A curtain of rain instantly enveloped the entire field.
Ariel raised his hand to wipe the rain from his face, but his gaze remained locked onto that blurry yet agile figure within the rain.
Rain Dance.
This wasn't a powerful offensive move, but a weather skill. Although it couldn't change the battlefield terrain,
For a Pokémon like Garchomp, which is not well-suited for water, the slippery ground and sticky rain were no different from putting oil under the feet of a high-speed warrior, inevitably causing a bit of sluggishness.
When masters clash, victory or defeat is often decided by these minute margins.
Cynthia didn't seem to care about this. She just stood there quietly, letting the rain soak her long golden hair. Her eyes were as calm as water, as if this rain was nothing more than a light breeze to her ace.
"Roar!"
Responding to Ariel was a roar that pierced through the rain.
Garchomp's figure pulled out an afterimage in the rain as a Dragon Breath containing destructive energy was exhaled. The air hissed as it was scorched, intertwining with the cold rain to create a rising white mist.
"Hurricane!"
Ariel's voice was calm, without a single ripple.
Gyarados's massive body stirred the airflow, and a visible tornado rose from the ground. The violent wind swept up all the falling raindrops, forming a rotating wall of water and wind.
The Dragon Breath crashed into it and was instantly torn to shreds, turning into small spots of energy light that dissipated into nothingness.
However, the moment the Hurricane dissipated, Garchomp's figure appeared before Gyarados like a ghost!
Too fast!
So fast that even Steven's pupils contracted slightly while watching the battle.
That wasn't just pure speed, but an ultimate mastery of timing and distance, as if the purpose of exhaling the Dragon Breath was to create this visual and perceptual window of opportunity.
Close-quarters combat!
This was Gyarados's forte. Its massive body, over ten meters long, was capable of splitting mountains and cracking rocks with every tail swipe.
But this time, its opponent was Cynthia's Garchomp.
Bang!
Garchomp's seemingly slender arm-blades collided fiercely with Gyarados's giant tail. What resulted was not the sound of flesh colliding, but the dull clang of metal on metal!
Gyarados's ten-meter-long body was actually knocked into a slight stall by this hit.
Ariel's heart sank abruptly.
Power... was actually evenly matched!
This was simply irrational!
An opponent far smaller than oneself possessing enough power to contend head-on was something that couldn't be explained by excellent training alone; this was absolute suppression in terms of talent and bloodline!
The battle instantly reached a fever pitch.
Every bite and every tail swipe from Gyarados was precisely parried by Garchomp using its arm-blades, claws, and every part of its body.
The movements of both sides were so fast they were a blur. The rain was agitated and exploded outward at the moment of their collisions, forming circles of white water mist.
Garchomp's combat techniques were far too experienced. Every one of its attacks aimed directly at Gyarados's weak points, and every evasion was perfectly timed. It was like a battle-hardened martial arts grandmaster, while Gyarados was like a brute with nothing but divine strength.
Squelch!
A cold light flashed as Garchomp's Dragon Claw tore a deep wound—visible to the bone—into Gyarados's flank. Crimson blood gushed out instantly, only to be washed pale by the rain.
Gyarados let out a roar of pain.
"Now! Bind it!"
Ariel's voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of unquestionable determination.
He couldn't drag this out any longer! If they continued to fight in close quarters, Gyarados would surely lose!
Upon receiving the command, Gyarados ignored the sharp pain in its body. Its massive frame suddenly coiled, choosing to trade injury for injury, using its own body as a cage to tightly bind the Garchomp that was right in front of it!
"Oh?"
Cynthia, who had been silently watching the battle, slightly furrowed her beautiful brows.
Given Gyarados's injuries, this style of fighting was no different from drinking poison to quench thirst.
Even if Garchomp was trapped, its Dragon Claws could still deal fatal damage to Gyarados.
Even Steven was confused. Ariel's battle logic was always so imaginative, never playing by the rules.
"Dragon Claw."
Cynthia's voice remained calm, as if everything before her was under control.
A fierce light flared in Garchomp's eyes. Its restrained Dragon Claws left new scars on Gyarados one after another.
Gyarados writhed in pain, blood staining the ground beneath it, but that steel-like body only coiled tighter and tighter!
It was enduring, it was waiting!
Ariel's fists were tightly clenched, his palms full of sweat. He was gambling—gambling on Gyarados's willpower, gambling on an opening from the opponent!
The time has come!
"Gyarados! Bet everything on Ice Fang!"
This command was like a sudden clap of thunder, causing a violent surge of emotion to appear for the first time in Cynthia's usually placid grey eyes.
An Ice-type skill!
Four times effectiveness!
This was Ariel's true killing move!
From the very beginning, his goal was not to engage in a war of attrition or close-quarters combat with Garchomp.
Rain Dance, Hurricane, and even using its body to tank damage to bind the opponent—everything was done to create this one opportunity that absolutely could not be evaded, a chance to decide the victory in a single strike!
In a normal battle, with Garchomp's speed and reactions, Gyarados's Ice Fang would have had no chance of hitting.
So Ariel chose the most tragic yet most effective method.
Cynthia understood everything in an instant.
This guy had calculated everything from the very first second the battle began.
Normally, when encountering an opponent far stronger than oneself while possessing a move with four times effectiveness, one should have used it long ago to wear down the opponent's condition.
He had actually hidden this sole hope for a turnaround until the very end! This temperament and this restraint were truly terrifying.
"Roar!"
Gyarados opened its bloody maw. Bone-chilling frost condensed on its pale fangs, and the surrounding raindrops froze into ice crystals the moment they drew near.
Enduring the tearing pain, it bit down hard toward the neck of the tightly locked Garchomp!
However, at the very instant the Ice Fang was about to touch Garchomp's skin, a Dragon-type energy far more violent and primal than before erupted from within Garchomp's body!
Its eyes were instantly dyed blood-red!
Outrage!
At the cost of falling into confusion, it unleashed its own power without reservation!
Cynthia was Cynthia after all. The moment Ariel showed his trump card, she also made the most decisive and correct response!
Boom—!!!
Ice and Dragon energies collided violently, the rampaging air pressure tearing a huge gap in the curtain of rain.
Gyarados's Ice Fang shattered inch by inch before the pure destructive power of Outrage.
Ultimately, Gyarados's massive body slumped powerlessly, falling heavily into the mud and water, losing its ability to battle.
And Garchomp, though it had secured the victory, had blood-red eyes filled with confusion and mania, beginning to roar indiscriminately at friend and foe alike.
The entire venue was deathly silent, leaving only the sound of the pattering rain and Garchomp's roars.
Ariel silently recalled Gyarados, gently stroking the Poké Ball and whispering:
"You've worked hard."
Immediately after, he looked up at the confused Garchomp. There was no trace of dejection in his eyes; instead, an even more vigorous fighting spirit burned within them.
He pulled out a second Poké Ball.
Pop.
A red light flashed, and a Krookodile with a rebellious expression appeared on the field.
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