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At this point, the battle had reached its fifth round.
Standing on the edge of defeat, Drake sent out his Electabuzz. In response, Kai threw a Poké Ball, releasing his Crystal Onix onto the battlefield.
As soon as the Onix emerged, shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight like a crystal, everyone Drake, the announcer, the Orange League staff, the audience in the stadium, and even viewers watching from their televisions was completely stunned by its breathtaking appearance!
Countless cameras immediately zoomed in on Crystal Onix, their flashes going off in rapid succession as they captured every detail.
"Is that… an Onix?! What an incredible color!!"
"Is it a Shiny Onix?!"
"No way! Shiny Onix isn't this colour, is it?!"
Among the murmuring crowd, Ash and his friends were surrounded by astonished voices. Even though they had already seen Crystal Onix once before at the Evolution Lake on Sunburst Island, they couldn't help but be captivated by its beauty all over again.
Back then, they had been caught in a chaotic battle with the rampaging Gyarados, leaving them no time to admire it closely.
But now, taking a good look at it, it truly was a breathtaking sight!
"This is unbelievable…" the announcer muttered in awe. "Shiny Pokémon are incredibly rare, but not unheard of. However, I can confidently say that this crystal-like Onix isn't just a Shiny Pokémon it's a unique variant, something beyond rare! This is a truly remarkable sight! I wonder where Kai managed to capture such a Pokémon?"
As he spoke, a thought suddenly struck the announcer. Hesitating for a moment, he then said, "Wait… I remember hearing a legend when I passed through Sunburst Island. The locals spoke of a mysterious Crystal Onix that was said to live there, but despite years of searching, no one had ever found it. Could it be that this Pokémon is that very same legendary Crystal Onix?!"
Hearing this, the audience was enlightened.
"So this Onix is called Crystal Onix!"
Among the many viewers, the most excited were undoubtedly the glass artisans from Sunburst Island.
Just as the announcer had suggested, a single glance was all they needed to confirm it this was the very Pokémon they had long dreamed of finding!
For years, they had believed the Crystal Onix to be nothing more than a myth. And yet, here it was, standing before them in the middle of an official Pokémon battle!
It was almost surreal. After all their fruitless searching, it had ended up being captured by Kai!
But as the initial wave of amazement settled, people turned their focus back to the match, quickly realizing that this battle was going to be a harsh one for Drake.
Crystal Onix, being a Rock/Ground-type, had a massive advantage over Electabuzz. Not only could it deal double damage with Ground-type moves, but it was also completely immune to Electric-type attacks, making Electabuzz's primary offensive capabilities utterly useless.
With that in mind, the audience couldn't help but suspect that Drake was about to suffer yet another crushing defeat just like in his previous matches.
"He's going to lose again, isn't he…?"
Their emotions had been on a rollercoaster initially full of confidence, then shaken by doubt, and now, resigned to what seemed like an inevitable outcome.
As the battle began, things went exactly as they feared.
Electabuzz had no way to effectively attack Crystal Onix.
With its Electric-type moves rendered useless, the only option left was to resort to Normal-type attacks, but Onix, like its regular counterpart, had an incredibly high defence, making those attacks virtually ineffective.
Meanwhile, Electabuzz had to be extremely cautious, dodging every attack from Crystal Onix.
Fortunately, it did know a Fighting-type move, Low Kick, which was super effective against Onix, dealing double damage. This gave Electabuzz a slight fighting chance, preventing it from being completely helpless.
However, with only one viable attack at its disposal, and Kai now fully aware of this strategy, the outcome was inevitable.
In the end, Crystal Onix used Rock Tomb to trap Electabuzz in a corner before following up with Rock Slide, crushing its opponent and bringing the match to a decisive end.
"He won again!"
This marked Drake's fifth consecutive loss in this battle. Five matches, five overwhelming disadvantages at this point, the audience couldn't help but wonder:
"Is Kai going to maintain his undefeated streak just like he did in the Indigo League? Will he win every single match without a loss?"
However, because of Kai's previous performance in the Indigo League, the Orange League spectators didn't feel particularly humiliated by the situation.
After all, even if this looked bad for them, they weren't the only ones struggling against him.
Besides, losing to a trainer this powerful wasn't a sign of weakness it was a testament to just how strong their opponent was!
With Electabuzz now defeated, all eyes turned to Drake. Everyone knew that he was now down to his final Pokémon, the ace of his team—
Dragonite!
From the trainer's box, Drake retrieved Electabuzz's Poké Ball, recalling his Pokémon. He then looked toward Kai and let out a deep sigh, his expression serious.
"You really are strong. Compared to all the other trainers who have challenged the Winner's Cup before, you are, without a doubt, the strongest I have ever faced."
Kai scratched his nose and shook his head. "The strongest? I don't think so. At least, compared to some of the trainers I know, I'm nowhere near the top. If I've been able to win this many matches, it's only because my Pokémon have fought their hardest and carried me forward."
After facing Drake for several rounds, Kai had already formed an estimate of his opponent's true strength.
From what he could tell, this strongest Orange League trainer was no pushover. At the very least, he was on par with or even stronger than the Indigo League's Top Four competitors.
On the other side, Drake didn't react to Kai's words with any sense of reassurance. Instead, he simply lowered his head, placed a hand on the Poké Ball hanging from his chest, and gently removed it.
"Dragonite… it's finally time for you to battle."
The Poké Ball twitched slightly in his grip as if responding to his words. This small movement was proof of the deep bond between Drake and his Dragonite.
"Go, Dragonite!"
With a swift motion, Drake tossed the Poké Ball into the sky. A burst of blue light flashed, and Dragonite appeared, soaring in the air.
"Finally, the moment has arrived…" the announcer murmured, gazing up at Dragonite. However, this time, his voice carried a heavy tone rather than excitement.
"It's been so long since we've seen Dragonite in action… I wonder if it's still as powerful as it once was. Now, let's see if Dragonite can turn the tide and bring Drake a chance at victory!"
Dragonite…
Kai looked at Drake's ace Pokémon for a moment before withdrawing his Crystal Onix.
Then, from his belt, he picked up his own final Poké Ball.
With a bold voice, he declared:
"This battle is yours to take, go..."
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Here comes another Cliffhanger 😗
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Don't forget to drop some PowerStones!💎💎💎
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