If Mawile could use the simplest approach, switching between Sucker Punch and Stockpile at the right moment... no, even just being able to swap between them was enough.
It could easily deal with that Drakloak flying in the sky like an annoying mosquito.
The blast of Dragon Pulse still made Mawile uncomfortable. Even though the move was a special attack and didn't benefit from Dragon Dance's attack boost, and Steel type resisted it, this was still a strike from an Elite-level dragon. Mawile wasn't a Pokémon known for high defense or a deep pool of stamina.
'This can't go on...'
As an old veteran, Opal felt a quiet worry building in her heart.
If Drakloak kept landing Dragon Pulse for a few more times, it would definitely become dangerous for Mawile. Once that happened, the balance of the battle would shift at once.
She only had two Elite-level Pokémon with her: Togekiss and Mawile.
Her older partners had all reached an age where she couldn't bear to let them fight anymore. Getting hurt could shorten their lives. She also wasn't the kind of trainer who specialized in one type, so raising an Elite-level Pokémon demanded time, effort, and resources.
These two were all she could bring.
If Mawile failed to play its part, and the already injured Togekiss became useless as support, she might not even manage to eliminate Drakloak... not if it stayed mostly unharmed.
Opal took a deep breath to steady herself and tried to think. Her mind wasn't as quick as it had been in her youth.
She remembered that there was a way to counter the current Drakloak. But what was it...
Before she found the key point, Shiro raised his voice again.
"Drakloak, use Substitute!"
The dragon-type on the field let out a soft chirp. Its body shifted and a faint blue glow wrapped around it.
Substitute allowed a Pokémon to cut a small amount of its stamina to create a decoy that took attacks in its place. Until the decoy broke, the real Drakloak would not take any damage.
"Substitute..."
Opal muttered the word to herself and seemed to recall something. Then she shouted at once.
"Mawile, use Taunt!"
Taunt would force the opponent to use only attacking moves. Combined with Sucker Punch, it would let Mawile get close to Drakloak without exposing itself to unnecessary risks.
Her decision didn't surprise Shiro. He continued calmly.
"Drakloak, use Dragon Cheer!"
Dragon Cheer boosted the user's chance of landing a critical hit. The effect was even stronger for dragon-types.
He wanted to keep stacking Drakloak's power.
Mawile didn't seem very skilled with the usage of Taunt, and it cast the move slightly slower. Drakloak tilted its head back quickly and released a high, piercing cry. The buff completed just before Taunt hit.
Now it had three Dragon Dances and a Dragon Cheer stacked together.
"Dragaaaa!"
A strained roar slipped from its mouth. Even while under Taunt, its gaze locked onto Mawile with burning focus.
Shiro's voice stayed cold and steady.
"Dragon Rush!"
Dragon Rush allowed a dragon-type to unleash a violent aura as it charged. It struck with the force to potentially make opponents flinch.
It was Drakloak's strongest dragon-type physical move, powered further by Dragon Dance.
He wanted to end it while Taunt was active.
On the other side, Opal didn't fully trust his order.
If Drakloak really used Dragon Rush, meeting it with Iron Head might be better. But Drakloak still had a Substitute. Iron Head would only break the decoy and nothing more.
Sucker Punch might let Mawile dodge the full strike.
After thinking through every angle she could, she finally gave her command.
"Mawile, use Sucker Punch!"
Drakloak had also finished building up its Dragon Rush by now. Bright blue energy burned across its body like azure flames. The entire draconic shape wrapped itself in blazing light as it tilted slightly downward and shot toward the ground.
A deep roar echoed.
It sounded like a falling meteor. The air pressure alone sent the grass across the center of the battlefield rippling outward, as if pushed by a violent storm. Mawile stood in the middle of Drakloak's line of attack, its eyes sharp.
It could feel the force of that strike. If it took the hit head-on, it might not remain standing.
It had to time Sucker Punch perfectly to avoid the blow.
Dark energy wrapped around Mawile. When Drakloak dropped to the halfway point, Mawile vanished from where it stood.
Boom!
A thunderous impact followed as Dragon Rush smashed into the ground, shaking the entire stadium.
The battlefield collapsed at the point of impact. Cracks spread outward like a spiderweb, tearing through grass and soil. Clumps of earth scattered as yellow dust rose into the air.
The crowd held their breath. Some even stood up to see through the smoke. Fortunately, the psychic barrier bordering the field shimmered faintly and blocked the leftover shockwave.
Ryan, the host and referee, felt his heart pounding. He was the closest person to the battlefield aside from the trainers themselves. But commentary came first. He tightened his grip on the mic and shouted.
"Magnificent! This is the strongest strike from an Elite-level Dragon-type Pokémon! It could almost level a building!"
The sight of the collapsed center field left the audience silent. Someone with a stronger heart finally gulped and spoke.
"With an attack like that... is Mawile even alive in there?"
Not even Leon's previous battle had produced a move with this scale and force.
Without the psychic barrier, the shockwave from Dragon Rush would have peeled skin from the front rows.
"It... should be fine?" Another one near him replied uncertainly.
After all, Mawile was also an Elite-level Pokémon, trained by a veteran like Opal.
The smoke lingered without clearing, and murmurs slowly swept across the stands.
"What the result? Who won?"
"It has to be Drakloak…"
"No, no. Mawile already used Sucker Punch."
"..."
As the debate continued, a bright yellow shape appeared within the smoke.
Ryan called out.
"It's Mawile!"
He caught his breath and repeated.
"Mawile successfully dodged the hit!"
At the center of the field, Mawile had used Sucker Punch to reappear behind Drakloak. By jumping at exactly the right moment from its blind spot, Mawile had taken only a light gust from the lingering force.
This was an Elite-level Mawile. Its battle instincts ran deep.
But Shiro felt no frustration and no regret. Cold and precise as a machine, he issued his next command without missing a beat.
"Use Dragon Tail!"
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