Dragon Rush.
Normally, this was a high-tier Dragon-type move that only high-level Dragon Pokémon could master.
It was also a charging move.
When unleashed, it exuded a terrifying killing intent—pressuring the opponent while striking. Sometimes, it even made the opponent flinch.
And once flinching… movement became impossible.
The chance of causing a flinch was tied to level difference.
The stronger the user compared to its target, the easier it was to force a flinch.
But if the user was weaker… then the effect would rarely succeed.
Right now—
Dragonite's level towered far above Golduck's.
The instant it was hit by the Dragon's might, Golduck's spirit trembled. Its body froze stiff in place!It was obvious—Golduck had flinched and couldn't move for the moment!
Truly, one link after another.
In the pouring rain, Golduck's presence had been suppressing Moltres.
But now, against Dragonite, it had fallen into a terrible disadvantage.
At the last possible moment, Yozora decisively recalled Golduck, forcing Dragonite to halt its attack midway and flap back obediently.
"Oh! At the critical moment, Yozora has used up his final chance to freely switch Pokémon!"
"This battle is too intense—it's hard to believe this is only the first half!"
The commentator shouted, then quickly added:"From here on, both trainers have lost the right to switch Pokémon freely. The second half will truly put them to the test!"
Indeed, without the ability to change Pokémon, the second half would be brutal.
Still, both sides now stood on equal footing.
…
For Yozora,
He still had four Pokémon left: Beedrill, Buzzwole, Golduck, and Aegislash.
But Aegislash's level was far too low. In this match, it could hardly achieve anything.
Therefore—
Beedrill and Buzzwole were his true mainstays, his core attackers.
Yet both were Bug-types, and both were extremely weak to fire!
This point was crucial!
Yozora had no choice but to use Golduck against Red's Moltres!In truth, even without Golduck it wasn't impossible, but Rain Dance was essential—Rain weakened Moltres!For Yozora, Golduck meant Rain Dance. Without Golduck, there would be no rain.
So…
Since Red intended to protect his Moltres, Yozora had no choice but to protect his Golduck as well!Or rather—to protect the rain!
"It's up to you now—go, Aegislash!"After recalling Golduck, Yozora immediately sent out Aegislash.
"It's up to me?"
Hearing Yozora's declaration, Aegislash entered with pride. But the moment it saw Dragonite, felt that overwhelming aura—its body trembled uncontrollably…
From a game perspective, Aegislash was around level 56. Dragonite? Roughly level 72.
The gap was enormous…
"Dragonite, use Thunder!"Red's fundamentals were rock solid—he knew that in heavy rain, Thunder gained perfect accuracy.
At the command, Dragonite didn't budge its plump belly, but its twin horns suddenly sparked with electricity.
Bolts surged skyward.
When the electricity pierced the storm clouds, countless lightning strikes rained down upon the field.
Aegislash could hardly resist and was struck directly.
BOOM!
With an explosive crash, Aegislash's body turned pitch-black with burns. Before it could even unsheathe, it collapsed.
"Aegislash is unable to battle! Dragonite claims victory!"As Aegislash fell, the referee blew the whistle and announced the result.
Thud!
On Yozora's scoreboard, Aegislash's portrait—barely displayed—instantly dimmed out.
Up to now, Yozora had sent out five Pokémon: Gengar, Charizard, Beedrill, Golduck, and Aegislash.
At this point, Gengar, Charizard, and Aegislash had already been eliminated.
"All right! Since Yozora has lost three Pokémon, we'll now enter halftime!"
"Both trainers, please take this chance to relax! And to all spectators here and those watching at home—please be patient! In ten minutes, the match will continue!"
The moment the announcer finished, both Yozora and Red recalled their Pokémon and headed to their respective lounges.
During halftime, the arena grew louder than ever.
The audience, in small groups, broke into frenzied discussion.
Ash and his friends, as well as Professor Oak, began their own analysis.
"In the second half, neither can switch Pokémon freely. That means the order they send them out will be extremely important. It's a true test." Professor Oak spoke gravely.
"Their battle is too intense. And this is only the first half! Already, they've each sent out five Pokémon…" Ryūnan sighed with admiration.
At this point—
He had to admit it. Whether Yozora or Red, either one of them stood far above himself.
"Indeed. Because their strengths are evenly matched, every move links to the next, neither letting go."
Professor Oak chuckled:"Up until now, the battle remains undecided. Red may be ahead by one Pokémon, but that's hardly a decisive advantage."
Gazing at the massive stadium, listening to Oak's commentary, Ash felt his throat go dry. He longed to step into that arena himself, to fight Yozora and Red directly.
If only…
But even he knew—he was still far from their level.
"Ash, look at the crowd," Professor Oak suddenly said.
Ash blinked, then glanced around.
Everywhere his eyes landed, people were talking excitedly. The air was filled with restless noise.
Professor Oak said softly:"Even though this is halftime, the crowd's passion hasn't dimmed in the slightest. If one day, your battles stir the same fervor… then your dream of becoming a Pokémon Master won't be far away."
Ash froze.
Misty and Brock froze.
Ryūnan, Ritchie, and A.J. also froze.
"Professor… you mean…" Ash's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yes. A Pokémon Master. The two of them… are not far from that realm." Professor Oak's tone was deep, his gaze distant.
Ash was stunned. Everyone else was stunned.
Such high praise!But this was Professor Oak himself—the ultimate authority—making the claim!
And thinking about it carefully, it made sense.
Leaving Yozora aside for the moment… Red, that guy, had already captured a Moltres. What could possibly be beyond his reach?
Even true Masters would only gaze longingly at a Legendary Pokémon—jealous yet powerless.
…
…
(End of Chapter)