Torkoal, withdrawn in its shell, was protected and took no damage, but the Stone Edge still knocked it into the air.
Natsui knew that in this state, Torkoal could attack and defend well. With its hard shell and the move Rapid Spin, it was not safe to get close.
Therefore, he didn't order an attack, but shouted, "Tyranitar, use Sandstorm!"
Yellow sand started swirling and quickly covered half the field, hiding Tyranitar.
Natsui had used this move before and was very skilled with it.
Because of the sand, Flannery could not see Tyranitar. Torkoal landed safely on the ground.
She waited a while, but Tyranitar didn't appear. Helpless, she had Torkoal emerge from its shell.
"Torkoal, use Flamethrower on that spot!"
Flannery was afraid to enter the sandstorm, so she could only attack from far away, hoping Tyranitar would come out.
But the field was large, and she could only aim at Tyranitar's last known position. Natsui, anticipating this, had already made Tyranitar move.
Fierce flames shot into the sandstorm, illuminating a large patch of red sand, but until the flames died down, there was no sound from within.
Clearly, the attack had missed.
Flannery had Torkoal use Flamethrower again, but it was just as useless.
Tsk.
She clicked her tongue. She realized she had to get closer to see her opponent.
Understanding this, she glanced at Natsui, gritted her teeth, and ordered Torkoal into the sandstorm.
As the defender, if Flannery had been more patient, she could have waited for Natsui to attack or even waited for the sandstorm to dissipate.
But as a new Gym Leader, she lacked experience and was still treating this like a normal trainer battle.
Also, Flannery liked to attack, not defend, so she charged in without thinking much.
Fortunately, with its thick shell, Torkoal only had its head and limbs exposed. Its excellent defense meant the sand damage was negligible.
But sending her Pokémon into the sandstorm was still risky.
And this recklessness cost her dearly.
With both Pokémon in the sandstorm, both trainers lost their line of sight and couldn't give precise commands. The battle inside the storm depended entirely on the Pokémon's own abilities.
Torkoal was one of Flannery's best Pokémon, but she had not traveled much. Tyranitar was more experienced and stronger.
Not to mention, the terrain and the sandstorm were both in Tyranitar's favor.
After Torkoal slowly entered the sandstorm and disappeared, it wasn't long before flashes of orange fire lit up the inside, followed by several of Tyranitar's roars.
They were definitely fighting in there!
But who had the upper hand?
Flannery listened nervously, but Natsui stayed calm.
She desperately wanted to know what was happening, craning her neck and holding her hands up like binoculars, looking anxious.
Inside the sandstorm, another tremor shook the ground.
Even at a distance, Flannery felt it.
It must be Tyranitar using a Ground-type move. This made Flannery even more nervous, and she shouted towards the storm, "Torkoal, get out of there!"
But her words were swallowed by the sandstorm, with no response.
This made Flannery fear the worst.
After another moment, the sounds inside seemed to stop. As the sandstorm finally began to dissipate and the yellow sand thinned, the situation inside became clear.
She urgently looked at the field and saw Tyranitar standing there. In front of it, the ground was shattered. Torkoal was wedged in a fissure, seemingly unconscious.
"Torkoal!"
Flannery did not expect this at all.
It was her own Pokémon; she knew its strength. She never thought it would be defeated just like that.
She looked at Natsui again, her estimation of his strength rising another notch.
So strong... This man is definitely on par with Grandpa!
She recalled Torkoal and took out her second Poké Ball.
"My second Pokémon is here! Go! Magmortar!"
She threw the ball, and a Pokémon wreathed in flames, with a red-and-yellow-patterned, flashy body, appeared.
This was the Fire-type Pokémon Flannery had mentioned was as strong as her Torkoal—Magmortar!
Slightly different from its pre-evolution Magmar, Magmortar was much bulkier. Its fur looked like it was on fire, and it even breathed flames. Its arms ended in huge cannons.
Although they had seen Magmar many times, this was Misty's first time seeing a Magmortar.
Curious, she took out her Pokédex again.
Pokédex: "Beep. Magmortar, the Blast Pokémon. A Fire-type. Magmortar usually lives near volcanic craters. It is said that only one pair lives in each volcano. Living in craters, their bodies gradually become like volcanoes, with organs resembling magma chambers. They can fire 2000-degree Celsius fireballs from their cannon-like arms, hot enough to melt an iron pan instantly. When its body heats up, it turns whitish. Firing repeatedly can even slightly melt its own wrists."
From the description alone, this was clearly another powerful Pokémon.
Natsui recalled Tyranitar, patting its armor to praise it before returning it to its ball. He then took out his second Poké Ball.
Those familiar with him knew he rarely used the same Pokémon twice in a row unless necessary.
Misty wasn't surprised by the switch, but Flannery was.
That Tyranitar looked so strong, and it only had minor burns. It could still fight. Why switch it out?
