely managed to get off the ground back into the dirt.
"Now, use Close Combat!"
Lucario's fists carried endless power, as if they could punch through a small mountain, as it struck Charizard with everything it had. With a mournful cry, Charizard slumped to the ground, unable to even crawl, let alone stand.
"Charizard is unable to battle!" the referee declared after a quick glance.
"Come back, Charizard."
Zhang Zhongtian recalled his Pokémon and took a deep breath before throwing another Poké Ball.
"He won so easily... it makes me wonder if I could beat a Gym Leader too," Xiao Luoxue couldn't help but comment.
Whether it was Dragapult versus Druddigon earlier or Lucario versus Charizard just now, Jiang Chen had won with relative ease. Although Lucario looked a bit battered with singed fur, it hadn't actually taken any serious wounds.
"We could probably beat Druddigon and Charizard as well. The key is the Pokémon he has left," Ling Wanqiu said, glancing at Xiao Luoxue.
The main issue was the Gym Leader's Elite Four level Pokémon. If those weren't brought out, even they would have a chance at winning a Gym challenge. But once an Elite Four level Pokémon appeared, it would be a completely different story.
While Ling Wanqiu and Xiao Luoxue each had one Pokémon with that level of strength, that wouldn't be enough to take down the Imperial Capital Gym.
The Pokémon Zhang Zhongtian sent out this time was Flygon. Flygon was much stronger than Charizard; this one was a genuine Elite Four level combatant. Even if it was only Elite Four Stage 1, it was still a tier above.
"Flygon is only at Elite Four Stage 1. It's not impossible for Lucario to fight it."
Lucario was powerful in its own right, and with the help of Jiang Chen's Aura Power, victory was within reach.
"Flygon, use Sand Tomb!"
"Lucario, use Extreme Speed!"
Moving with full force, Lucario used Extreme Speed to break free from the Sand Tomb instantly. Seeing that Lucario couldn't be trapped, Zhang Zhongtian's face paled.
"How is that possible? Such an explosive burst of speed!"
Even for Extreme Speed, that sudden acceleration was staggering. Lucario closed in on Flygon at a speed the latter couldn't anticipate, firing Aura Spheres throughout its approach.
"Flygon, use Dragon Breath repeatedly!"
Against the barrage of Dragon Breath, Lucario moved as if it had a premonition, evading every attack a step ahead of time. Aura Power itself granted a capability similar to Observation Haki, allowing Lucario to perceive its entire surroundings and dodge every attack with ease.
If Lucario were fighting alone, it would be difficult to make it look so effortless. But with Jiang Chen's assistance, it wasn't just a simple case of one plus one equals two. Together, Jiang Chen and Lucario could exert a power far greater than the sum of their parts.
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