Even without Drapion's restriction, Lance didn't rush to send out his other Dragonite.
The reason was simple: Scizor could use Bullet Punch to break through Dragonite's Multiscale ability.
Although Lance's sudden aggressive playstyle had yielded good results earlier, at this point, rather than increasing risk, it was better to proceed cautiously and secure victory step by step.
Knowing when to switch tactics based on the situation is a quality that an excellent trainer should possess.
Upon confirming that the opponent had switched to Drapion, Aiden silently exhaled in relief after recalling Scizor.
So far, the sequence was correct!
Heracross, with healthy HP, came in as a substitute; this might be its only chance to act in this battle.
Of course, there was still some trouble...
[No way, Kindgra knows Hurricane too. This Heracross meeting Lance must have been cursed for ten lifetimes...]
[But now it seems like we can only use it. Trust Azure to have a way to turn defeat into victory!]
[You've got this! If you beat Mr. Lance, I'll definitely shower you with gifts!]
That's right, although Kingdra doesn't have the Flying type, as a regular Swift Swim Pokemon in Rain teams, it also knows Hurricane.
Even without rain, Aiden always felt that Lance's Hurricane wouldn't miss.
"Kingdra, Hurricane!"
"Heracross, Protect!"
After both trainers issued commands simultaneously again, it was another classic mutual cancellation—nothing happened.
It seemed like passive defense out of desperation, but it wasn't.
After blocking the fatal storm, Heracross's body quickly showed signs of burning.
"Burn? Is it the Flame Orb?"
Lance frowned and immediately realized the opponent's plan.
One of Heracross's abilities is Guts, which boosts its attack upon entering an abnormal status and ignores the side effect of reduced physical move damage from burns!
Its attack wasn't low to begin with, and in this situation, the probability of OHKOing Drapion was...
100%!
"Heracross, Close Combat!"
"Kingdra, Hurricane!"
Lance instinctively shouted the command.
If he were half a beat slower, the scales of victory would tip completely, and he would lose all chances of winning...
Facing the fully charged Hurricane, Heracross charged forward without hesitation, throwing a punch that abandoned all defense directly at Kingdra's face!
In this instant, Kingdra had already completed its charge. A sharp storm descended like a blade, swallowing them both!
Only after the storm dissipated did the two Pokémon collapse together, simultaneously losing their ability to battle.
Aiden wasn't surprised by this result.
In the game, their base Speed stats were exactly the same.
This meant that if both trainers' command speeds were equal and their Speeds maxed out, they would act simultaneously.
Though the outcome was mutual destruction, Lance smiled.
"Well done, Kingdra."
The opponent was left with only three battered remnants. Facing Dragonite, which possessed the extremely fast priority move Extreme Speed, they had no chance of winning... right?
Not necessarily.
"Hero Kricketune, let's turn the tables!"
Aiden and Lance simultaneously threw out Poké Balls.
Knowing that Lance only had his last Dragonite left, Aiden's thoughts had never been clearer.
"Perish Song!"
Aiden clenched his fist, his gaze fixed on the back of that red cricket.
Kricketune is a pitifully weak Bug-type Pokémon.
They are so weak that they don't even have the right to choose their territory and can only huddle together in the grass at night for warmth.
Therefore, from the moment they are born as Kricketot, these weak insects gather in the outermost grass and use their antennae to play melodies akin to a xylophone.
Expressing emotions through melody, composing different beautiful tunes every day, is their favorite form of entertainment.
Through thousands of years of passionate performances, even weak Kricketune gradually mastered the power of sound.
Now, Aiden finally heard the final chapter of the orchestra played by the Kricketune within the screen, already like a flickering candle in the wind...
This piece will surely bring victory!
"Dragonite, Extreme Speed!"
Lance's command arrived soon, but it was too late; the Perish Song leading to extinction had already begun.
The mournful song lingered overhead, and Kricketune, having completed its mission, couldn't avoid being hit by Dragonite's Extreme Speed Headbutt, losing its ability to battle entirely.
Meanwhile, the battle entered its final countdown.
Perish Song is a special move that affects the spirits of all Pokémon on the field, causing them to completely lose their will to fight after a while.
The simplest solution is to switch out and avoid listening to the entire song.
However, Lance had no backup Pokémon left to switch in.
So to win, he had to defeat Aiden's last two Pokémon before the countdown ended!
Inheriting the survival instincts of Bug-type Pokémon, Scolipede took the field.
Faced with Dragonite's Extreme Speed, a transparent barrier immediately unfolded, halting Dragonite's attempt to end the battle quickly.
Then...
"Dig!"
"Earthquake!"
The trainers gave commands one after another. Scolipede, attempting to burrow underground to dodge, soon suffered backlash from the earth, instantly blacking out and collapsing.
Dig can avoid most attacks, but Earthquake can deal fatal damage to Pokémon hiding underground.
At this point, both sides were left with their final Pokémon.
Scizor vs. Dragonite.
Once again, Scizor used Protect to block Dragonite's reckless charge.
Then...
"Bullet Punch!"
The desperate Bullet Punch, using close-range force, struck Dragonite's belly, instantly knocking off countless white scales.
The final counterattack from the Bug types, though almost negligible damage to Dragonite, successfully crushed the opponent's last psychological defense.
The tragic melody gradually faded, and Dragonite, losing its will to fight, slowly lowered its head and sat down.
Meanwhile,
The light blue victory emblem gradually became clear, filling the viewers' screens in the live stream.
The score was 6:5.
Without a doubt, this was an incredibly intense victory, with the outcome uncertain until the very last second.
[Holy crap... Did we win???]
[It was just a battle, why was it so thrilling! I'll never joke about Kricketune again!]
[Shut up, barrage saying Kricketune is useless! MVP of this match has to go to Kricketune!]
[As long as we unite, even weak Kricketune can defeat monstrous Dragons... Azure, I understand!]
[You understand nothing. Without Azure's cracked command and prediction skills, playing Kricketune absolutely means you don't want to win...]
The audience went wild, and besides countless barrage messages, various gifts and paid comments flooded the screen.
After securing the victory, Aiden finally exhaled deeply, revealing a satisfied smile:
"So satisfying!"
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