Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command!

"Dragon Darts!"

At Luo Yuan's thrilled cry, Dragapult launched it as a Dragon Dart at supersonic speed.

"Dreeek!"

Luo Yuan's shriek sliced through the air.

The Dragon Darts shot forth at supersonic speed, leaving Giovanni with barely a moment to respond.

But Giovanni's Rhydon was highly trained, and even without a command, it raised its arm instinctively, blocking the incoming attack.

Both Dragon Darts hit Rhydon's arm in quick succession.

At a Defense stat of 120, Rhydon's durability was on full display.

The tremendous impact from the Dragon Darts pushed Rhydon back about half a meter, causing it to lean slightly, but all it left behind were two shallow marks on Rhydon's arm.

That level of defense…

Luo Yuan's jaw twitched as he observed.

While he hadn't expected Dragon Darts to be as effective as Dragon Pulse…

That… that was just ridiculous.

The Dragon Darts hadn't dealt significant damage to Rhydon at all.

After shaking off the Dragon Darts' impact, Rhydon flexed its arm and resumed its Rock Slide attack on Dragapult.

However, this time, Dragapult had ample time to react.

Moving swiftly through the air, it easily dodged the incoming stones.

With the battle momentum swinging back in his favor, Luo Yuan made his decision. Since Dragon Darts had proven ineffective as a physical attack, a glint of contemplation flickered in Luo Yuan's eyes.

Then he raised his hand. "Use Dragon Pulse!"

Back to Dragon Pulse.

Dragapult excelled in physical attacks, and while its special attack was decent, the special moves it had mastered were limited. However, Dragon Pulse had already proven its effectiveness in clashing with Mud Shot, so it remained Luo Yuan's top choice.

The purple Dragon Pulse shot toward Rhydon.

This time, Rhydon was prepared. Realizing that typical evasive tactics wouldn't work, it opted for a different approach. It rolled across the ground, narrowly dodging the Dragon Pulse.

Boom!

Dragon Pulse struck the open ground, throwing up a large cloud of dust.

Seeing Dragapult gathering purple energy in its mouth to fire off another Dragon Pulse, Giovanni decided he had no intention of playing the target any longer.

With a wave of his hand, he commanded Rhydon, "Dig! Get underground!"

At the command, Rhydon let out a roar.

Vrrr!

Its massive horn began spinning at high speed, drilling into the hard ground.

Amidst the dust and debris, Rhydon's massive form quickly disappeared underground.

In the sky, Dragapult was now without a target.

Out of frustration, it fired Dragon Pulse into the hole Rhydon had just vanished into.

But there was no response.

"..."

Luo Yuan hadn't anticipated Giovanni using Dig, but he had no viable solution for it either.

If Gyarados were here, it could flood the hole with water and flush Rhydon out.

But Dragapult hadn't learned Hydro Pump, making Rhydon out of reach underground.

Still, Luo Yuan wasn't worried… Giovanni's pride would never allow him to use a tactic that involved hiding underground indefinitely.

"Dragapult, stay alert for any movement on the ground!" Luo Yuan instructed.

Dragapult nodded, even as the two Dreepy atop its head also directed their total of six eyes to scan the ground carefully.

As Luo Yuan had anticipated, Giovanni's Rhydon didn't stay hidden underground for long. After all, a leader had to keep his pride.

Ssshh!

With a sound of earth and rocks shifting, Rhydon broke through the surface, reappearing directly below Dragapult, right in its blind spot.

"Stone Edge!" Giovanni's command reached Rhydon simultaneously.

A spread of jagged stones shot toward Dragapult as Rhydon swung its arm.

The positioning was precise—Dragapult would have to adjust its angle to use Dragon Pulse as a counter.

But taking the time to adjust its angle would mean being struck multiple times by Stone Edge.

Despite a hint of surprise, Luo Yuan didn't hesitate.

"Phantom Force!" Luo Yuan called out.

With a twist of its body, Dragapult disappeared into a dark void.

The next instant, Dragapult silently reappeared behind Rhydon.

Its tail whipped at Rhydon's leg, making the giant Pokémon stagger, followed up by a Shadow Ball that struck Rhydon's back.

"Raargh!"

Rhydon let out a roar of pain.

But instead of stopping, it pushed through the Shadow Ball's impact, retaliating with a powerful counterattack.

It turned its head, swinging a fist wreathed in chilling energy at Dragapult!

"Ice Punch!"

Seeing the frost-covered fist, a rare look of tension flickered in Dragapult's eyes, and it swiftly retreated.

Whoosh!

Rhydon's uppercut swung through the air.

If Rhydon had been replaced by a Hitmonchan, this punch would almost certainly have landed.

But while Rhydon's massive body granted it incredible defense, it also meant it had to deal with slower movements.

With Dragapult rapidly retreating, Rhydon's full-force, frost-covered fist could only graze Dragapult's belly, sliding along its underside.

Even so, the freezing energy from Ice Punch left a frosty mark on Dragapult's abdomen.

"So close… that was a close call." Luo Yuan felt his heart skip a beat as he witnessed it.

With Rhydon's physical attack stat, if Dragapult had taken a direct hit from Ice Punch, it might have been game over right there.

Out of the corner of his eye, Luo Yuan noticed Giovanni's brow furrow slightly as the Ice Punch missed.

It was clear this move hadn't been a random attempt—Giovanni had calculated this opening carefully.

Had he anticipated Dragapult using Phantom Force to circle around?

If Dragapult hadn't reacted instinctively and leaned back, it would've been in serious trouble...

Still, a dodge was a dodge, and in Pokémon battles, while Trainers' skills were essential, a Pokémon's performance without its Trainer's guidance was also critical.

Right now, with Rhydon overextending itself in its attempt to strike Dragapult, its balance was compromised, presenting a perfect opening for an attack.

"Dragapult, use Breaking Swipe!"

"Rrrraah!"

Showing its teeth in a fierce grin, Dragapult's tail lashed out with brutal force, striking Rhydon squarely in the stomach.

Thud!

Rhydon was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the hole it had just emerged from.

"Shadow Ball!"

Two Shadow Balls quickly followed, hurtling into the hole, creating an even larger crater with each blast.

---

T/N: im actually so tilted rn, i made an alt account on marvel rivals and holy shit are people in lower ranks so fucking stupid

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