Dragonite and Metagross looked at each other. One was flying in the air. The other was floating over the rocks. They were on a water battlefield. But both Trainers chose to ignore the water. No one had a Water-type Pokémon on the field.
This was very rare. It was an important match.
Any other person would try to use the environment to help their Pokémon. They would not waste a chance like this.
It made sense for Tetsuya. He had not used a Water-type Pokémon from the start. It was not strange that he continued to fight without using the water. But Natsui's Blastoise had been perfect. It was not hurt. It also had an advantage on the water field. Many people were confused because he switched it out.
Only people like Ash knew the reason. He had known Natsui since Kanto. Natsui always switched his Pokémon after every fight. He had done this from the beginning.
There were good and bad parts to this. The good part was that every Pokémon could fight. They all gained real experience. The bad part was that the whole team was shown early. It was not a surprise anymore.
A Trainer needs a lot of confidence to do this.
In their memory, Natsui was that kind of person.
In the arena, Metagross and Dragonite started to fight.
Metagross used Confusion to attack from far away. This was like what Blastoise did before. it tried to beat Dragonite from across the field.
But Dragonite was different from the Sceptile in the last round. It knew how to react.
Dragonite used Twister calmly. A storm formed. The water from the pool was sucked into the wind. It made a large water spout in the center. The water spout blocked Metagross's vision. Then Dragonite dove into the pool.
The audience remembered something then. Dragonite is not a Water-type Pokémon. But this species loves water. They often live near it. Dragonite, Dragonair, and Dratini spend a lot of time in the water every day.
Because of this, Dragonite acted like a Water-type Pokémon. It could fly and dive. It could not use moves like Water Gun or Hydro Pump. But it was very versatile.
The audience did not realize this at first.
Dragonite is rare for normal people. Dragonair and Dratini are even harder to find. Most people only saw them in videos or other matches.
However, Trainers like Tetsuya and Ash knew about Dragonite. They had seen them many times during their journeys. They knew how they fought.
Dragonite disappeared. Tetsuya did not want Metagross to go into the water. He ordered his Pokémon to float higher. It stayed away from the water spout. It also moved away from the water's surface. This was to stop Dragonite from attacking from under the water.
Metagross looked closely at the water. Suddenly, Dragonite came out of the water spout! Its two fists were burning. It reached Metagross very quickly.
This was very sudden. No one expected it.
Tetsuya and Metagross were looking at the pool below. They did not think Dragonite would fly out of the water spout.
Dragonite was very fast.
It crossed the distance of ten meters in a second.
Water from the spout hit Metagross. Metagross moved its eyes. Then a fist with fire hit its body!
Bang!
Fire is strong against Steel-type Pokémon. The flight made the move stronger. It did a lot of damage.
The flames moved backward after the hit. They burned a small part of the sky.
The audience gasped loudly.
It was a powerful sight. A Pokémon came out of the water with burning fists to hit the opponent.
Dragonite can use many types of moves. It can use Fire-type moves. The world saw a close-range move called Fire Punch.
Metagross's body became bright red from the heat. It lost its balance. It crashed into the rocks.
The announcer was shocked. Then he spoke.
"What... what a creative way to attack! We thought Natsui used Twister to block the Confusion attack, but he actually hid inside the water spout created by the pool water! He delivered a heavy blow from a place that neither Metagross nor Tetsuya expected!"
Morrison was in the stands. He swallowed hard.
He did not expect Natsui to use the water spout that way.
Even the user could be hurt by entering the move. It was a wild plan.
Morrison looked at Ash. Ash was not surprised. He expected this. Morrison understood Natsui's power more now.
Natsui did not follow normal rules of battle. He was very powerful.
It was only the second round. The round had just started. But Morrison's opinion changed completely.
Before, he was sure Tetsuya would win. Now he was not sure.
Tetsuya was the one who was hit. He felt very worried. He was surprised like everyone else. He also had a sad smile on his face.
He understood what Meowth meant now.
He was very careful. But he realized he still made things seem too simple.
