Chapter 171

“Dragonair has Shed Skin to cure herself of status conditions. She’s capable of great bursts of speed that can outmatch yours, and we can’t ignore her Dragon Type,” Sam said to Drakloak as fast as he could. “So, overall, expect a tough battle.”

Across from him, Redi went through her own set of warnings to her Pokémon, and neither Dragon Type looked away.

From atop Drakloak’s head, Dreepy let out a taunting cry. If his sister wasn’t going to give her opponent a deserved taunt, then he would do it in her stead.

But both sides were waiting for the other to finish before anything started. As Sam and Redi finished their explanations, they sent one another a nod, and then they let out shared cries.

“Agility, into Thunder Wave!” they yelled in unison.

Through sheer accident, both Drakloak and Dragonair shot forward while following identical commands.

Their forms blurred as the psychic energy of Agility carried them forward, and the two Pokémon met far above the field. They hurtled toward each other, aiming to clash in the air. Curving at the last minute, their bodies scraped against one another, sparks bursting off their scales.

No Thunder Wave was used, and the Pokémon curved around for another go. The two Dragon Types once more threatened to collide but turned once again, barely missing each other but still causing their forms to swipe and create those same sparks.

“Thunder Wave!” Sam yelled.

“You too!” Redi shouted hurriedly.

Another direct charge saw the two Pokémon hurtle toward one another, but this time, they curved upwards instead of back and around. They rocketed into the sky, going almost as high up as the arena’s brazier itself, until they finally pulled away and circled each other as if in constant threat.

Still, neither of them used the called-for moves. 

Drakloak had come out here to counter Redi’s Dragonair, but the only move Drakloak had used had been Agility to boost her speed. Similarly, Redi’s Dragonair almost seemed to refuse to listen to her trainer, not following any of Redi’s shouts for Thunder Wave.

Honestly, Sam wasn’t sure what was going on, but he got an answer as a new sound echoed across the field.

The announcer’s voices, which Sam usually tuned out as white noise, suddenly stopped. An unfamiliar click echoed throughout the arena, and a brand new person spoke up.

“Dragon Types,” that person said, speaking in a tone utterly defined by authority. “The great monarchs of the sky. Rulers of battle. Their power cannot be underestimated, nor can their pride be damaged.”

Above, the circling stopped, and both Dragonair and Drakloak locked eyes, staring at one another as the voice continued. Sam had intended to make use of Drakloak’s draconic instincts to fuel her desire to battle, but this reaction was so much more than anything he ever expected.

“When faced with a difficult opponent,” the voice continued. “A Dragon Type seeks to dominate. All Dragon Types seek to stand at the top, and it takes a certain type of trainer to earn the right of command.

“Of course, Dragon Types will always be willing to be commanded by those they respect, but there will also always be exceptions to following orders. In the case of a pair of Dragon Types, equivalent in so many ways, facing off in front of such an enormous crowd...”

The speaker momentarily went quiet.

“Even more so than usual, expect to see these two Dragon Types give it their all. I advise both trainers to continue this battle with as much strength as they can muster, but also, I highly encourage you to not disrupt this match.”

The mic clicked off, and the arena entered the strangest frenzy Sam had ever heard. He wasn’t sure if they wanted to scream in excitement or stay quiet after hearing that voice.

Both Drakloak and Dragonair remained high in the sky, and a microphone clicked on again. This time, the usual announcers returned, and one awkwardly cleared his throat.

“That was... Champion Lance,” he said.

Neither Pokémon bothered to resume the battle as they patiently waited for their trainers, even with their refusal to use Thunder Wave. Sam looked over to Redi. She stared at the two Pokémon for only a few seconds longer before bringing her gaze back down to meet Sam’s.

“They won’t listen to our commands as long as we call for weak moves,” he said to her. “Thunder Wave wouldn’t give them the chance to fight. They’ve already tested each other with their bodies, and now they want to use real attacks.”

“Hah. Really? The one time I called for a status move...” Redi exhaled, half-annoyed, half-amused. “Well, that works well for me. But I guess the question is if it works well for you.”

