+6 Dragon Dance

2 Chapters because last chapter was really short.

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Seeing this, Reid turned his gaze to the sky, looking at Salamence with a puzzled expression.

"Didn't I tell you not to go overboard?"

This was supposed to be a sparring match, and Reid had deliberately chosen a move Salamence rarely used for a counterattack, just to test how much stronger Aaron had become. But… it was over in one move?

Salamence looked bewildered, with a hint of grievance. It didn't know what had happened. It hadn't even used its full strength.

Then Salamence sharply turned its head, looking at Flygon as it plummeted from the sky. Come on, it thought, I finally got a chance to come out, and now you're already down? Don't do this to me!

Luckily, the main Pokémon of the Elite Four weren't that fragile. Just as Flygon was about to hit the ground, its eyes, shielded by a red visor, snapped open. Its wings flapped vigorously, and its body twisted in a fierce, ancient movement, returning to the sky.

Moreover, despite the damage it had sustained, its aura had become noticeably stronger than before.

"Did it incorporate Dragon Dance into its regular flight movements...?" Reid muttered, slightly surprised.

Dragon Dance—an essential Dragon-type move that boosts physical attack and speed simultaneously. It's a powerful technique and the true reason Flygon is recognized as a "ground dragon." After all, what self-respecting Dragon-type Pokémon can't use Dragon Dance? If they can't, they're fake dragons!

Across from him, Aaron, having overheard Reid's words, spoke up again. "It's more than just merging Dragon Dance into its flight. Flygon, show them—Dragon Dance with Bug Buzz!"

Following the command, Flygon flew higher into the sky. Once it reached a certain altitude, it began rapidly circling, with the aura of Dragon Dance once again enveloping it. At the same time, it sent down waves of unique vibrations through the air, aiming straight at Salamence.

Reid watched this quietly. Salamence, noticing no command from Reid, remained still as the buzzing vibrations descended upon it, unfazed.

Aaron quickly noticed this. "What's the meaning of this?" he called out.

"Nothing much. You and Flygon are just too weak…" Reid's calm voice replied.

Before Aaron could respond to such a blunt statement, Reid continued, "Keep stacking Dragon Dance. I am curious as to how powerful your Flygon will get."

Aaron fell silent. Having battled Reid before, he knew full well how powerful Reid was. He had already seen from the first clash that Reid was holding back. Otherwise, this battle would have ended long ago. Although Reid's words sounded harsh, they were the truth. If Flygon didn't push Dragon Dance to its limit, it truly wouldn't even stand a chance against Salamence, even in a sparring match.

So, Aaron commanded Flygon to focus entirely on stacking Dragon Dance, forgoing the combination of attacks. Under the strain of the ancient and powerful dance, Flygon reached its peak—six full stacks of Dragon Dance.

At that moment, just the mere flapping of Flygon's wings caused a shockwave to ripple through the air. Its entire body exuded a sharpness akin to a drawn sword.

A smile tugged at the corners of Aaron's mouth. Flygon's eyes gleamed, brimming with the desire to unleash its overflowing power in battle. And Salamence, floating ahead, was clearly the ideal target.

"Reid, I'm launching the attack now," Aaron said, his voice low and determined. He then gave a swift command, "Use Dragon Rush with everything you've got!"

In the blink of an eye, Flygon shot up into the clouds with lightning speed. Its body became encased in a violent Dragon-type energy, and a fierce killing intent surged as it prepared to dive-bomb Salamence from above.

"This… feels even stronger than Raichu's Thunder when boosted by an Electric Terrain," Volkner observed with a serious expression as he watched the battle unfold. He had always followed Aaron's progress as a top contender for the Elite Four, but he hadn't expected Flygon's maximum strength to be this powerful.

Standing next to him, Alakazam glanced silently at the sky, then turned its gaze back to Reid.

A thunderous roar echoed from above as Flygon hurtled downward. Reid, however, remained unmoved, quietly watching the impending attack. His only reaction was a slight furrowing of his brow.

"Not bad, but still weak…" he murmured.

As the distance between Salamence and Flygon rapidly closed, Reid finally stirred, issuing a single command.

"Dragon Claw."

Salamence immediately raised its head, locking its gaze onto the descending Flygon. It lifted its front leg, and in an instant, Dragon-type energy enveloped its entire limb, materializing three long, sharp claws at the tip.

In that moment, there was no terrifying surge of energy, no overwhelming aura—just three cold, slender claws. Then, just as Dragon Rush was about to hit, Salamence shifted its body and slashed.

Rippp!

A sharp tearing sound echoed through the air as Flygon, stunned, realized that Salamence's attack had not only blocked its Dragon Rush with ease but had also torn a massive gash right through it. Before Flygon could react, the claws struck its face.

With a dull thud, all of Flygon's Dragon-type energy shattered, and its body was flung through the air, crashing hard onto the distant beach.

Boom!

The loud impact caused several people playing on the distant beach to stare wide-eyed in shock. Aaron stood frozen in disbelief.

He had known Reid was strong—stronger than both him and Volkner, stronger than Bertha, and even as formidable as Lucian and the previous Champion, Cynthia. So, when Reid told him that both he and Flygon were too weak and should focus on stacking Dragon Dance, Aaron hadn't felt offended—it was just the truth. But he never imagined the gap between them would be so immense.

Six stacked Dragon Dances, and yet Flygon's Dragon Rush had been defeated in a single instant. And in such a brutal, overwhelming way.

As for Salamence…

Aaron looked at the dragon, floating in the air, retracting its claws, showing no signs of injury—no signs of strain. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his erratic breathing. Silently, he recalled Flygon and sent out his next Pokémon—Drapion, the one he had withdrawn earlier.