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At the battle arena behind the Pokemon Center in Violet City, Liam and Delia stood at opposite ends of the field, each commanding their own Pokémon in battle.
They had already arrived in Violet City, and the Violet Gym was just a short distance from the rescue center. Delia could challenge the Gym at any time.
However, Liam wasn't entirely at ease. He didn't let Delia jump into the Gym battle right away because he knew she had pitifully little battle experience. Her understanding of Pokémon and her ability to command them in battle were seriously lacking—she was the definition of a beginner.
While Gym Leaders usually went easy on rookies and sent out relatively weaker Pokémon, those Pokémon were still hand-raised by the Gym Leaders themselves. Even if they weren't the leaders' main team, they couldn't be underestimated.
That's why Liam was here, helping Delia with some special combat training.
...
Cyndaquil! Use Ember!'"
"Cynda!!"
Just outside the field, Delia shouted her command excitedly to her Cyndaquil.
Cyndaquil chirped back just as excitedly, opened its tiny mouth, and shot out a stream of sparks toward its opponent.
"Larvitar! Use Sandstorm to block it, then go in with Bite!'"
"Lar-vi!"
Liam's Pokémon was Larvitar, which wasn't chosen for type advantage. It was simply that Larvitar was the weakest member of Liam's team. If he sent out any of his stronger Pokémon, they would've crushed Delia's team of four instantly.
"Lar-vi~!"
It was Larvitar's first battle too, and the excitement in its eyes was undeniable. At Liam's command, it let out a happy cry, rapidly swinging its stubby arms side to side. A faint Sandstorm began to swirl around it.
The storm was weak—so weak that it didn't even reach a full meter around Larvitar. It posed no threat to Cyndaquil whatsoever, and had virtually no offensive power. Still, the swirling sand blocked the oncoming Ember and scattered the sparks harmlessly into the air.
"Larvitar!"
Having blocked the attack, Larvitar let out another cry and sprinted out of the sand's range on its short legs. As it ran, its little mouth glinted with dark energy—it was going in for a Bite.
"Ah! It's charging in to bite?! What do I do, what do I do—oh! Cyndaquil! Use Smokescreen!'"
Panicking as Larvitar closed in fast, Delia flailed in confusion. Even Cyndaquil looked equally lost. It wasn't until Larvitar was nearly on top of them that Delia finally gave a command.
"Cynda!!"
At her call, Cyndaquil's back flared up and it opened its round mouth wide, spraying a thick cloud of black smoke straight into Larvitar's face. The smoke quickly enveloped both Pokémon.
"Heh. Not bad. Larvitar! Fire off a full-powered Sandstorm!"
Liam chuckled and nodded slightly at Delia's reaction. It wasn't perfect, but at least she responded—that was improvement.
"Cough! Lar…vi!!"
Choking and coughing in the smoke, Larvitar spat out the fumes it had accidentally inhaled. Its little face now showing a hint of irritation, it thrust both arms outward.
A much stronger Sandstorm erupted around it, easily powerful enough to cover half the battlefield.
The smoke was swept away by the storm.
"Cynda?"
Now caught in the swirling sand, Cyndaquil let out a confused cry—and then winced in pain as the storm's passive damage took effect.
"Cyndaquil! Are you okay?! Get out of there, quick!!"
Delia's face was full of concern as she heard Cyndaquil's cry. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted anxiously toward the sandstorm.
Obeying, Cyndaquil nodded quickly and ran toward the direction of Delia's voice.
"You're not getting away! Larvitar, Iron Tail!'"
"Larvi-tar!"
Just as Cyndaquil turned around, Liam gave his next command. Larvitar let out a roar, and its tiny tail began to glow silver. With a short burst of speed, Larvitar appeared behind Cyndaquil and spun around—its Iron Tail slammed hard into Cyndaquil's rear.
Just like a ball, Cyndaquil went flying, rolling head over heels out of the sandstorm and straight into Delia's arms.
"Cyn... daa..."
Lying in her arms, Cyndaquil weakly raised a tiny paw and gave a faint whimper before its head lolled to the side, fainting.
Cyndaquil!! Don't die on me!!"
Delia stared in shock, then suddenly collapsed to the ground, her legs giving out. Her big eyes shimmered, on the verge of tears.
"Ahem… Cyndaquil just fainted. Let it rest in its PokeBall for a while—it's not seriously hurt or anything…"
After Larvitar's victory, the Sandstorm began to fade on its own. Liam walked over, cradling a delighted Larvitar in his arms, and offered a sheepish smile as he tried to comfort the distraught Delia.
"Huh!? Cyndaquil's okay? That's such a relief!!"
Delia immediately believed him. Once she realized Cyndaquil wasn't in danger, she let out a sigh of relief, pulled out the PokeBall, and recalled her Pokémon.
"So? After that battle, do you feel like you understand Pokémon battles a little better?"
Liam took her hand and helped her to her feet, smiling as he looked at her tear-streaked face.
"Yeah… it was fun! I think I'm starting to get it. I feel like I've already gotten stronger!"
Delia dusted herself off and nodded seriously at Liam.
"Oh~? Then since it's still early, how about we do a few more rounds? You're going up against the Flying-type Violet Gym tomorrow. Let me teach you a few things you'll need to watch out for in battles against Flying-types."
Seeing her serious expression, Liam laughed and set Larvitar down again.
"Okay! I'll do my best!"
Delia suddenly remembered how powerful Liam and Garchomp had been in that Heracross forest. Her already serious expression turned even more determined, and her tone carried a note of stubborn resolve.
"Good! Let's get started then!"
"Alright! Go, Squirtle"
...
After an afternoon of intense training, Liam noticed how tired Delia looked and decided to call it a day and return to the Pokemon Center.
Delia, thrilled by the idea of resting, let out a cheer and ran to the sidelines. She grabbed her bag and the Pokémon egg from the bench, then pulled Liam along as they hurried back to the center.
Just as the two of them entered the Center, a breaking news story playing on a large wall-mounted screen caught Liam's attention.