A raging wall of Fire Blast surged forward. Samurott's eyes widened in shock, its face etched with terror and caution…
"…"
At this moment, the opponent's ultimate move was practically upon it. No matter how fast Samurott reacted, there was no way it could dodge this attack…
"Boom!!"
The massive Fire Blast struck Samurott directly. Flames shot skyward, engulfing the battlefield.
Samurott was completely scorched, severely injured, and its entire body trembled under the impact.
"What terrifying power!" Ritchie and Sherry, watching from the sidelines, were equally awed and frightened.
From their perspective, Samurott was a Water-type Pokémon, naturally resistant to Fire-type moves. Yet even with that advantage, Charmeleon had dealt such heavy damage—evidence of the overwhelming strength behind its flames.
Moreover, looking at the fire burning atop Charmeleon's tail, it hadn't even entered its "berserk" state. If it had, its power would have been even more devastating.
"…"
Derek's eyes flicked to the Thunder Stone necklace around Charmeleon's neck, now dimmed as most of its electricity had been absorbed by the Fire-type. His heart skipped a beat.
Thankfully, Charmeleon had not yet learned Electric-type moves. Otherwise, with that power, Samurott would have faced an even more insurmountable challenge!
"Charmeleon, Flame Charge!" Yozora suddenly commanded, seizing the initiative and catching Derek off guard.
Charmeleon's body erupted in flames, disappearing in a flash before hurtling toward Samurott as a blazing fireball.
"Flame Charge, Hydro Pump, and Quick Attack all travel in straight lines and cannot turn mid-attack…" Derek thought quickly. "Samurott, use Hydro Pump to knock it down!"
But Yozora had already switched tactics mid-battle. "Dodge and use Fury Cutter!"
On the battlefield, Samurott's high-pressure Hydro Pump surged forward, but Charmeleon halted, extinguishing the surrounding flames. Then, with a sudden sidestep to the left, it narrowly avoided the Hydro Pump.
Charmeleon pressed forward, claws slashing, its cold, unwavering gaze exuding immense pressure as it charged Samurott.
Without further commands from Derek, Samurott continued firing Hydro Pumps, one after another—but Charmeleon dodged them all effortlessly. The more Samurott attacked, the easier it became for Charmeleon.
Having sustained serious injuries earlier, Samurott's energy was nearly depleted. Its Hydro Pumps had weakened considerably in both power and speed. In contrast, Charmeleon was still near peak condition, effortlessly evading every attack.
"Whoosh—"
Charmeleon moved like the wind, flames trailing behind as it reached Samurott. With a dual-claw strike, it inflicted massive damage amidst Samurott's agonized screams.
"Samurott can no longer battle!" The referee shouted, declaring the result as Samurott collapsed, motionless for several seconds.
"Impressive!"
"Yozora, I didn't expect you to defeat my Samurott so easily… but the real challenge begins now," Derek said with a slight smile. Reaching for a Luxury Ball at his waist, he enlarged it and tossed it onto the battlefield.
"Bang…" A burst of white light signaled the arrival of Emboar.
Emboar stood tall, its humanoid frame massive and muscular, with a barrel chest and a tiger-like, powerful build. Its black body was streaked with flames curling around its neck, bearing a striking resemblance to Zhu Bajie.
Emboar's physique alone exuded raw power. In reality, it wasn't just a Fire-type—it was also Fighting-type, capable of wielding many martial techniques.
Pokémon: Emboar
Type: Fire / Fighting
Level: Commander-tier
Potential: Commander
Description: Derek's prized ace Pokémon, renowned for its exceptional combat skills and firepower. A formidable opponent.
"…So it's Emboar!" Yozora, Ritchie, and Sherry exchanged glances, all struck by a surge of anticipation.
"Emboar! Derek's final Pokémon is another Fire-type! Let's witness an epic clash of flames!" The announcer raised his microphone, sending the stadium into a frenzy.
Yet, before he could finish, Yozora withdrew Charmeleon and sent out Psyduck.
Facing Samurott—stronger, higher-level, and Water-type—Psyduck could do little. But against Emboar, it could at least wear it down a bit.
Or, at the very least, reduce some of Emboar's stamina.
As this cruise tournament followed official league rules, each trainer was allowed one Pokémon substitution during a three-on-three match. Yozora was taking advantage of this rule to strategize: first, use Psyduck to sap Emboar's energy.
"…" The announcer's face fell, momentarily embarrassed.
He hadn't expected Yozora to immediately switch Pokémon, despite just calling for a Fire-type showdown.
"Uh… miscalculation! But sending Psyduck against Fire-type Emboar is actually a sound strategic choice…" he stammered, blushing slightly as a suppressed chuckle spread through the crowd.
"Rain Dance, Psyduck!" Yozora commanded, surprising everyone in the stadium.
"Psy!"
Psyduck quacked sharply. Thick clouds quickly gathered above the battlefield, and rain poured down.
At this time, Pokémon abilities hadn't been widely recognized. Nobody realized Psyduck possessed the Rain Dish-like potential, not even the captain or Sherry, who thought their Pelipper simply had a knack for "calling rain."
"Such a powerful rain-calling talent! I didn't expect Psyduck to have this hidden ace up its sleeve," they thought, staring in awe.
A Shiny, formidable Psychic-type, with a secret Rain-calling ability… this Psyduck was worth a fortune!
Heavy rain fell.
Even drenched, Emboar remained imposing and immovable, unaffected by the downpour.
Indeed, powerful Pokémon like Emboar were rarely hindered by weather—the most it would do was slightly reduce the power of Fire-type moves.
But that didn't matter.
It was Emboar—master of Fire-type moves and skilled in numerous Fighting techniques.
…
…
(End of Chapter)