Capítulo 6: Derek vs Max
I glanced at Houndour's Pokeball clipped to my belt. Could I really find a way to take down such a powerful opponent with my partner?
I looked at the stadium lights above me, their glow warm against the evening sky. The semifinals were up next, and there was no turning back. I would face Derek and his Charizard head-on, but I needed a plan.
As I left the stands and headed for the waiting area, my mind buzzed with possibilities. I'd have to rely on everything I'd learned so far. Derek was strong, but I had to trust in myself and in Houndour. If I could come up with a strategy that played to our strengths, maybe, just maybe, I could pull off another upset.
I sat down, trying to clear my head and focus. Houndour had been with me through every tough moment so far, and I knew we had to trust each other if we were going to stand a chance.
As I unclipped Houndour's Pokeball and stared at it, I thought about everything I had learned during the tournament. My battles with Tiara and Bryan had taught me the value of strategy over raw power. Derek's Charizard had the advantage in size, experience, and power, but that didn't mean it was invincible.
"Max, think..." I muttered under my breath. "Charizard's weaknesses… Fire, Flying… What does Houndour have that could work?"
Then it hit me—Derek's style. Derek relied on Charizard's brute force, commanding it to overwhelm his opponents with raw strength. But against Arson's Gliscor, I saw that Charizard struggled with speed. Its attacks were powerful but predictable, and Derek got frustrated when he couldn't land a solid hit.
"Speed. That's the key," I said, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. Houndour wasn't as fast as Gliscor, but Houndour is small, if I could keep it moving, if I could find a way to make Derek chase us around the battlefield, Charizard might tire out. Then I could strike.
"Houndour doesn't need to match Charizard blow for blow. We just need to outlast it."
The door to the waiting area creaked open, and a tournament official stepped in. "Max, it's time."
I stood up, clipping Houndour's Pokeball back to my belt, my fingers lingering on it for a moment. This was it, the semifinals.
The announcer's voice boomed through the stadium. "Ladies and gentlemen! We are now ready for the first semifinal match! In this corner, the powerhouse Derek and his mighty Charizard!"
The crowd erupted into cheers as Derek raised his hand confidently. Charizard roared, spreading its massive wings and sending a gust of hot wind across the battlefield.
"And in the opposite corner, the newcomer who has taken the tournament by storm, Max and his Houndour!"
The crowd cheered again, though I could feel the shift in energy. They weren't expecting much from me against Derek and his Charizard. But that didn't matter. I wasn't here to impress the crowd—I was here to prove myself.
I reached for Houndour's Pokeball, my fingers steady despite the nerves buzzing in my chest. "Alright, Houndour," I whispered. "Let's show them what we can do."
With a swift motion, I released Houndour onto the field. It barked excitedly, flames licking around its mouth as it took its stance, staring down Charizard with fierce confidence.
The referee raised his flag. "Trainers ready? Begin!"
Derek wasted no time. "Charizard, use Flamethrower!"
The Charizard opened its mouth, releasing a torrent of searing flames that rushed toward Houndour.
"Houndour, dodge and circle around!" I shouted.
Houndour sprang into action, its smaller size and speed allowing it to dart out of the way just in time. The flames scorched the ground where it had been standing moments before, but Houndour kept moving, circling around Charizard.
"Don't let it run circles around you, Charizard! Use Fire Spin to trap it!"
Charizard flapped its massive wings, sending a whirlwind of fire spiraling toward Houndour, aiming to trap it in the swirling vortex of flames.
"Houndour, jump and use Smog!"
Houndour leaped into the air, just as the Fire Spin closed in. From above, it released a thick cloud of toxic smoke, covering the battlefield in a dense haze. Charizard's towering figure became obscured, and I could hear Derek growling in frustration.
"Charizard, fly in the air!"
