The crowd looked towards the field and saw that Corey had sent out a Pidgeot, while Natsui had sent out his Charizard!
One of these Pokémon was Normal/Flying, while the other was Fire/Flying.
Seeing that there was no type disadvantage, Corey breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he was determined to win this year's Indigo Conference championship, he was well aware of how tough Natsui was. Being at a type disadvantage in the first blind matchup would undoubtedly make his path to victory more difficult.
At the same time, Natsui's gaze lingered on the Pidgeot for a moment.
Compared to Pidgeotto, the evolved Pidgeot was much larger, with a wider wingspan and a more magnificent crest of feathers on its head.
Its chest muscles were very well-developed, and it could intimidate enemies just by spreading its wings. A light flap could stir up a huge gust of wind, and when it flapped with all its might, the resulting gale could bend even large trees!
Just as both sides were getting ready, something interesting happened on the field.
Although the match hadn't officially started, Natsui's Charizard, looking at the powerful bird before it, snorted a puff of hot air from its nostrils. Its face twisted into an extremely menacing expression, and it began to glare intently at Pidgeot with its wide, intimidating eyes!
This was an enhanced version of Leer that it had taught itself after days of intense staredowns with Ash's Charizard!
However, unlike a normal Leer, its expression was more terrifying, and its eyes burned with a greater fury, making the effect exceptionally potent. It gave off an aura of wanting to devour its enemy whole!
As luck would have it, this moment was captured by the cameras and displayed on the stadium's big screen.
Seeing Charizard's expression, the audience found it comical and erupted in laughter.
"Oh?" the announcer said, amused. "It seems trainer Natsui's Charizard is quite fired up! It already looks eager to start the battle!"
However, unlike the relaxed humans, Pidgeot, the other main character in this scene, broke out in a cold sweat the moment it was subjected to that glare!
Is this Charizard... an idiot?
With such a terrifying look, is it planning to roast me with its flames!?
Pidgeot felt a wave of apprehension. A little scared, it instinctively averted its gaze from Charizard's.
When the clock struck 10:00 AM, the final match began!
But right as the battle started, people noticed that this Charizard was extremely aggressive. Without even waiting for Natsui's command, it began spewing flames and charged eagerly toward Pidgeot.
Seeing this, Corey quickly ordered Pidgeot to dodge and counterattack.
"Pidgeot, use Quick Attack!"
Flapping its wings, Pidgeot suddenly accelerated. While dodging the flames, it circled around to Charizard's side and launched its assault.
However, just as it was about to get close, Charizard suddenly turned its head and revealed a terrifying grin.
"Charizard, use Slash!"
With Natsui's command, Charizard raised one of its powerful claws high and then swung it down fiercely at the Pidgeot that was now just inches away!
Although the momentum of Quick Attack was unstoppable, allowing Pidgeot to crash into Charizard, it was also unable to dodge in time and was struck by Charizard's attack!
Both Pokémon took varying degrees of damage, but in an instant, they separated again.
Seeing this, the announcer couldn't help but ask Lance, "Mr. Lance, who do you think will be the first to win this round?"
Lance smiled faintly and gave a noncommittal reply, "It's hard to say. Both of these Pokémon are excellent. Whoever wins this bout will depend on which one is in better condition!"
What a sly man!
The announcer complained internally. He had originally hoped to bait Lance into saying something biased or unfair to stir up more discussion about the match.
But seeing that Lance's answer was completely airtight, he had no choice but to turn his attention back to the field.
After the initial exchange, the two Pokémon flew around the field, battling as they went. They would dive, then soar, then roll, then spin, chasing and clashing with each other. Because they were moving so fast and were airborne the entire time, the audience had to keep their eyes glued to the screen to ensure they didn't miss a single exciting moment!
As Corey's lead Pokémon, this Pidgeot was naturally strong and wouldn't be defeated so easily.
It frequently used Wing Attack, Feather Dance, and Hurricane, which certainly caused some trouble for Charizard. In response, Charizard, not to be outdone, fought back with Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, and Air Slash.
For a time, the two Pokémon were evenly matched, trading blows back and forth!
But in the end, it was Natsui who seized an opportunity. As the two Pokémon crossed paths once more, he saw his chance and suddenly gave the command!
"Charizard, now! Use Fire Fang!"
Caught completely off guard, Pidgeot was bitten by a set of flame-engulfed fangs. It cried out in pain and, unable to take any more damage, fell from the sky, completely losing its ability to battle!
The audience erupted in cheers.
Corey knew how difficult Natsui was to deal with, so he was already mentally prepared. Thus, despite losing the first round, he was not too disheartened.
Just as Pidgeot was about to hit the ground, he recalled it smoothly and simultaneously took out his second Poké Ball.
"Go, Rhyhorn!"
The next second, a Pokémon clad in sturdy armor, looking somewhat like a rhinoceros and a triceratops, appeared on the field.
Oh? Shifting the battle to the ground?
Looking at this Rhyhorn, Natsui nodded slightly.
As a Ground- and Rock-type Pokémon, Fire-type moves would have their power halved against it, so without much thought, he also recalled his Charizard.
After deliberating between his Pokémon for a moment, Natsui finally chose one that was perfectly suited for this battle.
"Charizard, you did well! It's up to you now. Go, Gyarados!"
The moment Gyarados appeared, its overwhelming aura filled the space. After letting out a heavenward roar, its blood-red eyes locked onto the Rhyhorn before it.
Feeling its opponent's presence, Rhyhorn began to paw the ground restlessly, growing agitated.
Seeing this, the fans of Gyarados in the crowd let out an even bigger cheer.
Corey, witnessing this, cursed inwardly and had to quickly speak to calm his Pokémon's nerves to prevent it from losing its composure.
The announcer said humorously, "Both of trainer Natsui's Pokémon have had such sharp gazes upon entering the field. It looks like he's pioneered a new style!"
Lance glanced at the announcer and played along perfectly, "Oh? And what style would that be?"
The announcer laughed. "Does that even need to be said? Of course, it's the Intimidation by Glaring Style!"
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