Chapter 82: The battle ends, and news of Dragonite: "It won! The Gym Leader is truly on the defensive."
"What an amazing Gyarados! What an amazing Hurricane!"
"Finally, finally, a trainer who can defeat Gym Leader Natsuki is about to appear."
...
"Wait, it's not over yet..."
...
Anxious shouts erupted from several impatient trainers.
Having seen Charizard suppressed by Gyarados, some were already saying that Gyarados and Seaman had won.
Until the very end, when the Hurricane ended, although Gyarados circled majestically in the air, Charizard on the ground was not incapacitated.
Its power was sufficient, but it didn't hit any vital points, so it was only severely injured.
Even with Charizard's previous injuries and stamina depletion, it still wasn't enough to render it unable to fight.
Natsuki's voice rang out at this moment.
"The Hurricane was indeed powerful. The force it unleashed would have rendered most Pokémon unable to battle! Unfortunately, you were too hasty. You should have used the type advantage to wear down Charizard's stamina first, and then used this unexpected, one-hit KO attack..."
Before he could finish speaking, the man on the opposite side of the arena couldn't help but retort, "Even if we don't defeat Charizard, the advantage is still with me. I refuse to believe that after taking this attack, Brother Xia Mu's Charizard can fight like before." "
Hai Nan was brimming with confidence.
He had indeed anticipated this, but he overlooked many factors. In high-level battles, many factors influence the outcome.
Not only did Xia Mu not react quickly enough, but he also didn't consider that Xia Mu would use this move directly. Now, with this experience, Xia Mu will be much more vigilant.
Moreover, because of the Hurricane attack, Charizard's severely injured ability has been unleashed.
Under Blaze, when HP is low, the power of Fire-type moves increases.
Charizard's combat strength is stronger than before, especially the aura it exudes, far surpassing its previous power.
Clearly, in the real world, Blaze's effect is far more powerful than the fixed data settings in the game; its explosive power in all aspects has been enhanced.
"Then you should take a good look at the difference between these two tactics!" Xia Mu sensed the fighting spirit emanating from Charizard and immediately shouted the command, "Flamethrower!!!" "
Even against a Water-type, he used a Fire-type move. "
Xia Mu's move left everyone speechless.
When the level difference is huge, it's indeed possible to achieve a type advantage through sheer force.
However, according to all the trainers present, Gyarados and Charizard's levels shouldn't be different.
Without a data panel, no one knew the level difference better than Xia Mu. A
7-level difference wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either.
In the upcoming battle, as long as Charizard wasn't hit by Gyarados's moves, with its current burst of power, it could easily defeat Gyarados before the Blaze effect wore off.
Abilities have a time limit; that's inevitable.
While there are no restrictions in the game—as long as you don't fall, you can continue to exert your strength—the real world has a limit to stamina. Once stamina is truly exhausted, you will inevitably fall.
"Wow, what a terrifying Flamethrower!" "The sea monster opposite cried out in shock.
Clearly, it had never witnessed such intensely hot flames before.
Many challengers were stunned and stood up, witnessing this incredible scene.
Despite being severely injured, its strength had not diminished but rather increased.
The Gyarados in the air also clearly felt the pressure, flapping its body to dodge, but it was still partially hit by the sweeping fireballs."
It was fortunate that Gyarados was a Water-type Pokémon; otherwise, this attack would have been enough to defeat any other Pokémon over level 40. Under type advantage, even Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon over level 50 would have been instantly defeated.
"I know, it's Blaze!" In the audience area, Kong Nan suddenly shouted, a thought flashing through his mind.
This served as a reminder, also informing everyone present what was going on.
Those who were initially confused immediately understood after hearing the Fire-type ability.
After learning the truth, Hai Nan immediately realized, "Is this the difference in tactics you were talking about, Brother Xia Mu?"
Xia Mu nodded, "With Blaze activated, Charizard's Fire-type moves become much more powerful! This means its strength will double. So, do you think it's better to deplete its stamina first and then unleash its ultimate move, or to unleash its ultimate move first and then deplete its stamina?"