Sam was about to respond in the positive, but then a mischievous smile crept onto Redi’s face. She looked at him excitedly, and Sam knew that she wanted to go through with something that had come to mind.

She spoke up once more.

“Actually, you know what I think about this, Sam?”

“What do you think?” he asked flatly, playing along.

“I think...” Redi’s expression suddenly shifted to one of utter delight. “I think... USE DRAGON RUSH, DRAGONAIR!”

“GET AROUND IT WITH PHANTOM FORCE, DRAKLOAK!” Sam then yelled as fast as he could.

Dark, purple-yellow flames erupted across Dragonair's scales. Redi’s Pokémon swung its head down to accelerate to an incredible speed, hurtling straight at Drakloak.

In response, Drakloak hissed, and she flickered to the side. She became nothing more than a vanishing shadow, her Phantom Force causing Dragonair to pass right through her.

But Dragonair’s Dragon Rush did not stop, and the Pokémon used its serpentine body to curve around at an extreme angle. It was able to meet the emerging impact of Phantom Force even as Drakloak appeared behind it.

The two moves slammed into one another, and the smoke created by the clashing energies exploded in a burst. The conflicting moves sent both Pokémon, already injured, hurtling straight toward the earth.

“Dragon Pulse!” Sam ordered.

“Twister!” Redi yelled.

As the Pokémon fell downward, they both attacked.

Dreepy shot forward only to be thrown off by a spiraling Twister, but that same Twister was disrupted before reaching Drakloak by him circling around to continue his Dragon Pulse to punch straight through it.

Dragapult tried for a sudden Infestation, but a Dragon Breath burned right two it.

Both Pokémon gave their equivalents of a hiss.

As they neared the earth, Sam expected them to pull up at the last minute.

They did.

Or, at least, they tried to.

Not wanting to run from this challenge, both Dragon Types held a shared glare until the very last possible moment. However, doing so meant they both broke away far too late, and they each slammed straight into the dirt.

“Dragonair!” Redi shouted out of worry.

“Drakloak?” Sam asked cautiously.

Ready to announce a tie after that terminal velocity impact, the referee prepared his flags to call for dual faints, but that announcement never came.

Defiant, Drakloak and Dragonair both picked themselves up off the ground, slowly becoming visible within a cloud of dirt their impacts had created. Dragonair was barely able to lift her head, and Drakloak could barely push herself off the floor.

Yet, the challenge had still not left their eyes. Dreepy returned to Drakloak’s head, and once again, the two sides of the field growled.

They could still fight.

“Double Hit!” Sam ordered.

“Extreme Speed!” Redi yelled for a counter.

“It can’t damage you with that attack! Focus on striking when it gets close!”

“Wait, try to breathe out for a Dragon Rage when it tries to hit you!” Redi yelled.

“Now’s the time for a paralysis, Drakloak!”

“No, you paralyze it instead, Dragonair!”

Though Sam and Redi yelled their commands, counter-commands, and counter-counter-commands, nothing happened on the field. Both Dragonair and Drakloak remained in place.

“...Dragonair?” Redi asked.

“Dreepy, is your sister okay?” Sam called out.

Dreepy squeaked to acknowledge the question and tried to tap on Drakloak’s head to get her to snap out of it. However, she didn’t do anything, and just like her opponent, she refused to look away. Doing so would only mean her loss.

These Pokémon were Dragons, just as Lance had said, and they had both found themselves a challenger to that claim. At no time had either of them fought with a true advantage, and more than anything else, they instinctively wanted to prove that they were stronger.

That desire was what was defining this fight.

However, there was more to them than just that desire. They were strong, they were powerful, and they were experienced Pokémon. Though she hadn’t been with Sam for long, Drakloak had spent years with her brother alone in Galar. Meanwhile, Dragonair might have been young, but she had trained under a Dragon Type Gym Leader before being handed to Redi.

It was a known fact that Dragon Types needed a great deal of experience to reach their final stage. However, considering the extent to which Sam and Redi had been pushing their teams, and given the ongoing stress of the Conference...

