novelraw Chapter 397: Is the Dragonite Club the biggest dark horse of the "Summer Pool Cup"?
Chapter 397: Is the Dragonite Club the biggest dark horse of the "Summer Pool Cup"?
Chapter 397: Is the Dragonite Club the biggest dark horse of the "Summer Pool Cup"?
Fast, extremely fast.
Before the "Ten Dragon Bond" was achieved, the "fast" in Dragonite's name was somewhat undeserving.
At this moment, when the golden light symbolizing the supreme bond of the dragon race soared into the sky from its scarred yet proudly upright body...
The word "fast" has thus been given a tangible meaning that sends shivers down one's spine.
It's no longer just about movement speed, but the speed at which power surges, the speed at which momentum rises, and even the absolute speed that determines victory or defeat!
sieve-
An orange bolt of lightning streaked through the icy air left by the blizzard, tearing through the sky—still shrouded in frigid energy and icy mist—with a trajectory beyond the limits of human vision.
One second ago, it was standing at the center of the explosion, covered in frost and barely clinging to life.
The next second, the orange comet, carrying unparalleled and overwhelming dragon might, appeared in front of Mega Latias, who had just unleashed a blizzard, as if by teleportation.
Speedy!
But this time, the speed was completely different from the opening!
It is no longer just a burst of speed with the help of the wind, but a fusion of the terrifying all-around ability bonuses granted by the "Dragon Field" and the overwhelming fighting spirit accumulated from ten dragon roars.
Its massive body left solid afterimages as it moved at high speed, as if several Dragonite were charging at the same time, compressing the air into visible white shockwaves.
Super Latias's jewel-like eyes were instantly filled with astonishment.
She only felt a blur before her eyes, and then an overwhelming and terrifying wind pressure crashed down on her face.
There was simply no time to make any effective dodge or defensive stance.
A dull, booming sound, like a battering ram striking a city gate, exploded out.
Dragonite's body, covered in thick scales, slammed solidly into the chest and abdomen of Mega Latias's streamlined body.
Even without the [flying skin] feature brought by super evolution, the pure kinetic energy contained in this incredible speed has already reached an unbelievable level.
Mega Latias let out a painful groan, its suspended body completely losing its balance for the first time, and was slammed backward more than ten meters by the enormous force.
She endured the excruciating pain, barely managing to steady herself, and breathing heavily.
The dull pain in her chest made her heart sink.
The impact of this [Divine Speed] attack... has actually approached, or even surpassed, the damage caused by its previous [Dragon Claw] attack, which was both of its own type and super effective against it?
This is certainly not an ordinary thing.
Although the two moves have similar base damage, Dragon Claw is both effective against Dragon Claw and is a STAB move.
The damage that the two caused to Latias was incomparable.
The answer, cruel yet clear, surfaced in Latias's rapidly analyzing mind:
A terrifying 200% boost to all abilities!
The reason is very clear—
Under the Six Dragons Bond, Dragonite gains a 20% stat boost with every Dragon-type move it uses.
Ten times in a row, that's a 200% improvement!
The damage difference isn't that big, is it?
What's even more terrifying is that it's not just physical attack, but also defense, durability, speed... such a huge boost is all-encompassing.
Latias understood that the absolute dominance he had established in the first half was now a thing of the past.
The balance of the battle was reversed the moment golden light rose around Dragonite!
However, the pride of the legendary elf would not allow her to easily bow her head and admit defeat.
"Waaaaah—!"
A clear, resolute dragon's roar rang out once more.
The triangular energy crystal on Super Latias's forehead suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling ice-blue light.
The brilliance of the light even temporarily dispelled the oppressive feeling emanating from the Dragonite.
She channeled all the power within her into the infinite energy of the legendary spirit, the immense special attack brought by her super evolution, and the special attack growth that quietly accumulated during battle through the bonds of [Seraph's Staff] and [Infinite Corridor].
It gathers without reservation, and then releases with a roar.
call-
An ultimate blizzard, several times more terrifying than the previous one, erupted from Mega Latias.
This time, it wasn't just an ice storm; it seemed to summon the extreme cold of the entire polar region.
The temperature plummeted to the edge of absolute zero, and the entire battle area was instantly enveloped in a pure white that swallowed everything.
Their vision was completely lost, and all they could hear were the terrifying sounds of ice crystals colliding and energy being annihilated by the extreme cold.
