Blaziken, still kneeling on the ground, sprang upward as soon as he heard Cain's command.
He jumped high into the air.
"Victreebel, Power Whip with all your strength," said Mr. Ramos with his characteristic smile.
Blaziken had jumped to avoid the Power Whip attack, but once in the air, he had no foothold, making him an easy target.
Two thick vines emerged from Victreebel's body, lashing violently toward Blaziken.
At that moment, Blaziken's legs were completely engulfed in flames.
He didn't dodge the incoming vines but instead raised both hands, also covered in fire.
Pa!
Pa!
His burning hands precisely caught the two vines.
Despite taking some damage, he managed to stop Victreebel from moving.
With a powerful tug, he used the force of the vines to increase his falling speed even more.
The flames on his legs intensified, nearly engulfing his entire body in fire.
With a terrified expression on Victreebel's face, Blaziken unleashed a devastating kick on him.
Boom!
The ground cracked, and Victreebel was slammed into the earth with a brutal kick.
"Take the chance, Fire Punch!" Cain ordered.
Blaziken, still with one foot on Victreebel, had lingering flames on his legs. The contact left a black, charred mark on Victreebel's body.
With the effects of the Swords Dance move, Blaziken had unleashed his full offensive potential.
With just one blow, Victreebel was already gravely injured.
Showing no emotion, Blaziken extended his right arm, letting a flame burst from his wrist and engulf his fist.
With his gaze fixed on the helpless Victreebel, he delivered a crushing punch.
Boom!
The ground cracked further, Victreebel was embedded in the earth and lost the ability to continue fighting.
Seeing that Victreebel could no longer battle, Blaziken bent his legs and made a spectacular backward leap, landing gracefully in front of Cain.
This was the feeling of power.
No wonder Swampert enjoyed defeating his opponents in a single blow.
He was starting to like the experience of finishing off an enemy with one kick, too.
Mr. Ramos showed a slight expression of surprise. He hadn't expected that, by seizing a single opportunity, Blaziken could defeat Victreebel in just two attacks.
But seeing the state of the battlefield, he could imagine how devastating that attack had been.
Without losing his composure, he took out the Pokéball and withdrew Victreebel, nodding with a smile. "An impressive Blaziken, young Cain. You've trained him very well."
With that, he threw another Pokéball.
A floating Pokémon appeared on the field, with three dandelion-like structures that allowed it to move freely through the air.
If a grounded Pokémon like Victreebel couldn't handle Blaziken, then it was time to try with Jumpluff.
Pokémon: Jumpluff (Light Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 39
Types: Grass + Flying
Ability: Chlorophyll
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Aromatherapy, Worry Seed, Cotton Guard, Grassy Terrain
Basic Moves: Splash, Synthesis, Tail Whip, Tackle, Fairy Wind, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Bullet Seed, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Acrobatics, Rage Powder
Learned Moves: Seed Bomb, Giga Drain, Snore
TM Moves: Protect, Solar Beam, Aerial Ace, Energy Ball, Grass Knot, U-turn
Another Pokémon that hadn't yet reached the advanced level.
Seeing the two Pokémon Mr. Ramos had sent, it was clear he had perfectly assessed Blaziken's strength with just one look.
Not surprising for someone capable of maintaining his position as a Gym Leader at his age.
"Blaziken, move and use Agility! And watch out for the vines on the ground," Cain ordered.
Blaziken began running across the battlefield.
A small flame appeared on his ankle.
The objective was clear: to prevent the effects of the move Grass Knot.
While this wouldn't stop the attack from affecting him, it would at least reduce the risk of tripping mid-movement.
At worst, he would only lose his balance momentarily, as before.
"Jumpluff, Cotton Guard!" ordered Mr. Ramos with a smile.
Victreebel and Jumpluff had completely different combat styles.
Blaziken had shown that his direct offensive style was effective against a static Pokémon like Victreebel.
But against a light, floating Pokémon like Jumpluff, reaching it wouldn't be so easy.
Obeying the command, Jumpluff emitted a soft sound, and a layer of fluffy cotton began to form on its body.
This gave it even more freedom of movement in the air.
The move Cotton Guard significantly increased physical resistance.
It was a massive boost.
If the increase from a regular move was considered one level, the move Swords Dance increased attack by two levels.
But Cotton Guard increased defense by three levels.
That made it an extremely powerful reinforcement.
Just by observing the thick cotton cloak covering Jumpluff, it was clear that even a direct hit wouldn't have the same effect as before.
Blaziken kept running, increasing his speed, while Jumpluff floated in the air, strengthening its defense.
At first glance, they seemed to be ignoring each other.
But in reality, both were building strength for the next phase of the battle.
"Blaziken, Flame Charge!" Cain knew he couldn't let Jumpluff keep boosting its defense.
Besides increasing his speed, the move Flame Charge enhanced Blaziken's offense.
With the effects of the Speed Boost ability, Blaziken was already reaching his top speed.
Jumpluff couldn't compete with Blaziken in speed.
The danger of a Blaziken with unchecked speed was that, without realizing it, the opponent could find themselves completely dominated by the difference in agility.
"Jumpluff, use Cotton Guard again," ordered Mr. Ramos, ignoring Blaziken's offense.
Cain narrowed his eyes.
Was he trying to make the strongest shield face the sharpest sword?
He couldn't allow the defense to keep rising.
"Blaziken, jump and attack!"
"Blaazk!"
Blaziken stopped running and launched himself into the air.
His whole body was ablaze as he hurled himself directly at Jumpluff.
Jumpluff seemed to ignore Blaziken's offense, focusing on enhancing its defense.
Boom!
The Flame Charge hit Jumpluff head-on, sending it flying, although without causing much damage.
Only part of its cotton was singed.
"Fire Punch!" Cain ordered.
Blaziken landed and immediately launched himself again with fury, his fists wrapped in flames, striking repeatedly.
But the feeling was strange.
Now he understood how frustrating it was to punch cotton.
His strength couldn't find a solid point of impact.
It was an extremely annoying situation.
(End of chapter)