"Whoo~"
As a Pokémon that lived in the desert with "desert" literally in its name, Flygon was undoubtedly exceptional at creating sandstorms.
At the same time, in a sandstorm, not only would Flygon be better suited to display its combat power, but it could also serve to weaken the opposing Gyarados.
Buzz buzz buzz! Buzz buzz buzz!
Its wings beat frantically, and Flygon's Ground-type energy surged out wildly, directly conjuring countless grains of sand out of thin air that swirled around its body.
"Roar~"
Gyarados's gaze was fierce as it simply watched the Flygon's performance in midair, as if watching a clown.
Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter!
The heavy rain continued to fall relentlessly, and there were even faint signs of it growing stronger.
The sand Flygon created had barely begun to dance before it was thoroughly soaked by the rain and clumped together, making it impossible for the "sandstorm" to take shape, let alone overwrite the "rainy weather."
"Flygon's Sandstorm can't even beat out Gyarados's Rain Dance?"
Wyatt's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.
In the real world, competing for weather control wasn't about which move came first, but rather about the strength of each side's control over their respective energy.
In terms of sheer energy volume, Wyatt's Flygon clearly had the upper hand.
And as a desert sprite, Flygon was obviously more skilled with weather moves than Gyarados.
But right now...
"If we'd been competing for weather control from the start, Gyarados might not have been able to beat out Flygon."
Caster crossed his arms, sneering inwardly: "But right now it's raining, and Gyarados has the Ocean's Authority boost.
Its Water-type moves are enhanced by fifty percent. How could it possibly be afraid of you?"
In the games, status moves like Rain Dance didn't benefit from power boosts.
But in the real world, it was different. Even non-damaging status moves had varying degrees of strength.
Take Rain Dance, for example. There were differences between light rain, moderate rain, and heavy rain.
Gyarados's Rain Dance skill proficiency was at the Proficient level, which normally could only summon moderate rain.
But with the Ocean's Authority boost, it could now clearly summon "heavy rain," and lightning even flickered faintly in the storm clouds.
And Wyatt's Flygon, which didn't specialize in Sandstorm, was supposed to compete for weather control?
Don't challenge my specialty with your hobby!!!
"Flygon, Supersonic!"
Since he couldn't win the weather battle, Wyatt had to change tactics again, trying to give Gyarados a negative status effect as payback.
If the Supersonic move landed, the Pokémon would fall into a "confused" state.
Buzz buzz buzz!
Flygon's wings began beating frantically, generating piercing sound waves continuously.
But Caster wasn't worried; he clearly had a countermeasure: "Gyarados, Taunt!"
Taunt was a move that sealed the opponent's status moves, forcing them to only use attacking moves.
Gyarados had been hit by Taunt earlier, but enough time had passed that its effects had long since worn off.
"Whoo~"
Hit by Taunt, Flygon had no choice but to interrupt Supersonic and instead condensed several massive boulders to hurl at the grounded Gyarados.
Rock-type move: Rock Tomb!
Once this move landed, not only would it be super effective against Gyarados and drain a large amount of its stamina, but it would also lower Gyarados's speed as a bonus. It was killing two birds with one stone.
Watching the rock projectiles scatter and fall like buckshot, it would be difficult for Gyarados to avoid them while crawling on the ground.
When it came down to it, Gyarados's body was just too large, and as an aquatic Pokémon, while it could crawl on land, it wasn't good at it.
So Caster quickly shouted: "Use Bounce to dodge!"
Bang!
Its tail struck the ground hard, and Gyarados immediately shot into the air like a rocket, not only avoiding all the Rock Tomb attacks but also charging straight toward the nearby Flygon.
"You dare trade blows with me? You're asking for it!"
Seeing the aggressive Gyarados flying into the air, Wyatt couldn't help but scoff.
The Bounce move, while it let Gyarados take to the air, also had a huge drawback: there was nowhere to gain leverage in midair.
And Gyarados couldn't fly!
That being the case, wouldn't Gyarados just become a sitting duck?
Thinking this, Wyatt's tone turned cold, his voice dripping with killing intent: "Flygon, counter with Thunder Punch!"
Clearly, Wyatt also wanted to one-shot Caster's Gyarados to avenge being one-shotted earlier.
Crackle crackle crackle!
Electric arcs continuously gathered on Flygon's small claws, and with a beat of its wings, Flygon immediately shot toward Gyarados like an arrow from a bow.
But just as Flygon's Thunder Punch was about to connect with Gyarados, the Gyarados in midair suddenly retreated dozens of meters backward, directly avoiding Flygon's Thunder Punch.
Immediately after, Gyarados's body in midair began to undulate and twist like a serpent, accompanied by gusts of strong wind that allowed it to continue climbing higher and higher.
"Roar~"
Gyarados weaved through the sea of clouds, its thunderous dragon roars echoing as it showed its power without restraint.
Wind answered its call.
Rain followed at its command.
Lightning cracked through the sky at its beckoning.
In that moment, Gyarados was no longer a ferocious water serpent. It had become a true dragon of the heavens, riding the clouds and mist high above the world.
"Caster's Gyarados is flying!"
Clair's mouth hung open, and her eyes widened to their limits.
Although she knew that Caster's Gyarados would truly fly someday, she never imagined this scene would come so suddenly, so quickly.
And even though she'd anticipated it, actually seeing it happen still sent a shock straight to the top of her head, making her brain buzz.
As for Wyatt, he was even more dumbstruck, as if he'd lost the ability to think.
Caster's Gyarados was actually flying?!
Gyarados could actually fly!!!
Even the well-traveled Dragon Elder's expression was quite shocked.
Not just because Gyarados was flying, but because of the way Gyarados moved as it flew, graceful as a startled swan, serpentine as a wandering dragon, which made the Dragon Elder involuntarily recall a legendary figure he'd been fortunate enough to glimpse once when he was young.
Thinking of this, the Dragon Elder unconsciously touched the hat on his head, murmuring: "It's... it's so similar..."
That's right!
The "legend" the Dragon Elder spoke of was none other than the Dragon clan's symbol, Rayquaza!
Although they differed considerably in form and color, in spirit and bearing, this Gyarados now bore a clear resemblance to Rayquaza, perhaps fifty or sixty percent similar.
"This young man..."
The Dragon Elder suddenly stood up from the bluestone, completely disregarding the rain hitting his face, seeming both shocked and lost in memories.
Everyone present, including all the Pokémon, stared in a daze at the Gyarados dancing and weaving continuously through the storm clouds.
The howling wind, the torrential rain, the thunder, all seemed to become Gyarados's backdrop at this moment, instead highlighting its mystery and power.
"Awoo~"
Only the guardian Dragonite cried out strangely, finally noticing something off.
It was setting up Dragon Dance!!!