Chapter 88
"Switch!" Virah raised her hand.
"Challenger Virah has one switch left," responded the robotic announcer.
Virah thought that was fine, she didn't really felt the need to switch anymore after this. Warley's ace was now gone, and the battle was a fair 2 v 2.
'Well, Jet is probably tired and damaged but that's fine, I don't think there's anything in Warley's team that can threaten him,' Virah recalled the tired Zubat, "thanks, Jet, you did good,"
Swapping out Nitro, she waited for her opponent to release his own Pokemon, daring him to counter her own ace.
Warley grinned and gladly reciprocated, tossing out a Pidgeotto that released a powerful screech the moment it got released.
Even before she stupidly challenged Warly and got him to pull out aces, she expected a Pidgeotto to be part of his team and usually, a Pokemon like that would be the end for a Beedrill but she had a trick specifically meant for Flying Types.
"Nitro, Harden!" Raising her Pokemon's defense was a good start, "dodge it Nitro!" She called out in response to the Pidgeotto's Quick Attack, "Fury Attack!"
Nitro raised his drill and met his opponent's Peck head on, sparks flew from the point of impact and both were sent backwards, repelling each other as though they were magnets of the same wavelength.
'It's fast,' Virah eyed the Flying Type circling above Nitro, "Harden again!"
The original plan was for her Beedrill to use Harden once so that he can block the Pidgeotto's attack without straining himself but if their opponent is this fast then it was better to be safe than sorry.
Now moderately safe from stray Pecks, Virah ordered her Pokemon to fly upward and attack the Pidgeotto.
A Beedrill taking initiative against a Flying Type in the air would normally be a bad thing but with Nitro's ability, he could easily counter the Pidgeotto's 3D movement in the air.
"Peck,"
"Bug Bite!"
The two Pokemon met blow for blow and a flash of green and light blue emerged from the collision of their attacks. Like before, their attacks repelled each other, sending both Pokemon backwards.
"String Shot," Virah calmly ordered, she wanted to see how a Pidgeotto would react to something like that.
"Quick Attack, pivot high and dive down with Peck,"
"Fury Attack, counter it,"
Both trainers locked gazes.
Between them, the Pidgeotto went high, it did a small loop in the air to dodge the series of strings that Nitro spat out before diving back down and striking the Beedrill with a glowing beak.
Nitro struck his opponent's beak with his drill and like the last two times, they repelled each other, though this time, their trainers were ready.
"Quick Attack!"
"Bug Bite!"
The Pidgeotto, despite not having time to stabilize itself, glowed white then headed straight for its opponent.
Nitro was similar, with a loud buzz, he haphazardly stabilized his flight, he was still wobbling when he glowed green and his body was tilted downward as he flew to attack the Pidgeotto.
The resulting repulsion was strong to ground both fliers.
Virah powered up Nitro while thinking about the next course of action, she turned her eyes to the status screen and inspected the estimated health of the Pidgeotto.
The green bar under the Pokemon's icon has gone down by small amounts when it was still exchanging blows with Nitro but the repulsion just now had caused it to go down by a noticeable margin.
'I'n going to win this,' screw the entertainment of the audience, she'll find another way to occupy them other than battling.
"That was pretty good," Virah inhaled and clenched her shaking fists.
Her shaking nerves got worse when everyone turned their eyes on her but she pushed through, "it's really too bad I have a trick up my sleeve,"
"Nitro, Roost," despite not being able to see him thanks to the dust cloud on the ground, the audience still saw the effects of Virah's command on the status screen.
The green bar under Nitro went up as an indication that his health has increased.
"Hm. I see," Warly smiled, "you managed to teach your Pokemon such a high level move this early? That's impressive,"
"T-thanks," out of every rebuke she was expecting, a compliment was not one of them.
"Still, I'm a gym leader and what you did just now only means I'm going to take you seriously," Warly grinned, "Pidgeotto! Looks like our challenger is more than we thought! Raise your head high!"
A screech powerful enough to move the dust cloud emerged from the ground, and a part of it cleared once the Flying Type flapped its wings and took to the skies.
"Nitro, use String Shot while your still hidden!" Virah chuckled, it sounded cracked but she didn't have the luxury to worry about it, she just needs to make her next one better, "a Flying Type won't stop Nitro,"
"I can see that," Warly nodded, "rarely does this particular Pidgeotto get pushed back by a Beedrill,"
"And Nitro usually dominates his fights," Virah returned the compliment, "but I guess this is how it's meant to be, he's not really that strong,"
"No, it just means your Pokemon has always been on the level of a First Badge," Warley shook his head, "though, it's not always about strength," the gym leader stopped talking and eyed his Pokemon, "Pidgeotto, fly higher and dodge the string,"
'Just one, I just need to connect one,' Virah thought as the Flying Type flew high enough to make the barrier visible.
The visual warning that it was nearing the obstacle was unneeded as the Pidgeotto maneuvered under it just fine.
When Nitro shot it with strings, the Flying Type did nothing more than a dive to dodge it.
Virah sighed, "its a great flier,"
"Thank you, it's also a great attacker, now, Pidgeotto, clear the dust,"
"Nitro, String Shot, spread the strings," will her command raise Warley's guard? Virah wondered as she eyed her opposing trainer.
"Hm, interesting," Warley said, "how many of those will it take to slow my Pokemon down I wonder?"
Virah kept her silence and tensely eyed the Flying Type, it dived, it used Wing Attack to clear the dust, revealing Nitro, who shot out multiple strings from his mouth, a good amount landed on the Pidgeotto.
"One." Virah declared, "Nitro, Electroweb,"
Warley's brows shot upward as the Pidgeotto suddenly stopped moving, it fell to the ground, allowing its opponent to shoot it with more strings and it was then that the move Nitro was using became visible.
Bolts of electricity ran from the Beedrill's mouth and towards the Pidgeotto with the strings between them acting as the wire.
"Pidgeotto?" Warley asked in concern, he sighed, "well, it seems that I was caught of guard," the man shrugged and took out his Pokemon's ball, "I'm forfeiting Pidgeotto,"
"Nitro, stop," at Virah's command, the surge of electricity stopped and the Pidgeotto was recalled even with more than half its health being available.
"I wanted to show you the versatility of commands and Pidgeotto would have been the perfect Pokemon to do that but I guess I have no choice,"
Warley palmed the last Ultraball on his hip and tossed it in the air, "Girafarig!"