Pokemon: The Legendary Trainer

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"Use Aerial Ace with Double Team to attack!"

Faced with the sudden counterattack, Clair, who had been focused on the battlefield the entire time, showed no panic. Her pupils contracted sharply, and she issued her command without hesitation.

Well-trained under the guidance of a direct descendant of the dragon-taming clan, Altaria reacted instantly. Upon hearing Clair's order, a surge of powerful Flying-type energy burst from her body. She suddenly shifted a meter to the right, narrowly avoiding the incoming Dragon Pulse as it roared past.

Immediately afterward, Altaria dove sharply toward Nidoking, splitting into nine identical copies as she descended, each mirroring the real one's movements perfectly as they rushed down together.

Seeing this, Sato's expression grew even more serious. Under Clair's command, Altaria had not only dodged the rebounded Dragon Pulse with the instantaneous burst of Aerial Ace, but had also launched such a fierce counterattack.

"Third from the left — use Thunderbolt."

He was calm as ever. With his psychic sensing, he could instantly distinguish the real Altaria from the fake ones, and so Nidoking moved to intercept without hesitation.

Sparking electricity flared from the horn on Nidoking's head, and the Life Orb at his chest flashed with a pink-violet glow once again. The shimmering pinkish-violet aura returned to his body.

A moment later, a lightning bolt as thick as a barrel shot from Nidoking's horn, forming a massive serpent of electricity that struck directly at the "third Altaria" from the left.

Clair had been surprised once before by Sato, but seeing him instantly see through Altaria's almost flawless Double Team illusions shocked her even more.

In truth, if she herself hadn't spent years by Altaria's side, developing a deep, wordless bond, she wouldn't be able to tell the real one apart either.

She was equally astonished by Nidoking. Although she had sensed his unusual power earlier, she hadn't expected his moves to be so fearsome — that thunder-serpent was genuinely intimidating.

What's more, Clair knew that after using Aerial Ace to dodge Dragon Pulse, Altaria's wing muscles could not produce another explosive burst in such a short time.

Now that her real body had been found, she had no choice but to face the attack head-on.

"The best defense is offense! Break through, Altaria — use Dragon Rush!"

Clair, raised to be fiercely competitive, didn't back down. She didn't choose Protect to defend, but instead commanded Altaria to meet the attack head-on with Dragon Rush — the most powerful Dragon-type move after Outrage.

"Chiuuu!!"

Knowing her Trainer's personality, Altaria let out a sharp cry. A surge of pure Dragon-type energy erupted from her, transforming her into a comet-shaped dragon as she charged directly at the incoming thunder serpent.

A moment later, the comet-dragon collided with Nidoking's ferocious thunder serpent.

"RUMMMBLE~~"

The booming thunder woke the spectators who had been lulled to sleep by Altaria's earlier Sing.

Through the blinding flashes of electricity, they saw the dragon comet fighting its way up the pillar of lightning, inch by inch.

But as it advanced, the comet grew smaller and smaller, until it stalled a third of the way from the top.

Although Dragon Rush could reach a terrifying base power of 150, it required a long dive to unleash its full potential. The rushed execution greatly weakened it.

Nidoking's Thunderbolt, on the other hand, had been unleashed at full strength — and with the Sheer Force ability and Life Orb boost, its effective power reached a staggering 152.1 (90 × 1.3 × 1.3).

With this difference, even though Altaria was six levels higher, she was destined to lose this clash.

Under the power of Thunderbolt, the energy cloak formed by Dragon Rush was quickly stripped away, leaving Altaria's body exposed to the raging lightning serpent.

In an instant, countless currents slammed into her, dealing massive damage.

BOOM!!!

The unstable electric energy erupted in a violent explosion, sending a scorched Altaria flying back toward Clair's side of the field.

Sato, seeing Nidoking emerge victorious from the clash, allowed himself a satisfied smile. He had expected Nidoking to win, but seeing Altaria's sudden burst of power had still made him worry for a moment.

"Damn it! Altaria, don't lose! Get up!"

On the other side, Clair bit her lip, unwilling to accept defeat, and urged Altaria to rise.

True to her Dragon-type resilience — and aided by the Leftovers she carried — Altaria, though struck head-on by a Thunderbolt of 152 power, still retained fighting strength.

Encouraged, she got back up and tried to take flight again.

But Sato had no intention of letting her. A fallen phoenix is no better than a chicken — now was the time to press the attack.

As Altaria prepared to spread her wings, Nidoking, following a hidden signal from Sato, struck again — this time with Sludge Bomb.

Being a Same-Type Attack Bonus move, and further boosted by Sheer Force and the Life Orb, Sludge Bomb's effective power reached a terrifying 228.15 (90 × 1.5 × 1.3 × 1.3).

A half-meter-wide sphere of venomous energy shot from Nidoking's mouth like a cannonball, streaking toward the just-rising Altaria.

"Use Protect! Fly up!"

Clair's face turned pale. She knew Altaria couldn't withstand this attack in her current state, so she immediately ordered Protect.

But to the shock of the audience, Clair, and even Sato himself — Altaria's emerald-green energy shield actually shattered under the Sludge Bomb.

BOOM!!!

The toxic energy exploded on contact with the barrier, the blast so intense that the shield cracked like glass and disintegrated in less than three seconds.

A cry of pain rang out — and then abruptly fell silent.