The Ancient Legendary Dragonair  

"Kid, I'll say the same thing— eyes on me?!" 

With a furious roar, Lt. Surge's battle fervor ignited, and the three combatants were fully engaged. Just then, Ryuuske heard Gabite's pained cry—the Raichu that had disappeared earlier had suddenly reappeared, driving its spear-like tail deep into Gabite's body, sending a spray of blood into the air. 

However, the injury only made Gabite even more ferocious. Raising its claws, it slashed Raichu with a devastating Dragon Claw, splattering blood across the deck. Raichu gritted its teeth against the pain, mustering all its strength to unleash a fully charged electric blast. 

The violent lightning melted steel, sending both Gabite and Ryuuske, who stood behind it, flying backward from the sudden strike. They crashed into the ship's cabin, and Ryuuske felt a piercing pain shoot through his back—he wasn't sure if his bones were broken. Gabite, meanwhile, writhed in agony as crackling electricity wrapped around its body. 

Even as he was sent flying, Ryuuske remained calm, issuing orders to the only Pokémon still able to move—his Dratini. With a swift Dragon Tail, Dratini struck Raichu, sending its plump body hurtling away. 

This time, Lt. Surge didn't let his guard down. He quickly regrouped with Raichu, synchronizing with his Pokémon once more. Without his Pokémon's protection, he was far too vulnerable. 

"Are you hurt, Caitlin?" 

Ryuuske had been shielding Caitlin with his body the entire time. Though his entire body ached and his organs felt scorched from the electric shock, Caitlin had only suffered minor scrapes under his protection. 

Caitlin shook her head quickly, biting her lip as she lowered her gaze, her eyes reddening. If not for the dire situation, she might have burst into tears. 

She clung tightly to Ryuuske's neck, burying her exquisitely beautiful face into his shoulder, trembling as if she wanted to melt into him. 

This feeling—of being protected so desperately—was something she had never experienced before. 

"Watch out, Lt. Surge is coming again!" 

Ryuuske patted Caitlin's soft rear, the pleasant sensation making him instinctively give it a slight squeeze. 

"Ngh—" 

A seductive moan escaped Caitlin's lips, her alluring gasp nearly shattering Ryuuske's self-control. Fortunately, the searing pain and discomfort kept his mind clear. 

This was no ordinary Gym challenge—there were no restrictions on the Pokémon used. The Magneton Lt. Surge had just sent out rushed toward Ryuuske, and midway through its charge, it suddenly split into three separate Magnemites! 

"Magneton is the evolved form of three Magnemites. Others might not be able to do this, but my Magneton can split and merge at will!" 

Lt. Surge coughed into his hand but shouted with the confidence of the most renowned Electric-type Gym Leader in Kanto. 

*Snap!* 

Three Vine Whips suddenly shot out from afar, ensnaring the three Magnemites. Ash, half-kneeling on the deck, reeked of burnt flesh. His Poliwrath, after delivering a final desperate blow to Electabuzz, was out of commission. His Pikachu, in an Electric-type duel, was no match for Lt. Surge's Pokémon. Now, his only remaining hope was Ivysaur. 

"Ryuuske, now!!" 

Hearing Ash's shout, Ryuuske's mind raced, and he made a decisive call. 

"...Dratini, give it everything—Fire Blast!" 

Gabite, though heavily injured, still had one last role to play—he couldn't afford to exhaust its stamina here. For now, Ryuuske could only rely on Dratini. 

"Mii~~" 

Dratini's eyes gleamed with determination as it mustered all its strength, unleashing a massive fireball from its mouth. 

*BOOM—* 

It was as if they had been transported back to the era of war, with bombers dropping payloads from the sky. A colossal "大"-shaped inferno erupted, illuminating the night in a brilliant orange glow. From a distance, it looked like a towering pillar of light piercing the heavens. The scorching flames incinerated everything within hundreds of meters, turning even the thick storm clouds above into fiery red hues. The steel exterior of the massive cruise ship began to melt upon contact with the blaze. 

This was Dratini's full-powered strike—Magneton, with its Steel typing, was instantly reduced to a twisted, unrecognizable mass, completely incapacitated. 

