Chapter 102 Dragon Flight: What kind of dragon-headed Excadrill is this? A rat dares to call itself a dragon!
The spectators outside the arena witnessed this scene.
It was the first time they had seen such a decisive Pokémon. Most Pokémon knew they were no match but still went to fight. This was a Pokémon like Ash's Graveler, which voluntarily returned to its Poké Ball.
So far, this was the first time they had seen such a Pokémon in the entire Gym battle.
"Pfft... Hahaha! I'm dying of laughter. Did you guys see that Graveler? It's so cute."
"Yeah. That Graveler's expression just now seemed to say, 'Are you sure you want me to face that Pokémon? Are you serious?'"
"Graveler does have a type advantage over Electric, but that's an Electivire. With those thick arms, a simple Brick Break would be enough to kill this Graveler."
"No, no, no, I think using a move like Ice Punch would be enough to send that Graveler flying. Have you forgotten about that Ferrothorn we saw earlier?"
One of the spectators suddenly mentioned a Ferrothorn.
Ferrothorn pinned a Pidgeotto to the ground in mid-air, forcing it to eat a Toxic Spikes.
Flying-type Pokémon are immune to moves that cover the field, yet the Gym Leader forced the Pidgeotto to eat a Toxic Spikes in this way.
This is why most trainers don't want to participate in battles; who wants to see their Pokémon humiliated like this? However, compared to the Electivire on the field,
many trainers missed Ferrothorn and Toxapex from before. At least those two Pokémon weren't as ferocious as this Electivire.
No wonder the Gym Leader defeated Champion Steven; their strength is truly impressive.
On the field,
Bai Yu couldn't help but laugh.
It was the first time he'd seen a Graveler so comical, actually voluntarily returning to its Poké Ball.
This cowardly behavior reminded Bai Yu of Misty's Psyduck.
When faced with a powerful opponent, it would also willingly enter its Poké Ball.
"You idiot Graveler! Have you forgotten the dream we had when we left Black Cloud City?"
"You're this scared of a single Electivire? At this rate, when will we ever stand atop the Kanto League?"
"Graveler, are you willing to be mocked? Let them see your true strength!"
Ash, still unwilling to give up, took out Graveler's Poké Ball and threw it forward.
He had left that smog-filled town with lofty ideals.
Carrying the hopes of many Black Cloud City residents, he wanted to stand at the Indigo League. He had sacrificed countless years of his youth to defeat the Kanto Elite Four; how could he lose here?
Even if his opponent defeated Champion Steven, so what! He would definitely become the future champion of the Kanto League.
"Rumble~"
Graveler stood on the field, pretending to be calm, his two short arms extended forward, inching forward, but his heart was still filled with panic.
Ash wanted to instill some motivational rhetoric in Graveler, but his intuition told him that his opponent was incredibly strong, abnormally strong, and he was no match for him.
If this continued, he would definitely die.
"Die! Die!" (〃＞皿＜) "Grenadier, use Rollout."
Ash saw the panic in Gorenadier's heart.
The arrow was on the bowstring and had to be released. He had to go for it. He had to show his reputation as the number one trainer in Black Cloud City. He would make up for it later. He would find someone to trade Pokémon for him tomorrow, evolve him, and make him stronger.
He had to win, Gorenadier!
Gorenadier forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart. He hugged his body with his four little arms, rolled over, and charged forward.
The Rock-type move, Rollout.
The faster it rolls, the stronger the attack; repeated use also increases the move's power.
"Ice Punch,"
Bai Yu said, looking at the Graveler before him.
This attack method was somewhat similar to Gian's from Celadon City.
It liked to use Rollout for attacks, and for Pokémon like Graveler, Rollout was indeed incredibly effective; continuous rolling increased the move's power.
Electivire's right fist gathered a stream of ice, causing the surrounding air to drop sharply.
Graveler continued rolling, oblivious to everything around it; its mind was only focused on rolling, rolling, rolling endlessly. As long as it rolled, its fear lessened considerably.
Boom! Ice Punch and Rollout collided head-on with a loud bang, and Electivire's punch sent the rolling Graveler flying into the air.
Graveler forcibly released itself from Rollout, its face contorted in pain, its outermost arms flailing helplessly.