Charizard flapped its wings, lifting itself into the sky to escape the cloud of smog. The smoke dissipated as Charizard ascended, leaving the battlefield clear. Now with a bird's-eye view, Derek grinned, confident that the high ground would give him the edge.
"Nice try, but you can't hide from me up here," Derek shouted. "Charizard, use Air Slash!"
Charizard roared and whipped its wings forward, sending razor-sharp blasts of air hurtling toward Houndour below.
"Houndour, dodge it! Stay on the move!"
Houndour darted from side to side, narrowly avoiding the slicing wind. But I could see it was struggling. Charizard had too much control from the air. Houndour needed to bring the fight back to the ground.
I wracked my brain for a way to level the playing field. And then it clicked. I had to ground Charizard, take away its aerial advantage. Think Max, think!
But then it hit me, I forgot to command anything to my Houndour.
"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"
Derek's voice snapped me out of my momentary panic. Charizard unleashed another torrent of flames, descending from above with terrifying speed.
"Houndour, no!"
The Flamethrower hits my Houndour and the arena is filled with smoke from the impact.
My heart sank as the smoke billowed across the battlefield, obscuring Houndour from view. The impact of Charizard's Flamethrower had been direct, and I could feel the weight of the crowd's silence, all eyes on the battlefield.
"Houndour… come on, buddy, you can do this,"
For what felt like an eternity, nothing moved. The smoke swirled in the air, and Derek stood across the field with a confident smirk on his face, Charizard hovering triumphantly.
"That's it, Max! It's over! Just call it now and save yourself the embarrassment," Derek taunted.
But I wasn't about to give up. Not now. Not when we'd come so far.
Then, through the thinning smoke, a shadow began to form. I held my breath, and the crowd seemed to collectively gasp as Houndour's small, defiant shape emerged, it's body glowing red as it absorbs the Flamethrower.
"W-What is this folks! Houndour has an Flash Fire ability that makes it immune to Fire-Type attack!" The announcer's voice booms through the arena.
The crowd erupted in shock, murmurs spreading through the stands as Houndour stood tall, its body glowing with the fiery energy it had absorbed. The Flash Fire ability had activated, making Houndour immune to the Flamethrower and powering up its own Fire-type moves. My heart raced. This was the break we needed!
Derek's confident smirk faltered for the first time. "What? Flash Fire?! That can't be…"
But it was, and now it was my turn to take control of the battle.
"Houndour, use Flamethrower!"
Houndour barked fiercely, and with newfound strength, it unleashed a torrent of flames more intense than ever before. The powered-up Flamethrower shot straight toward Charizard, catching Derek completely off guard.
"Charizard, dodge it!" Derek commanded, but Charizard wasn't fast enough this time. The blast of fire hit Charizard head-on, causing it to roar in pain as it struggled to stay airborne.
The flames swirled around Charizard, pushing it back toward the ground. I could see the strain on Derek's face—he hadn't expected a Houndour to turn the tables like this.
"T-This can't be! Charizard, use Dragon Claw!"
Derek's panic was starting to show, but I knew we couldn't let up now. Charizard's Dragon Claw was no joke, and if it landed, Houndour would be in serious trouble.
"Keep your distance, Houndour! Dodge it!" I called out.
Charizard, despite the flames licking at its wings, charged forward with its claws glowing an ominous blue. Houndour, quick on its feet, darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly swipe.
But we couldn't just keep dodging forever. We needed to strike back, and now was the time.
"Houndour, use Smog again! Blind it!"
Houndour let out another thick cloud of toxic smoke, enveloping Charizard in the dark haze. Charizard roared in frustration, its wings flapping wildly as it tried to clear the smog. I could hear Derek shouting commands, but his voice was drowned out by the chaos.
This was our chance.
"Houndour, close the gap and use Feint Attack!"
Houndour moved silently through the smog, vanishing from Charizard's sight and reappearing just behind it. With a swift strike, Houndour landed the hit, and Charizard stumbled forward, disoriented and unable to see where Houndour was.
