Chapter 601 - 601: 601. Thurstan

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"That was too fast, wasn't it?"

"It's only been a minute, right? Dragapult used just two moves, Substitute and Dragon Darts, and the match is already over."

"I didn't even get enough time to watch properly."

"Jacob! Jacob!"

The audience in the stadium cheered Jacob's name, waving their light sticks toward him.

Jacob smiled and waved back, then walked backstage to get ready for his next battle, a Double Battle.

.....

Jacob's quick win in the first match gave him plenty of time to rest.

Well, he didn't really need much rest. Dragapult had ended the battle almost instantly after using Substitute followed by Dragon Darts.

Now that the first match was over, the second match would be a Double Battle.

Jacob didn't have much experience with Double Battles. Compared to Single Battles, Double Battles demand much more coordination and teamwork.

He had already chosen his two Pokémon for this battle. Dragapult would take part again, and his partner would be Indeedee.

Indeedee could learn both Helping Hand and Follow Me, which made it a reliable partner in Double Battles, able to support Dragapult well.

Honestly, it was hard to say who would end up supporting whom. After Indeedee absorbed the Lunar Wing, its potential had risen to Master rank, one level above Dragapult's own.

It was almost possible that Dragapult would end up using Swords Dance and Will-O-Wisp just to support Indeedee instead.

.....

After resting backstage for nearly an hour, Jacob finally walked out for his second match.

As soon as he appeared, the crowd burst into cheers.

Most of the audience had come specifically to watch Jacob battle, but his first match had ended in barely a minute, leaving everyone wanting more.

.....

Jacob stood on the battlefield. Across from him was Trainer Number Six, Thurstan, a specialist in Dark-type Pokémon. He was a skilled Trainer, but unfortunately for him, his opponent today was Jacob.

"Battle, begin!"

At the referee's signal, both Trainers threw their Poké Balls at the same time.

"Go, Dragapult, Indeedee!"

"Go, Kingambit, Incineroar!"

All four Pokémon appeared on the field together. The moment it entered, Incineroar's Intimidate ability activated. With a fierce expression and a loud roar, it lowered the Attack stat of both Dragapult and Indeedee.

At the same time, Indeedee's Psychic Surge ability triggered. A wave of purple psychic energy spread out from Indeedee, covering the entire field and turning it into Psychic Terrain.

"Thurstan's Incineroar has used its Intimidate ability, lowering the Attack stats of both Indeedee and Dragapult."

"That should weaken Dragapult's physical attacks somewhat, meaning its signature moves, Dragon Darts and Phantom Force, will deal noticeably less damage this time."

"Meanwhile, we can see that Jacob's Indeedee has the rare Psychic Surge ability, and it activated the moment it entered the field, turning the terrain into Psychic Terrain."

"This is also the first time Jacob has used Indeedee in battle. Let's see what kind of performance it delivers."

.....

Jacob's eyes settled on Incineroar.

Known by many as one of the strongest Pokémon in Double Battles, Incineroar carried a fierce and powerful presence all its own.

Even among many strong Pokémon, Incineroar remained a top choice for Double Battles, and it happened to be one of Jacob's favorites.

Still, in this particular match, Incineroar wouldn't be able to use its full strength.

This was a 2-on-2 Double Battle, not a 4-on-4 battle, which meant neither Trainer could swap Pokémon during the match.

Incineroar's true strength usually came from combining Intimidate with switching moves like Fake Out, Parting Shot, and U-turn, letting it repeatedly trigger Intimidate while setting up good conditions for its teammates.

That didn't mean Incineroar was weak without switching, though. In a 2-on-2 format, it could still use strong status moves like Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, Swords Dance, and Bulk Up, along with powerful attacking moves such as Flare Blitz, Darkest Lariat, Knock Off, and Earthquake.

Incineroar truly deserved its reputation.

"Incineroar, use Will-O-Wisp on Dragapult!" Thurstan called out calmly.

Looking at the pairing of Dragapult and Indeedee, it was obvious to anyone watching that Dragapult was meant to deal damage while Indeedee supported it.

Thurstan figured that if he could take Dragapult out of the fight, he would have a strong chance of winning the match.

"Kingambit, use Swords Dance!" he added, ordering his other Pokémon to raise its Attack stat.

"Indeedee, use Helping Hand on Dragapult!" Jacob commanded at the same time. Normal-type energy flowed from Indeedee toward Dragapult, boosting the power of its next move.

"Dragapult, dodge that Will-O-Wisp, then use Fire Blast!"

Jacob's command rang out clearly. He decided to have Dragapult focus its attack on Kingambit first.

"Kingambit, use Protect!"

Thurstan reacted quickly. He had already seen the replay of Jacob's battle against Shelton, so he understood exactly how dangerous Dragapult could be.

Even though Fire Blast wasn't a same-type attack for Dragapult, Thurstan still had Kingambit use Protect right away.

Green flames flickered as Will-O-Wisp shot out from Incineroar, streaking toward Dragapult.

Dragapult shot into the air with incredible speed, moving like a fighter jet as it easily dodged the flames and closed in on Kingambit.

A moment later, fire wrapped around Dragapult's body. Flames burst outward, forming a massive blaze shaped like the character for "big," and surged toward Kingambit.

Kingambit, still on the ground, gathered Normal-type energy and formed a glowing barrier that blocked Dragapult's attack completely.

"Indeedee, use Dazzling Gleam!"

"Dragapult, full power, Dragon Pulse!"

Jacob's voice rang out again. At first, he had considered having Dragapult use Draco Meteor to clear the whole field, but Incineroar still had Protect available.

To play it safe, Jacob decided to have Dragapult use Dragon Pulse instead.

Dragon-type and Fairy-type energy surged across the field.

The Dragon-type energy released by Dragapult took the shape of a deep blue dragon, roaring as it charged straight at Kingambit with tremendous force.

At the same moment, Indeedee began to glow with colorful light as it activated Dazzling Gleam, releasing a burst of light toward both Incineroar and Kingambit.

As the light spread across the field, Fairy-type energy burst outward!

.....