Drake didn't seem too surprised that his Ditto had been defeated.
In fact, it would have been more surprising if Natsui hadn't defeated Ditto.
It was clear now that with such a powerful Gyarados, Natsui truly lived up to his reputation. At the very least, he was worthy of the champion title and completely met Drake's expectations.
The only thing that slightly surprised him was how quickly and miserably his Ditto had lost.
Hearing Drake's praise, Natsui replied politely, "Not at all. Your Ditto is very strong too. If it were to battle against other trainers' Pokémon, it would surely be extremely tough to deal with. But unfortunately for it, it ran into my Gyarados this time, so it had all that skill but no way to use it."
Drake: …
Although Natsui's tone was sincere, the words sounded a bit arrogant to Drake.
What does he mean, 'unfortunate that it ran into me'?
This man really doesn't know how to be modest.
Drake smiled faintly.
But this was fine too. Natsui was strong and very confident, which was perfect for reigniting his long-dormant passion for battle.
After all, he had waited for so long, been alone for so long, and now he had finally found a trainer who might actually be able to defeat him. It was a challenge worthy of his full effort.
With this thought, he took out a second Poké Ball.
"Well then, next, I'll be sending out this Pokémon!"
As he spoke, he threw the Poké Ball, and as the blue light faded, an Onix appeared on the field.
In the commentary box, seeing this Pokémon appear, the announcer said in an exaggerated tone, "Oh, oh, it's Drake's Onix! In past matches, this Pokémon has had many outstanding performances. By sending it out now, Drake must have very high hopes for it. Let's wait and see if it can even the score!"
Drake's supporters, seeing a new Pokémon on the field, shook off the gloom from the previous crushing defeat, regained their spirits, and began to cheer for him again.
For a moment, thunderous applause filled the stadium.
And although the announcer hyped up this Onix, for Natsui, after winning the first round, the next few battles had become much easier.
As long as he chose a Pokémon with a type advantage, he had a high chance of winning.
Therefore, looking at the Onix, Natsui didn't think too much. He also threw out his second Poké Ball, sending out his Venusaur.
"Venusaur, this battle is up to you!"
THUD!
Venusaur landed heavily on the ground, then nodded, its gaze fixed on Onix.
Its massive physique meant that even against a large Pokémon like Onix, it was at no disadvantage. And because Grass-type is four times effective against the Rock/Ground-type Onix, dealing with it would be, to put it simply, very straightforward.
"Oh my…" Seeing Natsui send out a Venusaur, the announcer drew out his words. "It's a Venusaur! It seems Challenger Natsui plans to use type advantage to win the second match. What a clever choice!"
His tone was somewhat sarcastic. As a supporter of Drake, he probably felt that Natsui should have embodied the spirit of a major league champion and not sent out a Pokémon with a type advantage, but rather allowed both sides to compete on a level playing field.
And while the announcer was speaking, through the loudspeakers, everyone could clearly hear the sound of papers rustling.
A few seconds later, the announcer chuckled and said, "Hmm… so that's how it is. According to the data, during the Indigo Conference, Challenger Natsui was very good at fighting with a type advantage. It seems he's gotten a taste for it and has brought that style to our Orange League!"
Natsui, of course, heard the announcer's words clearly, but his state of mind was calm, and he didn't care at all.
After all, going first or second, having a type advantage or a same-type matchup, were all unavoidable aspects of Pokémon battles and part of the strategy. There was nothing "clever" about it.
Even if others treated him this way in the future, he wouldn't find it strange.
The reason the announcer was saying this now was simply because he was unhappy about Drake's loss in the first round and was just venting his frustration.
Instead of complaining about me, he should be thinking about why Ditto lost the first match.
Just then, Ditto's portrait on the scoreboard dimmed, replaced by Onix versus Venusaur.
Natsui glanced at Drake again.
Drake's expression was still calm, seemingly unaffected by the announcer's comments.
In fact, not just him, but most of the audience also knew that type matchups were a common occurrence in Pokémon battles, so no one really took the announcer's words to heart.
Nearby, seeing that both sides were ready again, the referee swung his flags for the second time, signaling the official start of the second match.
"Venusaur, use Vine Whip!" This time, it was again Natsui who attacked first.
Hearing his command, two vines shot out from the flower on Venusaur's back, whipping towards Onix.
"Onix! Dig underground!"
On the other side, Drake also knew he was at a type disadvantage, so as soon as Natsui shouted, he immediately ordered Onix to dig underground.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The fast-moving vines were like two green shadows, cutting through the air and creating afterimages.
But before the vines could land, Onix had already moved. It created a hole in the ground and, like a loach, quickly burrowed in.
Such speed!
Natsui's brow furrowed slightly.
Pokémon that could use Dig were known for their fast burrowing speeds, but this Onix had clearly been trained in this aspect. It was able to disappear underground even before one could clearly see its movements.
Slap! Slap!
The vines hit the ground, not even touching Onix's tail, only kicking up some dust and gravel.
Seeing that his opponent's tracks were lost, Natsui took the opportunity to scan the battlefield again.
As a rock field, it was quite advantageous for Onix. It could not only move quickly underground but also use the terrain and color of the rocks to hide, making it impossible for Venusaur to pinpoint its exact location.
It seems that although I have the type advantage, Onix has the home-field advantage.
There's no other way. I'll just have to wait for it to show itself.
In an instant, these thoughts flashed through his mind, and Natsui shouted again, "Venusaur, don't just stand there! Get to the edge of the pool, and watch your feet!"
------------------------
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