Even Reshiram, who had been calmly maintaining the protective barrier, slightly raised his elegant dragon head, a hint of surprise flashing in his icy blue eyes.
She could feel that the energy barrier she had erected, which was strong enough to easily withstand a clash between champions, was now making subtle, dense noises under the attack that contained all of Latias's energy.
Latias had to take things a little more seriously and inject more high-temperature energy to stabilize the barrier. On the sidelines, the three little girls, Nemo, Ziyu, and Manon, were already dumbfounded, their mouths slightly agape, their eyes fixed on the destructive pure white storm.
It's unclear whether they were anticipating Latias's swan song or Dragonite's desperate comeback.
The moment the blizzard subsided, everything became clear.
The silhouettes of two Pokémon appeared in mid-air—neither Latias nor Dragonite fell down!
Latias was hovering much lower than before, and the super-powerful aura around him had dimmed to an extreme degree.
Even in its Mega Evolution state, it seemed somewhat unstable. Gem's eyes were filled with fatigue, but it still stared intently at its opponent.
Because the opposing Dragonite, although its orange scales were covered with a thicker layer of ice and its aura fluctuated violently, remained steadily suspended.
The golden flames in those dragon eyes did not extinguish; instead, they burned even more intensely against the backdrop of frost.
Although the two sides seemed evenly matched, for Latias, this was absolutely the worst news imaginable.
On the snow-covered, rocky battlefield, wisps of green energy continuously flowed into the Dragonite's body.
That's the recovery effect brought by "Dragon Field" after the Ten Dragons Bond is achieved.
It's important to know that once the bond is established, "Dragon's Domain" already deals 6% damage per second.
With the tides turning and the tide shifting, it may only be a matter of time before Dragonite completes its comeback.
Dragonite clearly has no intention of giving its opponent any chance to breathe or regroup.
"roar--!"
A sharp golden light flashed in Dragonite's eyes as it locked onto Mega Latias.
Its massive body once again unleashed terrifying speed, drawing a sharp zigzag line in the air and instantly closing the distance with its opponent.
This time, what rose around it was no longer orange flames, but a purplish-red, violent dragon aura that solidified into a ferocious dragon head phantom.
Dragon God dives!
The purplish-red phantom of a dragon's head opened its massive maw and let out a silent roar, engulfing the Dragonite, and charged down towards Latias as if a true dragon god had descended to earth.
Latias gritted his teeth, gathering his last bit of strength in front of him to form a pale green, semi-transparent energy barrier.
boom-
The phantom of the dragon god crashed into the [Guard] shield, but only lasted for a moment before shattering like glass.
The remaining impact force struck Latias squarely, slamming her down from mid-air and embedding her into the thick, still-unmelted snow below, sending snowballs soaring into the sky.
Dragonite's pursuit continued without pause.
Before Latias could even struggle to his feet from the snow pit, he had already completed a brief mid-air maneuver and swooped down again.
On its right claw, the dragon's claw was already poised to strike.
Swah—
The golden claw shadow tore through the snow curtain, carrying a judgmental force, and slashed down fiercely at the red figure in the pit.
Latias managed to raise his forewing to block, but the difference in strength was already too great.
As the claws fell, her super-powered defense shattered completely. She let out a mournful cry and was sent flying again, carving a long furrow in the snow.
The offensive and defensive strategies have been completely transformed.
The ensuing battle almost turned into a one-sided offensive and defensive exercise.
However, in stark contrast to the first half, the attacking side became the high-spirited Dragons, while the defending side was the exhausted Super Latias.
Latias used its last bit of strength to create an ice beam in an attempt to retaliate, but these attacks were all withstood by Dragonite's exceptionally strong defense and special resistances, enhanced by "Dragon Field".
Her condition plummeted like an avalanche. Even though the life regeneration per second provided by the [Infinite Corridor] bond was still working tenaciously, it was far from keeping up with the damage output caused by Dragonite's increasingly rapid attacks.
The light of super evolution flickered violently on her body, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, indicating that she was on the verge of collapse.
"it's over..."
On the sidelines, Dan let out a long sigh of relief.
He gazed at the imposing orange figure on the field, his eyes filled with awe and a hint of indescribable...self-reflection.
Having just been tapped by Mastedt, he had successfully shifted his perspective to that of the Dragonite, who was also on the losing side.
He sensed the determination to bet everything on a high-risk tactic, and the resilience to believe in oneself even in dire straits, waiting for the opportunity to turn the tide.