If it could work for a Kadabra, it could work here.

Flickers erupted across the two Pokémon’s bodies, and both cried out to push through.

Dual, white lights overtook the field.

Sam couldn’t hear anything. The audience’s cheers were far too overwhelming for any other noise to get through. Redi was experiencing the same, and just like Sam, she was forced to bring up an arm to cover her eyes.

Though the light was blinding, silhouettes were visible. Half-present forms changed within.

On Redi’s side of the field, Dragonair’s body expanded outwards, and her tail was drawn in. Limbs, arms and legs, peeled off of her, and she flexed her newfound claws while flapping the wings that emerged from her back.

Drakloak, meanwhile, stayed mostly the same, but that was only for her general shape. If Sam had to describe it, her form changed to be more, well, her.

Her head thinned and widened, the wings on its side growing to assist with speed. She grew in size, but there was a sleekness to her. Everything about her shape emphasized acceleration. Her tail alone became twice as long as she had been before, and the tip of that appendage seemed to fade away into a spectral end.

A barely visible Dreepy crawled across her head to enter a natural launcher that was now part of her body.

Then, two roars echoed out, and the shared light broke.

Facing off, a pair of pseudo-Legendary Pokémon faced one another. A bright orange Dragonite exposed its teeth in a grin at Dragapult, and Dragapult snapped out a scowl as she glared at her foe.

“...Why does Dragonite’s expression look like one of Redi’s?” Sam mumbled.

“...Why does Dragapult’s expression look like one of Sam's?” Redi mumbled.

They blinked at each other as the audience’s cheers continued.

As it turned out, Lance had spoken for a reason. He had recognized this situation and had given the best advice he could.

And now, both Sam and Redi planned to make use of this to their fullest.

“Attack!” came another set of simultaneous orders.

Rejuvenated by their evolutions, the two Dragon Types rushed one another once again, lunging to meet one another in the air. This time, however, neither needed to use Agility, and they met with an even greater speed.

Practically vanishing to meet high above the field, Dragonite grinned while swinging one of its claws, and Dragapult zipped around her opponent to avoid that attack. In retaliation, she swung her tail, testing its capabilities, but Dragonite spun around to bash an arm against it in defense.

Right away, it was clear that neither of them was used to their new bodies. Dragonite was using her limbs more like swinging clubs than actual attacks, and Dragapult was drifting to one side due to the uneven weight of only one Dreepy on her head.

However, that only interfered with their fine control. Nothing about that meant there was any less power present on the field.

“Dragon Rush!” Redi yelled.

“Surround yourself with Will-O-Wisp! Then, Phantom Force again!” Sam ordered.

The Dragonite didn’t hesitate to snap itself forward, not needing to build any momentum to throw itself into this move. Dragapult vanished in an instant, completely avoiding this attack, but the trap-like Will-O-Wisps she left behind were all burned away by the surrounding, draconic fires of Dragonite’s move.

“Back!” Sam and Redi both then shouted.

Dragonite pushed off the air to return to Redi’s side of the field, and Dragapult appeared again from the shadows to position herself above Sam’s.

The two pseudo-Legendaries panted. Though their evolutions had empowered them, both were still injured from the first half of this match.

“We could do this forever,” Redi said with a sharp grin. “Or.... we could finish the battle off here!”

Her shout was loud—she was speaking to more than just Sam. With a matching grin, Dragonite caught onto Redi's meaning, and it shot far up into the sky just to bring its arms up above its head.

A glow then built between its hands.

“It’s just like Redi to resort to such a big attack so quickly,” Sam said under his breath, but then he looked back at Dragapult. “Dragon Pulse, and pull back! Use Lock-On and get ready to dodge!”

“As big as possible, Dragonite!” Redi roared. “Take as much time as you need!”

As the glow built and built and built above Dragonite’s head, Dragapult couldn’t risk getting close. She dropped lower to the ground to slither through the air above it, keeping a close eye on her opponent. At a certain point, she pulled upwards to directly face her opponent, and then a burst came from her head.