"Charizard, use Fire Blast!" Derek shouted desperately.
Through the smoke, I could see the beginnings of Charizard's massive Fire Blast attack charging up. It was a high-risk, high-reward move—if Charizard hit, Houndour would be in serious trouble. But with Flash Fire still active, we had one more trick up our sleeve.
"Now, Houndour! Incinerate, full power!"
Houndour's eyes sparked with flames, and it unleashed a massive blast of fire that erupted from its mouth, dwarfing even the Fire Blast Charizard was preparing. The two fiery attacks collided in a brilliant explosion of heat and light, lighting up the arena.
The crowd gasped collectively, eyes wide as they witnessed the sheer intensity of the moment.
As the smoke began to clear, revealing Charizard struggling to maintain its position in the air, Houndour took the opportunity to unleash another powerful Flamethrower. The blast hit Charizard directly, causing it to roar in frustration and pain as it finally lost its grip on the sky.
"Charizard, you can't let this happen! Get back up!" Derek shouted, desperation creeping into his voice.
But Charizard was losing altitude, struggling to stay airborne as Houndour's attacks kept coming. I could see the fatigue setting in on both Derek and Charizard. The massive Pokémon was strong, but now it was becoming clear that Houndour's speed and strategic maneuvers were wearing it down.
"Now, Houndour! Use Foul Play to close the distance!"
It dashed toward Charizard, a blur of dark fur against the battlefield's vibrant colors. As it closed the gap, I could see Derek's expression shift from anger to panic.
"Charizard, use Wing Attack!"
Charizard flapped its massive wings, sending a gust of wind that threatened to knock Houndour off course. But Houndour was quicker. It sidestepped the attack, keeping its focus sharp as it approached Charizard.
"Now, Houndour!"
With an agile leap, Houndour jumped onto Charizard's back, using its momentum to pull Charizard down. The move connected hard, causing Charizard to stumble.
"Charizard! Get it off you!"
"Houndour, use Fire Fang to held on."
Houndour clamped its jaws down on Charizard's back, flames bursting around its mouth as it bit down. Charizard roared in surprise and pain, trying to shake off my partner.
"Derek, you have to get Charizard out of there!" One of his friends shouted from the stands, but Derek was at a loss. He couldn't land a single hit, and the tide of battle was turning.
"Charizard, use Fire Spin!" Derek called out, desperation lacing his voice.
"Tch, tch... Have you forgotten my Houndour's ability?"
"W-Wait, Charizard!"
But he was late, Charizard is already spinning in the air with my Houndour on its back. It absorbed the fire around them and make its Fire Fang more powerful.
"Now, Houndour! Use Incinerate!"
Houndour's mouth ignited with a fierce blaze, the flames swirling around its fangs as it unleashed the attack. The powerful wave of fire erupted from its jaws, hitting Charizard with full force.
The impact sent shockwaves through the air, and Charizard let out a deafening roar, struggling to remain airborne as the flames engulfed its body. The combination of Houndour's Fire Fang and Incinerate was overwhelming, pushing Charizard closer to the ground.
I could see my Houndour glowing on Charizard's back... Wait, it's evolving!
I could hardly believe what I was witnessing. Houndour had fought valiantly against a powerful opponent and was now on the brink of transformation.
As I watched, Houndour's body began to shift and grow. Its legs elongated, and its fur shimmered with a brighter glow. The crowd's excitement reached a fever pitch, eyes glued to the battlefield as they realized what was happening.
When the brilliance faded, there stood a magnificent Houndoom. The newly evolved Pokemon towered over Charizard, its dark body gleaming in the stadium lights. Houndoom's menacing horns curved elegantly, and its fiery tail flicked with energy. I could feel the surge of power radiating from it, and a wave of pride washed over me.
Derek's eyes widened in shock. "No way! This can't be happening!"
"Houndoom, let's finish this! Prepare to be scorched!"
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