Just as Whitney had predicted, Miltank wasn't hindered by Cotton Spore at all. It curled into a pink ball and began Rolling at full speed, ramming into Flaaffy again and again, sending it flying across the battlefield.
However, Flaaffy had already used Cotton Guard twice, doubling its Defense to the maximum.
Even as Miltank's massive body slammed into it repeatedly, Flaaffy stubbornly refused to fall.
"What an outrageous defense…" Whitney couldn't help but gasp.
Lord-tier versus Commander-tier—fine, it was already surprising enough that Flaaffy hadn't been one-shotted. But to withstand multiple hits from Miltank without fainting? That was simply absurd.
"Flaaffy, Cotton Spore—on the entire field!" Yozora's command rang out.
This time, Flaaffy didn't target Miltank directly. Instead, both of its stubby arms worked at once, plucking fluffy tufts of cotton from its wool and hurling them in all directions.
In moments, the entire battlefield was littered with sticky white fluff.
"Rumble rumble…" Miltank barreled about like a pink meatball, rolling recklessly—but its body quickly became coated in clinging cotton.
And then, it came to a stop.
The sticky tufts had adhered its body firmly to the ground. No matter how hard it strained, it couldn't budge.
"Moo… Moo!" Miltank's eyes widened in panic as it realized the seriousness of its predicament.
"You've got to be kidding…" Now it was Whitney's turn to be dumbfounded.
Her Miltank's greatest pride was its rolling momentum—its power and speed when using Rollout. If it couldn't roll, then its true strength couldn't be unleashed at all.
Worse still—Miltank wasn't just unable to roll. It was completely glued to the floor, reduced to nothing more than a stationary target for the enemy's attacks.
"Flaaffy, Thunderbolt!"
Flaaffy unleashed bolt after bolt of electricity under Yozora's order. Yet the effect was limited.
First, there was the sheer gap in level.
Second, Miltank truly had thick hide and muscles. That was simply the natural trait of its species.
Realizing it was futile, Yozora recalled Flaaffy and sent Dragonair into battle. "Go, Dragonair—Flamethrower!"
By now, Miltank was already covered in sticky tufts of grass-typed cotton. Grass burned easily.
"Boom!"
The flames engulfed Miltank, igniting the cotton in a blazing explosion.
Miltank was blasted off its feet, collapsing to the ground unconscious.
"So strong… Then let's go—my third Pokémon!" Whitney exclaimed as she tossed her next Poké Ball.
From it emerged a towering Ursaring, over two meters tall with a thick, muscular build and an intimidating aura.
This was no ordinary Pokémon—it radiated Gym Leader-level strength. Clearly, this Ursaring was Whitney's true ace, even surpassing Miltank.
"Rooaaar!!"
Ursaring bellowed, pounding its chest with booming force, glaring at Dragonair with raw disdain.
It was a show of dominance.
But Dragonair wasn't cowed. Instead, its eyes narrowed into a fierce glare, answering Ursaring's intimidation with its own unyielding will.
The air trembled as their auras clashed.
Finally, Whitney broke the silence. "Ursaring—Hammer Arm!"
Ursaring roared and slammed a mighty fist into the ground, unleashing a wave of earthy yellow energy that surged forward, growing larger and larger until it loomed like a falling mountain over Dragonair.
"Take flight, Dragonair!" Yozora called quickly.
The wing-like ears on Dragonair's head flared, unfurling as true wings. With a powerful surge of wind, Dragonair soared high into the air, evading the crushing wave.
From above, it gazed down on Ursaring. With its flight advantage against a grounded foe, Dragonair now held the upper hand.
"Dragonair, full-power Flamethrower!"
Perched aloft, Dragonair unleashed a roaring torrent of fire that engulfed Ursaring below.
The bear was swallowed whole in the inferno, its fur scorched, its massive body writhing as it bellowed in pain.
"Break free! Use Double Team!" Whitney shouted urgently.
"Raaaagh!!" Ursaring tore through the flames with its claws, forcing its way out and splitting into over a dozen shadowy clones.
Yozora only smiled. By now, he had awakened his Mind's Eye. Even without Aura, illusions like Double Team were useless before him.
Through their bond, Dragonair also immediately understood and locked onto the true Ursaring.
"Dragonair—Dragon Pulse!"
"Woooooooh!!"
Dragonair opened its jaws, gathering swirling purple energy into a dense sphere before unleashing it in a beam of explosive force.
"No way…" Whitney whispered, cold sweat dripping down her brow.
Was he truly certain enough to charge an attack against multiple clones?
But the beam struck true.
"Grrraaagh!!" Ursaring screamed as the real body was blasted back, the clones vanishing instantly.
