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Chapter 174 - Chapter 174: Details Determine Success or Failure

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In reality, Lian could directly unleash Dragon Rage, but there was no need for it yet. Considering Blissey's current state, using Dragon Rage might defeat it instantly.

He preferred to wait until Blissey employs its Soft-Boiled move, restoring its stamina and healing injuries first. This opportunity was too valuable to waste recklessly.

For now, Lian maintained control over the battle situation, aiming to prolong it as much as possible. At least Ninetales still had fighting capabilities; even if Sunny Day faded, Kalia could switch in Ninetales to activate Drought Ability again.

Thus, Lian remained composed, focusing on maximizing his Combat Points while securing victory. Defeating Blissey wouldn't be difficult at this point, allowing him some room for strategic maneuvering.

"Blissey, use Soft-Boiled!" Hassa hastily called out, feeling slightly panicked by the overwhelming strength of this Charmeleon, which even Blissey struggled against.

Blissey raised its short arms, retrieving an egg from its pouch, and promptly tossed it into the air.

The egg floated in mid-air, emitting a blinding light that enveloped Blissey, gradually healing its injuries. The flame-burnt areas began to recover, and Blissey's eyes once again filled with happiness.

As the egg dissipated, transforming into healing energy, Blissey regained its vitality. Simultaneously, another egg appeared in Blissey's pocket, ready for future use.

"Charmeleon, continue using Flamethrower 2!" Kalia continued her commands. Soft-Boiled could only restore limited vitality, and if this combo succeeded, Blissey was likely to be defeated.

Since Blissey was Hassa's only Pokemon capable of resisting Charmeleon, once it fell, he would have just one Pokemon left, making a comeback highly improbable.

"Blissey, keep using Soft-Boiled!" Hassa, well-versed in the Soft-Boiled move due to his own Blissey, knew that any further attack from Charmeleon would overwhelm his Pokemon.

Their strategy now was simply to endure, holding out until the end.

By stalling until Sunny Day ends, Charmeleon would lose its amplified power advantage, posing no significant threat. This would then provide Blissey with an opportunity to counterattack; otherwise, it risked certain defeat.

Hassa couldn't allow that outcome. He aimed to win and reclaim his position as the top student, becoming the strongest in the mid-level class once again.

Lian looked approvingly at Hassa, impressed by his strategic thinking. It was indeed the best approach under these circumstances, allowing Blissey to endure the second combo attack while also enabling Lian to earn more Combat Points.

As usual, Lian employed Flamethrower. With no chance for Blissey to use Minimize, it couldn't affect Lian's accuracy, resulting in a direct hit on the target.

Despite the scorching flames, Blissey did not halt its Soft-Boiled move. Another egg soared into the air, emitting blinding light infused with healing energy, rapidly restoring Blissey's injuries.

Caught amidst the blazing inferno, Blissey simultaneously endured the searing heat while basking in the rejuvenating glow, experiencing both pain and relief.

After Flamethrower concluded, without any pause, Lian unleashed Weather Ball. Knowing two consecutive Soft-Boiled moves would fully heal Blissey, he could continue attacking without concern, ensuring it remained combat-ready.

Lian maintained a firm grip on the battle's rhythm, with his greatest advantage being the ability to calculate damage. Although certain aspects in reality couldn't be precisely quantified by data, having approximate values was sufficient.

He consistently analyzed and summarized the combat data provided by the system, validating them through each battle. Without this approach, he wouldn't have been able to estimate Blissey's approximate Stamina points accurately.

The massive fiery red Weather Ball descended towards the ground once again. Hassa instructed Blissey to dodge, but although it narrowly managed to avoid direct impact, the explosion upon contact still caused harm to Blissey.

Lian inwardly smiled, showcasing the true strength of Weather Ball. Unless one could evade at a considerable distance, they would inevitably be affected due to its aerial descent.

After enduring another blast from the exploding Weather Ball, Blissey appeared somewhat battered. Its round body stumbled onto the ground, struggling to get back up.

"Blissey, stand up and continue using Soft-Boiled," Hassa said, feeling somewhat helpless yet relieved that Blissey hadn't lost its fighting capability.

Hassa glanced at the sky and noticed that the sunlight was no longer as blindingly intense, indicating that Sunny Day was about to end.

Once Sunny Day ceased, Charmeleon's threat would significantly diminish, allowing Blissey to resume using Minimize again.

Lian also felt the changes around him; the fire energy decreased, making it less comfortable than under direct sunlight earlier.

"It's almost time. Once Sunny Day disappears, Blissey will undoubtedly seize the opportunity to use Minimize. At that point, my attacks won't be sufficient to halt its Minimize strategy."

Currently, Lian had control over the battle, but once Sunny Day ended, his offensive power would drastically reduce. Weather Ball would become ineffective, and Flamethrower's potency would significantly decrease.

At that stage, one Soft-Boiled move from Blissey would require at least two Flamethrowers from Lian just to counteract the regained Stamina. If Blissey managed to utilize Minimize, it would become much harder to deal with.