Did he forget I said this Magmortar was also my strongest Pokémon?
But this doubt only lasted a few seconds. When Natsui threw his Poké Ball, and a Dragonite appeared in the air, she changed her mind.
From this Dragonite, Flannery felt the same aura as the Tyranitar.
No wonder he switched. He has his reasons!
And naturally, she assumed Dragonite and Tyranitar were Natsui's ace Pokémon.
"It's been a long time since I faced an opponent this strong!" Flannery said, one hand on her hip. "I'm all fired up! Now, I'm going to give it my all to defeat your strongest Pokémon!"
She thinks Dragonite and Tyranitar are my aces...
Natsui smiled but didn't correct her.
If he told her they were just his "second string," it would probably crush her confidence.
After the last battle, the field was even more wrecked, but this didn't dampen their spirits. It just made it harder for the ground-based Magmortar to move.
Flannery shouted again, "Second battle, begin!"
As she spoke, Magmortar attacked first.
It raised its cannon-like arms and shot fireballs at the airborne Dragonite.
Dragonite banked sideways, and the two basketball-sized fireballs just grazed past it.
Its reaction was just fast enough; any slower and it would have been hit.
After pausing, it also used Dragon Rage, engaging Magmortar in a long-range battle.
This initial exchange was an autonomous action by the Pokémon; neither trainer had given a command.
This was their first reaction, an on-the-fly adjustment. Waiting for a command would cause a delay and lose the initiative.
Of course, only high-level Pokémon had this kind of awareness and were allowed to do so. If it were Misty's Psyduck or another disobedient Pokémon, it would only earn a scolding from the trainer.
Now, after the brief exchange, command returned to the trainers.
Under Flannery's command, Magmortar fired another flame, neutralizing the Dragon Rage.
At the same time, at Natsui's command, Dragonite used Dragon Rush, diving at Magmortar.
Magmortar's attacks were strong, and its twin cannons could fire simultaneously. A long-range battle was disadvantageous for Dragonite. Closing the distance for a melee was the smart choice.
Dragonite was fast, and boosted by Dragon Rush, it unleashed a frightening aura, charging at Magmortar.
Flannery shouted, "Come on!"
She knew Magmortar couldn't dodge, so she decided to meet it head-on.
She yelled, "Use Flame Wheel!"
In the next second, Magmortar was wreathed in flames. Instead of retreating, it charged at Dragonite.
A few breaths later, the two Pokémon crashed heavily. The three on the field heard a loud 'BANG!' Looking at the two, they were head-to-head, gritting their teeth and staring each other down.
Despite their injuries, their fighting spirit was high, and neither would back down!
In terms of size, Dragonite was taller and heavier, but it couldn't handle Magmortar's scalding hot body. Dragonite didn't want to show weakness, but after a moment, it couldn't take the heat.
Fortunately, Natsui's next command came.
"Dragonite, use Aqua Tail!"
Dragonite flapped its small wings, took to the air, and its massive tail was enveloped in water. It spun and whipped its tail at Magmortar.
Flannery, not to be outdone, ordered Magmortar to counter with Fire Punch.
The two Pokémon clashed again. The massive, watery tail swept against Magmortar, while Magmortar's flaming cannon-fist struck Dragonite.
This time, Magmortar clearly couldn't withstand the Aqua Tail. Its face contorted, and it staggered back several steps.
But Dragonite wasn't much better off. Being hit twice by Fire-type attacks, it was also unlucky enough to be burned.
Both Pokémon were injured; one suffered a status condition, and the other was hit by a super-effective attack. It seemed they were back at square one.
This made Flannery very troubled.
She didn't know where this man came from, but how was he this strong?
Surprise or not, the battle had to continue.
The two Pokémon clashed again. Perhaps injured and angered, they became reckless, their eyes only on each other, unleashing move after move. In this desperate assault, the battle quickly reached its climax.
As their wounds increased, their stamina drained.
In the end, Dragonite's skill proved superior. It used Aqua Tail one last time, knocking Magmortar to the ground.
Compared to the first match, where Torkoal lost anticlimactically in the sandstorm, this battle was thrilling for Misty to watch, and both trainers were satisfied with their Pokémon's performance.
For Flannery, the only downside was that she had lost.
But it had been an intense battle between ace Pokémon. Even in defeat, she felt no resentment, only admiration for Natsui.
"You're amazing!" she said, her eyes sparkling, showing no disappointment. "Besides my grandpa, you're the strongest person I've ever met! Alright, let's hurry up and start the third battle! I can't wait!"
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Note: I haven't been able to upload chapters because I didn't have internet.
The Bleach story is now complete. We'll still be uploading two new Bleach stories.
Also, The Black Dragon of the Katsuragi Family now has 160 chapters.
Pokemon now has 710 chapters
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