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"Larvitar!!"
A dazzling white light engulfed Larvitar completely. Under everyone's gaze, the glow faded, and the newly evolved Larvitar appeared before them—now a mighty Pupitar, its metallic sheen shining brilliantly as it stood proudly on the battlefield!
"Ev… evolved…"
Max stared in shock at the transformed Larvitar, now Pupitar, his face full of disbelief.
"…Heh, what a stubborn fellow. I guess I can't carry you anymore, huh."
Liam fixed his eyes on the newly evolved Pupitar, a helpless expression crossing his face. Pupitar now stood taller than a meter, and Liam's voice carried a tone of resignation.
"Puu! Pupitar!"
Just moments earlier, Larvitar had been thrilled about evolving. But upon hearing Liam's words, its expression instantly fell (though… where exactly is Pupitar's face?). It spun around with a little hop, its big round eyes shimmering with moisture.
"Ahem. Staring at me like that won't help. The battle's not over yet. Didn't you evolve because you wanted to win? Show me the strength you gained from evolving."
Liam felt a pang of guilt under Pupitar's gaze. Before evolution, it was already heavy, but Liam's trained body could still manage to carry it. Now, though… Pupitar weighed over 300 pounds. Liam had no confidence he wouldn't be crushed flat.
"Pupitar!"
Hearing Liam's words, Pupitar immediately nodded firmly. With a jump and turn, it faced Charizard again, eyes locked intensely. Without waiting for Liam's command, Pupitar's body suddenly expelled a powerful jet of compressed air, launching itself forward like a cannonball straight at Charizard!
"Rooar?!"
The sudden charge caught Charizard off guard. In the blink of an eye, Pupitar was already upon it. With no time to react, Charizard let out a roar and crossed its arms in front of its chest, bracing for impact!
...
[Ding!]
Pokemon: Pupitar
Species: Hard Shell Pokémon A Rock and Ground type, the evolved form of Larvitar. After evolution, its body is encased in a thick, sturdy armor, with defenses greater than steel. Though it loses the use of limbs, its compressed gas propulsion allows it to move with explosive force, leaping like a bullet.
Ability: Guts
Nature: Carefree
Gender: Male
Moves: Bite, Leer, Sandstorm, Screech, Rock Slide, Scary Face, Chip Away.
Egg Move:Iron Tail.
TMs:Hidden Power, Protect, Stone Edge
Base Stats: Total 410
HP: 70
Attack: 84
Defense: 70
Sp. Atk: 65
Sp. Def: 70
Speed: 51
Evaluation: Excellent! As the future Tyrant of Sandstorms, Pupitar is already showing its terrifying potential. Its power to shatter boulders is frightening, and its potential is limitless. Strongly recommended for focused training.
...
This was the data Liam quickly scanned as Pupitar shot forward. Truly impressive stats.
"Roar!!"
"Puu!"
As if to prove the evaluation right, the moment Pupitar's charge struck Charizard's crossed arms, the dragon howled in pain and was knocked backward, flapping its wings furiously to stop itself. Its arms trembled uncontrollably, its face contorted in agony.
"Puu!"
Pupitar stood proudly in Charizard's former spot, shaking its body as though completely unharmed.
"Charizard!"
The brief clash left Max stunned—Charizard had actually been overpowered. His voice wavered with both shock and worry.
"Roar!!"
But upon hearing its trainer's call, Charizard roared defiantly. Flames flickered wildly in its eyes, and the fire on its tail blazed upward with renewed ferocity!
"Huh? Blaze? It's already that injured? That shouldn't be… unless…"
The sudden flare of flames told Liam that Charizard's Blaze ability had activated. But Blaze only triggered when a Pokémon's HP dropped to critical levels. Based on the previous exchanges, Charizard shouldn't have been that badly hurt—aside from Pupitar's most recent devastating hit.
Even then, a normal Charizard shouldn't have entered Blaze so quickly. Unless…
"Still want to fight, Charizard? Fine! Let's go all the way! Charizard, use Flamethrower!"
Seeing the surge of flames, Max's confidence reignited. He pointed firmly at Pupitar, ordering Charizard to attack.
"Roar!!"
With a deafening roar, Charizard unleashed a colossal Flamethrower, far stronger than before. The inferno surged forward with overwhelming force, threatening to engulf Pupitar entirely.
But just as the flames were about to strike—
"Return, Pupitar!"
A beam of red light shot out from behind Pupitar, striking it and pulling it back into its PokeBall. Pupitar vanished in a flash, and the raging flames roared harmlessly past.
"Hm?"
"Huh?"
Both Max and the referee, Mr. Howard, were stunned. They turned to Liam, confused by his sudden withdrawal.
"What do you mean by this? Forfeit? We agreed at the start—no switching Pokémon mid-battle. Did you forget?"
Max frowned, seeing Liam recall Pupitar without sending another Pokémon. Even Mr. Howard looked to Liam, awaiting his explanation.
"Of course I didn't forget. But… I think that's enough. I prefer battling strong opponents. I don't have time to play around with a Pokémon that hasn't even recovered from its injuries. The battle ends here. I'm heading to the Pokémon Center to heal mine. If you go back, tell Delia to meet me at the Pokémon Center."
Liam's expression was cold as he pocketed the PokeBall. Without another word, he turned and strode quickly out of the park, clearly intent on heading straight for the Pokémon Center.
"Rooar!! …Roar…"
"Thud…"
The battlefield fell silent. Charizard, the first to react, roared furiously after Liam, flames of anger blazing in its eyes. But the effort was too much—it staggered, then collapsed to the ground, the fire on its tail shrinking to a faint flicker.
"Charizard!!"
Max cried out in panic, rushing to his fallen partner. After checking its condition, he quickly recalled Charizard to its PokeBall. Nodding briefly to Mr. Howard, Max sprinted off after Liam, leaving the referee standing alone, bewildered.
"What in the world just happened?"