Clair stared in shock at the fallen Druddigon.
She had learned a few things about the Fairy type from the staff that accompanied her, but she had no idea that this type could be immune to Dragon-type moves.
This impact was far greater than anything she had known about the Fairy type's effects on Dragon-type Pokémon.
Clair simply couldn't accept it.
Meanwhile, the high-ranking officials watching the battle also sat silently before the screen, speechless for a long time.
At first, they had thought that the introduction of the Fairy type, along with the Misty Terrain move, already represented a significant shift for Dragon-type Pokémon. But now they realized that what they had understood was just a small part of the whole picture.
The most important revelation was that the Fairy type could be completely immune to Dragon-type moves—similar to how Steel types are immune to Poison-type attacks, Ground types to Electric-type, and Dark types to Psychic-type.
The appearance of the Fairy type didn't just represent a change in the League—it seemed like a full-blown earthquake.
The Kalos region might instantly become a highly coveted area, as the dominant position of Dragon-type Pokémon appeared to be coming to an end.
Though this reality could no longer be reversed, the upper ranks could only try to minimize the impact the arrival of the Fairy type would have on the League.
One by one, the leaders turned off their televisions and began making urgent phone calls, assigning tasks and forming strategies to deal with this new situation.
Meanwhile, the battle between Cain and Clair continued.
Several moments passed before Clair managed to recover from the shock. This time, the referee didn't push her to act, as he himself was still confused.
Had Dragon-type moves really just been nullified?
Clair, still distracted, pulled out another Pokéball. At first, she still held out some hope, believing her strongest Pokémon might turn the tide. However, after watching Florges completely shut down Druddigon and nullify all Dragon-type moves, that hope began to fade.
Cain, smiling, withdrew Florges. He knew Clair would send out her Charizard now. Since Florges had no advantage against Charizard, he decided to save her for facing Clair's ace Pokémon.
Just as Cain had predicted, Clair sent Charizard into battle. Cain responded with Slowking, currently his strongest Pokémon.
Ever since Clair revealed Charizard as her next pick, she had been at a disadvantage. Cain already knew what her trump card was, which allowed him to plan every move against it.
Under the combined assault of Slowking's Water and Psychic-type moves, Charizard had little chance to show off either speed or strength. With the use of Trick Room and Teleport, Slowking completely restricted Charizard's options.
Eventually, Charizard was taken down by the Psychic-Water Pulse combo from Slowking.
Clair had now lost five of her Pokémon. The battle was already decided.
Moreover, Clair was clearly distracted. Her mind was no longer in the fight.
Finally, she sent out her last Pokémon—her most powerful ace and a Dragon-type that represented her specialty.
Unlike Lance, who preferred to use Dragonite, Clair's favorite Pokémon was another: Kingdra.
Pokémon: Kingdra (Dark Blue)
Gender: Female
Level: 55
Types: Water + Dragon
Ability: Sniper
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Dragon Rage, Dragon Breath, Water Pulse, Outrage
Basic Moves: Hydro Pump, Yawn, Bubble, Smokescreen, Leer, Water Gun, Twister, Bubble Beam, Focus Energy, Brine, Agility, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Dance
Learned Moves: Draco Meteor, Bounce, Icy Wind, Snore
TM Moves: Protect, Ice Beam, Rain Dance, Scald, Sleep Talk, Surf, Waterfall
At such a high level and with the Sniper ability, Kingdra might have had a real chance to turn the battle around.
However, ever since Clair saw Florges defeat Druddigon, she had been completely thrown off.
Kingdra faced a huge disadvantage against Florges.
As long as Florges could switch quickly between Grass and Fairy-type attacks, she would hold a decisive advantage over Kingdra.
Fairy counters Dragon, while Grass is strong against Water.
In addition, Clair's shaken mindset kept her from regaining control of the fight.
Even though Clair and Cain were of similar age, Cain had lived many lives, and Clair's strategies felt too simplistic to him—easy to anticipate.
Florges' performance had completely demoralized Clair.
In reality, if Clair's opponent had been anyone else—even if she had already lost four Pokémon—she still might have had a chance. With a Sniper-ability Kingdra and Charizard, she could have challenged her opponent's remaining four Pokémon.
With a bit of luck, Kingdra might have taken down three or even four Pokémon in a row.
But unfortunately, she faced the newly emerged type in the Pokémon world: the Fairy type.
In the end, Cain won the battle and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Though Clair was eliminated in the round of 16, her skill was undeniable. If she continued to grow, there was no doubt she would one day reach the level of the Elite Four.
However, the early emergence of the Fairy type could change many things—her career, the position of families who specialize in Dragon-type Pokémon, and the fate of Dragon-type trainers around the world.
Cain, still thoughtful, shook Clair's hand before returning to the Hoenn team's lounge.
As he entered, he was immediately stopped by Steven and the others.
"Cain, didn't you say you weren't hiding anything? Why didn't you mention that Fairy-types can nullify Dragon-type moves?" Steven confronted him, with Phoebe and Wallace backing him like personal assistants.
In truth, what they wanted was leverage. They hoped to negotiate more "unfair deals" with Cain—but this time, he wouldn't give in so easily.
Cain, seeing their attitude, couldn't help but laugh.
"I didn't know either! Come on, think about it—if I knew, don't you think I would've said something in front of all those high-ranking officials? Florges plays a support role in my team—she's not usually on the front lines—and it's very rare to encounter Dragon-type Pokémon in the wild. How was I supposed to know Dragon-type moves don't affect her?" Cain explained.
After hearing his response, Steven and the others seemed to accept the explanation.
Dragon-type Pokémon are rare in the wild. Just having the luck to find one is difficult, and Florges wasn't designed for direct combat, as her move set suggested.
"Really?"
"Of course! Truer than gold!" Cain raised his hand, making a vow.
"By the way, Steven, isn't your match coming up next? Are you seriously going to just hang out here?" Cain asked with a mocking grin.
Steven froze, startled, before reacting.
At that moment, the referee was already calling for Steven.
He dashed out immediately.
Steven was one of the participants in the third round.
His opponent was... the Kalos representative, Siebold!
An expert in Water-type Pokémon.
(End of chapter)