"Next, we have two contestants shaking hands !!!!"
The referee's voice rang out, and both Rope and Taito walked towards the center of the field.
Shaking hands before the match, this was a basic custom of fighting.
That said, back in the day, it was straightforward to start the fight after shaking hands. After all, it was a non-discriminatory match...
Rope and Taito walked closer to each other, Taito had a goofy smile on his face while Rope had a warm smile.
Both of these guys clearly had smiles on their faces, favoring the referee on one side who winced at the sight.
Why did it feel like seeing two Meowths from the Alola region...
Obviously the smiles were both quite sunny, inexplicably giving off a gloomy feeling.
"Professor Rope! I've heard a lot about you!"
Taito smiled nervously and said with a sincere face.
He really wasn't joking when he said this, because the guy in front of him was really the one who kept appearing in his ears some time before.
Rope had broken the organization's good deeds, the key was more than once, so although the organization hadn't proclaimed anything about how this person was doing within the organization, anyone with eyes could tell. There was something odd about the attitude of the higher-ups towards the man.
At least Taito couldn't see any hostility from Water towards this person...
One could only say that the organization was just a united organization of betrayal within the organization!
"I've heard about you for a long time too, Taito, you've been tossing us around so much these past few days!"
Rope said straight to the point.
There was one thing to say, and Taito was confused for a moment when Rope said that.
No, you're not acting????
"A friendly reminder to you, showing your worth isn't just about intelligence's, you'd better show your strength if you don't want to be under house arrest."
Rope said with a smile on his face as if he was harmless.
Across from him, Taito's smile gradually froze.
"In other words... don't think about letting go, at least prove that you have the value to be rescued and pulled in by us instead of just being tortured."
"Trust me, there aren't many people League torture tactics can top."
"I don't think you are either."
With those words, Rope took the lead in scattering his hands and then walked towards his position.
Taito watched Rope's face for a moment of silence, then backed away as well.
The referee also breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the two return to their positions. That overwhelming feeling was finally gone.
"Match! Begin!"
With the referee's order, Rope and Taito's eyes met again.
What calculations, schemes all disappeared.
All that remained was the fiery intent of battle.
"Come out, Charizard!"
"Fight, Swampert!"
Rope's Charizard breathes out a bright pillar of crimson fire, then looks down at his opponent in mid-air.
And his opponent's Swampert crouched down to look at the Charizard above him, a stream of water looming over his body.
"Charizard! Air Slash!"
Rope was nonchalant.
But there was one thing to say, Air Slash really wasn't considered the most optimal choice.
As long as Solar Beam hit the opposite Swampert, Swampert would be miserable even if he didn't die.
But the whole Solar Beam gathering sunlight thing in the first round Charizard can't really do in normal weather to omit that...
After all, he's a Fire Pokémon, and you can't really force him to be as skilled with Grass Energy.
This would require Sunny Day to be turned on. but... would the opposite side not Rain Dance with Sunny Day on?
Charizard's wings swung out, and a flaming Air Slash strike quickly dashed towards Swampert.
This Air Slash, which was clearly different from the normal move, once again surprised the audience in the stands.
Although the fact that Rope was able to pull out a third Pokémon, Charizard, was enough to surprise them is all.
"Swampert! Muddy Water!"
Taito commanded with a stoic face. Seriously, the Charizard in front of him was indeed strong, already touching the edge of Elite Four level. But you have to know, his trump card Swampert has also touched the edge of Elite Four level! Who's afraid of who!
Taito looked across at Rope.
You're going to see what I've become, and I'm going to see if you Leagues have the caliber that can make me defect.
Of course... win?
That's impossible...
After all, the reality of the situation is here.
[But at least this one match!]
Taito's eyes flashed with such amazing fighting spirit that he himself forgot the last time he was so combative.
I'm going to give it my all!
Muddy Water spewed upwards, colliding head-on with the flaming Air Slash coming from above.
Then after a moment of stalemate, it showed its fatigue.
Both Taito and Swampert's expressions were stunned. I didn't expect this Charizard to be this strong...
This Muddy Water was already at full power, if it couldn't be blocked like this...
"Avoid it!"
Taito ordered decisively.
It was not a trainer's choice to fight even if he couldn't defeat it.
"Growl!"
Swampert answered, then quickly retreated, taking several steps back towards his rear.
Charizard's move, Air Slash, was a tentative attack in itself, and to say it was hard to dodge wasn't too hard to avoid.
