Chapter 330: Kenji vs. Hu Ren
Kenji stood in the trainer's box, his gaze cutting across the battlefield to fix on Hu Ren.
Hu Ren was a man of few words. Even back in the waiting lounge, he had remained isolated, never speaking a word to the other contestants. He carried the quiet, heavy intensity of the earth itself.
"Battle... Begin!!!"
"Go! Hippowdon!!"
"Rise! Ninetales!!"
Two beams of red light slammed into the arena simultaneously.
On Kenji's side, the snow-white Ninetales appeared, its nine tails fanning out gracefully.
On the other side, a gargantuan, tan-and-black beast materialized. Its underbelly was a dusty beige, while its back and snout were a deep, gritty black. It resembled a hippopotamus, but its back was riddled with six large portholes that looked like volcanic vents.
[Hippowdon]
Gender: Male
Level: 93 (Champion)
Type: Ground
Ability: Sand Stream (Summons a sandstorm upon entry.)
Potential: A+
"He-ma!!! —"
Hippowdon let out a guttural roar. As if on cue, its vents erupted, spewing a massive volume of yellow sand that instantly buried its short limbs.
Simultaneously, a violent gale whipped through the stadium, carrying a blizzard of grit. A hazy yellow filter settled over the entire battlefield.
Sand Stream! Triggered!
"Mo..."
On the other side, the ruby-red pupil of Ninetales's heterochromatic eyes flared with an inner fire.
In the next heartbeat, the temperature in the stadium spiked. The stadium's overhead lights seemed to burn with the intensity of a real sun, and the light level in the arena reached a blinding crescendo.
Drought!! Triggered!!
Two weather Abilities had activated at the exact same moment. The field was transformed into a "Mini-Desert"—a chaotic landscape of scorching, intense sunlight and a howling sandstorm.
The hot wind shrieked across the arena, turning the accumulating sand into burning coals.
On the massive jumbotron above, six empty Poké Ball icons appeared next to each trainer's portrait. As the Pokémon entered, the first icon for each flickered and filled in with the sprites of Hippowdon and Ninetales.
Kenji had studied Hu Ren's previous matches. He knew the man's standard opening gambit: lead with Hippowdon or Tyranitar to seize the weather advantage immediately.
Hu Ren was from the Hu Clan, guardians of the Garchomp line. While they were famous for their dragons, Hu Ren was a master of "Sand" tactics in general. Getting a high-potential Larvitar to support his team was child's play for someone of his status.
Kenji had countered perfectly by leading with his own weather setter.
Unlike the mutual exclusivity of Rain and Sun, Sandstorm and Harsh Sunlight could technically coexist if both setters stayed on the field. The question was: whose "Weather Sweeper" was more lethal?
"Return! Hippowdon."
"Return, Ninetales."
By unspoken agreement, both trainers moved simultaneously, recalling their setters before a single move was exchanged. They were resetting the board for the real fighters.
"Go!! Excadrill!"
"I'm counting on you!! Bellossom!!!"
The two sweepers hit the field.
In the sun, Bellossom was the undisputed Queen of the Garden. She twirled onto the sand, looking like a delicate dancer in a war zone.
On the other side, Hu Ren sent out his primary physical threat.
[Excadrill]
Gender: Female
Level: 95 (Champion)
Type: Ground / Steel
Ability: Sand Force (Boosts the power of Steel, Rock, and Ground moves in a sandstorm.)
Potential: S-
Excadrill, the Subterrene Pokémon. Its body was deep brown with red, jagged markings. Its face was white, and it possessed massive, lethal steel claws and a drill-like protrusion on its forehead.
Those claws were sharp enough to tear through solid bedrock or punch through reinforced steel plating with ease.
Under the influence of Sand Force, Excadrill's offensive power was terrifying. Its claws and drill gleamed under the desert sun, looking polished and hungry for a fight.
Bellossom was Level 79. Excadrill was Level 95. A gap of 16 levels.
While Bellossom was supercharged by the sun, Excadrill was just as empowered by the sand. This was going to be a battle of raw output.
"Bellossom!! Petal Quiver Dance!!"
"Li-li!!!"
Bellossom began her graceful, rhythmic dance, executing the high-level combo of Petal Dance and Quiver Dance.
Under the Harsh Sunlight, she wasn't just relying on her base stats. Her Solar Power ability was active, massively boosting her Special Attack, while the sun allowed her to continuously recover stamina and clear any mental fatigue from the dance.
Back in her match against the Poliwrath, her sun-boosted healing had allowed her to ignore a 100% accurate Hypnosis as if it were a joke.
Petal Dance was a 120-base-power STAB nuke. Its only weaknesses were the high stamina drain and the confusion that usually followed. But with the sun out and her specialized training, Bellossom had turned those flaws into non-factors.
As her dance intensified, a vortex of razor-sharp pink petals began to swirl around her. Her small silhouette became blurred behind a beautiful, deadly curtain of flora.
"Excadrill!!!! —"
Hu Ren wasn't about to let her sit there and stack buffs. He knew that if Bellossom completed her dance behind that shield of petals, it would be impossible to touch her. He ordered Excadrill to dive.
Dig!
Facing a 120-power Grass-type move was dangerous even for a Steel-type. Excadrill opted for a subterranean approach, hoping to bypass the petal shield and strike from below.
"Bellossom!! Use the petals to leap into the sky!!"
"Li!!! —"
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