At this moment, seeing Dragonite truly turn the impossible into possible and complete an amazing comeback, Leon felt a surge of joy, but the image of his defeat against Cynthia in the finals also vividly resurfaced in his mind.
Perhaps... my tactics were really a bit too conservative?
This idea, like a seed, took root and sprouted in his heart.
"Do you know what I admire most about Xiaochichi?"
Mastedt seemed to sense his disciple's turbulent emotions and suddenly spoke, his voice calm yet profound.
Dante snapped out of his reverie, thought for a moment, and tentatively replied, "Is it because he can always cultivate such unique and powerful Pokémon? Or is it his endless stream of ingenious tactics?"
Ma Shide chuckled and shook his head, his white beard trembling with his smile. He didn't keep them in suspense, giving his answer directly: "No, none of that. What I admire most is that this kid never carries any burdens."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Xia Chi, who was watching his own Pokémon's internal battle from the sidelines.
He then looked at his disciple beside him, a champion who seemed trapped by the title of "undefeated," and slowly said, "Whether facing an unknown trainer or someone like you or me, a champion 'legend,' regardless of their strength at the time, I can always see in their eyes that purest desire for victory."
"He would never be intimidated by the reputation of his opponent. In his mind, there were only ways to win and ways not to win in a battle; there were no sure things or risky methods. To find that winning method, he and his elf dared to try any possibility, even if it seemed incredibly crazy."
Emperor Dan remained silent.
His master's words were like a key, unlocking a tightly closed door in his heart.
Yes, Dan Di never lacked the desire for victory; in fact, it was stronger than for most people.
But I don't know when it started, perhaps because I had carried the title of "Invincible King" for too long, or perhaps because the responsibility of being the face of the Galar Alliance was too heavy.
On his path to victory, he subconsciously began to avoid risks and choose a more "safe" and "less prone to error" path.
He still commands with passion and enthusiasm, but at crucial tactical crossroads, he becomes cautious, even... somewhat hesitant.
At that moment, his "playing it safe" approach when facing Cynthia contrasted sharply with Dragonite's "taking risks" when facing Latias.
The results were quite different.
After this holiday ends...
No, let's start making changes after this battle is over!
Dan Di clenched his fist, and a more determined flame rekindled in his eyes.
He wants to rediscover that naive, ambitious self who dared to challenge any peak!
Just as Dan Di was making up his mind on the sidelines, the battle was nearing its end.
Mega Latias couldn't even maintain its stability while floating in mid-air, and the energy around it became increasingly unstable.
While the Dragonite wasn't exactly at its best despite Latias's desperate counterattack, it was still a formidable opponent.
But compared to the latter, it's worlds apart.
Unless there's a special situation where Latios can't stand by and watch the battle unfold, and rushes into the fray to avenge his sister, the outcome is practically predetermined.
Actually... if Manon hadn't been there to stop it, this situation could have really happened.
Finally, under Latios's grief-stricken gaze...
With the final dragon claw strike, Latias plunged into the snow, its Mega Evolution state fading amidst the swirling light.
They have clearly lost their ability to fight.
Dragonite's condition is far from perfect.
Its body was covered in frozen and torn wounds, and its breathing was heavy; clearly, this comeback against all odds had come at a great cost.
However, compared to Latias, which had completely lost its ability to fight, its condition was undoubtedly much better.
The moment Latias collapsed and its Mega Evolution was deactivated, the boiling, molten fighting spirit in Dragonite's eyes vanished like a receding tide, as if it had instantly transformed into a different dragon.
His eyes instantly shifted from high spirits to concern, and he rushed into the snow to carry Latias out.
She was then taken to the sidelines for treatment.
This scene caused a surge of comments in the live stream chat.
[Hahaha, Dragonite is so cute! Just now it looked like it wanted to eat someone alive, but it instantly switched to its gentle Dragonite mode~]
I suspect that Dragonite, like Dragonite, also possesses a dual dragon nature!
[LOL, it's a Dragonite with a magic ball design, huh?]
[But I really didn't expect Dragonite to succeed in killing God! It's so inspiring!]
[It just flipped over out of nowhere. Dragonite didn't even use Mega Evolution. Latias is so weak!]
Do you think...it's possible that Dragonite could become the biggest dark horse in the "Summer Pool Cup"?
[Next match is against Meowha, if we beat them we're champions!]