As for why he didn't dodge it in the first place, it was because Rope had handed over this probing skill, which in itself was to weigh the opponent's weight first. Swampert and Taito naturally wanted to test Charizard's level as well.
So this sparring match was a chance for both of them to test each other.
Whether to show weakness or to go all out, it was always a tactical choice. It was always a tactical choice.
"Charizard, Flamethrower!"
Rope ordered next with a sense of reason.
A normal choice wouldn't be to use a fire-type skill against a water-type Pokémon.
But!
Which one of them in Pallet Town wasn't a character who had the attribute restraint table memorized backwards and forwards!
It's just Charizard vs. Swampert, so don't be so naive.
In fact, if Rope really had to choose, he would still want to use Sunny Day tactics.
A Sunny Day Charizard string of three is still possible. Charizard has this kind of dominance even in skill-count-limiting matchups, let alone in non-skill-count-limiting matchups.
Let's just say that's the pro-daddy treatment.
Charizard's mouth once again spat out a pillar of red fire towards Swampert.
Swampert was helpless right now, after all, Charizard looked like he was determined not to land on the ground and fight him.
Swampert looked at Charizard with a grudge in his eyes.
Nima, what happened to the promise of a man-to-man showdown with everyone going head-to-head hard!
What are you doing now?
You're setting me up! Asir!
"Swampert, Protect, and then Water Pulse!"
Taito, as a trainer, naturally knew that the sparring couldn't be played like this. It was chronic death if the initiative wasn't in your hands. So taking the initiative was a must.
"Growl!"
Swampert stretched his hands forward, then with his hands as the center, a green light shield took shape.
Protect was really a good skill. As long as you bring it on, you definitely won't lose.
Although Flamethrower could spew it out for a long time, but in the end, it was just a skill, no matter how long it was, as long as it didn't reach the upper limit of Protect's tolerance, Protect wouldn't fall apart, so there was no use in continuing to stalemate.
And so Charizard stopped by the way.
Taito's command wasn't a secret call, so Charizard was prepared to face Water Pulse.
Protect's green light shield dispersed, and then Swampert's outstretched palms slammed together, making a clear clapping sound, followed by a circle-like fluctuation of water energy.
The seemingly gentle Water Pulse attacked towards Charizard like a hidden undercurrent.
Although Swampert's best skill was physical attack, his special attack wasn't bad either.
Although it was less cost-effective, it wasn't unacceptable.
After all, when facing an opponent who could Fly like Charizard. Rushing into the air to attack is the only truly irrational behavior.
Even in the case of Gulador, the Sword of the Cliff was a stone pulled upwards rather than jumping into the air itself.
"Charizard! Protect!"
Rope didn't have a choice. This move was not a small loss if taken hard. And dodging it...
The range of the Water Pulse in front of her was too large, and it looked like it had been specially strengthened. There was really no room for dodging.
The green light shield lit up in a flash, then rejected the light blue wave.
The spectators outside the arena had a look of despair on their faces. If the plot continued to develop like this, then they were about to face a very classic Bladder Bureau matchup.
Protect or not Protect.
The cycle goes on and on and on.
And then it's all about who runs out of energy first.
Emm, and in a sense a good way to examine Pokémon's underpinnings. It's just a bit audience-intensive.
Rope certainly didn't like this style of play, though it could easily lead to victory is all.
"Charizard! Sunny Day!"
Rope decisively chose to turn on the weather after Protect.
This move was also considered to be a masculine move.
What are you, Taito, going to choose? Will you fight me for the weather? Or will you let me cast Solar Beam, a fourfold restraint, which is a move that will control the enemy.
Rope looked at the opposite Taito with interest.
Do you really think you can regain the initiative by relying on Protect? Too naive.
Team Sunny Day's Sunny Day hand was certainly no Charizard.
At least not in places other than the Galar region.
"Why doesn't Taito start Rain Dance first?"
In the stands, Ash scratched his head somewhat inexplicably.
The trainers around him who had become famous were also looking at the little guy in amazement.
The Ash in front of him was still a rookie who hadn't started traveling. According to the Oak family's usual free-range education, this little guy should not have been exposed to formal Pokémon battles in advance.
It's not easy for him to ask such a question.
It seemed that even if this little guy's future couldn't compare to Red, Blue, or Rope, he was at least a champion seedling.
Cynthia smiled and touched Ash's head, Rope liked this little guy, naturally she also had a good feeling about Ash.
Cynthia smiled and said, "So Ash, think about it, why does your brother Rope's Charizard want to start Sunny Day?"