The only reason Graveler survived a punch without losing its battle ability was due to its Sturdy nature, which allowed it to withstand Electivire's Ice Punch. Of course, Electivire also slightly reduced its strength.
Graveler fell from the sky, its weight creating a cloud of smoke.
When the smoke cleared, Graveler was dizzy and collapsed to the ground, a smile on its face as if to say, 'Finally, I can rest. I don't have to face that monster anymore.'
"Graveler!"
Ash ran over and looked at Graveler's condition with a helpless expression.
He took out a Poké Ball and recalled the incapacitated Graveler.
Even with its full strength, it couldn't harm Electivire in the slightest. It
was really strong... that Electivire.
It defeated its main Graveler with just one punch. Although it had a type advantage, Ash had only ever seen such astonishing strength in the Pokédex and in Elite Four videos...
The rumors online suddenly seemed real.
This gym leader truly possesses the strength to defeat Champion Steven head-on; he's terrifying.
"I lost," Ash said through gritted teeth.
He didn't want his Pokémon to be sent flying by another punch.
Rather than putting Nurse Joy in a difficult position, it was better to surrender directly. So many trainers had lost before him; one more wouldn't make a difference.
"Mr. Ash, your Pokémon is quite strong."
"With a little training, you'll become an excellent trainer in the future."
"I have high hopes for you."
Bai Yu stepped forward, looking at Ash before him, his tone calm, with a slight smile.
Ash had initially been somewhat resistant, but upon hearing Bai Yu's words, his entire being felt elevated.
That's right, he was the number one trainer in Black Cloud City; how could he possibly fall like this?
Even a gym leader of such strength was praising him like this; it seemed he would definitely become an excellent trainer in the future. Ash was indeed a dragon among men! Thinking this, Ash strode confidently towards the gym's exit.
Some trainers who had just entered the gym to watch the match thought that Shi had won, judging by his arrogant gait.
"What did the gym leader say to him? He seemed happier than if he'd won." "
Yeah, it was clearly Graveler who got punched by Electivire, but it's like Graveler punched Electivire."
"Who knows..."
"Is it possible that he's also finding joy in defeat? Those trainers who got thrashed earlier were like that too."
"That makes sense. Losing so badly makes them unable to accept the reality of their defeat, thinking they're dreaming. Thinking about it that way, it makes a lot of sense."
The audience also wondered about Shi's behavior.
Those who lost seemed happier than those who won; such people were most likely having some kind of problem.
"Any new challengers?"
Bai Yu looked at the audience again, where everyone was feigning conversation.
A few trainers were looking down at their Pokédex, as if nothing had happened.
Bai Yu understood their thoughts and took out a Poké Ball to recall his Electivire.
He then released another Pokémon, a dark brown creature that looked like a rat, but unlike ordinary rats, it had a sharp, steel-like blade protruding from its forehead.
After clearing the Alola region, Bai Yu moved on to the next region, the Galar region.
Unlike the previous two regions, the Galar region had more Pokémon than expected.
This Excadrill was naturally the Pokémon Bai Yu had carefully selected.
Excadrill is also known as the Rat-Headed Garchomp. It's
an absolute Sandstorm team starter.
Whether it's Sand Smash or Sand Power, its abilities allow it to unleash astonishing power in sandstorm weather.
The key issue is that this Excadrill isn't very strong; it was only level 40 when it was caught, similar to Toxapex's level.
"For the rest of the matches, I'll be using this Excadrill on the field."
"I wonder if there are any new challengers? If not, I ask everyone to stop watching from the gym."
"Let's give the opportunity to trainers who want to challenge."
Bai Yu looked towards the stands, where there were at least several dozen people watching the spectacle.
Not a single one had volunteered to challenge; if he used Excadrill, he might be able to trick a few into doing so.
Sure enough, the moment Excadrill appeared, many apprehensive trainers began to rub their hands together, eager to try their luck. This was a rare opportunity.
They couldn't beat that Electivire, they couldn't handle Toxapex and Ferrothorn.
Could they really not beat this little dungeon? And it's
called Excadrill? It looks like a Dragon-type Pokémon? Pshaw… a dungeon dares to call itself a dragon?
It's utterly ridiculous.
One of the elegantly dressed young noblemen stepped forward.
