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The surrounding Team Magma members stepped aside one after another, creating a space for Chris and Tabitha to face off.
"You're not with Team Aqua," Tabitha sneered, sizing Chris up. "There's no way one of their grunts could be this strong. Plus, I've seen their higher-ups—each uglier than the last."
"So, I guess you're just some passerby who noticed something strange and decided to poke around."
"I have to say, your luck is pretty rotten because..."
Tabitha's smug expression froze. "Be careful in your next life—curiosity kills the cat!"
"Houndoom! Flamethrower!"
"Uh!!" Houndoom's mouth erupted with flames, shooting forward like a blazing pillar.
The flames surged rapidly, a sinister mix of purple and black.
There's no stopping this attack—you can only dodge!
Chris quickly spotted the level displayed above Houndoom: Level 40!
"Dodge! Teleport!" Chris issued two commands in rapid succession, directing all three of his Pokémon.
Combusken and Frogadier leaped left and right, while purple light shimmered around Gardevoir. Using Confusion, Gardevoir teleported Chris three meters away.
The spot where Chris had stood was consumed by the purple-black flames, leaving behind a scorched, acrid smell.
Chris suddenly recalled what his Pokédex had said—Houndoom's flames contain a toxic element. Once burned, the pain doesn't fade but worsens, becoming unbearable to the point of driving someone to despair. Even with treatment, if not administered quickly enough, the effects could linger and cause recurring pain.
Houndoom's poisonous flames were truly terrifying!
Chris recalled Combusken into its Poké Ball.
A Fire and Dark-type like Houndoom—this battle would be better suited for his higher-level Frogadier. As for Gardevoir, Chris kept it nearby to protect him from further attacks.
"Nice reflexes," Tabitha admitted. "But how about this?"
"Houndoom, Flame Charge!"
Houndoom took a step forward, and with a sharp crack, flames erupted around its body. It charged like a ravenous wolf, its limbs propelling it forward.
In a flash, the massive purple-black fireball filled Chris's vision!
Though Houndoom was only Level 40, its battle prowess far exceeded that of an ordinary Pokémon at the same level.
Just like Chris's Pokémon could take on stronger opponents, so too could Tabitha's Houndoom.
"Quick Attack to dodge, then use Water Pulse!" Chris commanded, raising his hand.
Frogadier swiftly darted to the side, sparks flying from its feet as it moved like a blur.
Even so, the flames still grazed Frogadier—just narrowly avoiding a direct hit! There was barely any chance to counter with Water Pulse.
But it's not just about speed!
Chris was confident in Frogadier's agility. Despite the six-level gap between them, Frogadier's Speed stat was nearly a match for Houndoom's.
Chris could clearly see that Houndoom was constantly adjusting its trajectory during Flame Charge, making it difficult for Frogadier to dodge. It was only thanks to Frogadier's superior speed that it managed to avoid the worst of the attack.
"Thunder Fang!" Tabitha commanded, intent on forcing Houndoom and Frogadier into close combat.
Houndoom, a fierce battler, was no stranger to high-risk, high-reward strategies.
Flame Charge had missed, but the speed boost remained. As Houndoom turned, electricity crackled along its fangs. With a sudden burst of power, it charged at Frogadier, its speed increasing sharply.
Chris barely had time to react.
But Frogadier did.
In an instant, it summoned two kunai and slashed them in a cross to block the electrified fangs with Cut!
"Clang!!" The sharp sound of metal-on-metal echoed as Thunder Fang clashed with the kunai.
"Zzzzz!" Sparks flew as the electricity from Houndoom's fangs traveled through the kunai, shocking Frogadier.
The electric shock numbed Frogadier's body, and it lost its strength, getting knocked backward. Only its grip on the kunai had prevented Houndoom from biting down directly.
Had Thunder Fang landed, Frogadier, being a Water-type, would have been done for.
"Was this too much for you?" Chris muttered, reaching for another Poké Ball, ready to switch tactics.
But Frogadier suddenly leapt back to its feet. "Frogadier!" it croaked confidently, its eyes sharp and determined. It was telling Chris it could keep fighting.
"You sure about this?" Chris asked.
"Frogadier!" Frogadier nodded, its eyes gleaming like stars.
This opponent was leagues above the ones it had faced before. Finally, a real challenge!
"Such fighting spirit," Tabitha sneered. "After I finish with your trainer, you can join me. I don't mind adding a Water-type to my team." His lips curled into a smirk. "Houndoom, enough playing around—use Flare Blitz!"
Houndoom's eyes flashed dangerously as purple and black flames exploded around its body, far more intense than Flame Charge. Sparks crackled menacingly.
"Boom!" The ground trembled as Houndoom surged forward, its speed nearly causing an explosion on impact.
In an instant, it was right in front of Frogadier.
Chris had to take back what he'd said earlier. It *was* a question of speed.
This Houndoom was outrageously fast!
"Double Team!" Chris shouted.
"Frogadier!" Frogadier's form blurred and split into five identical copies.
Houndoom's Flare Blitz smashed through one of the duplicates, but it was only an illusion.
"Eruption!" Tabitha barked.
"Smokescreen!" Chris countered without missing a beat.
Tabitha's Houndoom had a group attack move that Noah's Charizard lacked, and no amount of Double Team clones would help here.
Chris wasn't trying to capitalize on the moment for a counterattack—he just wanted to obscure the battlefield.
Houndoom fired a massive purple-black fireball into the air. It exploded in mid-flight, showering the area in flaming meteors.
Eruption, a devastating Area-of-Effect (AOE) move with base power of up to 150 in the games, had begun. The only drawback was that its power would decrease as Houndoom's stamina dropped.
With such a wide attack radius, Chris could only hope that Frogadier would endure.
At least Eruption was a Fire-type move, meaning it would only do half damage to Frogadier. Plus, Houndoom had already lost stamina from Flare Blitz, which would reduce Eruption's strength.