Ash answered without even thinking, "Because after Sunny Day is turned on, Solar Beam no longer needs to build up its power.Solar Beam quadruples the Swampert in front of us."
It seems that Ash didn't really know the attribute restraint table backwards and forwards...
Ash's matchmaking talent is definitely top notch. Compared to Rope's matchmaking schedule, it's Ash's matchmaking schedule that's always attacking and rising to the occasion...
"So where does turning on the rain benefit Taito?"
Cynthia asked next.
Ash frowned, then silently shook his head, "I can't think of any."
Whitley covered his forehead on one side, you could at least think about it for a second... you just asked, you frowned, and then immediately said you didn't think of it...
Is it because you didn't think of it or you don't want to think?
Red and Blue looked at each other and both shook their heads helplessly.
Ash's future achievements might really be comparable to the three of them if he didn't rely only on instinct and fighting talent like he did before him. But now, it seemed that Ash could only become an 'ordinary' top trainer.
The Elite Four Championship was basically insulated from Ash.
"Didn't think it was right." Cynthia didn't mind at all, as she'd long since heard what Earl had to say about Ash from Rope.
Beastly trainer, obsessive, self-motivated, and his decent talent. But fighting is basically all about instinct, too emotional.
That's why it's normal for him to rely on his instincts to make judgments without thinking about it, relying on a single glance to distinguish the whole situation.
However, this also made people feel more and more sorry for Pallet Town's talented people...
"Because there's nothing decisively good about it, per se." Cynthia looked at Ash and shook her head with a smile, "The normal play style of a rainy day team would be to go for speed flow, but Swampert doesn't have the capital to run rampant in rainy days because of his trait of Riptide or Wetness. And if there's only the reason of rainy day's enhancement to the power of water skills, then it's not so bad that Taito focuses on grabbing the weather with Rope."
"You have to remember, Ash. trainer battles are simple to say the least and complex to say the least. Complicated is the means, simple is the end."
"The end is not summed up in the word 'victory'. That is the purpose of your battle, and the purpose of all the means of battle that you regard as 'benefits'."
"The process of fighting is a constant process of getting yourself favors."
Ash nodded in seeming understanding.
"But in reality... Ash, there's another reason why Taito must be forced to grab the weather with him."
Cynthia gave an enigmatic look and said, "You'll be exposed to it later as well. Battles are fickle when it comes to fighting, and every move could change the entire battle."
"And for now, their real matchup, it hasn't even started yet!"
And at this moment in the arena Taito really had two big heads.
The Rope in front of him was really too difficult to deal with. Was this really just an opponent who had just been out traveling for less than a year?
This sense of oppression, and the powerlessness of not having the initiative in his own hands from start to finish was really reminding him of the time when he fought against Water...
That feeling of powerlessness and being in someone else's rhythm was really bad.
What felt even worse was that he really had no other choice...
"Swampert! Use Rain Dance!"
Swampert looked at the steeply clearing weather, then looked at RopeCharizard, who had just slowed down with Solar Beam that he was planning to use straight away. could only immediately fold his hands together, and then unleash Rain Dance.
The fire energy that filled the air was cleared almost instantly. The water energy began to fill up, vapor rising to the surface, and dark clouds began to gather in the sky, with rain falling moments later.
Charizard breathed out two clusters of fire from his nostrils, clearly upset by such behavior and its.
But if you think about it, having someone just stand there and let you beat them up without fighting back seemed like an outrageous thing to do...
But that was none of Charizard's business! He wasn't even supposed to be in this match. After all, he wasn't the main character in this League, nor was he, nor was Arcanine, nor was Entei.
Rope's main purpose was to give Chimchar, Haunter, and Poipole a little bit of experience.
As for little Lugia...he'll have to stay in the hotel and play games, after all, he'll cause a stir if he comes out. And it's also easy to attract some inexplicable dangers.
Rope didn't say anything else, but he seemed to enjoy playing the game in the hotel, so Rope didn't say anything else.
This time, using Charizard to fight, it can also be seen that Rope attaches importance to this guy in front of him. Because the calmness that Swampert had shown before really made Rope feel something. The guy in front of him really had power!
But now such a performance was really too bad. Not to mention himself, even if Poipole had gained a little more experience, he would have been able to defeat this Swampert in front of him.
The raindrops fell quietly, and the dust on the field was wrapped up by the raindrops and then smashed on the ground.
