After witnessing Dragon Pulse being destroyed twice by Altaria's cry, shattering mid-flight, Kaveh finally realized that Dragon Pulse might be useless against Altaria.
"Was it only just now that it was able to do this?"
Kaveh speculated inwardly. So, Terrance and Altaria had been waiting for this shift all along!
Hydreigon spat out a flame, but this time, Altaria didn't erase it with its cry like before, confirming Kaveh's suspicion. Perhaps... continuously using Dragon Pulse allowed Altaria to eventually "Erase" Hydreigon's move.
His expression changed slightly. With this speculation in mind, Kaveh started to feel hesitant. At first, he didn't even think in that direction. Dragon Pulse was Hydreigon's most proficient long-range move, and without Future Sight, how could he possibly use a strange move to counter such a well-honed technique from a distance?!
Not being able to use Dragon Pulse is like cutting off one of Hydreigon's heads, making Kaveh uncomfortable.
At this point, he could only resort to other moves for the battle.
"Altaria, continue the Dragon Dance."
With the command given, both the Castelia Club and the Frontier Club side stared blankly at him.
No one, except for battles with overwhelming power disparities, had ever seen a Trainer repeatedly have their Pokémon use a stat-boosting move openly. Is he treating his opponent like a dummy?
Yet, surprisingly… Altaria succeeded. With that peculiar cry, it found the opportunity to strengthen itself, successfully performing Dragon Dance.
There was no way they could give Altaria any more opportunities!
"Flamethrower!"
Kaveh shouted loudly, and Hydreigon instantly formed a searing pillar of fire, sweeping it towards Altaria. Even though Flamethrower wasn't Hydreigon's specialty move, it was still incredibly fast. In this situation, despite Altaria's increased speed after one Dragon Dance, it couldn't evade the flames while locked in the stance of Dragon Dance.
Without hesitation, Terrance immediately gave the counterattack order. A thick, bluish-purple beam slowly transformed into a dragon shape, swallowing the flames and rushing toward Hydreigon. However, before Hydreigon, the beam was ruthlessly destroyed.
"Hydreigon, get close to it."
The massive body floating in the air began to move towards Altaria, flapping its black wings. Hydreigon heavily exhaled as all three heads simultaneously formed energy teeth and attacked Altaria with Crunch from different directions.
Altaria, on the other hand, condensed a bluish-purple aura around its front claw, forming an enlarged version of a claw. With a powerful sweep, it forcefully eradicated the three energy jaws and, using the remaining momentum, struck Hydreigon.
Boom!
Hydreigon was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. But Hydreigon quickly floated back up, only to face another oncoming bluish-purple Dragon Claw!
Boom!
Seeing Hydreigon being suppressed, Kaveh's expression turned grim. Just one Dragon Dance, and Altaria could already suppress Hydreigon?
"If it really won't work…"
Kaveh hesitated to use the move "Outrage." Once used, Hydreigon would be completely out of his control. At that point, the only option would be to recall it with the Poké Ball, and whether he could defeat Altaria in that time was still uncertain.
But other than that, he couldn't think of any way to counter Altaria in the short term!
With Altaria in its current state, prolonging the battle would only worsen the situation for him, making it even more unfavorable for Hydreigon.
Taking a deep breath, Kaveh finally gave the order. Altaria had to be taken down; otherwise, an Altaria that had boosted itself with Dragon Dance would pose a significant threat to his next Pokémon.
"Use Outrage, Hydreigon."
Reluctantly giving the order, Kaveh watched as Hydreigon's eyes began to fill with bloodshot veins. Its aura became more ferocious, and after letting out a meaningless roar, it launched into a frenzied assault.
At this point, Hydreigon's savagery was enhanced to an unimaginable degree. Its combat instincts became sharp, and it was able to hold its own against the 1x Dragon Dance Altaria.
"Keep this pace and stall for time."
Hydreigon was now in the Outrage state, and losing rationality was only a matter of time. Altaria just had to endure this period—that was Terrance's command.
Flames, energy beams, and bites. Hydreigon, now consumed by Outrage, exhibited terrifying combat instincts, momentarily overcoming the lack of flow between its moves. Its body seemed to move on its own, attacking with remarkable speed. If Altaria hadn't boosted its speed and strength with Dragon Dance, it likely couldn't have kept up with Hydreigon's current pace.
Seeing that Hydreigon couldn't overpower Altaria, Kaveh furrowed his brow, realizing that he couldn't afford to stall any longer. Remembering the result of their first battle, Kaveh, though reluctant, gave the order: "Use Dragon Rush!"
Hearing the command, Hydreigon, with glowing red eyes, halted its relentless crazed assault. Its entire body radiated killing intent as a dark purple light enveloped it, instantly gathering a terrifying surge of energy, then surrounded by layers of this aura, Hydreigon charged full force at Altaria.
Terrance bit his lip, closing his eyes to consider the consequences, then gave the same command: Dragon Rush.
Both Pokémon unleashed their most powerful Dragon-type move simultaneously. Their entire bodies radiated with waves of energy, exuding a terrifying aura filled with astonishing killing intent. Only now did they reveal the ferocity that Dragon-type Pokémon are known for. In an instant, their attacks tore through the air, creating a deafening sonic boom. Accompanied by the exclamations of the onlooking Trainers, the two figures collided. An unprecedented surge of energy erupted from the clash, its power so immense that the shockwave alone caused the hair of the spectators standing far above to blow.
Scott adjusted his blowing hair and looked down, only to see that both Hydreigon and Altaria lay sprawled on the ground, looking utterly miserable.
The people from Castelia side rubbed their eyes in disbelief. Yet again, both Pokémon had knocked each other out—it was the second time, and their hearts couldn't take it anymore.
But the real surprise came afterward. Altaria's body, which looked as severely injured as Hydreigon, began to emit a faint glow. Light radiated from inside to outside, and even Kaveh, who was preparing to send out his next Pokémon, was momentarily stunned. This was…
Under the glow, Altaria slowly stood up. It didn't take flight but stayed on the ground, breathing heavily as it quietly stared at the fallen Hydreigon.
"This round is mine," Terrance said.
With its last ounce of consciousness, Altaria had successfully used its Inherited Move—Roost.
Chapter 281 Roost
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