The Rhydon crashed to the ground with a deafening thud, causing both the earth and Jessie's heart to tremble simultaneously.
Defeated just like that?
In one swift move—a single Flamethrower—her Rhydon was defeated. Although Ninetales had already drained some of its stamina earlier, Jessie still couldn't believe it.
As the Trainer who knew her Pokemon best, she understood Rhydon's renowned toughness, with skin as resilient as steel. Even against Water-type attacks, Rhydon could usually withstand them effortlessly. Yet now, it couldn't endure a single Fire-type Flamethrower.
Most shockingly, the victor over Rhydon was none other than a Charmeleon, which ordinarily would be instantly annihilated by Rhydon's Rock Blast attack.
This defeat shook Jessie's confidence profoundly, but having experienced losses before, she didn't let this setback completely dampen her fighting spirit. Quickly regaining her composure, however, Jessie no longer harbored the unwavering belief in victory she had held moments ago when facing Kalia.
Standing on the grass, Jessie recalled her defeated Rhydon back into its Poké Ball and hesitated momentarily between the remaining two Poké Balls.
Finally, she chose the one on the far left, detached it from her belt, and with a click, released another Pokémon, emitting a red glow upon landing.
Kalia observed Jessie's second Pokémon, a Grass- and Rock-type Torterra. Its shell featured a lush tree atop, along with moss-covered rocks, indicating that it was one of the starter Pokémon from the Ellie Region League.
Clearly, this Torterra was Jessie's initial Pokémon. Facing Charmeleon, Torterra had no significant advantage and even seemed weaker compared to Rhydon.
Torterra's only potential edge might have been mastering the Ground-type move Earthquake. If successfully executed during battle, it could pose a substantial threat to Lian.
However, Lian would not allow Torterra enough time to unleash Earthquake, nor would Kalia permit it.
"Charmeleon, Flamethrower."
As Kalia issued the command, Lian opened his mouth simultaneously, demonstrating their seamless coordination.
Boom!
Intense flames swirled within Lian's mouth, building up until they could no longer be contained. Transforming into a fiery dragon, the scorching blaze surged forward towards Torterra.
Jessie didn't anticipate Charmeleon to unleash Flamethrower so swiftly. Caught off guard and unsure how to counter it, she hastily commanded, "Torterra, use Earthquake."
However, Torterra's cumbersome body couldn't move quickly enough. Before it could execute Earthquake, the searing flames engulfed its shell from behind.
With no means of resistance, the intense heat made Torterra feel as if trapped inside a blazing furnace, unable to focus on executing the Earthquake move.
As Flamethrower subsided, Torterra displayed a pained expression, struggling to remain upright. In the next moment, its sturdy limbs suddenly went limp like rubber, collapsing onto the ground and slipping into unconsciousness.
Torterra lacked any Fire-type resistance; even Rhydon couldn't withstand the ferocious burn of Flamethrower, let alone Torterra.
The moment this occurred, numerous trainees were left utterly astonished, feeling overwhelmed by Lian's immense strength.
Jessie had anticipated defeat but still felt powerless, as Torterra hadn't even managed to unleash Earthquake.
Without any Water-type Pokémon, she primarily focused on training Ground-types. She initially believed that Ground-types would counter Fire-types effectively, yet her Pokémon was defeated before it could execute a move—how disheartening.
With Jessie's loss inevitable, her third Pokémon also succumbed effortlessly to Lian's Flamethrower.
In the eyes of the trainees, Kalia's prowess placed her among the top ten, possibly even within the top five, largely due to her Charmeleon's exceptional performance.
To overcome Ninetales' Drought Ability, one would need a Pokémon with the Drizzle Ability. However, few trainees possessed such Pokémon; their only option was using Rain Dance moves.
Ninetales' Drought Ability activated automatically upon entering battle, while Rain Dance required deliberate activation by the Pokémon, creating a significant disparity.
If a Trainer understood this advantage, they could maintain control even if their opponent's Pokémon used Rain Dance, altering the weather, and leverage it strategically.
As a result, Kalia continued winning each subsequent battle, leaving her unfortunate opponents with no choice but to accept their defeat.
The competition progressed round after round, and occasionally Kalia faced trainees ranked among the top ten. Although these battles were not as effortless for her as before, she still emerged victorious.
Kalia's exceptional strength, representing Sebas as an external participant, brought immense satisfaction to the Sebas region's trainees. Whenever she defeated an Ellie Region trainee, they came close to cheering triumphantly.
Historically, the Ellie Region trainees had always been slightly stronger than those from Sebas, particularly dominating in recent times. This left many Sebas trainees feeling frustrated and powerless, unable to vent their anger.
Although Kalia was an external participant, she represented the Sebas region. Her victories against the typically arrogant Ellie Region trainees felt like wins for them as well.
By this stage of the competition, Kalia maintained an unbroken streak, accumulating the highest points at six, corresponding to six consecutive wins.
Of course, there were other trainees with six consecutive wins, all among the top-ranked participants from the Ellie Region. However, none of them had yet faced Kalia.
The strongest opponents Kalia encountered so far included the eighth-ranked trainee and a ninth-ranked participant from the Sebas region, both of whom she defeated convincingly.
Among the top ten trainees, most hailed from the Ellie Region, increasing the likelihood that Kalia would face them as the competition progressed.
After another battle concluded, Kalia brought her Pokemon to the designated recovery area where a medic restored their energy and combat readiness.
As Lian felt his injuries being healed, he reveled in the exhilaration of these battles. Unless facing a Fire-type resistant Pokemon, even those with high Special Defense struggled against the combination of Flamethrower and Dragon Rage, unable to withstand it effectively.
One by one, Pokemon with base stats above 500 fell under his Flamethrower attacks, rarely managing to endure until Sunny Day ended.
Time flew by, and soon the morning matches concluded. The trainees began dispersing for lunch breaks.
Currently, Kalia had accumulated seven points, ranking alongside three other trainees at the top: Haley, Charlie, and Hassa. Among them, Hassa was notable as the previous competition's winner and also the son of Teacher Harvey.
In the afternoon, the battles continued with a noticeable change - trainees brought umbrellas for shade. The extensive Sunny Day effect caused by Drought Ability made even spectators uncomfortably hot, particularly during the intense heat of the afternoon. Without protection from the sun, it would have been unbearable.
However, things took a sudden turn when one trainee, overwhelmed by the scorching sunlight mid-battle, suffered from heatstroke.
The academy had no choice but to suspend the competition until the next day. It wasn't just Kalia's Ninetales causing Sunny Day; many trainees with Fire-type Pokemon were proficient in using the Sunny Day move.
Banning Sunny Day would be grossly unfair, so pausing the competition was the only viable option. Several trainees had already experienced heatstroke, prompting the academy to prioritize their well-being.
Given that it was currently summer, conditions were naturally harsher than spring. Combining the extreme heat of summer with the prolonged Sunny Day created an unbearably high-temperature environment few could withstand without issue.