The screech of this move came out absolutely delighted. Dreepy had never traveled at such an incredible speed before.

“Not a Dragon Pulse, but a Dragon Dart?” Sam mumbled. “That’s...”

I appreciate the new move, but Dragapult only has one Dreepy with her. Dragon Darts is half as effective. Dragon Pulse would have dealt more damage.

But that was fine. She was getting used to her evolution, and the super effective, Dragon Type impact from Dreepy still temporarily stalled Dragonite’s move. However, the glow didn’t stop, and even as Dreepy returned to his sister, the sphere grew and grew and grew.

Then, Redi finally called out this attack’s name.

“Draco Meteor!”

This sphere was the ultimate Dragon Type attack, something said to be a secret of the Blackthorn Clan and the Blackthorn Clan alone. No Dragon Type trainer had ever figured it out on their own, and in a way, Redi hadn’t either. This attack was coming out nowhere near as fast as a proper Draco Meteor, but so much like her, she was having her Pokémon pour an incredible amount of energy into this attempt to brute force the move.

Dragapult won’t last through this. And Phantom Force won’t let her hide for long enough.

We don’t have a defense. I could use U-Turn to switch, but with what Lance said and with that meteor coming at her...

He looked up at Dragonite and the barely stable sphere between its arms. Even if Sam tried to disrupt it, the explosion would still catch Dragapult. She couldn’t even fly upwards to try to slip past it. Dragonite could just disrupt its toss, and there was no telling what tricks it might have to redirect its attack.

Of course, there was a slight bright side to this. With how much energy it was pouring into this overwhelming attack, Dragonite would be utterly exhausted after its conclusion.

“Now!” Redi roared, and Sam found that he had no time to think.

Dragonite threw its truck-sized meteor straight at the floor, and the energy moved surprisingly slowly. However, smaller spheres broke off of it to rain across the field. With how much those smaller projectiles spread, there would be nowhere Dragapult could go to hide, and there was still the problem of the biggest sphere slowly approaching the field behind them.

In the end, there was only one answer Sam could find for this, and seconds seemed to stretch out into infinity as Dragonite’s veritable apocalypse crept toward his Pokémon.

“How much do you value tricks over strength?” he quickly asked Dragapult.

She hissed. She wasn’t the biggest fan, but she was a Ghost Type as much as she was a Dragon Type. For her, clever tricks were a kind of power.

That was just enough leeway for Sam to create a plan.

“Alright then,” he said, and the entire field glowed orange from the incoming meteor. “Use Dragon Darts, Dragapult. One last time.”

Quickly, and just like Dragonite, she caught on to Sam’s meaning. A grin stretched across her face—Dragapult might have been stuck in place by the threat of the Draco Meteor, but she wasn’t here alone.

There was at least one thing she could do—one other she could rely on.

They were completely out of time. Though the smaller projectiles from Draco Meteor hadn’t done much, the main body finally hit the field and burst in an explosion worthy of the title of “Meteor.” Dragapult became completely consumed by the light, but just past that fire, a high-pitched scream echoed out.

Dreepy was launched with such speed that he completely outpaced the burst.

Hurtling into the sky while Dragapult was consumed by the fires below, Dragonite was in no position to avoid this move. It tried to fly back to dodge, but this wasn’t any move; this was a move guided by Dreepy.

He curved the dart, and Dragonite had failed to dodge once. It wasn’t prepared to try again. It was unable to do anything as the Dragon Type energy was delivered straight to its face.

“Are you kidding me?” Redi blurted. “A tie?! Even after all of that?”

The light burned away. A blackened Dragapult laid unconscious on the ground. After a second, Dragonite hit the earth with a thud next to her.

“Nah,” Sam said. “Dragapult won. If she had more space than just this limited field, she could have escaped that Draco Meteor.”

“What? That’s not— That’s not how it works at all! Sam, all battles take place on the same kind of battlefield. What, you’re trying to say you’d win if we fought in the woods?”

“Yes,” Sam said.

Redi looked at him like he was insane.

