"Fine!"
Soon, a steady voice gave Gu Yuan his answer. Through the grind of time, Roaring Moon was no longer as savage as it once was; its personality had become somewhat composed. In particular, the desire to leave this place had been filling its mind, so the thirst to grow stronger gradually replaced its brutal nature.
"Go, Charizard! Blast Burn!"
Just as Charizard had anticipated earlier, Gu Yuan chose to let it handle this. From a type perspective, Charizard was actually not the best choice. As a Dragon and Dark-type Pokémon, Roaring Moon is twice weak to Fighting, Bug, Ice, and Dragon, and four times weak to Fairy. Logically, Sylveon would have been the most appropriate choice to take the field.
In reality, type advantages only matter if the move actually hits. In terms of sheer power, Charizard was stronger than Sylveon and better equipped to handle Roaring Moon's powerful offensive while finding openings to counter. Had it been Sylveon, it might not have found a single chance to strike back, rendering any type advantage useless.
Facing Charizard's attack, Roaring Moon opened with Outrage, followed immediately by Dragon Rush. It seemed it had no intention of a long-drawn-out skirmish with Charizard and only wanted to decide the winner as quickly as possible. Gu Yuan already knew this behavior well from Moltres's description.
"Charizard, we use Outrage as well! Then use Flame Charge to speed up, and finish with Dragon Rush!"
As Gu Yuan's voice rang out, Charizard's aura shifted instantly. Fire surged as its charging speed began to accelerate. Dragon-type energy swirled, enveloping Charizard like a massive dragon. Simultaneously, the dragon formed by Roaring Moon had just crushed the Blast Burn.
Without time to breathe, Roaring Moon was struck squarely by Charizard's Dragon Rush. The Dragon-type move's effectiveness was enough to inflict significant damage on Roaring Moon.
"Engage with Dragon Claw, and remember to use Dragon Dance to strengthen yourself!"
The moment the Dragon Rush dissipated, Charizard's offensive continued. Glowing green claws of energy condensed as it flapped its wings to clash with Roaring Moon. This suited Roaring Moon perfectly, as it also used Dragon Claw to trade blows with Charizard.
However, compared to the wide, sweeping, and fierce attacks of Roaring Moon, Charizard's fighting style was undoubtedly much more agile. Especially as the boosts from Dragon Dance began to manifest, Charizard gradually gained the upper hand in the brawl. This didn't put pressure on Roaring Moon; instead, it further ignited its fighting spirit.
Unfortunately, with the enhancements from Dragon Dance, a gap in strength had appeared between the two. It was no longer something that raw fighting spirit alone could reverse.
"Charizard, use Blast Burn to push back!"
Suddenly, Gu Yuan's voice echoed in Charizard's mind. This happened just as Roaring Moon was charging toward it. Raging flames erupted just as the duration of Roaring Moon's Outrage happened to end. Unable to dodge in time, Roaring Moon could only use Dragon Claw to defend, but it was still knocked down by the Blast Burn.
"Suppress it with Blast Burn, then Dragon Rush!"
Gu Yuan knew very well that Roaring Moon resisted Fire-type moves, not to mention that the Dragon Claw had blocked some of the power. The flames continued to roar down, but a now-recovered Roaring Moon used Dragon Rush to block them. What awaited it, however, was Charizard's own Dragon Rush.
The draconic charge slammed Roaring Moon directly into the ground. Charizard condensed its Dragon Claw, preparing to finish the fight as quickly as possible. With its excellent combat instincts, Roaring Moon endured the pain and used Dragon Claw again to block Charizard's assault, yet it could not escape the state of being suppressed.
A crimson glint flashed in Roaring Moon's eyes as it activated Outrage once more. However, Gu Yuan could not let Charizard use Outrage again. One must remember that Outrage is a move that trades a sober mind for overwhelming power. Even with Expert Mastery, it only guarantees that the Pokémon won't fall into a frenzy after the first use.
If used again, even Expert Mastery would be useless. Right now, Roaring Moon had already fallen into a frenzy. If Charizard followed suit, the result would be the same, and Gu Yuan would lose control over the battle.
"Charizard, use Flame Charge to open the distance! Use Blast Burn to stop Roaring Moon from getting close!"
A series of commands rang out. Charizard, pushed back by the suddenly explosive Roaring Moon, immediately used that force to distance itself. With two uses of Flame Charge plus the two Dragon Dance boosts from the earlier brawl, Charizard's Speed stage had risen to +4 and its Attack to +2. Even with the power of Outrage, Roaring Moon could not keep up with Charizard's speed.
Watching the flames rush toward it, Roaring Moon retaliated with Scale Shot. Scale Shot allows for 2 to 5 consecutive hits and increases Speed by one stage while lowering Defense by one stage. To keep up with Charizard's tempo, Roaring Moon decided to discard its defense. It was clear that even while confused, Roaring Moon's superior combat instincts were still at work.
However, as a Trainer, the one thing Gu Yuan could not allow was for a Pokémon to lose its mind, even if it maintained some combat awareness.
"Charizard, keep up the pressure with Blast Burn. Keep using Dragon Dance to pull away, forcing Roaring Moon to use Scale Shot more often."
As Gu Yuan spoke, a second Blast Burn surged forward before the first had even fully dissipated. Roaring Moon responded exactly as Gu Yuan expected: it continued to counter with Scale Shot, constantly crushing the flames rushing its way. Under the effects of Scale Shot, Roaring Moon grew faster and faster, but Charizard successfully pulled off another Dragon Dance, maintaining its speed advantage.
"Now! Let's end this battle! Blast Burn, then use Dragon Rush!"
Seeing that the opponent was sufficiently drained, Gu Yuan ordered the final assault. Blast Burn rose again, and Roaring Moon released its third Scale Shot. Watching Charizard charge like a massive dragon, Roaring Moon had no thought of fear and retaliated with its own Dragon Rush.
The next second, the two dragons smashed through the lingering flames and locked into a struggle. After being worn down by three Blast Burn attacks, the boost from Roaring Moon's Outrage had diminished significantly. Combined with the +3 Attack boost, Charizard and Roaring Moon were momentarily at a standstill.
But this was only temporary. As the Dragon Rush energy faded, the two clashed again with Dragon Claw. At first, they were evenly matched, but the moment the effects of Outrage expired, a wave of exhaustion hit Roaring Moon. Gu Yuan knew Charizard's signal for the final charge had arrived.
"Go, Charizard! Dragon Claw!"
Gu Yuan's roar sounded as Charizard charged once more. This time, the still-confused Roaring Moon only had time to react with a weak Dragon Claw of its own.