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Chapter 317: The Politoed was exposed as getting MVP, while Salamence was just an easy win!

Judging from the situation alone, it seems that Qingyu's side has suffered a slight loss.

After the mushroom attracted all the aggro, it not only suffered from the "Repeat" move, but will also be forced to endlessly recast Rage Powder. It will also be paralyzed by electromagnetic waves, greatly reducing its speed and potentially affecting its ability to use moves.

but……

There is always a trade-off. With the help of Amoonguss, Salamence not only successfully completed its Mega Evolution, but also seized the opportunity to use Dragon Dance. The continuous enhancements gave its combat power a qualitative leap.

Moreover, for Mushroom, this negative impact is almost negligible.

Its base Speed ​​stat is only 30, making it an excellent choice for Trick Room teams. Whether or not it reduces Speed ​​doesn't really matter.

In Pokémon battles, speed is a relative value. The higher the speed, the better it is to gain the initiative. So, a speed of 100 can be fatal if it is reduced by even a little, while a speed of 30 reduced by 20 might even be a good thing.

As for another lock-on move...

The original role of Amanita in this game was to taunt and allow Salamence to easily use Dragonite. Even without a move lock, Aoandon would most likely keep commanding it to use Rage Powder.

The only thing to worry about is bad luck and getting repeatedly paralyzed, which might affect his mentality, but he also has room for error.

Even if Amoonguss is unable to move, it will be very difficult for the two opponents to focus their fire on Salamence, not to mention that Salamence has Roost to reliably restore its health.

To put it bluntly, it's still the same problem: the penetrating power of electric properties is too weak, and they have no explosive power whatsoever.

In the past, Electric-type attackers, which were relatively common in battles, were almost all Legendary Pokémon, which gives us a glimpse into this phenomenon.

Since you can't hurt me, then I'll have to fight back!
Qingyu spoke decisively and gave the order:

"The mushroom has been exposed, so let's continue with the angry powder."

"Salamander, use Dragon Claw on Electabuzz."

Rotom's durability is significantly stronger; even with Dragon Dance and Mega Evolution, Salamence would have a hard time one-shotting it with Dragon Claw.

While Reverse Scale is more powerful, its side effect is that it locks the opponent's moves and causes confusion after use, adding uncertainty to an otherwise advantageous situation. Clearly, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

Therefore, it would be better to deal with the electric flying squirrel first and establish a numerical advantage.

"Come back, Electric Flying Squirrel."

"Rotom, activate the power grid!"

The opposing player, Little Daisy, reacted quickly, immediately recalling Emolga and replacing it with Luxray for a defensive synergy with Intimidate. At the same time, she also commanded Rotom to cast a sticky electric net at Salamence and Azkaban.

Because Salamence is incredibly fast, as soon as Luxray appeared and bared its teeth to scare its opponent, it was immediately hit by a rapidly attacking dragon claw, instantly reducing its stamina by nearly half.

Without the help of rotation and intimidation, the high-attack, low-defense Electric Flying Squirrel would definitely not be able to withstand this attack.

Rotom followed closely, preparing to act. Even though its attention was subconsciously drawn to the Rage Powder sprinkled on its body by Azurlan, the electric net it threw still covered the entire half of the field, hitting the Mega Salamence that flew back to its own half.

While Rage Powder and Look at Me can absorb many single-target attacks, they are ineffective against area-of-effect attacks that include the user from the outset.

The electric grid itself isn't very powerful, and its damage is also reduced when attacking multiple targets with area-of-effect moves. It's like a tickle to both Salamence and Amanita, with no noticeable change in their health bars.

However, the power grid has a rather troublesome side effect—

Since the sticky electric grid can greatly interfere with the opponent's movements, it also has the effect of lowering the opponent's Pokémon's Speed ​​upon hitting it.

The combination of intimidation and electric net directly negated the enhancement effect of Qingyu's Dragon Dance.

However, even without any boosts, Mega Salamence is still the fastest Pokémon on the field, possessing a very consistent first-strike advantage.

[How can there be such a cool and adorable Mega Salamence after hatching? It's already a monster with stats, and then it can Mega Evolve to increase its combat power. Its suppressive power is just too strong!]

Are all pseudo-legendary Pokémon's Mega Evolutions this powerful? Tyranitar and Metagross also seem to have Mega Evolutions, right?

