Jigglypuff’s copied [Thunder Wave] had only been a distraction.
Blue’s real goal was to force Dratini into dodging, creating enough time for Jigglypuff to unleash [Sing].
By now, their battle had drawn a crowd of Cedon University students.
Jigglypuff wasn’t particurly rare, but Dratini?
A Dratini was an incredibly rare sight in Kanto.
Many trainers dreamed of catching one, but few ever got the chance.
At this moment, several spectators felt genuine pity for Dratini.
It was clearly stronger, yet it had no way to interrupt Jigglypuff’s [Sing].
If it fell asleep, the battle would be over.
Of course, August was fully aware of this.
He silently gave Blue credit for her strategy—
But he wasn’t worried.
Dratini’s ability was [Marvel Scale].
When inflicted with a status condition, its defense would increase.
With the power it had absorbed from the [Dragon Crystal] over the past several days, it could probably tank Jigglypuff’s attacks until it woke up.
But that would leave Dratini badly injured.
So instead, he had a better idea.
“Dratini, you don’t have to hold back anymore.”
The moment August spoke, Dratini—who had been starting to feel drowsy—suddenly perked up.
“Draaaa~!”
It let out an excited cry as its body began to glow with a brilliant white light.
“…No way.”
Blue, who had been so sure she had the upper hand, froze.
The students watching from the sidelines, however, erupted in excitement.
“Dratini’s evolving into Dragonair!”
“This is a rare sight!”
“Quick, record it! Hurry!”
Amid the cheers, Dratini’s body elongated, growing more elegant by the second.
When the light finally faded—
The small, adorable Dratini was gone.
In its pce was a sleek, majestic Dragonair.
A Perfect Counter
Evolution had completely nullified the effects of [Sing].
“Wuuuu~!”
Dragonair let out a joyful cry.
Spreading the small wing-like fins on its head, it soared into the sky.
Jigglypuff, watching from below, widened its already-round eyes.
Blue, on the other hand, felt a sinking feeling in her chest.
Dratini had been holding back its evolution this entire time—
And now, it had evolved into a Dragonair right in front of her.
This is bad.
Dragonair could fly.
Its mobility had increased dramatically.
Her earlier battle pn was now completely useless.
“Jigglypuff—!”
Blue was about to issue a command—
But August beat her to it.
“[Extreme Speed].”
The moment the words left his mouth, Dragonair’s slender body gave a slight twist—
And then it vanished.
A faint blur lingered in the air where it had been just a moment before.
And before anyone could react—
It reappeared right in front of Jigglypuff.
Its tail, looking deceptively slow, swung forward—
BAM!
Jigglypuff was unched across the battlefield.
Only after it had been sent flying did Dragonair’s afterimage finally fade.
“So fast!”
“So elegant! This is incredible!”
“I swear, I’m gonna catch a Dratini someday!”
The students watching were in awe.
As if sensing their admiration, Dragonair gracefully flicked its tail, completely captivating the onlookers.
“Return, Jigglypuff.”
Blue called her Pokémon back into its Poké Ball, clearly unhappy with the outcome.
If Dratini hadn’t evolved, she might have actually won.
August, seeing her expression, chuckled.
“Being able to evolve in battle is also a form of strength.”
Honestly, this was nothing.
Blue hadn’t even seen the real legendary battle maneuvers—
Like the infamous “Stand Up, Hold On, and Dodge It” technique.
Compared to that, letting Dratini evolve mid-fight was perfectly reasonable.
“To be fair, I won’t change Pokémon for the next round—I’ll keep using Dragonair.”
He was kind enough to give her a warning.
Blue looked at Dragonair—who was flying loops in the sky, familiarizing itself with its new body—then gnced down at the Poké Ball in her hand.
After a moment of thought, she made her choice.
“I’ll go with you, Clefable!”
She tossed her Poké Ball, and with a fsh of white light, a pink Clefable appeared on the battlefield.
“Clefaaa~!”
Clefable looked up at Dragonair with curiosity.
August raised an eyebrow.
“The Moon Stone I gave you—did you use it on Clefairy?”
Another Fairy-type Pokémon.
But Clefable was far more of a threat than Jigglypuff.
Unlike Jigglypuff, Clefable had access to a much wider range of Fairy-type moves.
Sure enough, as soon as Clefable nded, Blue wasted no time giving her first command.
“Clefable, [Disarming Voice]!”
“Clee~!”
Clefable straightened its posture and let out a melodic cry.
The pink energy-infused soundwaves instantly spread across the battlefield—
And hit Dragonair head-on.
“Wuu—!”
Dragonair winced but remained airborne.
The attack had hurt, but it wasn’t enough to bring it down.
“Use [Aqua Tail].”
August’s voice was calm as he issued the command.
Dragonair’s body coiled, accelerating downward in an elegant dive.
At the same time, water gathered around its tail, forming a powerful rushing wave.
It was already halfway across the battlefield in an instant.
This was a technique August had picked up during his battle with Lance.
When Dratini had been slower, the move felt clunky.
But now that it had evolved into Dragonair—
It was seamless.
Clefable, still in the middle of [Disarming Voice], had no time to dodge.
It barely managed to raise its arms defensively—
Before Dragonair’s [Aqua Tail] smmed into it.
Water engulfed Clefable as it was sent tumbling across the battlefield, struggling against the current.
In the chaos, it accidentally gulped down a few mouthfuls of water.
“Clefable!”
Hearing Blue’s worried voice, Clefable forced itself to stand up—
Completely soaked and looking miserable.
But—
Dragonair’s assault wasn’t over yet.
August never gave his opponents a chance to breathe.
If he attacked, he attacked relentlessly until his opponent broke.
Just as Clefable regained its footing, Dragonair moved again.
The blue orbs on its tail and chest began to glow, and an invisible energy pulsed outward.
Above them, the once-clear night sky began to darken.
The spectators watched in confusion as storm clouds started forming overhead.
“What’s happening?”
Before they could react—
Raindrops began to fall.
The battlefield was now engulfed in a downpour.
