Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

Aggron was sent flying by Dragon Pulse.

The impact drove its heavy, steel-clad body across the battlefield. Its head spike carved a deep groove into the ice as it slid, finally crashing into the ground outside the arena.

Motionless.

Aggron lay unconscious.

For a moment, the entire stadium fell silent.

Then, an eruption of deafening cheers followed.

"What incredible power from Dragonite! It only took one move to knock out Keita's Aggron!" the announcer exclaimed, his voice filled with amazement.

With years of experience hosting battles, he could easily tell that Keita's Aggron wasn't weak.

In fact, compared to past Indigo Conference participants, this Aggron could have easily made it to the quarterfinals—possibly even the semifinals.

Yet it had been taken down in a single hit by Luo Yuan's Dragonite!

Just how strong was this Dragonite?

The announcer left the question hanging, inviting the audience to ponder it.

Meanwhile, a few trainers who had only come to observe Keita's skills quietly added Luo Yuan's name to their watchlist.

Owning a Dragonite of this caliber was enough to make him a serious rival.

---

On the battlefield, Dragonite stood triumphantly, chest puffed out and hands on its hips as if boasting about its victory.

Keita glanced at Dragonite, then at his defeated Aggron. With a heavy sigh, he recalled Aggron back into its Poké Ball.

However, as an experienced trainer, Keita didn't lose his composure despite Aggron being taken out so decisively.

Based on his assessment, Dragonite's overwhelming power stemmed from its use of Dragon Pulse—a special attack. Aggron's weak special defense had sealed its fate.

Keita's eyes lingered on Luo Yuan for a moment.

"This Luo Yuan... he's no ordinary trainer."

Recalling that Luo Yuan was a director at Silph Co., Keita's initial impression of him as just another rich kid dissipated completely.

"I underestimated you," Keita admitted solemnly. "From here on, I'll be giving it my all."

Keita decided to stop holding back.

Information warfare was only valuable if it led to victory.

The Indigo Conference didn't have second chances—once eliminated, it didn't matter how well he hid his strategies.

Luo Yuan noticed Keita's shift in demeanor and realized he might have overdone it.

They say you boil a frog slowly in warm water. I just tossed him straight into a boiling pot.

Keita grabbed his second Poké Ball and threw it.

"My next Pokémon is this one!"

Boom!

A burst of light revealed a Pelipper with blue, white, and yellow tones.

Hovering just above the ground, Pelipper flapped its wings steadily.

As it entered the battlefield, dark clouds gathered overhead, and a light drizzle began to fall.

Watching the capable-looking Pelipper, Luo Yuan quickly pieced things together.

Coupled with the intel about Keita's Swampert, he could already guess Keita's strategy.

"A rain team, huh…" Luo Yuan murmured.

As expected, any trainer competing in the Elite Four selection had serious skills.

"Keita sends out his second Pokémon, Pelipper! It's starting to rain—this must be Pelipper's Drizzle ability," the announcer explained.

Safely sheltered in a booth, the announcer was unaffected by the rain.

The audience, however, wasn't so lucky.

Unlike the main stadium, the side arenas lacked comprehensive facilities, leaving the unprepared spectators drenched.

Using his psychic abilities, Luo Yuan created an invisible barrier around himself, keeping the rain at bay.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Team Rocket's infamous trio in the audience passageway, hawking disposable raincoats to the soaked spectators.

"...Where did they even get all those raincoats to sell?"

Luo Yuan shook his head.

With their knack for business, it would be a waste not to transfer these three to Team Rocket's commercial department.

He made a mental note to suggest it to Giovanni later.

Refocusing on the battle, Luo Yuan watched as Keita issued his first command to Pelipper.

"Scald!"

A blast of steaming hot water shot from Pelipper's beak, aimed directly at Dragonite.

"Keita's Pelipper uses Scald! With Dragonite's large size, it might struggle to dodge!" the announcer analyzed.

The explanation was logical, and the audience nodded along in agreement.

It was common knowledge that larger Pokémon were often less agile.

To them, it seemed inevitable that Dragonite would have to rely on moves like Protect or Light Screen to defend itself.

But instead, Dragonite flapped its massive wings once.

Its enormous body rocketed upward with a burst of speed that defied physics, leaving a sonic boom in its wake.

"???"

The entire crowd, including Keita, stared in disbelief as Dragonite shot into the air, effortlessly dodging Scald.

"Unbelievable! Unbelievable!" the announcer exclaimed, using the word twice to convey his astonishment.

"Luo Yuan's Dragonite just displayed agility completely inconsistent with its size, evading Keita's Pelipper's attack!"

Before the audience could recover from their shock, Dragonite dove back down in a sharp arc, charging toward Pelipper.

At the same time, it unleashed a stream of purple Dragon Breath.

The attack carried a paralyzing aura, enveloping Pelipper as it descended.

However, Pelipper proved far more capable than Aggron.

Despite Dragonite's astonishing maneuverability, Pelipper reacted quickly.

It flapped its wings forcefully, creating a gust of wind that dispersed the Dragon Breath and propelled Pelipper sideways.

The announcer immediately explained, "That's Tailwind! Keita's Pelipper used Tailwind to dodge Dragonite's Dragon Breath! The move creates a strong wind, boosting the speed of allied Pokémon—it's often seen in double battles.

"But why would Keita choose Tailwind over Agility in this scenario?"

Compared to Tailwind, Agility seemed like a simpler, more direct way to increase speed.

The announcer's question was valid, and Keita's next command provided the answer.

"Pelipper, use Hurricane!"

Pelipper flapped its wings again, channeling the wind it had summoned with Tailwind.

The currents coalesced beneath its wings, preparing for a powerful follow-up attack.

The two moves were linked seamlessly.