He was going to teach this scoundrel a lesson today and show everyone that he, Junfu, the future number one trainer of Viridian City, had finally taken down the small gym that had been under siege for days.
"I am Junfu from Viridian City."
"I will defeat you and become a respected strongman."
Junfu's tone was no less arrogant than that of Shi, who had stepped forward earlier, and he was even more arrogance than Shi.
Everyone looked at Junfu. His noble demeanor, combined with his handsome appearance, clearly indicated that he was a top-tier trainer. After so many days, they had finally seen a truly powerful trainer.
"I wonder what type that ground squid is."
"I heard the gym leader say that its Pokémon is called something like Excadrill."
"Excadrill? It doesn't look like a dragon at all, pshaw... Compared to it, Gyarados is way cooler. A rat-headed creature, and it even has the word 'dragon' in its name?"
"Exactly! The Pokémon in Lance's hands are so imposing. The Dragon Clan's army is so arrogant. This Pokémon has nothing to do with dragons."
"Why can't I find any information about that Pokémon in my Pokédex?"
"That Pokémon is from the Unova region. How could you possibly find it? I also looked through the Pokédex and found some information, but it only has pictures and descriptions."
One of the spectators took out his Pokédex and looked at the description.
He also learned that the Excadrill in front of him was a Ground
/Steel type.
It was weak to Fighting, Ground, Fire, and Water types. Apart from these four types, it was resistant to other types.
Just looking at this, it was enough to prove that the Pokémon in front of him was quite outstanding.
"Excadrill? A Pokémon from the Unova region."
"Hmph~ That rat-like Pokémon doesn't even deserve to be called a dragon!"
"It's ridiculous! Dragons are such a proud, arrogant, and conceited race, how can such a Pokémon be worthy?"
In a corner, draped in a cloak, with blood-red, spiky hair and blood-red eyes filled with disdain, stood Lance.
He had arrived earlier, but hadn't shown himself due to the crowd. He also wanted to see if Bai Yu had any other decent Pokémon besides Electivire.
That's when he saw this scene: a rat-like Pokémon called Excadrill.
Such a name was an insult to the status of dragons in Lance's eyes.
Lance, who always regarded dragons as treasures, was naturally furious. He even considered going to the Unova region to confront the Unova League.
This Pokémon doesn't look like a dragon at all!
On the field,
after announcing the rules, the referee left the arena.
"Mr. Junfu, have you ever heard of a Sandstorm?" Bai Yu asked with a smile.
Sandstorm?
Junfu fell into deep thought. There were no sandstorm zones in the entire Kanto region.
He had never left Kanto; how could he have ever seen a sandstorm?
Besides, there were plenty of trees around Macha City; such a pristine environment couldn't possibly experience a sandstorm. Junfu thought for a moment and then shook his head.
He truly had never seen a sandstorm
. "Since Mr. Junfu hasn't seen a sandstorm," Bai Yu said,
"then today I'll show Mr. Junfu what kind of fighting power Pokémon can display in a sandstorm."
Bai Yu glanced at the audience. Before the match started today, Bai Yu had asked Sabrina to use a Psychic-type Pokémon to create a protective shield to prevent any unexpected events.
Sabrina hadn't taken it seriously at first, but with the appearance of Excadrill and Bai Yu's mention of a sandstorm, she knew what Bai Yu's next tactic was.
Steven had used a similar tactic in the Master Tournament, and his opponent then was none other than Lance, the leader of the Kanto Elite Four!
Once a sandstorm forms, it is difficult to find a way to break it. It greatly affects the Pokémon's vision and also affects the trainer's command and judgment. Even Lance couldn't think of a way to break it in a short period of time.
By the time Lance figured out a way to counter it, Metagross had already gained the upper hand. With its Mega Evolution, Metagross relentlessly suppressed Dragonite's attacks, ultimately losing the match.
"Excadrill, use Sandstorm!" As
Bai Yu's words fell, grains of sand were released from Excadrill, a powerful gust of wind whipping them up, creating a sandstorm across the entire arena.
Under the sandstorm, Junfu couldn't see what was happening on the field.
Seriously… I thought you were just chatting, but you actually pulled off a real sandstorm!
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(End of Chapter)