[Isn't today's main character Amoonguss? In doubles, it can absorb damage and use all sorts of underhanded tactics for its teammates. Even while being paralyzed, it can still taunt first, making the opponent so annoyed that they can only use AOE moves...]

[That's true, we misjudged Amoonguss. Although it has a somewhat sleazy face, its back view inexplicably exudes a sense of security. How can there be such a righteous Pokémon!]

"The role of Shield-shroom is actually far more than that, but because of the need to play again, we can only keep repeating Angry Powder."

Qingyu said it casually.

"However, given the current situation, we probably don't need Amanita's help anymore. We can also find an opportunity to rotate it out of the field and bring in Electabuzz to further increase our pressure."

He was explaining to the viewers in the live chat when he heard Xiaojuer giving instructions—

"Röntgen, use Ice Fang on Salamence!"

"Rotom, keep the power grid running!"

Upon hearing this, Qingyu was immediately delighted.

No wonder they brought out Xeno'jiiva; they were betting that Amanita would be paralyzed by the Thunder Wave and unable to use Rage Powder properly, then Xeno'jiiva would one-shot Salamence with a single Ice Fang blast...

Actually, there is a real chance.

Mega Salamence has decent bulk, but it had already been weakened by Rotom's electric net. So even if it doesn't get one-shotted by a 4x super effective Ice Fang, it'll be pretty much done for, and Rotom's electric net can finish it off.

but……

It is theoretically feasible, but actually executing such a maneuver is somewhat impractical.

Isn't this just treating yourself like a fool?
While Qingyu was thinking to himself, he immediately and decisively gave the order:

"Come back, you exposed mushroom. And..."

"Salamander, use Meteor Shower on Luxray!"

Qingyu suddenly spoke again, shouting with great force.

Salamence, which already has the first move advantage, can easily suppress Luxray.

Perhaps Xiaoju'er made such a risky judgment because the dragon claw of the Wyvern only consumed a little over 40% of the Rondo's health.

But... just now he commanded Salamence to attack Dragon Claw, which was clearly a more reliable option considering the increased damage from Dragon Dance.

After being threatened, Salamence actually has more moves to choose from.

Why is Salamence called "Little Rayquaza"?

Besides being a Flying/Dragon type, Salamence is also a dual-wielder with an excellent move set!
Generally speaking, dual-wielding is definitely not a good base stat distribution template, but when Mega Salamence reaches 700 base stats, a well-rounded build becomes one of the most powerful distribution methods.

It excels in Attack and Speed, has a solid build, and even its less-needed Special Attack stat is as high as 120, surpassing most Special Attackers.

Judging from Xiaoju'er's decisive risky actions and the power of the dragon claw just now, her Lunatic Cat is most likely going for an offensive role.

Therefore, Qingyu was confident that this meteor shower would be enough to take down Lunatic Cat.

After both sides gave their commands, Mega Salamence took the lead by relying on its speed. A ball of violent, purplish-black dragon-type energy immediately accumulated above its head, quickly condensed into a meteor, and slammed into its opponent.

Before the Roentgen Cat, with its fierce expression and mouth brimming with light blue energy, could act, it instinctively looked up at the Heavenly Dragon Meteor hurtling towards it, and then let out a low growl of terror.

boom--!
Even without any amplification effect, the power of Mega Salamence's Meteor Shower was terrifying, instantly causing Xeno'jiiva, which had charged up its Frost Fang, to become exhausted and fall asleep.

Of course, powerful moves often have obvious side effects. After using Meteor Shower, Salamence's energy is temporarily depleted, and its special attack will be greatly reduced for a short period of time.

However, this is not a problem at all for Salamence, which can use a dual-wielding strategy, and it doesn't even need to take a break.

At the same time, Qingyu's virtual image reached out and retrieved the exposed mushroom on the other side, which was constantly being disturbed by electric current, and replaced it with the imposing Raiden.

The team's two Mega Evolvers appeared on the field at the same time, but unfortunately, human strength has its limits, and the later-entering Electamon could only waste an item slot.

Those who frequently use Mega Evolution know that it consumes an enormous amount of the trainer's stamina.

Therefore, it is theoretically almost impossible for two Pokémon to achieve Mega Evolution at the same time, unless the trainer has some special physique.

However, even if this prerequisite is met, it is very difficult to achieve in actual combat.

