Chapter 345: The First Clash! Arbok vs. Darmanitan!
Under the influence of the Fire-Immunity Pattern (woven into the Dragon Pattern), the destructive power of Darmanitan's Flare Blitz was significantly dampened.
KRA-KOOM!!!! —
The flaming ape and the draconic serpent collided in the center of the field.
A pillar of fire erupted from the impact, shooting over ten meters into the sky. On the other side, Arbok's blue dragon phantom expanded violently as it pushed through the inferno. The sheer pressure of the collision sent shockwaves rattling through the arena's high-tech energy shields.
The crowd gasped in unison. This was the raw power of two high-tier Champion-level combatants. If this were an ordinary stadium, the barrier would have shattered instantly under the atmospheric displacement alone.
BANG!!!! —
Amidst the swirling flames, Darmanitan was the first to give way. It was sent flying backward by the overwhelming momentum of Arbok's Dragon Rush.
The fire ape slammed its feet into the dirt, using its muscular legs to plow two deep furrows into the arena floor as it skidded nearly twenty meters before finally arresting its momentum.
"Darum..."
Darmanitan let out a grunt of pain. Between the kinetic energy of the Dragon Rush and the massive recoil from its own Flare Blitz, its health bar had taken a significant hit.
But Arbok gave it no time to recover. In its Dragon Form, Arbok was locked into a state of focused Outrage, meaning its aggression was relentless. It didn't wait for a command; it was already lunging again before the smoke could clear.
Driven by its "Desperate Warrior" style, Arbok hammered the ape with a series of heavy strikes. Cornered and battered, Darmanitan's biological survival mechanism triggered.
Its body curled into a tight ball. The flames coating its fur vanished. Its red skin turned a cold, stony gray-white. It sat motionless on the ground, resembling an ancient statue.
Zen Mode!!
Kenji sneered. In Zen Mode, Darmanitan's Special Attack jumped to a base of 140, but its Speed plummeted to a base of 55. It had just turned itself into a stationary target.
Arbok charged the statue.
Darmanitan's eyes flared with a pale blue psychic light. A crushing wave of telekinetic force expanded outward, wrapping around Arbok's body in an attempt to freeze its movement.
But the current Arbok was a beast of higher order. Pure telekinesis wasn't enough to pin down a creature of its raw power. With a flex of its armored coils, Arbok shattered the mental bind.
Seeing the psychic hold fail, Darmanitan channeled its immense mental energy into a physical beam—the Psychic-type signature move, Psychic—aiming to blast the serpent away.
Arbok didn't flinch. It unhinged its jaws, and the dragon phantom surrounding it mirrored the action.
Lethal Dark-type energy gathered on its fangs.
Crunch!!!
"CHAAA!!!! —"
The dragon phantom's ethereal maw began to radiate a suffocating black mist.
A fusion of Crunch and Dragon Rush!!!
Dark Dragon Fang Rush!!!
BOOM BOOM BOOM!! —
The Dark Dragon Fang Rush tore through the Psychic beam like a hot knife through butter. Arbok arrived in front of the statue-like ape and clamped its jaws shut.
"..."
In Zen Mode, Darmanitan was incapable of movement or vocalization. It didn't scream as the bite landed. It was simply launched backward as the dragon phantom's jaws snapped shut.
It rolled twice across the sand, its eyes turning into spirals. The statue crumbled, and the fire ape didn't rise again.
"Darmanitan is unable to battle!!! Arbok wins the round!!!"
The referee's flag dropped.
"CHAAAA!!!! —" Arbok let out a fierce cry. Defeating Darmanitan had burned through nearly half of its stamina, but Kenji saw the green light of the Radiant Bloodthirster pulse across its scales. The lifesteal from that final, massive hit restored a significant portion of its energy.
In the stands, the discussion was reaching a fever pitch.
"Holy crap, Arbok is a monster! That's the first time Xun has lost a Pokémon before the mid-game!!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," a man in the front row scoffed. "Darmanitan was Xun's starter, but it's arguably the weakest link in his current roster. Kenji played his Ace, Arbok, immediately. Look at that form—maintaining that 'Dragon' state must be exhausting. I bet he can't hold it for more than one more round. Once Arbok tires out, Kenji is done."
Many nearby nodded in agreement. The trade-off between power and stamina was obvious.
"Return, Darmanitan."
Xun recalled his partner. His face remained calm, showing zero signs of panic.
He had seen what the audience had: Arbok was burning its candle at both ends. It was a terrifying sprint, but it couldn't win a marathon. He needed to force Arbok to exert itself even further.
"Go!!! Talonflame!!!"
"LIE-JIAN!!! —"
A red light hit the field. Talonflame emerged, its wings beating a blast of superheated air across the arena as it ascended to seize the high ground.
♧♧♧
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
♧♧♧
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.patreon.com/c/Segais
(Just remove the hyphen to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you