Lian's gaze shifted to Infernape with its flaming crest atop its head. It seemed likely that Ninetales might lose this battle. Infernape, being both Fighting and Fire-type, boasted high attack power and exceptional speed. Apart from its potent Fire-type moves, its strongest capability lay in close-quarters Fighting-type combat.
Currently at level 32, Ninetales' defense may not withstand Infernape's close-range attacks effectively. Additionally, with its relatively low Special Attack stat, swiftly defeating Infernape appeared nearly impossible.
Ninetales was more suited to countering Pokemon with strong Special Attacks due to its exceptional Special Defense. Moreover, Ninetales could naturally learn Nasty Plot, enhancing its own Special Attack capabilities through this move, ensuring it wouldn't lack offensive potential.
Seeing her opponent's Infernape, Kalia remained composed. Having already defeated Crawdaunt, there were no remaining threats significant enough to challenge Charmeleon. Her strategy now focused on probing and wearing down the enemy, which would suffice for the remainder of the match.
At present, Ninetales' mission was to maximize damage against Infernape, preparing the stage for Charmeleon's entry.
"Ninetales, use Extrasensory!" commanded Kalia. Extrasensory is a Psychic-type move capable of inflicting substantial damage on the Fighting-type Infernape.
As Kalia gave her command, Cassia also directed Infernape to initiate an attack. Eager to defeat Ninetales swiftly, he opted for Close Combat, despite its potential drawbacks.
"Infernape, close in on Ninetales and use Close Combat!"
Close Combat is a high-powered Fighting-type move with a significant side effect. When executing this technique, the Pokemon must abandon defense entirely, focusing solely on aggressive assault. Upon completion of the move, the Pokemon's defensive capabilities temporarily decrease.
Cassia's choice of Close Combat was precisely what Kalia hoped for. With Infernape's defenses weakened, it would be easier for Charmeleon to take the stage and ultimately defeat Infernape.
Her concern had been that Cassia might exploit Infernape's speed to gradually wear down Ninetales or even employ moves to enhance abilities. However, it became apparent that although Cassia no longer underestimated his opponent, he remained eager to swiftly overpower Ninetales using Infernape.
This reaction was understandable; most trainers wouldn't consider a Charmeleon as much of a threat. Putting herself in Cassia's shoes, Kalia realized she too might have overlooked Charmeleon without knowing its true capabilities beforehand.
For many, compared to Ninetales, the perceived danger posed by a Charmeleon is significantly lower.
Infernape swiftly charged forward, its movements agile and swift, even more rapid than Grovyle's.
Simultaneously, Ninetales unleashed Extrasensory, emitting a powerful psychic force that enveloped Infernape. The intangible nature of psychic energy made it incredibly difficult to evade, even with prior preparation.
"Hold on, Infernape!" Cassia shouted loudly. Although Extrasensory is a Psychic-type move, it was far from enough to defeat Infernape outright.
Under the control of Extrasensory, Infernape began vigorously struggling, attempting to break free from the psychic grip.
With a loud cry, Infernape suddenly escaped the influence of Extrasensory and continued charging towards Ninetales. However, during the struggle, it became evident that Infernape had sustained some injuries.
"That's enough," Kalia acknowledged pragmatically. Causing damage was sufficient for her strategy; now it depended on whether Ninetales could withstand this close combat attack.
However, chances were slim. Firstly, Close Combat is a Fighting-type move, and Ninetales lacks resistance against Fighting-type attacks. With Infernape fully utilizing the power of this move, Ninetales would likely be unable to defend itself effectively.
"Ninetales, dodge!" Kalia quickly warned, hoping for evasion but not overly concerned if it couldn't manage.
Ninetales' agility training was not yet fully refined, and having just evolved, it lacked significant battle experience.
Facing the swift Infernape, Ninetales panicked and was immediately tackled by the charging opponent.