After saying that, Xia Mu said to Charizard again, "Let's teach everyone a lesson about the importance of abilities in this battle! So what if Fire-type moves are half as powerful as Water-type moves?! With Blaze, the power of the moves has already made up for that difference!" At
this moment, Charizard's stamina must have been less than a quarter, and based on the power of that Flamethrower, it had at least doubled.
Therefore, the current Fire-type moves have exceeded the range of a 1.5-fold increase in power when the stamina is less than one-third, reaching the level of a 2-fold increase when the stamina is less than a quarter.
In mainstream games, the limit of 2x doesn't exist; it only exists in side stories. But Xia Mu was certain that this was the limit.
"Fire is Fire! Even if Blaze enhances Fire-type moves, Water still counters Fire! Gyarados, unleash another Hydro Pump!" Hai Nan remained calm, not letting Xia Mu dictate the pace.
'Roar!' Gyarados roared in the sky, already defiant against Charizard, and unleashed a powerful Hydro Pump.
Seeing this, a sharp glint flashed in Xia Mu's eyes: "How can such a slow attack hit Charizard! Fly away and dodge, then unleash Flamethrower!"
'Roar!!' Charizard flapped its wings and soared into the sky. The Hydro Pump grazed past it, and the flames on Charizard's tail blazed fiercely due to Blaze, gradually engulfing its entire body.
It seemed as if it was about to unleash Flare Charge.
However, it wasn't Flare Charge, but rather a surge in Fire-type energy.
A massive burst of flame erupted, its terrifying power leaving everyone speechless. The temperature in the air rose rapidly, exceeding 45 degrees Celsius if a thermometer were available.
Keep in mind that the average temperature in the Cinnabar Island region rarely exceeds 30 degrees Celsius.
A temperature exceeding 45 degrees, rapidly approaching 50, wouldn't cause immediate discomfort, but prolonged exposure would be unbearable.
"Don't be afraid, Gyarados, use Water Gun again!" The man gritted his teeth and ordered Gyarados to unleash Water Gun once more.
This attack did manage to barely block the burst of flame, but the extreme heat of the flames colliding with the water caused a massive explosion at close range.
Water vapor then blanketed the area, enveloping the entire space.
Neither side could see the other, but it was certain that neither Pokémon was unable to battle.
"Gyarados, unleash Tornado!" The man's command rang out again from the opposite side.
He had no intention of resting, nor giving Charizard a chance to catch its breath.
Normally, this battle rhythm would be fine, but the problem is that he doesn't seem to have figured out that it's not his Gyarados that's pressing its advantage right now. Xia Mu shook his head.
Hai Nan's temperament was indeed too impatient, just like in the original story. He attacked before the situation was stable, afraid of missing an opportunity.
His method of letting Gyarados unleash its furious attacks would also backfire.
Even at level 48, a continuous barrage of powerful moves wouldn't be enough to withstand.
Xia Mu had always used low-level moves against all challengers, focusing on a war of attrition, so he could roughly calculate the power required for each level.
The Tornado was indeed unleashed, dispersing the water vapor and revealing the condition of Gyarados and Charizard.
It was clear that Gyarados had some burns.
Even though it had blocked the attack at close range, the force of the explosion had still burned its skin.
Charizard was also affected, but its powerful fire skill had neutralized the explosion and the water vapor's effects.
Both had very little power remaining, but Xia Mu felt that Charizard had more.
The level advantage still matters.
If he hadn't been injured and exhausted in the battle with the Skyman, he wouldn't be struggling so much now.
However, this was also pushing his limits.
"This time, I don't believe Charizard can dodge it! Gyarados, use Hurricane again!" Seeing the situation, Hai Nan shouted at Gyarados again.
'Roar~~!' Gyarados raised its head and let out a long roar, whipping its tail.
Hurricane seemed about to be unleashed, but it stalled at the crucial moment...
This was the backlash from excessive consumption in a short time.
Insufficient strength, insufficient level.
If Gyarados were ten levels higher, it could output the same damage as before.
"As a trainer who frequently uses Gyarados, you've been blinded by victory. With your level, you should be able to see that Gyarados is attacking too frequently, and its stamina is almost depleted." Xia Mu shouted.
