Chapter 171: Chapter 172
Wednesday, September 16.
In the semi-finals of the college league, it was Magic City University vs. University of Communications.
The official live broadcast room was filled with Teacher Luke's loyal supporters.
"When will Teacher Luke take the stage?"
"Facing the Rain Dance team, this Kingdra is a force to be reckoned with!"
All eyes were fixed on the two players in the center of the field.
Inside the protective barrier, the heavy rain fell relentlessly, enveloping everything in white mist.
Kingdra, with a seahorse-like appearance, unleashed a powerful torrent from its long tubular mouth.
Liepard was unable to evade and was torn apart by the forceful water jet, collapsing in pain.
"Magic University isn't looking good!"
"Kingdra's speed is overwhelming!"
With Johnny's defeat, the score on the LCD screen stood at 3:2.
Coach Zhai crossed his arms and nodded approvingly at Johnny, who was exiting the field, saying, "Delaying Rain Dance with Kingdra is already an excellent performance."
Johnny nodded silently, gazing at Kingdra on the field with a sense of frustration.
"I'll take the next match," Luke announced.
Coach Zhai glanced at Luke, nodded, and replied, "Please!"
Luke agreed and flexed his wrists as he strolled onto the battlefield.
While winning was highly likely, it was still going to be an exceptionally challenging battle.
Unfortunately, there was no time for Squirtle to wake up now.
The cheers erupted, and the loud roars from the crowd grew increasingly enthusiastic.
In Capital University's contestant area, Chen Tingyu's face turned slightly red as she maintained her cold demeanor.
"Did you catch a cold?" Joey inquired.
Qiao Yingying, with her hair in a bun, giggled and retorted, "Teacher Luke has arrived! Sister Tingyue is his fan!"
Joey was briefly taken aback.
Clearly, there was some inside joke in the team!
The camera focused back on the field.
Luke cast a glance at Squirtle, who was doing push-ups, and looked forward with anticipation, saying, "Your turn, Squirtle!"
Squirtle raised its head, its eyes filled with determination, and it responded with an emphatic, "Squirtle!"
"Contestant Luke from Magic University is making an appearance!" the commentator announced with astonishment.
"It seems that the Pokemon sent out by Contestant Luke may not have the advantage in this matchup."
Kingdra had a fourfold resistance to water-type moves, while Squirtle was a pure Water-type.
Sending Squirtle into battle might not be a wise choice.
"Squirtle is here. Does Teacher Luke understand Pokemon?"
"Is he taking the lead against Kingdra?"
Facing this determined Squirtle, Kingdra's trainer, Jia Yi, wiped away a cold sweat nervously.
He had heard of Teacher Luke's exceptional tactical skills before the match.
Yet, to pit Squirtle against Kingdra...
That seemed highly unconventional!
"Go for it, Kingdra," Jia Yi urged cautiously, "Be careful!"
Kingdra locked its gaze on Squirtle and gave a slight nod.
Meanwhile, Luke glanced at his Pokedex and mumbled, "It didn't learn Dragon Pulse? That's a shame... I wanted Squirtle to pick up that move."
Jia Yi's complexion shifted upon hearing Luke's words. Could he discern Kingdra's moves just by looking at it?
This wasn't good; Luke seemed to have guessed right!
The referee's whistle marked the start of the battle: "Let the match begin!"
Jia Yi was taken aback, his heart filled with alarm as he carefully ordered, "Kingdra, use Dragon Breath!"
The relentless downpour continued to pour down.
With "Swift Swim" activated, Kingdra moved nimbly through the rain, and its long snout funneled a concentrated, purplish hot air current.
A burst of Dragon Breath left Kingdra's snout, evaporating into mist that hissed as it dissipated into the heavy rainfall.
"Squirtle, dodge and then use Water Gun!"
Squirtle leaped into action, puffing up its cheeks and gathering water flow into a condensed Hydro Pump, which was then swiftly directed at Kingdra.
Jia Yi? ? ?
