บท 50: Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [50]
Exeggutor was a recent capture, yet it had already become one of his core team members. He hadn't expected Dragonair to take it down so easily.
The surrounding Trainers sighed sympathetically. Dragonair was, after all, a Dragonair.
Most of the spectators were average Trainers. To them, Exeggutor was already considered a strong Pokémon that they'd be lucky to catch. And yet, it was no match for Dragonair.
The bystanders' thoughts didn't bother Gary. While he was disappointed, his many defeats against Luo Yuan had toughened his resolve.
"Go, Arcanine!"
Gary threw his Poké Ball, and an enormous Arcanine appeared before him, its size towering over Gary himself.
"Arcanine?!"
At the sight of the majestic Arcanine, the crowd's sympathy for Gary evaporated.
While Arcanine wasn't quite as rare as a Dragonite, it was still an extremely prized Pokémon. Aside from Officer Jennys in each city using Growlithe and Arcanine as police dogs, encountering a wild Arcanine was almost unheard of.
It made sense, after all—who else but a well-connected Trainer could show up with an Arcanine?
Seeing Gary's Arcanine, Luo Yuan realized something.
Both Exeggcute evolving into Exeggutor and Growlithe evolving into Arcanine required evolution stones. In other words, with the right stones, they could evolve regardless of experience level.
"Spared no expense, huh, Gary?" Luo Yuan remarked.
It seemed Gary was truly determined to surpass him, going to such lengths.
"Of course."
After losing to Luo Yuan last time, Gary had reevaluated his approach, obtaining a Growlithe from his father along with the money for a Fire Stone.
This gave him both Arcanine and Exeggutor, all for the sake of defeating Luo Yuan.
Exeggutor might have lost, but Arcanine was his strongest Pokémon…
"I'll at least take down that Dragonair!"
Gary's confidence surged as he psyched himself up.
Luo Yuan only smiled.
If Gary thought Arcanine alone could win, then how could Drake, who'd fought him for so long without winning, face him again?
At the referee's signal, the battle began.
Gary's Arcanine fixed its gaze on Dragonair, eyes filled with fierce determination as it charged forward in a blur, dashing straight toward Dragonair.
"Such speed… impressive."
Arcanine's speed was indeed formidable. If it could close the distance and engage in close combat, Dragonair would be in trouble.
But…
"How do you plan to hit Dragonair when it's airborne?" Luo Yuan gave his command: "Dragonair, use Dragon Breath!"
In response, Dragonair lifted itself higher, hovering well out of Arcanine's reach. Coiling in midair, it launched a blue Dragon Breath directly at the charging Arcanine below.
A blue beam shot downward, aimed at Arcanine.
Luo Yuan had chosen Dragon Breath specifically for its chance of inflicting paralysis.
If it landed, paralyzing Arcanine, its speed advantage would be completely neutralized.
But Gary wasn't Ash; he understood Dragon Breath's effects.
"Arcanine, block it! Use Flamethrower!"
"Arroo!"
Opening its jaws, Arcanine unleashed a wide Flamethrower upward, meeting Dragon Breath midair.
Luo Yuan quickly noted Arcanine's high level.
Dragon Breath was starting to falter against Flamethrower.
Even factoring in the power differences between the moves, it was clear that this Arcanine wasn't much weaker than Dragonair.
"Now, this is getting interesting."
Luo Yuan smiled, hardly stressed—in fact, he looked amused.
Even for a casual match, it was refreshing to have an opponent put up a fight.
"Enough!"
He signaled Dragonair to cease its Dragon Breath, evading Arcanine's Flamethrower rather than wasting energy in a power struggle.
"So, how about my Arcanine?" Gary asked, a triumphant glint in his eyes.
"Celebrating a bit too soon, aren't you?" Luo Yuan thought, unsure how to respond.
Gary took his silence as acknowledgment and doubled down. "Arcanine, use Fire Spin! Force Dragonair to come down!"
Arcanine's mouth opened, spitting out a large vortex of flames, creating a tornado of fire that spiraled up around Dragonair.
But unlike an ordinary Fire Spin, this one was narrower at the top and wider at the base, designed to limit Dragonair's space in the air, forcing it to come down.
If Dragonair stayed, it would be damaged by the flames. But if it descended? It would fall right into Arcanine's trap.
It was an open ploy, but a good one—whatever Luo Yuan chose, there would be a price.
However, Gary didn't realize that Luo Yuan's response to these kinds of choices was simply not to play by the rules.
"Fire Spin? Have you already forgotten Dragonair's abilities?"
Indeed, as Hegel once said, "The only thing history teaches us is that people learn nothing from history."
"Dragonair, ignore the Fire Spin. Use Rain Dance!"
Upon hearing Luo Yuan's command, Dragonair's blue orb began to glow as it swayed in the air, performing a mysterious dance.
The sky, already overcast, quickly darkened, and clouds rolled in, casting heavy shadows over the field.
Lampurchi, being a coastal city, had plenty of moisture in the air, and in response to Rain Dance, raindrops began to fall.
Soon, a steady drizzle had formed, dampening the Fire Spin to mere embers before snuffing it out entirely.
If Arcanine wanted to set the stage, Dragonair was happy to flip it over.
The rain fell on Dragonair, refreshing it, soothing the slight dryness caused by the Fire Spin's heat.
Arcanine, on the other hand, was having a rough time. Its fluffy fur was soaked, clinging to its body, making it look rather like a drenched puppy.
Everyone knew Fire-types disliked water.
Though Arcanine wasn't quite as fragile as a Charmander, who might not survive heavy rain, it was visibly uncomfortable.
"Grrr…"
Arcanine let out a frustrated growl, shaking itself to get rid of the water droplets. But with the rain pouring steadily, there was no escaping the downpour.
"Darn it, Arcanine doesn't know Sunny Day…"
Gary mentally kicked himself. He'd bought a Sunny Day TM, so why did he cut corners and only teach it to Exeggutor instead of Arcanine?
---
T/N: HELLO PEOPLE FROM THE FUTURE...? OR PAST? ANYWAYS yuh I'm releasing this on Webnovel now! Why you may ask? MONEYYYYYYY! MORE PEOPLE MORE MONEY!!! anyways thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
(IN THE STORY)
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง