Faced with the increasingly severe weather caused by the recurring "Sandstorm," the Water Pulp couldn't defeat the water-resistant Kabuto with just "Water Gun" from a distance. It had to bear the risk of being attacked by Onix's "Dig" attack after landing.
Link only had two Pokémon, and in this battle, any unnecessary losses were unacceptable. Otherwise, Du juan could easily win by simply letting her Pokémon use "Explosion. "
Since that was the case…
"It's time, Water Pulp, use that move."
Hearing this, Foxglove and Water Pulp understood immediately and rushed to the surface under the protection of "Psychic."
Du juan, meanwhile, was alert, ready to issue a command for the Onix, which was unable to see from deep underground, to make a precise attack.
A moment later.
The Water Pulp, having descended to the surface, neither landed nor attacked Kabuto, but instead hovered near the ground, radiating powerful Ground-type energy.
Could Water Pulp also master Ground-type moves?
Du Juan was puzzled; it shouldn't be possible, right?
"Natural Force."
Just as the Waterwave Finneon unleashed its attack, Link's words were like a death knell, causing Du Juan's expression to change drastically.
Oh no!
But it was too late to react now.
The Waterwave Finneon's tail tip lightly touched the ground, and an invisible ripple began to spread outwards from it, brewing into an even more violent tremor, transforming into a shockwave that shook the entire battlefield!
"Earthquake," a move permanently banned in the TV series.
The air buzzed, the earth trembled.
The Geodude, weak to Ground-type attacks, had its "Sandstorm" interrupted by this shockwave, while the Onix deep underground suffered even more.
Du Juan, who was still waiting for an opportunity, hurriedly shouted, "Onix, come out quickly!"
"Nature Force" is a rare move that can manipulate the external environment rather than its own abilities to unleash attacks. Its effect depends on the current environment, thus extending to moves such as "Swift" (highway), "Earthquake" (sand), "Rock Slide" (rock), "Surf" (ocean), and "Razor Leaf" (tall grass).
Generally, the moves used by "Nature Force" inside buildings are usually Normal-type moves like "Swift" or "Triple Attack."
However, the abundance of elemental energy within each gym can cause changes in the moves used by "Nature Force."
While the Rustboro Gym is primarily Rock-type, Ground-type energy, which is inseparable from Rock, is also abundant.
As Kabuto repeatedly used "Sandstorm" under the interference of "Encore," the highly activated Ground-type energy took priority over Rock-type energy in the face of this move—just as terrain effects (such as Electric Field and Psychic Field) override the energy of the terrain.
The result was...the extremely fragile Kabuto was on the verge of death, while Onix, which was weak to Kabuto and was on the ground, suffered heavy damage despite its excellent physical durability.
Having just dug its way out of the ground, Onix was already swaying precariously, as if a single...
"Water Gun."
The nearly ten-meter-long Onix crashed to the ground, becoming the first Pokémon to lose its ability to battle.
Seeing this, Kabuto quietly pulled out a berry hidden under its shell, preparing to eat it to heal its injuries.
However, the Fennekin snatched it away from a distance with a "Psychic" attack, utilizing the opportunistic nature of its Psychic type to eat the Pokémon and restore a significant amount of its stamina.
After all, it was only recently born, and maintaining "Psychic" for so long was exhausting.
"Come back, Onix."
Without wasting time waiting for the referee's decision, Du Juan immediately recalled the Pokémon that had lost its ability to battle.
However, deciding which Pokémon to send out next posed a challenge.
Nosepass was in poor condition and weak to Ground, making it likely to be eliminated by the opponent's "Earthquake" triggered by "Nature Force."
Golem, on the other hand, was in good condition but had the lowest training level among these Pokémon, and would also be at a disadvantage if it took an "Earthquake."
How could she fight like this?
Even if Link's Finneon used "Surf," she wouldn't be in such a passive position; the ground environment and the type energy within the Rustboro Gym would limit the power of this move.
But why "Earthquake" of all?
These thoughts only lingered in her mind for a moment before Du Juan, a top student at the Trainer Academy, immediately found a way to break the deadlock.
"Give it your all, Nosepass! Use..."
"Again on Nosepass." "Use 'Electro Levitate'... What!?"
The intention of sending Nosepass out at this point was all too obvious.
It was simply to use 'Electro Levitate' to escape the earthquake crisis, and if Nosepass knew 'Electric Terrain,' to use the terrain effect to override environmental effects so that Finneon's 'Nature Force' could only use 'Thunderbolt' instead of 'Earthquake.' If that didn't work, 'Electro Wave' would limit the opponent's speed, and if it still wasn't controlled by 'Again,' it would finish with 'Explosion.'
In Link's eyes, Du juan's plan was completely exposed!
Ultimately, Rock-type is a powerful offensive type, but the general weakness of slow speed makes Rock-type Pokémon very disadvantageous outside of 'Trick Room.'
In this situation, Nosepass had very limited options.
Incidentally—Fennekin used 'Psychic' to steal the Berry from Nosepass and put it in Dolphin's mouth.
Du juan felt increasingly pressured, as if she could see right through her. All her previous skills were practically useless in this moment.
With nowhere else to turn, she could only trust in the bond between herself and her Pokémon, believing it could overcome the "one more time" challenge! "
Kabuto, use Surf!
" "Nosepass, forget everything, unleash your full power with Discharge!"
Surf and Discharge, both indiscriminate, wide-area AOE attacks, would spread with the water.
At the cost of sacrificing Kabuto, Nosepass, currently unable to aim, could precisely strike the weaker Fennekin and Puffin with the guidance of its teammates' water attacks!
Encouraged by its trainer, Kabuto immediately released its Water-type energy, creating a giant wave and riding the tide.
Nosepass, the Pokémon Du juan had poured the most effort into, couldn't let its trainer down.
With unwavering willpower, Nosepass became immune to the "one more time" challenge that had forced Du juan into a difficult battle, unleashing a devastating electric shock.
The electric current, riding the waves, surged like a golden dragon under the control of the fossil helmet, ferociously attacking the two centaur-like Pokémon.
"Well done, but it's meaningless."
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(End of Chapter)