"Fire Blast?! It can even use a move like that?!" 

Lt. Surge shielded himself from the blazing heat, his skin burning from the intensity. He gritted his teeth, cursing under his breath—was every one of that brat's Pokémon a monster?! 

After the attack, Dratini collapsed weakly, coughing as its azure-blue body began to tremble. Its form elongated endlessly. 

*ROAR—* 

A draconic cry echoed as storm clouds gathered once more overhead. Lightning split the sky, and torrential rain poured down. Violent winds whipped across the ocean's surface. 

Amidst the storm, a graceful Dragonair—standing nearly ten meters tall when fully extended—emerged, hovering in midair. 

"Beautiful, a perfect evolution!" 

Ryuuske clenched his fist in excitement. 

Legend spoke of Dragonair's ability to summon wind and rain with the orbs on its tail and neck. In ancient times, humans worshipped it as a deity, praying for favorable weather. Compared to its final evolution, Dragonite, Dragonair possessed a unique ability unmatched by any other Pokémon. 

Ryuuske had little interest in Dragonite—despite its immense power, it lacked the mystical traits of its pre-evolved form. He already had Gabite, a Dragon-type renowned for brute strength. But a Dragon with special abilities? That was something only Dragonair could offer. 

Even Lance, the Champion, kept two Dragonair without evolving them, precisely to preserve their extraordinary capabilities. 

"Another evolution?!" 

Lt. Surge felt like he was just handing out experience points—first Poliwrath, and now a Dragonair?! 

"Electabuzz!!" 

The previously downed Electabuzz emerged from a hole in the cabin, leaping into the air and slamming down toward Ryuuske with a devastating strike. 

*THUD—* 

A heavy impact echoed as Gabite intercepted the attack, disregarding its bleeding wounds from Raichu's earlier assault. With a savage glare, it blocked Electabuzz's powerful blow with its own Dragon Claw. 

"You're dead! Seismic Toss!" 

Lt. Surge and Electabuzz roared in unison as the latter flexed its muscles, lifting Gabite's body and spinning it before hurling it skyward. Just as Electabuzz prepared to leap up and execute the second phase of the move, its legs suddenly locked in place. 

"What?!" 

Lt. Surge's eyes widened—Electabuzz's feet were encased in ice. The relentless storm had flooded the battered deck, and Lt. Surge spotted Poliwrath—nearly defeated—emitting a faint chill from its fist. 

"Dragonair summoned the rain to flood the deck, and Poliwrath secretly used Ice Punch to freeze the ground..." 

Though Lt. Surge realized it quickly, it was already too late. 

"This position is perfect for—Dragon Rush!" 

Ryuuske grinned savagely, swinging his arm down in command. 

Gabite, hurled a hundred meters into the air by Seismic Toss, adjusted its posture mid-flight. With Electabuzz immobilized, the follow-up attack never came—instead, Gabite descended like a meteor. 

"Damn it!!!" 

Lt. Surge's furious shout was futile. The streaking comet of draconic energy crashed into Electabuzz with a deafening impact, nearly splitting the luxury liner in half. 

The deck shattered completely, leaving Lt. Surge and Raichu with no footing as they plummeted into the cargo hold below. Meanwhile, Ryuuske and Ash, having executed their flawless teamwork, delivered the final blow. 

"Pikachu!" 

"Dragonair!" 

"Thunderbolt!" 

Two bolts of lightning, powerful enough to split the sea itself, lanced into the cargo hold where Lt. Surge had fallen. 

"You think you can beat me with electric—" 

Before he could finish, Lt. Surge froze. The area he had landed in was filled with Voltorb and Electrode—Team Rocket's traps meant for others had instead become his own grave. 

The Thunderbolt wasn't aimed at him—it struck the explosive Pokémon instead. 

"NO!!!!" 

*BOOOOOOM—* 

The explosion rivaled a ton of TNT detonating at once. A massive plume of black smoke erupted into the sky, the shockwaves churning the ocean into violent waves. The world's largest luxury cruise ship, unable to withstand the catastrophic damage, began to break apart.

To be continued…

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