"What?!" Whitney's eyes went wide. He had seen through it… for real?!
Was this just luck? Or did Yozora truly have some kind of special ability?
…
Even so, Ursaring was far from finished. Its level was vastly above Dragonair's, and its body was unbelievably resilient.
Though scorched and battered, it rose again, aura undiminished, its strength seemingly only half spent.
That was the advantage of level.
"Yozora, you're incredible. Honestly, if you had sent out your Gengar or Miltank, I'd already have lost…" Whitney admitted, glancing at his other Pokémon. She had no choice but to acknowledge his skill. "And the way you pierced through Double Team—that's beyond belief. But from here on out, I'll show you my true strength!"
"Oh?" Yozora's eyes lit with intrigue. He hadn't expected the cheerful young Gym Leader to have another hidden card.
"Ursaring—Sweet Scent!"
Yozora blinked. "Sweet Scent? But Ursaring isn't a Grass-type…"
Ursaring reached into its fur and produced a sealed jar. Upon opening it, a rich, intoxicating aroma spilled into the arena.
"That scent… top-grade honey?" Yozora's mouth watered instantly.
Dragonair fared worse—it grew dizzy, its eyes glazed, body swaying as it descended lower and lower.
Whitney's eyes gleamed. "Now—Ice Punch!"
Ursaring tossed the honey jar aside, surged forward, and clenched its fist, gathering a terrifying chill that frosted the air. With a roar, it hammered its icy fist straight toward the dazed Dragonair.
The discarded jar snapped Dragonair out of its stupor—but too late.
"BOOM!"
The Ice Punch slammed into its body with brutal force, sending it crashing across the field, plowing a trench through the grassland.
Super-effective. Double damage.
One strike was all it took to bring Dragonair to the brink of collapse. It lay on the ground, barely clinging to consciousness.
But at that moment—
A brilliant light burst forth from its body.
"It's evolving?!" Whitney gasped.
Evolution was already a rare and awe-inspiring sight. But for a Dragonair to evolve—that was no ordinary transformation.
This was ascension into a pseudo-legendary.
Blue-and-white scales faded away… wings sprouted, limbs formed, and its body grew more robust. Dragonair's serpentine form condensed into a bipedal, draconic shape with small yet powerful wings. Its scales turned a warm orange, and its gentle eyes gleamed with intelligence.
Standing tall at over 2.3 meters, its sheer bulk radiated natural dominance—but its kind, slightly goofy expression gave it an oddly heartwarming charm.
"Dragonite…" Yozora's chest tightened with emotion.
At last.
The Dratini he had raised from a fragile baby had finally become a mighty and dependable Dragonite.
Even Miltank and Mei the Miltank, who had often helped care for it, gazed on with warm satisfaction.
Dragonite's evolution had propelled its strength forward in a massive leap—from Lord-tier high stage to Gym Leader peak stage in a single instant.
Never before had Yozora witnessed such a dramatic transformation.
So this was the fruit of Dragonair's long accumulation, blossoming at last.
"Gym Leader peak…" Yozora murmured, awestruck by its overwhelming aura.
Even his longtime partner Gengar had only just broken into Elite four-tier. By contrast, Dragonite already felt stronger, more reliable.
That was the power of species advantage.
Where Gengar was fragile, Dragonite was an indomitable tank—high defense, immense stamina, and brutal offense, with near-limitless versatility.
And Yozora's Dragonite was no ordinary specimen—
Pokémon: Dragonite
Type: Dragon/Flying
Abilities: Multiscale, Huge Power, Stamina, Speed Boost, Technician
Level: Gym Leader Peak
Potential: Tier 2 Legendary
Moves: Hydro Pump, Water Pulse, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Claw, Dragon Rush, Hyper Beam, Seismic Toss, Agility, Double Team, Extreme Speed, Rain Dance
Description: A Dragonite of extraordinary talent, its strength rivals that of a Legendary Pokémon at the same level.
An impeccable balance of offense and defense, speed and endurance.
So-called "quadruple weakness to Ice" was a mere theory. In real combat, with its speed, stamina, and Multiscale defense, Dragonite was far from an easy target.
Not to mention—it had just learned multiple new techniques upon evolving: Dragon Claw, Dragon Rush, Seismic Toss, and, most importantly, Extreme Speed.
That move was a gift reserved only for the most gifted of Dragonite. Swift as lightning, overwhelming in power, it could fell an enemy before they even realized what had struck them.
"Such power… such a magnificent Dragonite…" Whitney stared in awe.
She had seen Dragonite before, as a Gym Leader. But never one so massive, so overwhelming.
Thank goodness it still bore such a kind face. If its expression had been even slightly fiercer, it would have been utterly terrifying.
…
(End of Chapter)