Once engaged at close quarters, Ninetales had no effective means of resistance. Close combat is not a brief move but rather sustained offensive strikes.
Infernape relentlessly attacked Ninetales, abandoning defense entirely and focusing on full-force assaults. This forced Ninetales to retreat continuously, becoming increasingly disheveled.
Shortly after, Ninetales collapsed onto the ground, unable to continue battling. Fortunately, Infernape held back at the last moment, preventing severe injuries.
A hint of satisfaction finally appeared on Cassia's face, as he had defeated Kalia's Pokemon. Now, all that remained is defeating Charmeleon, which would virtually secure his victory; Grovyle posed no significant threat.
Kalia recalled Ninetales and then turned to Charmeleon, "Charmeleon, it's your turn now."
After using Close Combat, Infernape's fighting capability diminished compared to its earlier performance. For Charmeleon, defeating it should not be difficult.
Lian extended his claws, forming an 'OK' gesture to signal his readiness. He confidently approached the battlefield, knowing it was time for his show.
Lian understood Kalia's strategy; otherwise, she wouldn't have delayed his entry. Infernape had expended significant energy with Extrasensory and suffered reduced Double Defense due to Close Combat's side effects.
Defeating Infernape now seemed quite assured for Lian. Kalia had clearly made progress, knowing how to maximize the impact of her trump card.
Observing Charmeleon's human-like movements, Kalia sometimes felt it behaved more akin to a humanoid than a typical Charmeleon, often displaying gestures reminiscent of humans.
"That Charmeleon seems rather unique."
"It looks strong but probably not enough to match Infernape. Charmeleon is still considerably weaker compared to Ninetales."
The students discussed the strength of both Charmeleon and Infernape, speculating on which Pokémon would emerge victorious in this battle.
"Infernape, use Close Combat!" Cassia swiftly issued her command. Despite the side effects of Close Combat weakening defense, it did not affect attack power.
With sufficiently high attack and speed, Infernape could defeat its opponent before they could retaliate—an approach based on Cassia's combat experience.
Kalia also gave her instruction:
"Charmeleon, Flamethrower!"
To defeat Infernape, relying solely on one move wouldn't suffice. While Fire-type attacks aren't particularly effective against Infernape, combining them with Dragon Rage would be sufficient.
While using Dragon Rage first might seem advantageous, it would undoubtedly raise Cassia's guard. By initiating with Flamethrower, knowing Infernape's resistance to Fire-type moves, Kalia anticipated her opponent would relax and become less vigilant.
As expected, when hearing Kalia's command, Cassia appeared visibly surprised, then his expression eased slightly.
Unbeknownst to him, Charmeleon had already mastered a move combination, requiring no additional orders from its Trainer once Flamethrower was initiated.
Before Lian even received the command, he unleashed Flamethrower instinctively, as it was clearly the optimal choice. Even if not explicitly directed, there was no downside to using Flamethrower; Dragon Rage and Flamethrower essentially functioned as one combined attack.
To swiftly defeat Infernape, utilizing move combinations was essential, especially since Infernape was still under the residual effects of Close Combat. Unless Kalia were foolish, she wouldn't pass up the opportunity for such a combo.
A scorching blast erupted forth. Lian opted for a straightforward Flamethrower without any flashy variations, maintaining its power but executing it differently than before.
Now, his Flamethrower became incredibly difficult to evade because he could control the flames, adjusting their trajectory based on Infernape's position.
While Lian couldn't sustain Flamethrower continuously like Moltres, using it akin to an infinite flamethrower, he could still make simple directional adjustments.
As Infernape charged forward, the scorching flames met head-on, repeatedly impacting its body.
Despite being resistant to Fire-type attacks, Lian's high Special Attack ability combined with Infernape's significantly reduced Special Defense made this Flamethrower highly impactful. Unlike Ninetales' Flame Body, which provided immunity to Fire-type moves, Infernape merely endured without immediate defeat.