After evading the hot water, Lian returned to the ground and swiftly unleashed Dragon Rage. He anticipated that Empoleon was close to defeat, as even with the special defense potion, it couldn't withstand such continuous attacks indefinitely.
Empoleon endured the Flamethrower, though weakened by Rain Dance, still suffered considerable damage. Its expression showed pain, indicating that despite its high Special Defense, enduring multiple moves had taken a toll.
Boom.
"Dodge!"
Murata Chihiro's warning came too late, but even if not, Empoleon wouldn't have been able to avoid Lian's Dragon Rage.
It hasn't gone down yet?
Lian was somewhat surprised. Based on his calculations, Empoleon should have collapsed by now, but surprisingly, it persisted, suggesting a substantial amount of Stamina.
However, it was nearing its limit. Empoleon struggled visibly, barely managing to stay upright, with its combat effectiveness significantly diminished.
"Is Empoleon about to give up?"
Murata Chihiro was astonished. With the weakening effect of Rain Dance and its resistance to Dragon-type moves, he hadn't expected Empoleon to appear so close to defeat.
Once Empoleon fell, Murata Chihiro would only have one Pokémon left, making it highly likely that defeat was imminent.
"No, I can't lose; I'm aiming for the top ten," Murata Chihiro firmly thought, unwilling to be eliminated in the first round, which would be too embarrassing.
"Empoleon, use Rest!"
In desperation, Murata Chihiro commanded Empoleon to employ Rest, as losing this Pokémon would virtually guarantee his defeat.
"Charmeleon, take down Empoleon!" Kalia urged, trying to prevent Empoleon from recovering through Rest, knowing it could complicate matters significantly.
The Rain Dance weather weakened Charmeleon's Fire-type moves, and if Empoleon managed to recuperate, defeating it again would require waiting until the rain ceased.
However, Lian had a different perspective. This battle was crucial for him, as today's combat rating heavily depended on its outcome. With Empoleon using Rest, simply defeating it now would be a missed opportunity.
While swiftly taking out Empoleon would secure victory in this match, Lian prioritized accumulating more Combat Points to enhance his overall abilities.
In a regular battle, Lian wouldn't have minded, but this particular fight counted towards his combat rating. He couldn't simply follow Kalia's suggestion; instead, he aimed to maximize his combat score and earn as many Combat Points as possible.
So when Kalia suggested her move, Lian didn't immediately release it. The Rain Dance effect did impact the timing of Fire-type moves due to the abundance of Water-type energy around them.
By now, Empoleon had already fallen asleep, looking quite relaxed. Murata Chihiro appeared visibly anxious; he absolutely could not afford to lose. As someone capable of reaching the top ten, being eliminated directly would invite ridicule from everyone, bringing immense embarrassment.
"Darn it, why did the academy pair me against such a powerful foreign participant?" Murata Chihiro began grumbling internally.
The Flamethrower arrived belatedly, striking Empoleon just as it had recovered much of its stamina and injuries—too late to prevent healing.
Kalia felt slightly disappointed, but it didn't significantly affect their position. With three Pokemon remaining, compared to Murata Chihiro's two, and with Empoleon still asleep, Charmeleon was free to continue attacking.
"Empoleon, return."
Murata Chihiro promptly recalled her sleeping Empoleon, as allowing it to endure further attacks without any retaliation was not a wise decision.
Using Rest to recover and then returning the Pokemon to its Poké Ball until fully awake, ready to re-enter battle with restored fighting capabilities, is a common strategy.
Kalia wasn't surprised by this move; it was expected. However, she maintained control of the battle, and now she knew Murata Chihiro's third Pokemon.
"Go, Dragonair!"
Murata Chihiro tossed a Poké Ball, releasing a blue serpent-like Pokemon onto the ground - a Dragon-type Dragonair, characterized by its blue scales and small wing-like appendages on its head.
As a rare Dragon-type Pokemon, once evolved, it becomes the Pseudo-legendary Dragonite.
However, the growth period for Pseudo-legendary Pokemon is typically lengthy. Compared to its evolved form, Dragonair generally possesses weaker strength.
Seeing Dragonair, Lian felt relieved instantly. Although Dragonair has resistance against Fire-type moves, significantly reducing Flamethrower's effectiveness, Dragon-types are weak against other Dragon-types. By using Dragon Breath, Dragonair would have little chance of victory against Charmeleon.
With Dragonair's base stats just over four hundred, even at a decent level, its overall abilities would be relatively low. Murata Chihiro's ambition was significant; once Dragonair evolves into Dragonite, it undergoes a transformative leap in power.
However, for Lian, an unevolved Dragonair posed little threat and wasn't particularly formidable.
"Charmeleon, use Dragon Breath."
At this moment, Kalia knew which move to employ; Flamethrower wouldn't work due to being quadruple weakened.
"Dragonair, Thunder Wave."
Murata Chihiro opted not to attack directly but instead commanded Dragonair to use Thunder Wave. If successful, it could temporarily control the situation, allowing them a chance to regroup.
Dragonair extended its long body, emitting weak electrical currents towards Lian. These currents were subtle yet numerous, capable of inducing Paralysis upon contact.
Lian dreaded Thunder Wave, but fortunately, it moves slowly. He had anticipated this, quickly unleashing Dragon Breath aimed directly at the fine electrical currents.
The collision between Dragon-type and Electric-type energies resulted naturally in Dragon Breath's superiority, as Thunder Wave lacked significant power.
"Dodge it."
Murata Chihiro warned, but unfortunately, Dragonair couldn't evade and was continuously battered by the fierce breath, forced to endure the impact.
Seeing Charmeleon avoid the Thunder Wave, Murata Chihiro felt disheartened, wondering how he could compete now.
Quickly, Lian unleashed Dragon Breath again, defeating Dragonair. Murata Chihiro seemed to lose his fighting spirit; with Thunder Wave missing, there was no chance for a comeback.
As the sky returned to normal, the rain ceased just in time after Dragonair's defeat.
Murata Chihiro sent out Empoleon once more, but due to Dragonair's swift loss, Empoleon hadn't even awakened from its sleep state yet.
Seizing the opportunity, Kalia instructed Lian to use Flamethrower. In a well-coordinated combo, Empoleon managed to wake up midway through, but it was too late.
Before it could execute any moves, Lian completely overpowered it, causing Empoleon to collapse unconscious.
Victory.
Both Lian and Kalia were ecstatic, finally securing a win. Kalia rejoiced at passing the first round, while Lian was thrilled by his near-perfect combat rating performance.
"Can't believe they won! Murata Chihiro actually lost?"
"Not just lost, it was a complete defeat!"
"What's going on? Not even one Pokemon took damage—such a massive disparity!"
The mid-level class students were stunned; Murata Chihiro losing was unexpected for many, and Kalia's prowess astonished them greatly.
Murata Chihiro appeared deeply humiliated, letting out a cold huff before leaving the Combat Hall. Having lost in the first round, he would no longer participate further in the competition.