This made Hai Nan realize: "I, I..."
Hai Nan stammered, not knowing how to answer.
Seeing Gyarados descend from the sky to near the ground, exhausted, I finally saw its injuries.
"This battle is pointless to continue. Even if your Gyarados can still fight desperately, you can't defeat me and get the badge from me. I'm competitive too, but excessive striving and brute force will backfire!
Your Gyarados is strong, but if you focus more on training its speed instead of its offensive power, you'll reap unexpected rewards. That's why your attacks, seemingly incredibly powerful, miss. You need to understand that if you can't hit, even the strongest attack is useless." "Xia Mu persuaded Hai Nan to retreat.
At this point, he also had no intention of continuing the battle between Charizard and Gyarados.
In the next move, Charizard could take down Gyarados; without that final move, he would have won.
With the experience points accumulating, Charizard reached level 56. The experience points accumulated in the morning's battles, plus those from Pidgeotto and Gyarados, it would be strange if it didn't level up.
Hai Nan felt incredibly guilty after Xia Mu's words.
He knew his own problem; when he fought, he would attack recklessly until he defeated his opponent.
In the Mewtwo counterattack incident, he was like that. At first, he seemed quite brave and fearless of threats, but in reality, he was too impatient. After suffering losses, he was even more unwilling to admit defeat, and in the end, he would end up battered and bruised.
After the battle with Hai Nan, Xia Mu started a series of battles.
Because Charizard was injured, Xia Mu used Gardevoir more often in battles, naturally rotating in Lucario, Arcanine, and others.
Otherwise, relying solely on Gardevoir would have been..." It's impossible to engage in continuous battles.
Gardevoir's strength is only considered elite-level, not even level 50. Facing stronger opponents, it's really difficult for it to win easily.
Fortunately, none of the subsequent challengers were above level 45.
Most were around level 30, which further demonstrates that the vast majority of trainers are actually at this level.
Trainers like Sora, Seaman, and Sweetie are actually quite rare.
At least, they are one in a hundred.
After the afternoon gym battles ended, Xia Mu said goodbye to everyone he knew.
Especially since this was an open tournament, everyone left together afterward, so Xia Mu naturally had to be polite.
In general, besides Sora, Xia Mu also gave him a badge, almost using the same approach.
However, this trainer did have some potential; at least his skillful use of flanking tactics impressed Xia Mu, and he learned some new battle techniques.
In a group of three, there must be one who can teach me.
...
Night fell in the blink of an eye.
Xia Mu rested alone in the courtyard, further training his Pokémon.
Gardevoir's friendship level had reached the required level, so Xia Mu used berries and boosting potions to modify its effort value (EV) distribution.
Having experienced more and more, and participating in consecutive Pokémon battles, Gardevoir felt its strength steadily increasing, thus trusting Xia Mu more.
Moreover, due to the absorption of the Golden Crown, Gardevoir didn't resist the EV modification at all.
At this point, Xia Mu's fifth main Pokémon was fully formed, the only shortcoming being its level. Even after the afternoon's battles, it had only reached level 49.
Xia Mu didn't plan to use Rare Candies on it, as there was no need to force it to reach the same level 70 or higher as the other four.
As for Charizard and Mewtwo, Xia Mu didn't plan to use them yet. Even though Charizard's friendship level was high enough, they had only spent two days together.
Especially since Charizard's temperament still needed some work out.
"By the way, I've always been curious, but I forgot to ask you before. Remember the Dragonite that delivered the invitation? Where did it go? Did you clone it too?" After preparing some Energy Cubes for the Pokémon and letting them run around, Xia Mu handed one to Mewtwo, taking the opportunity to ask.
Mewtwo was slightly taken aback. If
Xia Mu hadn't asked, it would have forgotten about this creature.
"You wanted to catch that Dragonite?" Mewtwo understood the implication in Xia Mu's words and asked.
Since things had come to this point, Xia Mu naturally wouldn't deny it, nodding and saying, "I thought about catching it when I first saw it, but I didn't do it. Of course, my biggest curiosity now is, where did it go? Judging from your expression, you created that thing too?"
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(End of this chapter)