Chapter 196: One for Two

The blast of Flamethrower struck Rapidash, but instead of halting its charge, the flames only intensified the fire surrounding its body.

The scorching heat spread across the entire battlefield.

"Blaziken, create distance and use Bulk Up!"

With its powerful legs, Blaziken swiftly moved away from its position, dodging Rapidash's assault.

As Bulk Up took effect, Blaziken's aura began to grow stronger.

"Rapidash, turn around and use Flamethrower, followed by Flame Wheel!"

With the boost from its Flash Fire ability, Rapidash's Fire-type moves gained a 50% increase in power.

Blaziken, on the other hand, couldn't afford to use Fire-type moves, as they would only fuel Rapidash's flames.

"Blaziken, use Quick Attack to evade Rapidash's attack!"

Blaziken became a streak of white light, dashing out of the way just in time to avoid Rapidash's Flamethrower.

"Blaziken, get behind Rapidash and use Quick Attack combined with Slash!"

"Rapidash, turn around and use Fire Blast!"

The flames on Rapidash's body momentarily subsided as it swiftly turned, gathering heat for its attack.

However, with its Speed stat maximized, Blaziken's movements were far quicker. Before Rapidash could unleash Fire Blast, Blaziken, moving like a white flash, closed in and landed a powerful Slash, sending Rapidash flying.

"Blaziken, circle Rapidash and use Thunder Punch!"

Sparks crackled as Blaziken's fists surged with electricity. Using its superior speed, it maneuvered around Rapidash, launching a relentless assault.

Here, Rapidash's disadvantage became apparent—it lacked the agility to swiftly turn and counter Blaziken's strikes.

For Pokémon at the elite beginner level, like these two, executing moves still required a brief charge time.

With its superior Speed stat, Blaziken repeatedly interrupted Rapidash's attempts to counter, landing Thunder Punches before Rapidash could react.

Eventually, Rapidash succumbed to the relentless electric blows and collapsed.

"Vaporeon, enter the battle!"

Anticipating Fire-type opponents, Mateo had prepared two countermeasures from the start: Rapidash with Flash Fire and Vaporeon with a Water-type advantage.

Initially, he thought any Fire-type Pokémon his opponent used would lead to an easy victory.

However, after witnessing Blaziken's incredible speed, Mateo began losing confidence.

"Blaziken, trap Vaporeon with Fire Spin, then charge in with Quick Attack!"

Raging flames spiraled toward Vaporeon.

If this battle were taking place in the water, Vaporeon wouldn't be hindered by the terrain and could fully utilize its ability to dissolve into water for sneak attacks.

But on the grassy battlefield, Vaporeon's movement was restricted due to its tail-based locomotion, and the terrain also weakened Water-type moves.

"Vaporeon, counter with Water Pulse, then use Surf!"

Steam rose as Water Pulse doused the flames, followed by Vaporeon summoning a massive wave, surging toward Blaziken.

Knowing it couldn't outspeed Blaziken, Mateo opted for Surf—a large-scale attack to leverage Vaporeon's Water-type advantage.

"Blaziken, fall back and use Fire Blast!"

Unlike the Level 36 Rapidash from earlier, Mateo's Vaporeon was a formidable Level 43.

Even Blaziken's Fire Blast barely managed to hold back the crashing waves of Surf.

"Vaporeon, keep using Surf!"

Seeing that Surf was effective, Mateo continued pressing the attack, forcing Blaziken into a corner.

"Blaziken, charge forward and use Fire Blast at close range!"

As Blaziken closed the distance, the heat and steam from the attack impaired both Pokémon's vision. Morimoto, unable to see clearly, was at a disadvantage, while Ron remained unfazed.

"Blaziken, left front side—Thunder Punch!"

"Vaporeon, use Water Pulse to the right front!"

Even though Mateo couldn't see the battlefield, he quickly reacted based on Ron's commands.

However, Blaziken's Speed stat had already reached its peak, making it significantly faster.

Before Vaporeon could launch Water Pulse, Blaziken's Thunder Punch struck first.

"Vaporeon, hold on and use Surf!"

"Blaziken, use Protect, then follow up with Thunder Punch!"

Despite the level difference, Vaporeon managed to withstand Blaziken's Thunder Punch and retaliated with another Surf.

Amidst the crashing waves, a glimmer of green light stood firm—Blaziken's Protect had absorbed the impact.

"Vaporeon, Surf again!"

"Now, use Quick Attack!"

Seizing the brief moment between Vaporeon's Surf attacks, Blaziken dashed forward as a white streak. It endured some damage from Surf but managed to get behind Vaporeon.

"Blaziken, Quick Attack into Slash, then chain Thunder Punch!"

With a swift and agile movement, Blaziken surged forward once again.

"Vaporeon, merge into the Surf to evade!"

Yet, Blaziken's superior speed gave it the edge. It struck first, disrupting Vaporeon's attempt to blend into the water.

Thunder Punch after Thunder Punch rained down, each electrifying blow hitting Vaporeon directly.

"Hold on, Vaporeon! Use Water Pulse!"

Water exploded outward, but Blaziken remained steadfast, refusing to let up its relentless assault.

Seeing the determination in Ron's strategy, Mateo decided to abandon evasive maneuvers. Instead, he had Vaporeon face Blaziken head-on in a direct clash.

Thunder Punch and Water Pulse collided repeatedly, sending surges of electricity and torrents of water scattering across the battlefield.

Thanks to the Endure move, Blaziken withstood a final Water Pulse, using every last ounce of its strength to land a decisive Thunder Punch on Vaporeon.

Before it could witness the results of its attack, Blaziken, having exhausted all its energy, collapsed.

Though Vaporeon stood for a moment longer, its eyes were filled with unwillingness—yet, just like Blaziken, it soon succumbed, collapsing onto the battlefield.

After taking down two of Mateo's Pokémon, Ron sent out his second choice: Gardevoir, a formidable Psychic-type.

Mateo, meanwhile, revealed his final Pokémon: Venusaur, the only true Grass-type to appear on the current Grass Terrain.

Against the sluggish Venusaur, Ron's strategy was simple yet utterly frustrating—he had Gardevoir repeatedly use Psychic and Psyshock on itself, only to swap places at the last moment with Ally Switch.

Even Protect was useless against Ally Switch.

With Venusaur's slow movements, even attempting a defensive maneuver proved futile.

In the end, by executing this tactic flawlessly, Gardevoir easily defeated Venusaur, securing Ron's victory in the second round.

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