Looking at Old Dog's Galvantula, Lu Zhengjie couldn't hide his frustration.
Galvantula resisted both Fighting-type and Steel-type moves—which meant both of Lucario's STAB attacks were negated.
And the moves that were super effective against Galvantula—Fire, Rock—Lucario only had three: Fire Fang, Rock Slide, and Stone Edge.
So against an opponent of equal skill level, Lucario was at a significant disadvantage.
The moment the flag dropped, Old Dog flashed a grin.
"String Shot!"
"Dodge!"
The first round of probing attacks ended with Lucario sidestepping the String Shot.
But the ground Lucario gave up by retreating backward opened up a huge amount of space for Galvantula.
Sticky Web.
Galvantula moved rapidly across the field, continuously spinning out Sticky Web in an attempt to seal off Lucario's approach angles.
Even Liu Xiangjun nodded from the stands.
You could tell this Galvantula had received specialized training in Sticky Web.
The Web placement left Lucario with only one direction to attack from—all the other angles were sealed off by the Web.
To attack from any other position meant crossing through the Sticky Web. And even if you only brushed against it, the worst-case scenario was getting stuck, which would make the battle much harder for Lucario.
In the real world, Sticky Web isn't just a one-rank Speed drop when you switch in. Its strategic value runs much deeper.
As one of the four hazard moves, once Sticky Web is deployed, even Pokémon already on the field get Speed-dropped if they accidentally touch it.
On top of that, there's a chance of getting stuck, causing a brief loss of control.
Obviously, the Speed drop only triggers the first time you touch it—but the sticking chance can trigger repeatedly.
Lu Zhengjie watched the field fill with Sticky Web and grew anxious, but there wasn't much he could do. Lucario had no wide-area move that could clear the Web off the ground.
"Lucario, Calm Mind!"
"Galvantula, Charge!"
Old Dog grinned as he issued the command.
Lu Zhengjie and Lucario's move had been exactly what he'd anticipated.
Because this situation was one of the setups he'd prepared for.
Option one: Lu Zhengjie still wants to fight up close. If Lucario charges in, it'll run through the hidden Sticky Web and get slowed.
The instant that Speed drop lands, Galvantula follows up with Charge, then—
Electro Ball.
Double damage Electro Ball. Even if it's slow to charge, hitting a Speed-dropped Lucario is effortless.
Old Dog was confident—one Electro Ball and Lucario would be done.
Option two: Lu Zhengjie tries to match Galvantula's moves from range.
In that case, Lucario either uses Swords Dance to boost first, or fires a Stone Edge directly.
Stone Edge is faster than Electro Ball, sure, but it's also easy to dodge. So Old Dog wasn't worried.
As long as Charge was done, one Thunder—double damage—Lucario still couldn't take it.
Option three: Lu Zhengjie switches out.
But Old Dog, despite his silly name, was actually extremely sharp.
He'd just sent Claydol out to trade with Machamp specifically to prevent Machamp from going full aggro and taking out his Galvantula in one hit.
Galvantula was too slow. It needed time to set up the field.
What it feared most was a Pokémon that opened with an all-out assault, no explanations, no hesitation. And Machamp was exactly that kind of Pokémon.
"Hehe. Thunder!"
Confirming that Lu Zhengjie absolutely wasn't switching out, Old Dog confidently directed Galvantula.
"Zap!"
Galvantula buzzed, and a bolt of lightning shot straight toward Lucario.
"Lucario, Dig!"
Just before the lightning connected, Lucario dug a hole into the ground with its bone club and dove inside.
"Are you kidding me?! Which Lucario learns Dig at this stage?!"
Old Dog's face contorted—and his Mandarin came out perfectly for once.
A guaranteed hit, ruined by this wild card?
You couldn't make this up!
"Haha, look at this foreigner's face—absolutely priceless!"
Sikong Ling roared with laughter in the stands, completely unfiltered.
" Laugh all you want, just stop hitting my leg."
Wang Siyuan swatted Sikong Ling's hand away, but his own expression was just as bewildered.
Dig—a move Lucario could only learn through study. It wasn't something a Lucario would pick up on its own.
And seeing a Lucario learn Dig at this stage? Wang Siyuan was seeing it for the first time too.
"Lucario, Stone Edge!"
"Galvantula, Dig!"
"Ha! As if I couldn't!"
Old Dog's expression twisted. Watching Lucario burst out of the ground toward Galvantula, he barked his order.
"Lucario, Rock Tomb—seal its cave entrance!"
Lu Zhengjie suppressed a smile. Lucario immediately dropped rocks, blocking the opening Galvantula had dug.
Old Dog stared at Lu Zhengjie blankly. Did you do that just to annoy me?
Sure, Galvantula could dig out from somewhere else—but that move was genuinely恶心.
Lu Zhengjie had no choice, though. Galvantula had Levitate—even underground, Earthquake still wouldn't touch it.
"Galvantula, full-power assault!"
Old Dog wasn't holding back anymore. Galvantula's field setup was complete—no need to fear Lucario's close combat anymore.
"Discharge!"
"Rock Slide!"
A wide-area Discharge, given the current field situation, left Lucario with nowhere to dodge. All it could do was try to trade damage.
At the same time, Rock Slide confined Galvantula to a narrow space.
"Now—Stone Edge!"
Lu Zhengjie roared. Lucario reacted instantly, gathering stones and hurling them straight at Galvantula.
Old Dog's reflexes were quick. The moment he saw Lu Zhengjie order Rock Slide, he knew exactly what was coming.
But the trainer can react—the Pokémon's Speed can't keep up. Galvantula had no choice but to follow Lu Zhengjie's script.
"Discharge!"
Old Dog bellowed. In this situation, all he could do was try to trade.
If that didn't work…
A massive wave of electricity surged toward Lucario. At the same time, the stones barreled toward Galvantula.
The two attacks crossed paths mid-air, each hurtling toward its target completely unimpeded.
Rather than staying trapped inside the rocks, Lucario made a desperate attempt to dodge.
Before, dodging was pointless—Sticky Web was on the field. Even if you dodged this hit, the next one might be stronger.
But now? No worries. Because Galvantula wasn't surviving this Stone Edge anyway.
(This chapter is complete.)
———
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