Compared to Charizard, Dragonite still lacked experience and had evolved more recently. Overall, its strength was indeed slightly inferior. Therefore, although losing this battle was regrettable, Natsui could accept the result.
Besides, he didn't really care much about the winning streak. After all, everyone loses sometimes. It was just that his previous opponents were too weak to pose a challenge, allowing him to achieve that streak. Being broken by Ash now didn't mean much.
Recalling the unconscious Dragonite, Natsui took out Jolteon's Poké Ball from his pouch again.
The score was now tied 1-1. Although the record was even, in terms of Pokémon condition, Natsui still held a slight advantage.
Most importantly, although Ash's Charizard had defeated Dragonite, it was also in very poor condition and couldn't handle another intense fight.
The announcer said, "Let's see what competitor Natsui's next Pokémon will be... Oh... it's the Jolteon he just fielded! A reasonable choice, as it didn't take much damage in the battle against Noctowl. Having warmed up, it's now in peak condition!"
Seeing Jolteon, Ash also wanted to recall Charizard and switch to another Pokémon. But Charizard's defiant spirit flared up, and it firmly shook its head at Ash. Seeing this, Ash had no choice but to let Charizard continue fighting.
However, Jolteon was clearly stronger than Dragonite, especially against the heavily damaged Charizard. The two Pokémon had just clashed, and before Charizard could even react, Jolteon stunned it with a Zap Cannon, causing it to lose consciousness immediately.
Evidently, Charizard didn't display the same prowess as in its battle against Gary. Its fight ended here; it couldn't defeat another of Natsui's Pokémon.
"What a shame..." the announcer lamented, shaking his head. "In the battle against Dragonite just now, although it defeated its opponent, Charizard expended too much stamina. As a result, it was defeated by Jolteon in this match without much chance to perform. If possible, I believe many spectators, like myself, hoped it could continue to showcase its power on this stage!"
Just as the announcer said, Ash's Charizard had indeed won over a portion of the audience with its spectacular performance the day before. People had expected it to display its strength again today, like in the previous match, helping Ash secure victory. They didn't expect that after struggling to defeat just one Pokémon, it would be so easily beaten by Natsui.
This defeat also meant that they could only hope Ash advanced to the next round to see Charizard battle again.
After a moment's thought, Ash took out his third Poké Ball.
When he threw it forward, a chubby, lazy-looking, large blue doll-like Pokémon appeared on the field.
It was Ash's Snorlax!
Natsui's eyes narrowed slightly.
Among Ash's current dozen or so Pokémon (excluding the Tauros), Natsui considered three to be the most dangerous: Pikachu, Charizard, and this Snorlax!
Pikachu and Charizard were universally recognized for their strength and ability to create miracles. As opponents, they demanded utmost caution. As for Snorlax, despite its dopey appearance, its strength was immense, just like its appetite, making it incredibly powerful.
Even compared to others of its kind, this Snorlax was exceptionally special.
First, it knew how to swim—using the butterfly stroke!
Second, its speed was also faster than the average Snorlax.
Since it was a power-type Pokémon, it naturally needed a power-type opponent.
Recalling Jolteon, Natsui thought for a moment and then took out his fourth Poké Ball.
"Go, Crystal Steelix!"
Among his own power-type Pokémon, Crystal Steelix and Tyranitar were both considerations. However, since Tyranitar hadn't reached its peak strength yet, to avoid a repeat of Dragonite's outcome, he sent out the more stable Crystal Steelix.
"ROAR!!!"
As soon as Crystal Steelix appeared, it roared fiercely at Snorlax. Seeing its translucent, crystal-like massive body, the audience members who saw it for the first time gasped in amazement!
"There it is! Competitor Natsui's Crystal Steelix!" the announcer said excitedly. "Ladies and gentlemen! Before the tournament, we received intel that competitor Natsui possesses a wondrous Steelix! Its body is as beautiful as crystal, yet it wields extremely powerful destructive force, vastly different from ordinary shiny Steelix! Seeing it with our own eyes now is truly shocking!"
Indeed, just as the announcer said, although some people had seen this amazing Pokémon before, they were few. Now, through such a major tournament, it fully revealed its form to the entire Johto audience, causing a huge sensation!
It was far more eye-catching than a typical shiny Pokémon, letting countless people know that besides shinies, Pokémon could possess such miraculous forms!
The audience's reaction didn't affect the battle on the field.
While people were still marveling, the referee waved the flag. Crystal Steelix slithered forward like a heavily armored truck, charging menacingly towards Snorlax.
Facing this charge, Snorlax's face retained its usual dopey, expression. The moment Crystal Steelix was about to crash into it, Snorlax raised its arms and braced itself firmly against Steelix's massive head!
Leveraging its enormous size and prior acceleration, Crystal Steelix's momentum didn't cease. It pushed Snorlax back, shattering several rocks, and continued towards the boundary line.
Ash yelled, "Snorlax, don't lose to it!"
Snorlax's arm muscles bulged visibly. It gritted its teeth, dug its feet hard into the ground, and after immense effort, finally managed to stop just before the boundary, avoiding direct elimination.
But before Ash could breathe a sigh of relief, Crystal Steelix opened its massive jaws and lunged to bite Snorlax.
Although Snorlax was stout, standing over two meters tall, Crystal Steelix's open mouth nearly encompassed its entire body.
And this was where Snorlax's agility showed. Just as Steelix's mouth was halfway open, Snorlax nimbly rolled sideways, dodging the gaping maw.
Close call...
In the friends-and-family section, Brock wiped a bead of sweat for Ash. As a Rock- and Ground-type trainer himself, he knew better than anyone the power of Natsui's Crystal Steelix!
Good thing it dodged in time, otherwise Snorlax would have ended up entirely inside Crystal Steelix's mouth!
After dodging the bite, Snorlax moved to Crystal Steelix's side. Gathering power in its right fist, it used Mega Punch, smashing it hard against Steelix's crystal body.
"Crystal Steelix, Dig underground!"
At Natsui's command, Steelix burrowed headfirst into the ground, not only dodging the attack but also creating a seemingly bottomless hole at incredible speed.
"Is that...?" Ash's eyes widened.
Having also challenged the Orange League and battled the Head Leader Drake, he instantly recognized the speed of Natsui's Crystal Steelix's Dig. It was comparable to Drake's Onix. He remembered the trouble that Onix's Dig skill had caused him back then!
This is really surprising. Natsui actually learned that move!?
Although he had eventually defeated that Onix, gaining some experience against Dig by using his Squirtle's Water-type moves, his current Snorlax had no way to force Crystal Steelix out from underground or deal effective damage to it!
What now?
A few drops of cold sweat appeared on Ash's forehead.
Should I switch to another Pokémon to deal with it?
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