“That’s not a counter-argument. Just saying ‘yes’ doesn’t actually defend your position. And besides,” she huffed, “Dragonite knows Extreme Speed. She could catch up, anyway.”

“Maybe for a moment,” Sam said to counter.

“But then she could just use Extreme Speed again.”

“But if you look closely, only Dragapult fainted, not Dreepy.”

“And that doesn’t count! Dreepy is a projectile under League rules. He’s like a third of a Dugtrio’s body—he doesn’t count as being conscious if the rest of the Pokémon faints!”

Annoyed, Redi crossed her arms, and Sam met her glare. They glared at one another before bursting into snickers.

But that laughter didn’t last long. Both of their Pokémon were fainted on the field.

Dreepy returned to his sister and was unable to get her to wake up. Dragonite was completely out of energy after that Dragon Darts it took to the face.

So that was that. Neither Pokémon was able to continue.

“Both Dragonite and... Dragapult are unable to battle,” the referee announced. “Trainers! Send out your next Pokémon.”

“Oh yeah. We still have the rest of the match from here,” Sam said.

Redi rolled her eyes, and they both recalled their Pokémon.

“Sam, if you have any tricks with Destiny Bond planned, I won’t be accepting a tie as our battle’s final outcome.”

“Don’t worry,” Sam said confidently. “I won’t be doing anything like that. A tie doesn’t count. As far as I’m concerned, the only way one of us is walking out of here is with one of us as the objective victor.”

Redi paused, raising an eyebrow.

“Actually, Victor already won his match,” she said.

And this time, Sam was the one to roll his eyes.

The Pokéballs containing the fully evolved Dragon Types were clipped back to their belts, with Dreepy resting alongside his unconscious sister. From there, Sam and Redi sent out their next Pokémon—Trevenant and Porygon2, respectively—and then the battle continued.

Here, Sam planned for Trevenant to outlast anything Redi released. As long as he wasn’t hit by something like that critical Night Slash, he could withstand any move.

But even after what happened with their Dragon Types, Redi was undeterred and unbothered by Sam’s choice.

No, she had already made up her mind about how the rest of this battle would go, and she went on to call for a specific move that would define every match-up from here.

“Trick Room!”

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Author Note:

Chapter 172 will be the last part of this battle.

Thank you for all of the positive comments. Unfortunately, this break was a necessity. I wouldn’t have been able to write chapters I’d be happy with if it weren’t for this chance to rest.

Schedule-wise, I won’t be sticking to the same, regular posting dates. I plan to release chapters as they are finished, but chapters will become more frequent from here. The rest of the chapters all tend to flow together, somewhat similar to how Chapters 170 to 172 flow into each other. Due to that, I’m currently hoping to reach the end of the fiction by the end of next week (with the final chapter coming out around the 11th, just about).

In the immediate days, I wanted to get these two chapters out today so I could focus on a different section of revisions on Monday and Tuesday. Chapter 165, the meeting with Edgar, will be rewritten, and then the next three chapters with Xavier will be touched up to hopefully improve how they’re framed and their quality. The only other chapter I would want to tackle for revisions is the Eliza battle, but compared to everything else, its priority is significantly less than making sure everything upcoming is good.

Once this fiction has ended, I will be taking a break to both rest and set up the next fiction. I have a few epilogue chapters for the Type Specialist I want to finally nail down, and I also want to write a “short,” standalone story as an introduction to my next long fiction. I already have a plan for that long story, but I want to write something a bit shorter before dedicating myself to something massive for a third time.

For that standalone story, I’m hoping it won’t be longer than 40k words, and I’ll be posting it here (publicly) and trying to complete it before it goes up on Royal Road.

Again, thank you for the support. Apologies if this section has been a little ramble-y. I’m looking forward to the stuff coming up, and I’m also looking forward to improving the last few chapters.

Hopefully, I will see you Wednesday for Chapter 172. In the meantime, I’ll be making edits for the Xavier chapters to come out on Tuesday.

Pokémon included in this chapter:
Dragonair / Dragonite
Porygon2

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