It was a rainy day, a rainy day that fire-type Pokémon disliked, and naturally, Charizard didn't like it either. But just because he didn't like it didn't mean it was hurting.
And just as he was about to continue harassing by releasing Flamethrower, a powerful energy wave suddenly appeared.
On the sidelines, Rope looked across the field at the illuminated keystone on Taito's wrist and gently raised an eyebrow.
And on the opposite side of the field, Swampert's body also had a colored light surging out, then a moment later, the white light dispersed, and an upper body became noticeably more developed, while its own size also changed...
What's more... his trait, changed to that of a yo-yo.
"I assume you've seen my matches...and my Mega Swampert has appeared. With your basic mindset you shouldn't have thought of that...so what is it that you must fight me in a weather battle for?"
Taito asked suspiciously.
He was truly a bit confused. He said he was going all out, but he still felt that something like hyper-evolution shouldn't be at Kanto's Indigo Plateau Conference.
After all, there were just too few people with mega stones, and this kind of enhancement and fresh battle method could reach a crushing situation.
Matchups that aren't evenly matched simply don't make sense...
Wait...
Taito jerked his head up as if he suddenly thought of something.
"You too..."
"Typical misguided thinking, Taito. what you have...how could I not?"
Rope's mouth grinned wide and bright.
Then gripping the bracelet on his wrist, he said, "Respond to me, Charizard!"
The keystone at his wrist emitted a white light. And the Charizard on the field let out a roar, with white light emerging from his body as well.
Then the Charizard's form changed, a third horn in the center grew from the back of its head, which was longer than the original two, its neck and mouth became shorter, while its limbs, tail and wings became longer, small wings grew from its wrists, and the edges of the wings on its back became more irregular; at the end of its tail, three small protruding spines grew while a long protruding spine grew from its back. At the same time, along with this, there was a more intense flame at the end of the tail.
This was Mega Charizard Y!
Taito looked at the flying Mega Charizard Y. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. He had indeed fallen into a thinking error. What he didn't have Rope might have. Not to mention what he had. Would a mere mega stone still be difficult for a Pokémon Professor?
More crucially, he could feel that the rain was...less intense.
"Drought characteristics..."
Now Taito was really feeling a bit desperate. The real battle was going to start, and at the same time, it was going to end.
Charizard was faster, so Rope was preparing for a backhanded weather from the start. Use Sunny Day skill to force out Rain Dance skill, then use Drought characteristic to create Sunny Day. then you can use the skill.
Sunny Day, no need to build up power...
"Mega Charizard Y, Solar Beam!!!"
"Roar!!!"
Mega Charizard Y roared, raising its head under the intense sunlight and quickly coalescing into a Solar Beam in its own mouth.
"Mega Swampert!!! Get out of the way!!!"
Unfortunately...it was too late.
The Solar Beam's pillar of light blasted towards Ultra Mega Swampert, and before he had time to react himself, he was already hit by the pillar of light.
Taito's fists clenched steeply, then loosened feebly a little later...
In an instant, Rope and this sparring match were over.
Unlike the last mega evolution, this time both sides barely had time to show off the might of mega evolution before the battle was over.
And that, was the point of the undercard.
"Swampert is incapacitated! Charizard is victorious! Please, Taito player, send the next Pokémon!!!"
Rope was finally getting interested, and made a please gesture towards Taito with interest.
Taito, on the other hand, sent out his next Pokémon with an expressionless face after retrieving Swampert.
————————
After a few minutes.
"Rattata is incapacitated! Charizard wins! The eventual victorious contestant is! Contestant Rope from Pallet Town !!!!"
Charizard walks back to Rope's side with a black face. Then straight away he poked himself at the Pokéball of his own that was around Rope's waist and went back into the ball.
Rope looked across at Taito with a scowl on his face, like he was ready to beat the guy up violently.
"Will both players please shake hands!"
Rope and Taito meet in the center of the field again, and then Rope extends his hand.
But Taito didn't dare shake it...
Motherfucker, this is a hand? Isn't this a ball of fire????
Taito looked up at Rope for a moment, a bit confused as to what the hell this was in front of him.
"Professor Rope, I really didn't mean to. It's not...it's not my strongest ace, but it's the strongest Pokémon I can get my hands on to participate in the very tournament."
"You told me to go all out ah words...you said that last night, or before the start of the tournament today!"
"I'm not thinking of winning..."
Rope's face was cold: "Is it my fault?"
Taito: ...
How did I get in trouble with such a guy.
The match is over! Champion Lance you better hurry up and arrest me !!!!