Chapter 97: A Garchomp That Knows Dragon Dance?
The video continued playing.
"Garchomp!"
Tiana raised one hand, her voice becoming steady once again.
"Use Dragon Dance!"
The instant Garchomp heard the command, its body began moving to a strange and ancient rhythm.
"Dragon Dance?"
Byron frowned.
"Aggron, use Stone Edge!"
Aggron slammed both fists into the ground. More than a dozen sharp stone spikes erupted from the battlefield and shot toward Garchomp from every direction.
Garchomp continued dancing.
It twisted its waist to avoid the spike coming directly toward it, then used the momentum of a sweeping tail movement to turn aside and evade two more approaching from the flank.
After using Dragon Dance, its speed had become even greater than before.
"Aggron, use Rock Tomb!"
Byron continued applying pressure.
Stone pillars erupted from every side of the battlefield, attempting to trap Garchomp in the center.
Tiana clenched her fist.
"Use Dragon Dance again!"
Still dancing, Garchomp leaped into the air and planted one foot against a rising stone pillar.
Using it as a foothold, it flipped through the air and landed steadily outside the encirclement.
By the time the stone pillars closed together, Garchomp was no longer inside them.
"We can’t allow this to continue."
Byron gritted his teeth.
"Aggron, use Heavy Slam!"
Aggron once again transformed into a moving steel fortress and charged toward Garchomp.
Garchomp stepped sideways and evaded it, causing Aggron’s Heavy Slam to miss yet again.
"Stone Edge!"
Stone spikes burst from the ground.
Garchomp avoided them once more.
Byron realized that Aggron was constantly one step behind its opponent.
It wasn’t that his judgment was too slow.
Garchomp was simply too fast.
Every time Byron issued a command, Garchomp had already moved to its next position. Aggron was completely incapable of keeping up with its movements.
Garchomp twisted through the air once again.
By then, it had performed Dragon Dance five times, and its movements had become so fast that they were nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye.
"Garchomp, go!"
Tiana raised her hand.
"Use Dragon Rush!"
Garchomp twisted its body in midair.
Dark-blue Dragon-type energy completely enveloped it, transforming it into a meteor that plunged toward Aggron.
"Aggron, use Protect!!!"
A pale-green barrier spread out in front of Aggron.
Dragon Rush crashed into the barrier.
The shield trembled violently before shattering like glass. Countless pale-green fragments scattered through the air, then dissolved into points of light.
"Garchomp, use Brick Break!!" Tiana shouted.
Without losing any momentum, white light surrounded Garchomp’s claw as it struck Aggron directly.
Aggron released a deep cry of pain.
Its enormous body slid backward nearly ten meters from the force of the blow.
It struggled to rise, its knees trembling violently, but eventually crashed heavily to the ground.
Its eyes turned into spirals.
Aggron was unable to battle.
The referee remained stunned for two seconds before finally reacting.
"Aggron is unable to battle! Garchomp wins! The victor is Tiana from Celestic Town!!"
Byron recalled Aggron, planted his iron shovel in the ground, and approached Tiana.
"The younger generation is truly formidable."
He shook his head. Although his voice was filled with helplessness, an irrepressible smile remained on his face.
"Excellent. You have surpassed me."
He extended one hand.
A Badge rested in his palm.
"This is the Mine Badge."
Tiana accepted the Badge with both hands and bowed.
"Thank you, Grandpa Byron!"
"There’s no need to thank me. Go home and tell your father to increase the Gym’s insurance coverage. These repairs are going to cost quite a bit."
"Grandpa Byron!"
"I’m only joking. Go on. Fight well at your next destination."
[VIP Chat Group]
[Professor Sycamore]: Wait, wait! Did I see that correctly? Tiana’s Garchomp can actually use Dragon Dance?!
[Ash]: What’s unusual about Dragon Dance?
[Gary]: Dragon Dance itself isn’t unusual. A Garchomp knowing Dragon Dance is.
[Ash]: Why?
[Gary]: Because Garchomp can’t learn Dragon Dance through any normal method. Check the League’s move database—Dragon Dance isn’t part of Garchomp’s normal move pool.
[Cynthia]: ...
[Diantha]: Cynthia, does your Garchomp know Dragon Dance?
[Cynthia]: No.
[Diantha]: But parallel-world Tiana’s Garchomp does.
[Cynthia]: I can see that.
[Professor Carolina]: Little Cynthia’s Garchomp can’t use it, but Tiana’s can. What does that prove? Training well is no match for marrying well.
[Cynthia]: Grandma!
[Steven]: Hahahahaha! Professor Carolina hit the nail on the head! Brother Asher, you taught it Dragon Dance, didn’t you? Come out and take credit!
[Asher]: ...
[Brock]: Stop playing dead. Everyone already knows it was you.
[Asher]: First, I need to clarify that the person in the video is my parallel-world counterpart. Second, would you believe me if I said Garchomp comprehended the move by itself?
[Wallace]: Do you honestly think we would believe that?
[Asher]: I think you should.
[Wallace]: (¬_¬)ﾉ←
[Lance]: (¬_¬)ﾉ←
[Raihan]: Leon, do you think I should try learning it too?
[Leon]: Your Duraludon can’t learn Dragon Dance. Give up.
[Raihan]: What if Asher has a way? Mr. Asher, can Duraludon learn Dragon Dance?
[Asher]: No. But if you want to double the power of its Steel-type moves, I can give you a prescription.
[Raihan]: What prescription?!
[Asher]: Have Leon’s Charizard use Flamethrower on it continuously for ten minutes.
[Raihan]: ...
[Leon]: I think that prescription is worth trying.
[Raihan]: Get lost!!
...
TL: Another short ahh Chapter that you guys definitely deserve!! Also, Dragon Dance on Garchomp—holy shit.