Dragonite’s belly was instantly covered in a thin yer of ice upon being struck directly. Ice-type moves are, after all, a quadruple weakness for Dragonite.

  But while Dragonite was locked in such a fierce battle, what was Tropius up to?

  It certainly wasn’t idle. Dragonite’s head-on charge wasn’t just aimed at disrupting the opponent’s moves but also served to divert attention.

  Tropius stretched its long neck toward the sky. A small red glow emerged from its body and shot upward. Instantly, the battlefield's temperature began to rise.

  Sunny Day!

  This Tropius, regardless of whether it had Chlorophyll, Harvest, or Sor Power—the same ability as Charmander—needed the sunny weather to maximize its potential.

  Meanwhile, off the field…

  “I knew sitting this close would be trouble…”

  Maki wiped the sweat from his brow. Although Akazam was using its psychic powers to reduce the heat’s impact on the audience, overdoing it might interfere with the battle. Spectators in the back rows were fine, but those in the front—including Maki—weren’t so lucky.

  Compared to Maki, Lance seemed to have it worse. His outfit looked unbearably warm, and to disguise himself, he’d even put on a mask.

  “It’s so hot…”

  Even Lance couldn’t help but compin.

  On the other hand, Charmander appeared quite excited. The fme on its tail burned brighter, prompting Maki to pat its head.

  “Cool it down a bit! We don’t need extra warmth right now!”

  “Char...”

  Charmander whimpered, seemingly a little hurt, but the fme on its tail did shrink back to its normal size.

  “Is your Charmander’s ability Sor Power?” Lance asked, intrigued. As someone with a Charizard possessing the same ability, he immediately recognized the signs.

  “Yeah,” Maki nodded.

  Ever since receiving Charmander from Professor Oak, this was the first time Sor Power had activated—though the timing was far from ideal.

  Fortunately, Sor Power could be controlled. Otherwise, Maki might have had to recall Charmander entirely.

  On the battlefield, the Tropius with Sor Power spread its rge leafy wings wide, absorbing sunlight. Energy gathered above its body, and a bright beam of light shot out. This time, it wasn’t Sunny Day but a purely offensive move.

  Sor Beam!

  This was one reason Tropius set up Sunny Day: under sunny conditions, Sor Beam’s charge time is drastically reduced.

  On the opposing side, Rampardos seemed to realize this attack was aimed squarely at it and prepared to dodge.

  Despite its massive body, Rampardos is notoriously fragile. Even though Tropius wasn’t known for its offensive power, a Sor Beam—a Grass-type move—posed a significant threat.

  Ayers, Rampardos’s trainer, wasn’t about to let his freshly-boosted Pokémon take such heavy damage.

  But Dragonite wasn’t giving it that chance.

  Dragonite’s body was enveloped in white energy as it soared into the sky with unstoppable momentum, heading straight for Rampardos’s position.

  From their earlier csh, it was clear that battling Aggron head-on on nd was a futile effort against such a sturdy opponent. Taking to the air offered a higher chance of success.

  For the lightning-fast Dragonite, Aggron hastily summoned rge boulders with Rock Slide to hurl at its foe. Being a grounded Pokémon, it couldn’t pursue Dragonite into the air.

  But as always, never trust Rock Slide’s accuracy. The move’s success often depends on luck.

  In its Extreme Speed state, Dragonite effortlessly dodged Aggron’s Rock Slide and closed in on Rampardos from the side.

  Even with its increased speed from Rock Polish, Rampardos barely matched Dragonite’s normal speed, let alone its boosted Extreme Speed.

  Knowing it couldn’t outrun Dragonite, Rampardos braced itself and charged forward, head lowered.

  With its immense offensive power and the naturally high damage of Head Smash, if Rampardos nded the attack, it could deal far more damage than Aggron’s earlier Ice Punch.

  But Dragonite—often nicknamed "fat yet agile"—demonstrated its surprising nimbleness. With a fp of its wings, it maniputed the air currents around its body to evade the deadly strike, circling behind Rampardos to grab hold of its massive frame.

  With a powerful beat of its wings, Dragonite ascended into the air. At the right altitude, it released its grip, sending Rampardos hurtling to the ground.

  Sky Drop!

  Watching the Sky Drop, Maki couldn’t help but think of Ash’s Charizard and its signature Seismic Toss move.

  The moment Rampardos crashed into the ground, Tropius’s Sor Beam followed close behind.

  Aggron stomped its metallic feet into the ground, raising jagged stones in an attempt to block the Sor Beam’s path. But it was a futile effort. The Sor Beam shattered the stones almost instantly, losing only a fraction of its power before smming into Rampardos, leaving a sizable crater in the battlefield.

  Both trainers’ Pokémon were nearing Elite Four-level capabilities. Even so, Rampardos managed to stand again, albeit severely injured. But its stamina was nearly depleted, and it eventually succumbed to Dragonite’s final Superpower, draining the st of its strength.

  As for Aggron, it wasn’t that it didn’t want to assist, but it was completely tied up. Tropius relentlessly targeted it, using Grass Knot to trip Aggron and disrupt its movements. Even when unable to dodge certain attacks, Tropius would forcibly block them, effectively turning what should have been a doubles match into two simultaneous singles battles.

  After narrowly surviving one of Aggron’s Stone Edge attacks, Tropius managed to recover using Synthesis, thanks to the ongoing sunny weather.

  Entering Sor Power mode consumed Tropius’s energy constantly. Earlier, Aggron’s relentless assault had left it no chance to recover. But with Dragonite defeating Rampardos, Tropius could finally restore its strength.

  Facing the combined might of Dragonite and Tropius, even the durable Aggron couldn’t hold out much longer. After a valiant effort, it ultimately succumbed to their dual offensive.

  The fact that Aggron sted as long as it did was a testament to its incredible defense. Several times, it nearly turned the tide of battle.

  —————

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