After all, the core of Mega Evolution is bond. Dividing your own bond equally between two Pokémon sounds a bit like being a scumbag, and you might even end up draining yourself dry...

So being a trainer is a truly high-risk profession! After Qingyu finished his actions, Xiaoju'er's Rotom finished charging and threw another Electric Net at the opponent's field.

However, after Qingyu made a substitution, the effectiveness of the electric grid became somewhat awkward.

Although it further restricted Salamence's speed, preventing it from consistently gaining the initiative, it also chipped away at its health.

But Salamence's current teammates are no longer the Defias Mushroom that can only use Rage Powder to absorb aggro and has no way to deal with opponents.

As the electric net was cast, the electric energy on Raiden's body suddenly surged, ignoring the electric net wrapped around its body and even quickly absorbing all the energy from the attack, resulting in a qualitative leap in its combat power.

"One of Electivire's abilities is Lightning Rod. This ability may not be very useful in singles battles, but it can be incredibly powerful in doubles battles against Electric-type Pokémon."

Qingyu smiled faintly and offered an explanation.

"Similar to the principle of Rage Powder, Lightning Rod can absorb all single-target Electric-type moves. Not only will it not damage Electabuzz, but it can also increase its Special Attack by absorbing energy."

"Similar characteristics include water attraction, which can be very effective in doubles."

"Now, whether it's a single-target electric attack or an area-of-effect attack, Xiaoju needs to think carefully before making a move."

Doubles zone defense differs significantly from singles defense because teammates can contribute to the zone defense and create more interesting combinations.

If Qingyu had chosen the rain-based strategy as usual, the Lightning Rod ability of this Thunder Beast would have been even more effective, directly mitigating half of the weaknesses of the Water type.

Electivire is indeed a bit of an underdog in battles, but it did have its moments of glory in the World Championships in its previous life.

This is also the main reason why Qingyu thought of it after the Mega version update.

By utilizing the Lightning Rod, the Intimidate ability, and a repeated guerrilla strategy, a team centered around Electabuzz once made it to the final day of the 2016 Pokémon World Championships.

Unfortunately, in the finals, they encountered Electamon's nemesis—

Pikachu!
The Lightning Rod ability is indeed very effective against Electric-type Pokémon, and this ultimately bounced back at Volcarona in the form of a boomerang, preventing it from even having a chance to switch in...

However, Xiaojuer obviously didn't have the Lightning Rod ability as an option, which allowed Qingyu to confidently send out the Thunder Beast Youlong.

While not as comprehensive as Amoonguss, it's still enough to completely block the opponent's Electric-type moves.

The electric net just now has already boosted Electabuzz's Special Attack. If it stubbornly continues to cast electric nets, Electabuzz will definitely replace Salamence as the new monster and directly kill the match.

Therefore, after the Thunder Beast appeared, Little Kiku immediately fell into deep thought.

[No wonder Teacher Yu took out two Mega Hands, so that's what she was thinking...]

【This is so embarrassing for Miss Kiku! What does it mean that she's an Electric-type Gym Leader and they won't let her use Electric-type moves?!】

[It seems like a very standard approach, so why does Teacher Yu's way of using it feel strangely crude...?]

[It's alright, Teacher Yu has already gone easy on us. If the mushroom had been exposed and kept throwing mushroom spores at us, that would have been a fatal blow!]

Little Kiku's team has a relatively limited offensive capability, so with the interference of the Lightning Rod, it is now very difficult to deal with Salamence.

After careful consideration, she finally decided to take another chance.

"Oh, so you've brought out the Electro Dragon?"

Qingyu raised an eyebrow.

If nothing unexpected happens, this electric dragon will be the Mega Evolution in Xiaoju'er's team.

(Mega Electro Dragon)

After all, there are only two Electric-type Pokémon that can Mega Evolve, so she really didn't have many good options.

Just as Qingyu had predicted, almost the instant she appeared, Xiaojuer decisively revealed the Key Stone, and pure white evolutionary radiance immediately covered the electric dragon's body, quickly transforming into a pillar of light.

After the light faded, the Mega Ampharos, whose body hair had fallen out due to evolution, grew back and awakened its primal power, making a dazzling appearance.

Ampharos was originally a single Electric-type Pokémon, but after Mega Evolution, it gained the Electric + Dragon hybrid type, which matches its name and does pose a certain threat to Salamence.

But it's a pity...

"With Mega Ampharos's speed, even if its speed is reduced by the electric grid, it's only fit to follow behind Mega Salamence and eat its exhaust fumes!"

Qingyu smiled and quickly spoke again:
"Salamander, use Dragon Claw! Target Ampharos!"

"Thunder Beast, use Hyper Voice!"

As soon as Qingyu gave the command, the fastest monster on the field, Electivire, immediately took action, emitting a terrifying roar that indiscriminately attacked the opponent's Electro Dragon and Rotom.

Given his speed, if he wants to take advantage of Ampharos's Mega Evolution to deal some damage, there's not much Little Daisy can do about it.

But Qingyu did not choose to do so, and the reason was quite simple—

The evolved Mega Ampharos is actually countered by Salamence's Dragon Claw, making it easier to deal with than its original form.

The king of the skies, Mega Salamence, roared past, and a casually swung dragon claw attack instantly depleted Ampharos's stamina, leaving it unable to use any moves from its entrance to its demise.

At this point, Xiaoju'er had completely lost the ability to resist.

Neither Emolga nor Rotom could do anything about this Electabuzz. Faced with Salamence's overwhelming power, they could only offer token resistance before being easily defeated, one bite at a time.

Finally, the match ended with Salamence's Rock Slide, and all four of Daisy's Poké Ball icons on the screen went dark, bringing the match to a close.

The score was 4-0, undoubtedly a crushing defeat, with Qingyu's Pokémon barely expending any energy.

[Teacher Yu is just too versatile. Who would have thought that the Rainy Day Team would play without the Rainy Day Brothers? And the most outrageous thing is that they actually had a lot of fun with it!]

[I wonder what kind of psychological trauma Miss Xiaoju is experiencing. I feel like Teacher Yu went a bit too far. Is it because he's easy to bully cute girls...?]

To be fair, given Teacher Yu's proficiency with rain teams, I feel that even if they forced a rain team strategy, they wouldn't necessarily lose. After all, with Raichu's lightning rod, Kiku wouldn't have much of a chance to sweep the team.

[I've learned it! I'll use Electamon to challenge Mr. Denji of the Seaside Gym and leave him helpless!]

[While Salamence did deal a lot of damage, at this moment, I have to shout: The Bombyx got the MVP, Salamence was just carried to victory!]

After Qingyu's analysis of doubles tactics over this period, the viewers in the live stream have actually all figured out one thing—

While the offensive player is important in doubles, the key to the stable execution of tactics lies in the teammate who complements them.

Basically, it was by having the Shield-shroom absorb all the firepower at the start of the battle to gain the opportunity to boost its Dragon Dance, which resulted in the explosive output of the Salamence after Dragon Dance.

Otherwise, after being intimidated by the rotating Xeno'jiiva, Salamence's combat power would be greatly reduced, which would give Kikyo more opportunities.

With two such dedicated teammates like Amoonguss and Electabuzz, let alone Salamence, even if a Scorbunny comes along...

Oh, that doesn't seem feasible. Let's carry the person and chair down together.

"In doubles, such strategic tactical changes are very important. Understanding how to arrange and combine players reasonably so that your team can compete with any opponent is crucial for steadily improving your winning percentage."

"Of course, there is another crucial factor for achieving victory in the new version."

"Choose the right Mega Pokémon."

Qingyu gave a brief summary before continuing.

"Mega Evolution is certainly powerful, capable of increasing a Pokémon's base stats by 100 points, but..."

Ultimately, most Mega Pokémon still need to be paired with a specific team composition to exert sufficient dominance.

"Just like the Mega Ampharos used by Miss Kiku, it might actually be more suitable for Trick Room teams than pure Electric teams."

"However, there are many better options within the Trick Room team system, such as the Mega Cameroon, which I mentioned before and can perform well in Sunny Day teams. I'll introduce it to you all another time when I have the chance!"

【?? Teacher Yu, are you digging another hole? Those who dig holes and don't fill them in will get a forceful kiss from Sister Mystic Lips!】

[If Teacher Yu could update her videos more frequently, replacing Jynx with Gardevoir wouldn't be a bad idea.]

[Are you there? Could you please switch to a shiny female monster with high strength as a big reward for Teacher Yu?]

(End of this chapter)