With Sunny Day gone, Kalia would surely look for an opportunity to switch back to Ninetales, removing any limitations on Blissey's ability to use Soft-Boiled and Minimize.

Allowing Blissey's Minimize strategy to take effect would be challenging to counter. Lian wasn't yet confident enough to guarantee a perfect execution every time; he couldn't afford to gamble.

"Charmeleon, continue with Flamethrower 2!"

Kalia sounded anxious, realizing Sunny Day was about to expire, and promptly urged Lian to attack.

Glancing at Blissey, Lian opted not to use Flamethrower but instead released Weather Ball directly. If he had used Flamethrower first, there was a risk that with Sunny Day suddenly ending, Weather Ball might fail to trigger its special effect, transforming it into a Fire-Type move.

This would significantly reduce the damage potential of his next attack. To ensure maximum impact, while Sunny Day still persisted, Lian needed to alter the sequence, prioritizing Weather Ball before its power boost expired.

Even if Sunny Day vanished, without its amplification, at least the full force of Weather Ball could still be unleashed. Since Flamethrower is inherently a Fire-Type move, its effectiveness wouldn't diminish as drastically.

Lian's decision proved correct as another fiery red gas ball homed in on Blissey, rapidly descending.

"Using Weather Ball first?" Kalia initially hesitated but quickly understood the reasoning behind it. Clearly, initiating with Weather Ball was indeed the most strategic approach.

Kalia smiled, acknowledging her small oversight. As Sunny Day was about to expire, she had become anxious and didn't consider this possibility. If Sunny Day vanished during move execution, it would significantly impact the outcome. By using Flamethrower first, even if Weather Ball were released afterward, it would only be its normal strength.

Boom!

The Weather Ball exploded once again, subjecting Blissey to the shockwaves and intense heat. Fortunately, Blissey remained battle-ready, with its egg still glowing, continuously healing itself.

"Sunny Day is gone."

"Without Sunny Day, can Charmeleon still defeat Blissey?"

At that moment, the temperature abruptly dropped, and sunlight returned to normal levels. This obvious change did not go unnoticed by anyone, including Lian.

Fortunately, he acted swiftly and launched the Weather Ball ahead of time, sensing that Sunny Day was nearing its end.

He couldn't let Blissey use Soft-Boiled again; otherwise, things might take a turn for the worse. Having witnessed Blissey's multiple uses of Soft-Boiled already, Lian felt satisfied enough.

Lian rapidly unleashed Flamethrower, capitalizing on Hassa's hesitation before ordering Blissey to continue with Soft-Boiled. He needed to quickly eliminate Blissey.

His urgency stemmed from the ongoing effects of Solar Power. If he couldn't defeat Blissey now, another round of Sunny Day could prove too much to handle.

Lian wasn't sure if he could withstand another round of Sunny Day.

While Solar Power boosted his offensive capabilities significantly, its side effects were potent. If Ninetales had to enter the field again for a second Sunny Day, Lian doubted whether he could endure until it ended.

"Blissey, continue using Soft-Boiled!" Hassa's spirits lifted as he watched Sunny Day dissipate, knowing they had successfully prolonged the battle to this point.

The Flamethrower fiercely struck Blissey's body, still powerful despite not being amplified by Sunny Day.

However, after enduring the Flamethrower, Blissey remained combat-ready. The disappearance of Sunny Day greatly reduced the effectiveness of Lian's attacks.

"It's futile now. Without Sunny Day, your Charmeleon can't inflict significant damage on Blissey," Hassa confidently asserted. Once Blissey successfully performs a second Soft-Boiled, he would regain control over the battle.

Are you celebrating too soon?

Observing Hassa's expression, Lian mercilessly unleashed Dragon Rage, sending a fierce shockwave towards Blissey just as a new egg began forming in its pouch.

Soft-Boiled is not limitless and requires energy; after multiple uses, Blissey struggled to quickly generate a new egg, leading to increased intervals between releasing Soft-Boiled moves.

The shockwave from Dragon Rage mercilessly struck Blissey. Lian had been saving this move, initially planning to use Inferno, but considering Blissey had already employed Minimize once, he couldn't guarantee the accuracy of Inferno's hit.

Instead, he opted for the more reliable Flamethrower followed by Dragon Rage, ensuring victory against Blissey.

However, it was evident that Dragon Rage alone wasn't sufficient damage-wise; Lian needed to learn Dragon Pulse sooner rather than later.

The final move, Dragon Rage, shattered Hassa's newly regained confidence instantly. After enduring Dragon Rage, Blissey could no longer stand and collapsed.

Hassa was stunned; despite his efforts, Blissey still lost. In the last moment, Charmeleon unexpectedly unleashed another Dragon Rage.

Lian breathed a sigh of relief after defeating Blissey, narrowly avoiding an upset. His meticulous strategy paid off; if Blissey had fully recovered, even bringing back Ninetales at that point would have been risky, as Blissey would likely have used Minimize at least twice by then.

With three uses of Minimize, Lian couldn't ensure the accuracy of his attacks. Any single mistake would force him to endure additional Solar Power side effects, making it unsustainable.

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