Chapter 197: Another Victory

"The battle begins!"

As the referee's voice echoed through the stadium, Ron's third-round battle commenced.

Perhaps due to Ron's consecutive victories, the excitement of the audience had only intensified. The cheers and support for Ron were deafening, filling the entire arena.

In contrast, his opponent, Nivo, barely received any cheers. Whether it was because he had fewer supporters or because their voices were drowned out by the overwhelming enthusiasm for Ron, it was impossible to tell.

Ron had already done his research on Nivo. His strongest Pokémon was a Rhydon, a Ground- and Rock-type. The rest of his team primarily consisted of Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon.

Reflecting on his previous battles, Ron noticed an interesting pattern—each of his match arenas seemed to favor the specialty of his opponents or their strongest Pokémon.

The only exception was Mateo, who had used a Grass-type Pokémon but was ultimately defeated by Gardevoir's relentless strategy.

Following the established rules, Nivo was to send out his Pokémon first, securing the initial move advantage.

As soon as the referee finished announcing the rules, Nivo released his first Pokémon—Sandslash.

"Then I'll send you out—Nidoking!"

"Sandslash, use Rapid Spin!"

As soon as Nidoking took the field, Nivo swiftly issued his command. Sandslash curled into a tight ball, spinning rapidly as it charged toward Nidoking, accompanied by Poison Sting and Swift in a synchronized attack.

"Nidoking, use Blizzard!"

Unlike Sandslash's flashy combination of moves, Ron opted for a straightforward yet devastating approach.

A bone-chilling wind arose, carrying swirling snowflakes.

With Nidoking's Sheer Force ability enhanced by a Life Orb, Blizzard surged forward, engulfing Sandslash in its icy grasp.

Before Poison Sting and Swift could even reach Nidoking, they were swallowed by the raging blizzard, their energy dissipating into nothingness. Sandslash itself was quickly overwhelmed by the freezing storm.

"Nidoking, use Earth Power to launch Sandslash into the air! Follow up with Blizzard!"

Massive pillars of earth erupted beneath Sandslash, sending it flying with a pained expression.

Despite Nishida's desperate calls, he couldn't prevent the Ice Beam from striking Sandslash midair.

Each of Nidoking's attacks had additional effects, which, thanks to Sheer Force and Life Orb, became even more potent.

Not to mention, Blizzard was super effective against Sandslash. The moment it hit the ground, Sandslash lost its ability to battle.

"Return, Sandslash. Now it's your turn—Golem!"

Seeing how quickly Sandslash was defeated, Nivo wasted no time in sending out Golem.

Compared to Sandslash, Golem was stronger, reaching level 45.

Though it was undoubtedly resilient, Nivo likely had another plan—if Golem was pushed too far, he might attempt a desperate Self-Destruct to take Nidoking down with it.

"Nidoking, Blizzard!"

"Golem, use Rock Tomb and Stone Edge to block it!"

Boulders rained down, followed by jagged stones filling the remaining gaps, successfully halting Nidoking's Blizzard.

"Golem, use Defense Curl and Rollout to reposition!"

Golem curled into a massive ball, shattering the now-fragile frozen rocks as it sped around the battlefield, steadily gaining momentum.

"Nidoking, use Earth Power to obstruct Golem's path! Follow up with Blizzard!"

With a powerful stomp, Nidoking summoned more earth pillars, blocking Golem's route and forcing it to slow down or change direction.

As Blizzard was unleashed again, its wide-area effect left Golem with little room to evade, forcing it to rely once more on Rock Tomb and Stone Edge to shield itself.

The power built up from its earlier Rollout had to be abandoned, as continuing would risk falling into the same trap that had defeated Sandslash.

Once Blizzard subsided, Nivo quickly commanded Golem to move before it could be targeted by another Earth Power.

Even though Golem had a higher level, it looked like the one at a disadvantage, constantly being pressured by Nidoking's overwhelming offense.

"Golem, use Hyper Beam!"

Perhaps out of frustration, Nishida finally decided to go all out, ordering Golem to use Hyper Beam in a last-ditch effort.

"Nidoking, chain Earth Power attacks!"

Ron had already anticipated Nivo's strategy—it was obvious that Nishida wanted Golem to close the distance and then execute a Self-Destruct to take Nidoking down with it.

But Ron wasn't about to let that happen.

Multiple Earth Power attacks, each boosted by Sheer Force and Life Orb, struck Golem repeatedly.

Before it could get close enough, Golem's Hyper Beam was completely overwhelmed and dispersed.

Seizing the moment when Golem was left immobile due to Hyper Beam's recoil, Ron commanded Nidoking to unleash another Blizzard, burying Golem in the icy storm and securing his second victory.

To be honest, compared to trainers who had grown stronger through intense struggles, those participating in the Indigo League felt significantly weaker.

This was why truly ambitious trainers sought to join the most competitive battle divisions—not just out of passion, but also out of a desire to temper themselves through the trials of battle.

"Come out, Rhydon!"

"Nidoking, use Earthquake! Prepare another Blizzard!"

"Rhydon, jump to dodge!"

The moment Rhydon leaped into the air, Ron commanded Nidoking to unleash Blizzard.

Rhydon, on the other hand, countered with Stone Edge, forcefully breaking through the icy assault.

Facing a Rhydon that was ten levels higher, even with the Sheer Force ability and a Life Orb boosting its attacks, Nidoking struggled to overcome the sheer gap in strength.

Ron's strategy for Nidoking was simple—continuously wear Rhydon down using Blizzard and Earthquake, softening it up for the Pokémon that would enter the battle next.

Blow after blow, Rhydon forced its way through, going head-to-head with Nidoking in a battle of raw power. Utilizing its level advantage, Rhydon quickly closed the distance between them.

A flash of red light streaked across the battlefield. Before Nivo could have Rhydon counterattack, Ron swiftly recalled Nidoking into its Poké Ball.

"Now, it's your turn—Bellossom!"

"Rhydon, use Earthquake!"

Nivo quickly adjusted his strategy, taking advantage of Bellossom's entrance to seize control of the battle.

"Bellossom, use Shave to evade—Finger Pistol: Hexagram!"

The moment it landed, Bellossom executed Shave, vanishing from its original position in an instant.

Before Rhydon could react, a glowing green hexagram materialized beside it.

Combining Finger Pistol with its swordsmanship training, Bellossom effortlessly shattered Rhydon's defenses.

Multiple wounds appeared across Rhydon's body, and the quadruple weakness to Grass-type attacks left it writhing in agony.

Before Rhydon could make a move, another Hexagram attack struck, finishing the battle in a flash.

As the first Pokémon on Ron's team to incorporate Shave into its fighting style, Bellossom's debut left Ron's fans mesmerized and further solidified the conviction of the Pokémon League officials observing the match.

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