Why did it suddenly turn into a Hydro Pump? Wasn't it supposed to be a simple Water Gun?
Before Jia Yi could process this surprising turn of events, Kingdra swiftly sidestepped the attack.
Boom!
The Hydro Pump detonated, leaving cracks in the ground in its wake.
Jia Yi internally shouted, "Thank goodness for the quick evasion! You call that a Water Gun?!"
Sweat beaded on Jia Yi's forehead.
"Kingdra, use Hydro Pump!"
In the next moment, Kingdra shot into the air, propelled by the curling of its tail. The Hydro Pump, condensed within the long snout and possessing formidable pressure, surged toward Squirtle.
Luke furrowed his brows.
No need to take this much water damage; allowing Squirtle to get hurt is unnecessary.
"Squirtle, Withdraw!"
Luke's tone was different from his previous one.
After all, this was a Rain Dance Hydro Pump, and its power and accuracy were not to be taken lightly.
Bang!
The Hydro Pump struck Squirtle's shell, causing water to splatter everywhere, yet Squirtle remained unshaken.
As the mist dissipated, the crowd erupted into amazement.
"No...no injuries?!"
"What kind of Squirtle is this? Is it boosting its Special Defense by withdrawing into its shell?"
Squirtle peeked its head out from the turtle shell, unharmed.
Jia Yi stared wide-eyed.
This was a Rain Dance-boosted Hydro Pump!
How did it not cause any damage? He felt his credibility was being challenged!
Luke appeared thoughtful.
He thought this was going to be a challenging battle...
Squirtle stood up slowly, glanced at the faint blemish on its shell, and a fiery determination flared in its eyes.
This was indeed a battle where danger lurked at every turn.
"Squirtle, use Water Pulse!"
Squirtle displayed caution and opened its mouth.
The water flow, now many times stronger than before, shot toward the sky.
The Water Pulse descended like a waterfall, crashing down!
Bang!
The surging water current burst, and even with its quadruple resistance, Kingdra was left reeling and barely able to maintain its footing.
Kingdra was thrown into a state of "confusion" due to the impact of Water Pulse!
This Water Pulse, resembling a waterfall, left everyone on the scene bewildered.
What was going on?
Why did it seem like Squirtle had suddenly become incredibly powerful?
"The tables have turned!"
The announcer exclaimed, "Squirtle's power has increased several-fold!"
"Squirtle, you're amazing!"
"It's clear that Teacher Luke has been hiding his true strength...that's quite the sneaky move!"
While others might not have been acquainted with Squirtle's character, Luke knew it well.
Luke looked at the faint blemish on Squirtle's shell and sighed deeply.
Did Squirtle really think that by getting a scratch on its shell, it could activate its "Torrent"?
Torrent: When a Pokemon with this Ability is in trouble, the power of its Water-type moves increases!
This was playing it safe to the extreme!
Kingdra, now suffering from "confusion," had lost its speed advantage.
Seizing the moment, Squirtle stepped forward and unleashed Hydro Pump straight at Kingdra's face.
As long as it connected, there would be no chance of the move missing!
Bang!
The Hydro Pump erupted, and Kingdra was sent hurtling through the air. It hit the edge of the stands before collapsing in a faint.
The students of the University of Communications were left in shock.
Jia Yi, their captain, had just lost Kingdra.
And Kingdra, which was resistant to water moves fourfold, had been defeated by Squirtle...
If this Squirtle were to evolve into a Blastoise, it could potentially take on the entire team by itself!
The referee was momentarily speechless before finally blowing the whistle.
"Contestant Luke is the winner!"
After a brief pause, the audience burst into enthusiastic cheers.
"Teacher Luke is amazing!"
"He's on the path to being the champion. Magic University is going to conquer the league!"
Luke looked down at Squirtle with a mixture of emotions.
"uirt~ ヾ(⌐■_■)!"
Squirtle met Luke's gaze and nodded with care.
The previous situation had indeed been very perilous, as the master had warned.
This was truly a high-risk battle!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone