Druddigon, the so-called "shame" of the Dragon family, had long held the unfortunate title of the weakest Dragon-type Pokemon. Before the seventh generation, it boasted the lowest Species Strength among its kind, and the fact that it never evolved certainly didn't help its reputation.
However, in the seventh generation, two new Dragon-types—Turtonator and Drampa—joined the ranks of the weaker dragons, but that didn't exactly do much to improve Druddigon's standing.
Despite its shortcomings, Druddigon's lack of evolution actually worked in its favor for novice trainers. With no final form to speak of, it had more room to grow compared to Pokemon that had already completed their evolutionary cycle.
Ricardo seemed to recognize this potential, sending Druddigon out to face Combusken. He believed that, as long as the level gap wasn't too wide, Druddigon could still manage to pull off a win.
"Druddigon, Dragon Claw!" Ricardo commanded.
The massive Druddigon charged forward like a wrecking ball, looking to smash its way through Combusken.
"Going tough, huh?" John smirked. "Let's see how well Combusken's training has paid off."
"Combusken, Double Kick!"
Combusken stepped forward, meeting Druddigon head-on.
The two Pokemon collided in the center of the battlefield. Druddigon's claws gleamed with a faint green light as it swung them down, aiming two massive Dragon Claws at Combusken.
The raw power behind Druddigon's claws made the attack formidable, but Combusken was faster. With agile twists and flips, Combusken dodged Druddigon's strikes, landing a solid kick to the Dragon-type's head.
A loud thud rang through the arena as Combusken's kick connected. It felt like hitting a solid wall.
But Druddigon barely flinched. It glanced down at Combusken with a look that seemed to say, 'Is that all you've got? Did you skip breakfast?'
The next moment, a sudden explosion of power erupted from where Combusken's foot had struck.
Druddigon was sent flying backward by the shockwave.
"What just happened?" Ricardo blinked in confusion.
The audience, too, was baffled. From their view, it seemed like Druddigon should've been sent flying immediately after the kick, but instead, it looked as though it had stopped mid-air before the force hit.
The sequence felt wrong, and nobody could explain it.
Even Scarlett, watching from the stands, sat up straighter, muttering to herself, "That kick was interesting..."
Disoriented, Druddigon quickly regained its balance, digging its claws into the ground to slow its momentum. But just as it was about to steady itself, Combusken was already on the attack again.
"Double Kick—again!" John commanded.
Combusken launched another round of kicks, striking Druddigon in the head.
The violent force sent Druddigon crashing into the wall, creating a loud, resonating impact.
"Combusken, finish this with another Double Kick!" John ordered confidently.
Combusken dashed forward, initiating Quick Attack. In a blur of motion, it delivered a left-footed strike to Druddigon's chest, then followed up with a powerful right-foot kick.
"Protect!" Ricardo shouted.
With its back against the wall, Druddigon crossed its arms to form an invisible Barrier, hoping to stop the attack.
But Combusken's power was too much. The Barrier shattered under the force of Combusken's strike, sending Druddigon flying back into the wall with tremendous force.
With one final, devastating rotation of its body, Combusken slammed its foot into Druddigon's head.
The impact was so powerful, it buried Druddigon into the wall, its defense crumbling like paper.
Combusken, having delivered the finishing blow, turned and walked away with effortless grace, while Druddigon crumpled to the ground in defeat.
The referee, without hesitation, announced the result.
"Druddigon is incapacitated, Combusken wins! With two Pokemon knocked out, Ricardo's defeat is confirmed, and John is the final winner!"
The audience fell into stunned silence, so much so that you could hear a pin drop.
That was it? The battle had barely started, and it was already over.
Everyone had expected Druddigon to dominate—unleashing its raw power and crushing Combusken. Instead, the Dragon-type was sent flying twice, unable to land even a single effective hit.
Many spectators, including Ricardo's own supporters, were left speechless. How could Combusken, of all Pokemon, knock out Druddigon so easily?
Even the freshmen couldn't wrap their heads around it. Combusken had already proven its strength by defeating Riolu, but what was happening now seemed impossible.
Only John, the one with Combusken, understood.
The secret behind Combusken's success lay in its training—particularly the combination of Double Kick and Force Palm.
By chaining the two moves together, Combusken could deliver four attacks instead of just two. Double Kick's base power of 30 per strike—multiplied by Force Palm's 90—resulted in a staggering 180 power.
It was a brutal combination that left Druddigon unable to retaliate.
The eerie silence was finally broken by the grade dean, who stood up and began to applaud.
"This has been a fantastic battle! Let's hear it for these two outstanding trainers!"
The audience, still processing the shock, joined in the applause, though it was hesitant at first.
"I knew it—John is the strongest! And he didn't even have to use his Hariyama. His Combusken took care of everything!"
"Did you get how Combusken pulled that off?"
"No idea, but I'm still saying, John's the best!"
If there was one word to sum up the showdown between John and Ricardo, it would be: bewildering, but impressive.
After the applause died down, the grade dean presented John with a certificate for winning the Competition.
John smiled, recalling the last time he had won an award—back when he received a "Good Student" certificate in elementary school.
He shook hands with the dean and returned Combusken to its Pokeball.
As he entered the competitor's lounge, John was handed a letter by the counselor.
You've won the Military Competition. You now have a chance to go to The Dragon Nest to capture a Dragon-type Pokemon. Let me know when you're ready, and I'll take you there. - Daisy