With just one blow, Rhydon, attacked by the Hydro Pump, clung to the cracked wall and slid to the ground. Its eyes were closed, its breath was weak, and it had clearly lost its ability to fight.
"Rhydon is unable to battle, Blastoise wins!" The referee announced the result loudly, a little surprised by the strength Blastoise displayed.
Blastoise did have an absolute advantage in terms of attributes, but who was its opponent? It was Giovanni!
As a recognized powerhouse, Giovanni had experienced countless battles. It was simply nonsense to say that he had no way to deal with Water-type Pokémon.
However, under such circumstances, Blastoise completely crushed Giovanni's Rhydon with unparalleled strength, surprising the referees and the audience.
"Return, Rhydon." Giovanni calmly retrieved Rhydon, unaffected by the failure, and even looked at Ash and Blastoise with more appreciation.
"I'm really more and more optimistic about you, Ash..." Giovanni truly developed a fondness for Ash. Although it was only a one-time fight, he understood Ash's potential more and more.
Ash possessed keen observation skills, quick responses, and had trained a Pokémon like Blastoise. As a talent, if he were recruited into Team Rocket, he would definitely become a subordinate of the Four Generals in the future, and it wasn't impossible for him to even surpass them.
Ash responded calmly and did not reply to Giovanni's words, but in Giovanni's eyes, this demeanor wasn't arrogant, making him appreciate Ash even more. The idea of wanting to recruit Ash as his subordinate grew stronger.
"Although it's just a gym challenge, I can't lose too badly..." To recruit Ash as his subordinate, he needed to display convincing strength. Giovanni was also prepared to admit defeat.
"Nidoqueen, I'll leave it to you!" Giovanni took out the second Poké Ball, threw it, and sent out his second Pokémon, Nidoqueen!
Nidoqueen is a large, blue Pokémon, about 1.3 meters tall, with blue, hard scales covering its body. Its chin, chest, and abdomen are white.
At the same time, it also has strong limbs and a thick tail, with a row of poisonous horns extending from its forehead to the tip of its tail.
Nidoqueen
Attribute: Poison, Ground
Category: Drill Pokémon
Ability: Poison Point or Rivalry
Hidden Ability: Sheer Force
Poison Point: When this Pokémon is hit by a physical move, there is a 30% chance that the attacker will be poisoned.
Strength: Silver
Although Nidoqueen was also weak against Water-type, it wasn't as severely disadvantaged as Rhydon, being only doubly weak instead of quadruply.
Moreover, Nidoqueen could utilize a wider variety of moves than Rhydon, making it a formidable opponent.
"Nidoqueen, rush over and get close to Blastoise!" Nidoqueen wasn't incapable of long-range attacks, but this particular one, trained by the Alliance, hadn't learned any.
Even so, Giovanni was confident, commanding Nidoqueen to close in on Blastoise.
"Nido!" Nidoqueen charged forward upon receiving the order. Its speed wasn't fast, but it was imposing, like a tank, inspiring awe.
"Water Pulse!" But Ash was unmoved, and after seeing Nidoqueen's movements, Blastoise attacked without hesitation.
Its hands empty, dark blue energy condensed into a water ball, slamming hard on the ground in front of it, turning into a massive wave, and crashing towards Nidoqueen!
"Ice Punch!" Giovanni said flatly.
"Nido—!" Facing the oncoming wave, a fierce look flashed in Nidoqueen's eyes. It raised its right fist, and Ice-type energy gathered, exuding a faint, crystalline chill.
"Bang!" With a punch, the Ice-type energy spread instantly, freezing the wave in front of Nidoqueen. The remaining waves continued to crash but couldn't affect Nidoqueen at all!
Punching again, Nidoqueen shattered the frozen ice layer after the wave passed and continued rushing towards Blastoise!
"Thunder Punch!" Giovanni's voice reached Nidoqueen again.
"Nido——!" Nidoqueen let out a deep, muffled roar and activated Electric-type energy. Dazzling thunder crackled on its right fist shortly after launching Ice Punch!
"Encore, Water Pulse!" Faced with this situation, Ash frowned slightly. It was too late to activate Hydro Pump, so he could only use Water Pulse to deal with it.
"Water Pulse!"
Blastoise roared, and Water-type energy condensed into a water ball once again. This time, instead of smashing it onto the ground, it maintained the form of a water ball.
It was launched at Nidoqueen from less than a meter away!
"Huh?!" Giovanni's face changed slightly. He had thought Ash's Blastoise only knew the dispersed Water Pulse, but he didn't expect it to know the concentrated Water Pulse, which made this attack seem a bit misguided.
Nidoqueen was also slightly taken aback, but quickly reacted, maintaining its forward posture. Its right fist, charged with Thunder Punch, was thrust forward, meeting the Water Pulse head-on!
"Boom!"
The thunder and water exploded simultaneously. The water ball burst, transforming into a massive water curtain, blocking Nidoqueen's advance. The thunder also spread from Nidoqueen's right arm, countering the water curtain and preventing it from harming Nidoqueen.
But at this moment, Blastoise's superior physical fitness showed its advantage. Before Nidoqueen could fully resist the Water Pulse, Ash issued another command to Blastoise.
"Hydro Pump!"
"Blastoise!" Determination flashed in Blastoise's eyes. Gritting its teeth, it aroused its energy, gathering it in the Hydro Pumps and aiming at Nidoqueen, whose faint figure was obscured by the water curtain. It unleashed a powerful Hydro Pump!
Despite the Same Type Attack Bonus and physical fitness exceeding that of ordinary Blastoise, the continuous attacks put pressure on Blastoise, consuming more of its stamina.
However, Blastoise's attack was launched. The Hydro Pump repelled the surrounding air, forming a faintly visible layer. The terrifying Hydro Pump seemed to penetrate the air and blasted towards Nidoqueen!
Nidoqueen, obscured by the water curtain, was completely unaware of Blastoise's attack.
Giovanni, however, noticed. Although he couldn't see it, he heard the attack being launched, and his face darkened slightly.
Originally, he had wanted to let Ash see the gap between them by showcasing his strength, laying the groundwork for recruiting Ash later. Unexpectedly, Ash's strength somewhat exceeded his expectations.
If Nidoqueen were a Pokémon he had personally trained, he would still have ways to deal with the situation. Unfortunately, it wasn't...
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