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"Altaria!!"
As Clair cried out, Kai didn't wait for Altaria to recover. He immediately gave Crystal Steelix a new order.
"Use Crunch!"
Steelix opened its massive jaws and clamped down hard on Altaria. Its enormous mouth was so wide that it practically swallowed half of Altaria's body whole!
Crack, crunch…
Everyone present could hear the gnashing of teeth against feathered flesh a sound that made Clair's heart tighten.
Thankfully, Steelix's teeth weren't sharp, and Altaria's thick, cloud-like feathers cushioned the bite. It didn't break the skin or damage any internal organs.
But the pain, deep and soul-shaking, was undeniable.
At that moment, Altaria looked like it was caught in a crushing vice, its body trembling under the pressure.
"Altaria! You have to break free!!"
Spurred on by Clair's desperate voice, Altaria seemed to rally its strength in a final burst of willpower. It gathered its remaining energy and launched an attack from within Steelix's mouth. A blast of energy erupted point-blank, forcing the jaws open just long enough for Altaria to escape, battered and barely airborne.
Now in full view, Altaria's body was covered in burns and bruises. It looked nothing like the graceful Pokémon from before, wings ragged, feathers soaked, and barely holding itself aloft.
As for Steelix, it stood tall and proud. Though smoke billowed from its jaws, it remained upright, shaking off the dizziness from Altaria's last attack.
Its eyes burned a deep, violent red.
Kai sighed softly.
Before evolving, Crystal Onix had always been calm and quiet a silent presence that preferred solitude. But ever since its evolution, its appearance had changed... and so had its personality.
It had grown more aggressive its sharp fangs and gleaming eyes were not unlike those of Gyarados. One look from that cold, crystal face would be enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
Especially with a body so cold and unyielding, it no longer felt like a rock-type… but more like a true cold-blooded predator.
Kai couldn't help but compare it to Magikarp. Pokémon that seemed harmless at first glance often turned into the most ferocious after evolution.
Now, out of ten main Pokémon in his rotation, two were trending toward the "dangerous and violent" category. Whether that was a good thing or not… he wasn't sure.
Clair, on the other hand, bit her lip.
Altaria had nothing left. One more attack from Steelix would knock it out. If she lost this round, she'd be down 0–2, and mounting a comeback with one last Pokémon would be almost impossible.
She had to turn things around.
Even if she lost, she needed to at least take one of Kai's Pokémon down to leave some opening in the final round.
Her eyes darted to the pool in the middle of the battlefield.
She had an idea.
"Altaria, use Take Down! Knock it into the water!!"
Kai nodded inwardly.
Given the current situation, it was a smart plan.
Yes, Altaria would take recoil damage, and once in the water, it wouldn't be able to fly again. But as long as Steelix was dragged into the pool, its massive body would make it impossible to climb back out.
A mutual knock-out.
That would've worked… if it were any other Steelix.
But this was Crystal Steelix.
Altaria, trembling and out of breath, mustered the last of its strength and dove at Steelix in one final charge.
Crash!
Steelix didn't dodge. It took the full hit and toppled back, dragging Altaria with it as both plunged into the water.
"Yes! Got it!!"
Clair's eyes lit up with hope.
But… she never stopped to consider—why hadn't Kai ordered his Pokémon to dodge?
Splash, splash…
Water sloshed across the field and reached her feet, soaking her shoes.
She didn't care.
All that mattered was watching the pool.
Then… something stirred beneath the surface.
A huge, glistening head clear as crystal rose from the depths, completely unbothered.
"Crystal Steelix!? What!?"
Clair's mind reeled.
She had envisioned two outcomes: either both Pokémon would faint, or Steelix would sink and be unable to continue, giving Altaria the win.
Not this.
Not Steelix surfacing completely unscathed.
Eyes wide with disbelief, she suddenly seemed to understand.
"Don't tell me… this form of your Steelix changed its typing too?!"
"No, not quite," Kai said, shaking his head. "Its typing is the same. But it has a water resistance. When I first found it, it was living deep underwater."
Clair blinked. Then let out a defeated sigh.
"So that's it… Life really is full of surprises."
Still, Altaria had yet to resurface.
Clair's worry deepened.
Kai snapped his fingers.
Snap!
In the next moment, Steelix lifted its massive tail from the pool, revealing Altaria completely unconscious, wrapped tightly in its coils.
Kai gestured gently, and Steelix flung Altaria back toward Clair's side.
It tumbled across the ground, soaked and limp, water pouring from its beak.
Definitely unconscious.
Cab on the sidelines gave a small moment of silence for the poor Pokémon before raising his green flag again.
"Altaria is unable to battle! The second round goes to Crystal Steelix!"
Another loss…
Clair returned Altaria to its Poké Ball, her expression conflicted.
She stared at Kai for a few seconds, seemingly deep in thought then made a decision.
"Kai, before we begin the final round… I have a request."
"A request?"
She nodded. "For this last match… would you send out your Gyarados?"
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