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Both attacks clashed. Spike Cannon exploded and dissolved within the flames, while Flamethrower was torn apart by the explosion as well.
"Cloyster! Attack again! Use Aurora Beam!"
Seeing Spike Cannon fail to land, Lorelei immediately commanded Cloyster to launch a follow-up attack.
Now that the opponent was Nidoking, a Ground-type, Ice-type moves had a natural advantage. Lorelei could finally go all in with Ice-type attacks without hesitation.
"Cloy!"
A shimmering beam, like a streak of aurora, fired rapidly from the sharp horn at the center of Cloyster's shell, streaking straight toward Nidoking.
"Nidoking! Flamethrower!"
Another Flamethrower! At this moment, there was no better choice. Liam didn't hesitate for a second and shouted his command.
"Nido!"
Roaring flames burst forth again, colliding head-on with the incoming Aurora Beam. But this time, unlike earlier, the two attacks didn't cancel each other out.
This time, Nidoking's Flamethrower clearly had the upper hand. From the moment the attacks made contact, the flames began to push back the Aurora Beam, advancing rapidly toward Cloyster.
"Cloyster! Use Hydro Pump!"
Lorelei saw that the flames were about to engulf her Cloyster and quickly switched tactics.
"Cloy!"
The beam from Cloyster's horn ceased, and instead, a powerful Hydro Pump shot out from its mouth, clashing with Nidoking's Flamethrower once again.
Water and fire battled in a deadlock, filling the field with thick clouds of steam. Finally, with a loud explosion, even more steam engulfed the battlefield.
"We can't see anything… Nidoking! Full spread Poison Sting!"
As the battlefield became completely white with fog, Liam frowned slightly and issued an order for an area-wide attack.
"Nido!"
The moment Liam spoke, Nidoking opened his mouth once more, unleashing a rain-like volley of purple Poison Stings that tore into the dense steam, targeting the general direction where Cloyster had last been seen.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal being struck rang out from within the mist — the Poison Stings had clearly hit their mark. However, from the sound alone, it was obvious that Nidoking's attack hadn't done much to the thick-shelled Cloyster.
"Cloyster! Send a Spike Cannon back as a gift!"
Liam couldn't see Cloyster's condition, but Lorelei could. She saw the incoming rain of Poison Stings and knew they posed little threat. Cloyster simply snapped its shell shut and blocked the barrage with ease.
The broken needles scattered around its shell and then vanished.
"Cloy!"
At Lorelei's command, Cloyster reopened its shell, and the spikes on its body glowed with a white light. Then, just like a hailstorm, another Spike Cannon barrage tore through the mist, surging toward Nidoking.
"Nidoking! Use Surf!"
"Nido!"
Nidoking stomped the ground hard, and torrents of water burst from the surrounding channels, quickly gathering beneath his feet into a massive tidal wave.
The wave surged high like a tsunami, crashing down on the oncoming Spike Cannon and washing it away entirely. Even the lingering steam on the field was cleared in an instant.
"Cloy! Cloy!"
Cloyster was also swept up by the wave. However, being a Water-type Pokémon, it wasn't particularly affected — especially since the sunny weather weakened Surf's power.
After getting knocked back by the wave, Cloyster opened its shell like nothing had happened.
Spike Cannon was a move with a random number of shots. The Pokémon couldn't control how many spikes it fired — sometimes a few, sometimes dozens — purely a matter of luck.
But for Lorelei's Cloyster to unleash such overwhelming barrages twice in a row, its Ability was clear: it had Skill Link, the trait that ensured maximum hits for multi-strike moves.
"Liam never fails to surprise us! His Nidoking has not only learned high-powered attacks like Thunderbolt and Flamethrower, but even a Water-type move like Surf, which is supposed to counter it! How in the world did Liam make that happen?! This is just amazing!"
The announcer's voice once again echoed throughout the stadium, filled with excitement.
"This is only the second time I've seen Nidoking use Surf, and it's just as impressive. No matter how many times I see it, it's awe-inspiring. I've heard of Silph Co.'s so-called TM devices... I think after this match, I'll go take a good look at what they offer. But I'm really curious. Back when we were traveling together, Silph hadn't released those TMs yet. How did you manage to teach Nidoking so many moves it shouldn't be able to learn back then?"
Lorelei glanced at her unharmed Cloyster, then looked over the battlefield now covered in puddles. She smiled and asked Liam directly.
"Ahem, well, that's my little secret. If you really want to know… then beat me first!" Liam quickly dodged the question and called out, "Nidoking! Charge in with Megahorn!"
"Nido!"
With a low roar, Nidoking rushed forward. Lowering his head slightly, his glowing horn trembled with power as he dashed toward Cloyster.
Lorelei just rolled her eyes at Liam's awkward attempt to dodge the question, then waved her hand and shouted to Cloyster.
"Cloyster! Protect!"
"Cloy!"
At the command, a pale blue barrier formed in front of Cloyster, wrapping it in a protective shield.
Boom!
With a muffled crash, Nidoking's Megahorn slammed into the barrier. The two forces struggled briefly before the barrier shattered, the backlash knocking Nidoking back several steps. He stumbled across the watery battlefield, nearly falling.
"Now's our chance! Cloyster, use Whirlpool!"
Lorelei's eyes lit up behind her red-rimmed glasses the moment she saw Nidoking falter. She shouted out her next command.
"Cloy!"
A current swirled rapidly at Nidoking's feet, spinning faster and faster. The water grew denser and soon formed a massive whirlpool, trapping Nidoking within it.
The raging current buffeted him from all directions. Nidoking shut his eyes in pain, struggling helplessly.
"Ha! Got you now! Cloyster, charge in! Use Razor Shell to finish it!"
Seeing Nidoking trapped and helpless, Lorelei grinned and shouted across the field, commanding Cloyster to attack.
"Cloy Cloy Cloy Cloy!!"
Cloyster clamped its shell shut and began spinning rapidly. Water gathered along the shell's edge, forming a sharp blade. Like a buzz saw, Cloyster launched itself into the air, slicing through the surface of the whirlpool as it aimed for Nidoking at the center.
"Heh! Are you sure you caught me? Nidoking! Grab Cloyster with Shadow Claw!"
Seeing Cloyster dive into the whirlpool as well, Liam suddenly smirked. A glint of cunning flashed in his eyes as he gave the command.
"Nido!"
Nidoking's eyes snapped open. Dark, jagged claws materialized on his forearms — three on each hand. With both arms outstretched, he grabbed the still-spinning Cloyster and held it firmly at the sides, stopping it cold in its tracks.
"Not good! Cloyster, return!"
Lorelei's face fell. The moment she saw Nidoking catch Cloyster mid-spin, a bad feeling washed over her. She cried out, trying to call Cloyster back.
"Too late! This win is mine again! Nidoking! Thunderbolt!"
"Nido!"
Nidoking's eyes sharpened. Holding tight to Cloyster, he growled low from his throat. Sparks surged from his body as violent lightning exploded from his form, coursing through the water.
The whirlpool turned from blue to brilliant gold as the electricity crackled throughout.