Pseudo-Legendaries; Every Trainer dreams of possessing a pseudo-legendary Pokémon; having one suggests that your future achievements will at least reach Elite status.
All pseudo-legendaries, provided they are trained properly, generally exhibit strength at an Elite level.
With exceptional training, reaching the elite peak is entirely feasible.
"Flygon, Flamethrower!"
The intense flames erupted, and due to the lack of an energy shield on the battlefield, the surrounding temperature surged dramatically.
Spectators, standing over ten meters away, worried for their safety from the devastation caused by the clash between the two Pokémon.
In a wild match without an energy shield, both the Trainer and nearby observers are particularly vulnerable to injury.
The flames surged, quickly enveloping half the arena.
Julian could even smell the scorching smell of his hair, and the scorching heat from his skin, which kept stinging his nerves.
Wild matches can be perilous, as the Trainers themselves can suffer serious consequences.
For the first time, Dragonair positioned itself in front of Julian.
"Dragon Breath!" Julian commanded.
The sapphire dragon cleaved through the wall of flames, showcasing the dragon's tremendous energy.
However, the flames didn't vanish but instead fell like raindrops from the sky.
"Don't bother with me!" Julian instructed, halting Dragonair from rushing in to help as several embers descended around them.
"Flygon, Sand Tomb! Target the Trainer!" Murphy declared coldly.
In a wild match, there are no rules; anything goes in the pursuit of victory, including attacking the Trainer with Pokémon.
However, since wild matches are conducted in semi-public settings, killing an opponent Trainer could lead to retribution from their family and friends.
Of course, if the Trainer is a lone wolf, then there's hardly anything to fear.
"This is tough," Julian thought, narrowly dodging the flames from above, only to find that the ground beneath him was rapidly shifting.
In an instant, half of his calf was swallowed by the sand.
The grains acted like a powerful suction, pulling him deeper into the ground, making escape nearly impossible.
This scene elicited a slight smirk from Murphy.
Julian had just mentioned that if he injured or significantly hurt Murphy's Pokémon, he would receive additional rewards alongside the aptitude potion.
The Sand Tomb was so perilous that entering it as a human could prove fatal; even an attempt to escape could result in broken legs.
Julian maintained his composure, appearing oblivious to the dangerous sand ensnaring him, as if it were someone else trapped.
Despite Dragonair's urgency, it obeyed Julian's commands, pouring its energy into the attack, empowered by its eagerness to fulfill its Trainer's will.
Flygon, lacking a sense of urgency, suffered from the direct hit of the Dragon-type move, letting out a pained cry as it fell into a ten-meter deep pit, momentarily incapacitated.
While Murphy felt distressed over his Pokémon's injury, he secretly rejoiced at Julian being stuck in the Sand Tomb.
Though Flygon was hurt, Murphy felt victorious.
However, his satisfaction was short-lived as the Sand Tomb suddenly erupted with a powerful explosion of sand.
"What just happened?"
Murphy gasped, shocked that the sand had burst so violently.
There was a gnawing fear that Julian might have been killed in the blast.
A chill ran down Murphy's spine at the thought; if Julian was truly gone, he and his family might share the same fate.
He snapped, glaring at his Pokémon, believing it was responsible for the chaos, imagining it had deliberately tried to harm the Trainer.
In response, Flygon merely looked confused.
Murphy paused, realizing that things might not be as he assumed; Flygon wouldn't act against Julian without his orders.
Had Flygon really triggered the sand explosion?
As the airborne particles settled, Julian emerged, slightly disheveled but unhurt.
Brushing the sand from his hair and clothes, he calmly instructed,
"Dragonair, Icy Wind!"
Fortunately, his ability to harness Aura enabled him to manipulate the energy within him, which, though he couldn't form an Aura Sphere yet, helped him survive the blast by dispelling the sand.
Thanks to his control over the Aura energy, the resulting explosion scattered the sand of the Tomb, leaving Julian unharmed.
The chilling Icy Wind cascaded, supplemented by the power of weather manipulation coming from the glowing beads around Dragonair's neck.
This intensified version of Icy Wind would be far more potent than usual.
The ground froze instantly, and Flygon stepped in front of Murphy to act as a shield, knowing the icy gust was aimed at its Trainer.
While Flygon absorbed most of the icy blasts, Murphy shivered from the temperature drop, realizing he needed to act swiftly; otherwise, hypothermia might cost him the match.
If the opponent utilized an AOE attack, then he will also hit with a similar move, and it is also a sonic attack.
Upon hearing that Supersonic was about to be used, the nearby spectators recoiled in fear, hastily covering their ears.
Without any protective barriers, Supersonic can reach considerable distances.
Thus, in public venues lacking energy shields, the Drakorian Trainer Association forbids the use of high-impact moves like Supersonic, Boom, Draco Meteor, and Earthquake by either side during battles.
Despite Flygon's efforts to control the spread of Supersonic, onlookers still covered their ears and displayed expressions of distress.
Julian, in the front row, felt particularly dizzy.
The recent surge of Aura had drained most of his energy, but fortunately, he still retained some Aura to mitigate the effects of Supersonic.
"Outrage, Dragon Tail!"
Julian pushed through the discomfort and commanded Dragonair.
Thanks to Outrage, Dragonair's attack power surged, launching a powerful Dragon Tail at Flygon's head with tremendous force.
Previously, Flygon had already endured Dragonair's Dragon Rush and Icy Wind—two powerful moves that had dealt double damage.
Now, it was faced with the potent combo of Outrage and Dragon Tail.
As a result, Flygon crashed to the ground, completely unable to continue fighting.
"Impossible! How did your Dragonair avoid confusion? Supersonic connected!"
Murphy exclaimed, staring in disbelief at the downed Flygon.
"Confusion doesn't mean immobility," Julian replied confidently.
"I simply got lucky."
With that, he recalled the slightly disoriented Dragonair.
Murphy's expression darkened in frustration.
It hit him that perhaps his strategies were outdated and he was experiencing a loss of composure.