Chapter 215: The Final Ticket
Ruby adjusted his glasses and said, "It's powerful, but it can only be used once, right? This move consumes too much electricity. Ash should probably switch Pikachu out too."
Sure enough, as Ruby said, Morrison recalled Dragonite and switched to Salamence. Ash also switched out Pikachu and sent out Articuno, seemingly determined to counter it.
Seeing that Ruby guessed correctly, Serena didn't hide anything and said, "That electric technique was a move Ash came up with, it should be considered a trump card, but I didn't expect that Morrison would force it out. This move, as Ruby said, consumes a huge amount of electricity, but as you've seen, it's almost impossible to counter."
Ryan nodded. The tricky thing about this move is those slowly spreading electric arcs, like an electric net, which entangle the opponent and make it impossible to break free, and it can also paralyze the enemy, increasing the power of the Electro Ball.
"Salamence, Roar!" Morrison shouted.
Salamence roared, sending the newly emerged Articuno flying back. But the next Pokémon to appear was Suicune. Even Ryan couldn't help but comment to Brock, "Ash, is this necessary? First Articuno, then Suicune, isn't it overkill?"
Brock shook his head and said, "Ryan, you're wrong. This guy Morrison is really strong. Ash wants to face you, so he doesn't want to be defeated here. He brought out his strongest lineup to face Morrison. This is also a sign of his respect, because only in this way can Ash feel relatively secure in winning this match."
Even so, seeing Salamence instantly defeated by Suicune's Blizzard still made Ryan a little sympathetic. After all, Morrison was a member of his guild, and it wouldn't be right for him not to react.
Morrison's three Pokémon were defeated, and it was time for a break.
Ryan arrived at the players' rest area and found Morrison, saying, "Do you need my help?"
"No, boss. I'm already very happy to have made it to the semifinals. No matter what, I will finish the match. Fair and square!" Morrison said.
Seeing Morrison's serious eyes, Ryan nodded and said nothing more. After all, it was his own choice, and Ryan didn't need to interfere too much.
The rest period ended. The second half of the match roulette wheel landed on a Grass Field. The two sent out their Pokémon. Ash didn't use Suicune but instead sent out Articuno. Morrison sent out his Charizard, then activated the Key Stone on his wrist, connecting it to Charizard's Mega Stone, and Charizard evolved into Mega Charizard X.
"Charizard, Blast Burn!" Morrison was decisive, using a powerful move right from the start.
Charizard gathered massive flames and unleashed them towards Articuno. But Articuno instantly spread its wings, unleashing an endless torrent of icy wind. Charizard's Blast Burn was frozen midair into ice, even the grass on the field was completely frozen, turning the grassy area into an icy landscape.
"It's no use, the difference is too great. In just one year, Articuno has mastered its Aura. Charizard is no match for it," Ryan said with a sigh.
Below, Charizard's flames collided with Articuno's Blizzard. Charizard's fire was directly dispersed by the Blizzard; the power levels were simply not comparable. The Blizzard swept past, and Charizard returned to its original form, frozen in ice.
Morrison silently recalled Charizard and then sent out the next Pokémon. A Latios appeared, carrying Morrison's expectations. It sensed Morrison's determination and stared coldly at Articuno.
"Articuno, Blizzard!" Ash said.
"Latios, Luster Purge, break through it!" Morrison shouted.
An endless Blizzard was unleashed again by Articuno's wings, but Latios's Luster Purge pierced through it, striking Articuno squarely. Articuno cried out in pain, forced back by the Luster Purge.
"Don't give it a chance to breathe, keep using Luster Purge!" Morrison shouted.
Latios instantly unleashed another Luster Purge, chasing after Articuno and striking it hard, shattering the ice pillars that had formed. Articuno finally collapsed, unable to battle.
"Articuno is unable to battle! Ash, please switch Pokémon!"
Ash recalled Articuno and immediately sent out Zapdos. Zapdos entered the battle and, without hesitation, launched a Drill Peck at Latios. However, Latios, under Morrison's command, used Dragon Dance to dodge and boost its stats.
"Rain Dance," Ash said.
"Luster Purge!" Morrison shouted.
Zapdos withstood the Luster Purge, and dark clouds covered the entire sky, with a light drizzle beginning to fall. Ryan took out umbrellas and distributed them to everyone. They watched while holding the umbrellas. Seeing the scene before them, Sapphire said, "The final blow."
Indeed, just as Sapphire said, Ash was determined to land a successful Thunder on Latios, even if it meant enduring a Luster Purge before using Rain Dance.
"Thunder!"
"Luster Purge!"
Two determined shouts pierced the sky. Zapdos's Thunder and Latios's Luster Purge successfully struck each other. The two legendary Pokémon looked at each other, both simultaneously losing consciousness and falling onto the ice.
"Zapdos and Latios are both unable to battle! Please send out your Pokémon!"
Watching the two recall their Pokémon, Ryan sighed and said, "It's over. I didn't expect Morrison could take down two of Ash's legendary Pokémon with Latios."
"Yeah, if Morrison had a few more Aura-level Pokémon, this match would have been very different," Lillie nodded.
Morrison's last Pokémon was Swampert, while Ash sent out Suicune to deliver the final blow.
Needless to say, Morrison lost. However, his strength was undeniable; in terms of pure power, Morrison and Ash were evenly matched. The difference lay in the number of their Aura-level Pokémon. Below the Aura level, all are insignificant—this best explains the concept of Aura.
If Morrison had three Aura-level Pokémon, he might actually have been able to defeat Ash. Of course, that's assuming Suicune didn't participate. Ryan understood why Ash had sent out all his main Pokémon; otherwise, he might have suffered an unexpected defeat.
With the match over, it was lunchtime. In the afternoon, the final match of the Ever Grande League was scheduled. Of course, for Ryan, the championship match after the final was the real highlight!
He would face Lance there. Defeat, nothing gained. Victory, fame throughout the world!
(End of Chapter)
[+500 Power Stones = +2 Extra Chapter]
[+10 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Review!
P*atreon/Soulforger (20+ advanced chapters)
Buy me coffee - ko-fi*com/soulforger01