He felt how hard it was to fight Natsui. His Pokémon were very strong. His defense had no openings. Tetsuya could not find a way to counter-attack.
He really isn't giving me any chances...
How can this guy be so strong?
How does he train his Pokémon?
The Pokémon had good offense and defense. Their abilities were great. The Trainer gave exact orders. He used attacks that no one expected. Tetsuya felt like a beginner.
He felt like he had already lost the match.
Tetsuya knew he should not think this way. He took a deep breath. He calmed himself down.
The pressure came from the disadvantage at the start. It made him nervous.
He admitted Natsui was the strongest person he had ever met.
But he was not weak.
He had beaten many Trainers during his travels.
Also, his best Pokémon was not on the field yet. He still had a chance to win!
He did not believe all of Natsui's other Pokémon were this strong.
Even the Elite Four do not have perfect training for every Pokémon. A normal Trainer could not do it.
He became firm again. Metagross floated up from the broken rocks. It was hit by a move it was weak to. But it still had a lot of energy. The Fire Punch did not cause a burn.
Good!
Everything showed that the battle had just started.
The battle was only in the second round. He had six Pokémon. He should try his best. He must treat this match like the finals. He could not stop now.
Natsui did not know how Tetsuya felt.
But Tetsuya seemed like a different person now.
Tetsuya was serious before. But after the punch, something changed. His eyes were sharper. His aura was stronger.
He knew he was in a bad spot. He decided to use all his power.
Natsui smiled. He did not worry.
Tetsuya attacked faster. He was like someone who had woken up. Metagross attacked back fiercely. This caused trouble for Dragonite.
But momentum does not always change the result. Strength is more important.
Natsui gave orders. Dragonite did not stop. It fought Metagross directly.
The Pokémon fought in the sky and on the rocks. They went back into the air. Both Pokémon were hurt. The audience was very happy with the show.
This was a great battle for the main tournament.
It felt strange. The battle was very exciting. It did not look like a Top 32 match. It looked like a final.
Other players watched with their mouths open. They were amazed. They were also glad they did not fight these opponents.
The TV ratings went higher and higher.
John was the director. He was happy about the ratings. But he was also worried.
He saw the old man on the high platform. John asked a question in his mind. This battle is happening in the Top 32. What will happen later?
If Natsui wins, his next opponents will be weaker than this match. Will the public lose interest? Will the ratings go down?
The old man was very strong. He had made the Pokémon League very popular. John sighed.
Mr. Goodshow, I hope you really have a plan...
The battle continued.
The fight was intense. The pool shook a lot. Both Pokémon could fly. The battlefield was not on the water. Because of this, the ground did not collapse.
But a lot of water splashed out. The water battlefield looked very different now.
The match seemed even. But the turning point happened quickly.
Tetsuya made a small mistake. Natsui used the chance. Dragonite grabbed Metagross. It pulled it into the water!
Metagross could not fight well in the water.
Its psychic powers did not work well underwater. It could float. But it was very heavy. It could not go back to the surface alone.
Dragonite was very comfortable in the water. It let go of Metagross. Then it swam behind it quickly. It used Thunder Punch from a close distance. It beat Metagross with one hit!
The audience saw this on the underwater cameras. There were many bubbles. They did not know if Metagross lost yet.
Then Dragonite came out of the water. It threw the unconscious Metagross outside the arena. The crowd went wild.
The referee waved the flags. He shouted.
"Metagross is unable to battle! Dragonite wins this round!"
No one expected the match to end so fast. It looked even just a moment ago.
People were surprised. But they clapped very loudly.
Tetsuya shook his head.
Everyone saw that he tried his best.
He was losing at first. Then he fought evenly with Dragonite. Metagross played its best game ever.
But it could not beat Dragonite. At the end, Metagross was underwater. Tetsuya could not use a Poké Ball to call it back. He could only watch it lose.
The most frustrating part was Dragonite's health. It did not have many injuries. Metagross was hurt much more. The "even match" was not real. It was just what he hoped for.
It was truly ridiculous.
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