Chapter 316: Dragonite vs. Annihilape (Part 3)
"Lulu!!! Hold on! Don't give up!!"
Dragonite skidded across the dirt, rolling awkwardly before finally grinding to a halt. It propped itself up with trembling arms, its expression twisted in pain. The area on its abdomen where the Ice Punch had landed was still radiating a bone-chilling frost.
Even with the protection of Multiscale, that single hit from a 4-Star Pokémon had nearly sent the Pseudo-Legendary into a state of near-fainting.
"Lulu!!! Show them! Show them the strength of our bond!!" Namgung Xi screamed from the trainer's box.
"Rwooaa..."
Dragonite struggled to its feet, letting out a defiant roar. Its eyes, previously hazy with pain, sharpened with iron-clad resolve.
"Lulu!!! To the sky!!!"
"RWOOAAAA!!!! —"
Dragonite roared and rocketed upward, wings beating furiously as it ascended into the clouds.
Facing the fleeing dragon, Annihilape didn't pursue. It stood its ground in the center of the arena, settling into a wide stance and pulling its arm back. It was winding up for a strike that felt like it was drawing the very air out of the stadium.
"Lulu!!!! Use Draco Meteor!!"
"RWOOAAAA!!!! —"
Dragonite let out a piercing cry. Massive amounts of draconic energy began to coalesce in the sky above it, forming dozens of glowing orange-red meteorites.
Draco Meteor. The ultimate Dragon-type move. Base Power: 130.
Normally, the user suffers a sharp drop in Special Attack after using it due to the immense recoil. But for Lulu right now, the penalty didn't matter. This was its final stand—the culmination of every drop of stamina it had left.
"RWOOAAAA!!!! —"
High above, Dragonite roared and slammed its hands together.
In a display of incredible control, the scattered meteors began to draw toward each other, merging into a single, gargantuan celestial body.
The combined mass turned into a super-sized meteor that blotted out the sun, its power effectively doubled by the fusion.
BOOM!!!! —
The moon-sized rock began its descent, target locked on the ghost-monkey below.
Compared to the falling star, Annihilape's frame looked small, almost insignificant.
The audience held their breath. Many trainers in the stands leaned forward, hands clenched, praying for the underdog monkey or marveling at the dragon's power.
Annihilape didn't move. It stayed in its charging pose, eyes fixed on the descending apocalypse.
In Annihilape's vision, the pressure of the Draco Meteor was even more intense. It felt as if the sky itself was falling. The massive shadow on the ground was expanding at a terrifying rate.
"Annihilape!!! Now!! RAGE FIST!!!"
Just as the meteor was about to make contact, Kenji's voice cut through the roar of the wind.
Annihilape swung.
"CHAAAA!!!! —"
The punch, fueled by the accumulated rage of the entire battle, was unleashed.
KRA-KOOM!!!!! —
A catastrophic explosion rocked the Phoenix Nest.
A visible shockwave rippled outward, slamming into the arena's energy shields with enough force to make them flicker.
Annihilape's fist looked tiny against the surface of the meteor, but the moment they touched, physics seemed to break.
Fortunately, the barrier held, protecting Kenji and Namgung Xi from being vaporized by the sheer kinetic output.
Namgung Xi clenched her fists, her eyes wide as she stared into the heart of the blast.
Kenji, meanwhile, looked significantly more confident.
He knew the true power of Annihilape's Rage Fist.
Lulu's Draco Meteor was impressive, but at the end of the day, Dragonite was only Level 57. Even with the fusion boost, the raw power behind the move only reached the lower end of the Gym Leader tier.
And Gym Leader-tier power meant nothing to a 4-Star Annihilape.
CRACK!!! —
BAM BAM BAM!!! —
A series of sharp cracks echoed from within the smoke. Massive fissures appeared across the surface of the giant meteor.
In the next heartbeat, the fused celestial body disintegrated. It shattered back into dozens of smaller fragments, which rained harmlessly onto the arena floor with a series of dull thuds.
The arena was a ruin of scorched earth and broken stone.
High above, Dragonite flickered and began to fall. It drifted down like a falling leaf, its wings barely fluttering.
By the time it hit the ground, it had no strength left. It collapsed with a soft thump, completely unconscious.
The stadium turned its collective gaze to the center of the field, where Annihilape stood. Some spectators actually stood up from their seats to get a better look.
The smoke cleared.
Annihilape remained in its standing pose, its fists at its sides. The red glow around its body had dimmed significantly, its job done. Its wild white hair swayed gently in the wind.
It slowly raised its head. Its eyes were clear and bright.
There wasn't a single scratch on its body.
The Draco Meteor—the dragon's ultimate gambit—had failed to deal even a single point of damage.
"CHAAAA!!!! —"
Annihilape raised its arms and let out a triumphant roar, looking every bit like a world-champion boxer standing over a fallen rival.
As the roar echoed, the crowd erupted into a wave of applause that lasted for minutes.
Regardless of the level gap, the sheer spectacle of the fight had won them over.
Namgung Xi didn't look disappointed. Looking across the ruined field, she gave Kenji a look of genuine gratitude.
She knew Kenji had let the fight go on longer than necessary. Thanks to him, Lulu had actually had a chance to show its best moves on the biggest stage in the world before being knocked out. It was the perfect finale for her first tournament.
Kenji offered her a small, respectful smile in return.
For Annihilape, this match was also a milestone. As the tournament progressed, the opponents would become too strong for a Level 54 Pokémon to handle reliably. This victory against Dragonite was the perfect "period" at the end of its debut chapter in the Huaxia League.
Now, Annihilape could step back and let the heavy hitters—the Level 70+ monsters—take over.
"Return, Lulu."
"Return, Annihilape."
Both trainers recalled their partners and walked off the field.
Lulu had simply fainted from exhaustion and the initial Ice Punch. Its injuries weren't life-threatening.
After dropping the ball off at the medical station, Namgung Xi joined Kenji in the waiting area, her usual cheerful self once again.
"Ugh, I have to go back to Dragon Island after the Conference is over," Namgung Xi sighed, looking a bit miffed. She clearly preferred the freedom of the mainland. "Dragon Island is so small compared to everything else."
"But," she added, her eyes brightening, "Grandpa is definitely watching the replays. When the old man sees how well Lulu and I fought, he'll be so proud! Maybe he'll let me stay on the mainland for another few months as a reward!"
She was a whirlwind of emotions, jumping from pouty to ecstatic in a heartbeat.
Kenji laughed. "Dragon Island, huh? I'd love to see it one day."
He wasn't lying. He was still dying to see that "Guardian Deity"—the Dragonite bigger than an island.
"Dragon Island is actually pretty boring," Namgung Xi said casually. "There's nothing to do but train. But if you really want to see it, I'll take you with me after the tournament!"
Kenji looked surprised. "I thought outsiders weren't allowed to set foot on the island?"
Namgung Xi nodded. "They aren't. But you're my best friend! Does a best friend really count as an 'outsider'?"
♧♧♧
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
♧♧♧
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.patreon.com/c/Segais
(Just remove the hyphen to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you