Mega Altaria was practically the perfect counter to Dragonite.

Just being part Fairy-type meant it was completely immune to Dragon-type attacks—rendering Dragonite's core moveset nearly useless.

Add to that its [Pixilate] ability, which turned Normal-type moves into Fairy-type and boosted their power… It really wasn't unfair to call Altaria a traitor to her dragon kin.

The moment Lance triggered [Mega Evolution], the commentator's voice rose with excitement: "The tide may be turning—Lance has chosen Mega Altaria! Could there still be a chance for a comeback?!"

His voice snapped the crowd back into the match.

A moment ago, with Lance having lost three rounds in a row, most had assumed the rest of the battle was just cleanup time.

But now... maybe not?

As the audience leaned forward once more in anticipation, Mega Altaria, now fully evolved, launched the first move at Lance's command.

"Altaria, use [Disarming Voice]!"

After suffering through the absurd power of Luo Yuan's Dragonite in earlier matches, Lance wasn't about to risk a direct clash again. Even with a favorable typing advantage, he opted for a safe, ranged approach—no close combat.

At the sound of Lance's voice, Altaria let out a clear, melodic cry. The air shimmered with its enchanting tones.

The crowd fell silent, almost spellbound by the beauty of the song.

But Dragonite? Not so enchanted.

What sounded sweet to everyone else struck at Dragonite's mind like needles. It winced as the emotional damage took its toll—something it couldn't block or brace against.

"Focus, Dragonite."

Noticing his partner's pain, Luo Yuan reacted immediately. His eyes glowed faintly blue as he reestablished their psychic link.

A wave of calm washed over Dragonite as Luo Yuan's powerful psychic abilities soothed its mind in an instant.

Dragonite's own eyes began to glow in response. It was back to normal—steady and sharp.

"…Of course."

Lance grit his teeth. He'd encountered psychics before, but none as overpowered as Luo Yuan.

Still, he didn't have time to dwell on it—Dragonite was already charging in!

As always, Dragonite's movements were lightning-fast.

It closed the gap in the blink of an eye, fists swinging, moving so swiftly it startled Altaria, who had never seen this Dragonite in action before.

Fortunately, Lance had anticipated this.

"Altaria, [Cotton Guard]!"

With a piercing cry, Altaria's fluffy feathers ballooned outward, expanding like an overstuffed pillow just as Dragonite's punch came flying in.

From the outside, Altaria now looked like a literal cotton ball.

Then—bam!

An Ice Punch, its surface gleaming with cold energy, struck the fluff. But the blow sank into the layers of cotton and dispersed, like a punch into a cloud.

It even bounced Dragonite's fist back slightly.

That unpleasant, no-contact feeling—like punching into nothingness—left Dragonite visibly frustrated.

Still, [Cotton Guard] wasn't an absolute defense like [Protect]. It only massively increased physical defense, not immunity.

Altaria's wince proved that Dragonite's [Ice Punch] had done some damage.

And where it had landed, frost now bloomed, quickly coating the feathers in a layer of thick ice.

The added weight dragged on Altaria's otherwise light body. And with its already-average speed, that was a serious disadvantage.

"Fall back, Altaria!"

Seeing Altaria take damage even after reacting perfectly, Lance became even more determined: absolutely no close combat with Dragonite.

From inside her cottony shell, Altaria suddenly stretched out her wings, now wrapped in dense feathers, and beat them hard.

Then, with her head buried deep in the fluff, she opened her beak—[Dragon Pulse]!

A multicolored beam erupted, forcing Dragonite to veer off course and halt its pursuit.

But Luo Yuan wasn't about to let Altaria slip away that easily.

"Dragonite, [Blizzard]!"

You like running? Let's see you run through this.

Dragonite inhaled deeply, its belly expanding, then exhaled with force.

Hoo—!

A freezing blast poured from its mouth, twisting into a swirling snowstorm midair, heading straight for Altaria.

Lance's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Dragonite to know [Blizzard] on top of [Ice Punch].

What kind of Dragonite learns this stuff?!

But with that storm bearing down on them, there was no time to question.

"Altaria, [Protect]!"

Cornered by circumstance, Lance was finally forced to use [Protect].

There was no helping it.

Given Dragonite's sheer power, even if [Blizzard] wasn't a STAB move, one clean hit would cripple Altaria—if not knock her out entirely.

A translucent, spherical shield formed over Altaria.

And just in time.

The roaring [Blizzard] engulfed the battlefield, transforming the arena into a frozen wasteland.

---

Hello, dear readers.

It seems we've reached the end of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did watching the story unfold. If you'd like to see more, there are a few ways to help the author continue this journey. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NoveI~Fire.net

You may visit their Patreon: patreon.com/wisetl.

Of course, it's entirely optional—think of it as leaving behind a few coins in exchange for the chance to peek further ahead in the tale.

And then, there are the Powerstone rewards:

Every 100 Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter.

200 Stones, 2 chapters. 300 Stones, 3 chapters… You understand the pattern.

I'm sure you can imagine how much a writer appreciates such gestures. With your support, more secrets, more discoveries, and more stories will come to light.

Until next time—thank you for reading.

—Nico Robin