Chapter 52: Restricted Moves
"How is this possible?"
Wren gasped at the sight before her, staring at the Metagross on the field in disbelief.
Her Steelix, in both level and strength, was supposed to be superior to Metagross.
While she felt that it could block the Iron Tail attack, it was the effortless way in which Metagross did so that unsettled her.
"Metagross, throw it out," Julian instructed casually.
"Meta~"
With a dull thud, Metagross's body lowered briefly before it shot forward and struck Steelix's tail using a Take Down move, sending the Steel-type Pokémon flying several dozen meters.
"Steelix, use Fire Fang!" Wren shouted.
Fire-type moves deal double damage to Steel-types.
Steelix quickly grounded itself by tapping its tail against the Earth, countering the recoil from the Take Down, and charged toward Metagross with a fiery, gaping maw.
However, to his surprise, Metagross had vanished from that spot.
Steelix instinctively scanned the area.
"Steelix, behind you! Counter with Fire Fang!" Wren's command rang out just as Steelix felt a rush of wind at its back.
Without time to focus, it turned and instinctively bit behind it.
Metagross's Bullet Punch collided with Steelix's Fire Fang, creating a sharp ringing sound.
Although Steelix's teeth cracked, it managed to clamp down on Metagross's arm.
The fiery energy so close to his throat made Metagross quite uncomfortable.
"Continue with Bullet Punch," Julian ordered.
Impressed with Steelix's capabilities, Julian noted that despite the odds, Steelix succeeded in landing a bite on Metagross.
Their exchange of injuries had now become a battle of resilience.
With four arms, Metagross had the upper hand in that regard, while Steelix had only one mouth.
The Bullet Punch struck Steelix's chin, glowing with a silvery light, leading to a pained release.
"Unleash the Hyper Beam!" Wren commanded fiercely.
Metagross now stood directly in front of Steelix.
At this close range, the accuracy of the attack was guaranteed.
However, the proximity meant that Steelix would also be caught in the blast when it detonated.
"Zen Headbutt, smash it!" Julian responded boldly.
If it weren't for the system's requirement for brute forcing against the opponent, Julian might have opted to have Metagross use a defensive maneuver instead.
Despite Metagross being a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, Julian was confident in Steelix's toughness due to the intense pressure it had endured underground.
As the two Pokémon clashed again, their powers collided, resulting in a massive explosion that showered the arena with smoke and fire.
The energy shields rippled with the force of the blast.
Steelix was hurled backward, landing heavily several meters away from Julian.
In the chaos and smoke, neither Julian nor Wren could see their respective Pokémon or gauge Steelix's condition.
With visibility obstructed, Wren couldn't determine Steelix's position and was unable to issue precise commands.
"Steelix, use Defense Curl!"
Although she couldn't visually track Steelix, Wren was aware that Julian was equally in the dark about Metagross's whereabouts, so it was wise to bolster Steelix's defenses until visibility returned.
"What a fortunate trainer," she thought, eyeing the distant Metagross with envy.
Julian seemed to be prepared to wait for the smoke to clear before engaging again.
However, she underestimated him.
A typical trainer might have chosen to do that, but Julian was no ordinary trainer.
In situations where visibility is compromised due to haze, smoke, or terrain, standard protocol advises against fighting.
Yet, Julian possessed the ability to sense aura, allowing him to locate Metagross through the smoke.
"Metagross it's at three o'clock—fire Hyper Beam!" Julian shouted.
Wren was taken aback. How did he know Metagross's location? It felt impossible.
As she watched Metagross begin to charge its attack, Wren quickly called out,
"Steelix, dig!"
Uncertain if Metagross would actually strike Steelix, she wasn't willing to take the risk.
The hyper beam cut through the smoke, scattering it, and in that moment, she caught a glimpse of Steelix's tail disappearing into the ground.
'How could he have sensed Metagross despite the smoke?'
Cold sweat trickled down Wren's forehead.
If she had hesitated before ordering Steelix to dig, the attack would have connected mercilessly.
What a narrow escape.
"Earthquake!" Julian commanded.
"No, Steelix, come back up!"
Wren's expression shifted dramatically.
As a pseudo-Elite Trainer, she had commanded Steelix to use Dig.
On the opposing side stood the son of the Walker family, who certainly wouldn't let Metagross go without learning Earthquake.
It's important to remember that when Pokémon are underground, the damage dealt by Earthquake is doubled compared to when on solid ground.
Metagross floated like a normal Body Slam, its powerful limbs crashing down onto the ground, causing the entire arena to tremble violently and fissures to appear across the surface.
Julian and Wren quickly grabbed the handrail nearby.
Although the venue was protected by an energy shield, it wouldn't block the seismic effects traveling through the ground.
In standard matches, certain moves are banned, including Earthquake and Draco Meteor, due to their large area of effect and difficulty in control.
A pseudo-Elite Pokémon unleashing Earthquake at full power could potentially devastate an entire town.
This battle club, being the premier venue in Lake City, allowed the use of Earthquake when most clubs would prohibit it.
Just one use of Earthquake could render the battleground unplayable.
Fortunately, Metagross maintained some control over its Earthquake's power; otherwise, it wouldn't just be the arena suffering devastation.
After unleashing a powerful Earthquake, Steelix remained buried beneath the ground for an unusually long time.
"Dig it out," Julian instructed.
Metagross descended into the hole created by Steelix, and after a moment, emerged with the unconscious Steelix in tow.
"Winner: Metagross!" shouted the referee.
*****
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