"The battle begins now!"
"Torterra, use Wood Hammer right away!"
Standing at the edge of the battlefield, Aven stared at the two Pokémon facing off in the center and gave the command without hesitation.
"Toar!"
Torterra moved instantly.
A dazzling green light surrounded its body as powerful energy gathered. Its head quickly became wrapped in green light, taking on the form of a massive wooden hammer.
At the same time, the grassy terrain beneath it glowed with a vibrant green, energy continuously surging into the Wood Hammer attack.
Additionally, streams of life energy flowed into the Life Orb hanging around Torterra's neck. The orb began to emit a deep purple glow, further enhancing the power of Wood Hammer.
Next to Aven, Petilil was also enveloped in a green light, fully channeling the energy of Grassy Terrain.
Although this was a battle between Torterra and Nidoking, Petilil was playing an active supporting role. She was channeling grass energy to strengthen the Life Orb's power.
"Roooaaarrr!"
Nidoking stood opposite Torterra, its expression serious.
Poison-type energy surged in its body and rapidly gathered in its fists. As Torterra charged, Nidoking threw a punch infused with toxic energy.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shook the battlefield as the two Pokémon collided.
Poison Jab and Wood Hammer clashed with terrifying energy, creating massive shockwaves as they struggled for dominance.
Nidoking maintained its punching stance, while Torterra dug its four legs into the ground and pushed forward with all its might!
After a brief deadlock, Nidoking's feet suddenly slipped, and Poison Jab was shattered by the force of Wood Hammer!
"Toar!"
Using the momentum, Torterra slammed into Nidoking with full force.
Nidoking's body was sent flying, crashing hard into the ground and skidding across the grass, leaving a long trail in its wake!
In this direct clash, Torterra had the upper hand—despite only being an advanced-level Pokémon, it had just knocked back a quasi-King-level Nidoking!
There was a brief moment of stunned silence, followed by a roaring cheer.
Simon and the others, along with their Pokémon, cheered loudly for Torterra's victory!
On the other hand, the Nidoking tribe's expressions changed dramatically when they saw their leader toppled to the ground. It was the first time they had seen him so battered and humiliated!
"Roar!!"
But in the next instant, a furious roar erupted.
The Nidoking leader quickly got to his feet, blood-red eyes locked on Torterra with a burning intensity.
Though he had been overpowered in that exchange, he was far from defeated!
Huff... Huff...
In the distance, Torterra was panting heavily.
Though Wood Hammer had immense power, far exceeding Poison Jab, it came with a steep price—Torterra also took recoil damage from using it.
So even though the empowered Wood Hammer had overwhelmed Nidoking, Torterra had also sustained significant injuries. In fact, the stronger the move, the greater the recoil.
"Lil lil... lil lil..."
Seeing this, Petilil let out a soft cry.
The grass beneath Torterra suddenly glowed green, and countless strands of green light wrapped around its body.
Grassy Terrain had healing properties, and with Petilil—who excelled at recovery—maintaining the field, Torterra's injuries rapidly began to heal.
In just a few moments, Torterra felt nearly fully recovered. It let out a roar and locked eyes with Nidoking once more.
Their gazes clashed again, and then the two launched another attack: Poison Jab vs Wood Hammer—colliding fiercely once more.
This time, perhaps because Nidoking was prepared and using his full strength, the clash ended in a stalemate.
After pulling back, Nidoking seemed to realize that Torterra had excellent healing abilities, so it launched a flurry of relentless Poison Jabs.
For wild Pokémon, it was rare to master many moves. Most could only use a handful of basic attacks unless they were lucky or had some opportunity for growth.
However, even basic moves could become devastating with consistent training. Nidoking had clearly honed Poison Jab to perfection, allowing for rapid, continuous use.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The battlefield raged on as the two Pokémon continued their high-intensity battle.
With the initial probing over, they had both unleashed their full power.
"Torterra is slowly being pushed back…" Simon and the others looked worriedly at Aven—who remained completely calm.
"Torterra, now! Use Leech Seed!"
Just as the two Pokémon clashed again, Aven shouted.
Suddenly, green light burst beneath Nidoking's feet—Leech Seeds!
From the glowing seeds, thick vines surged upward, wrapping around Nidoking.
Caught off guard, Nidoking was quickly entangled, but its raw strength allowed it to break free with a powerful flex.
But that brief moment was all Torterra needed.
It opened its jaws wide and bit down hard on Nidoking's shoulder, unleashing Giga Drain with all its might!
Immediately, green light engulfed Nidoking as its energy was drained and transferred into Torterra, quickly healing its wounds!
"Roaaar!!"
Nidoking roared in fury, Poison-type energy surging throughout its body.
It opened its mouth and gathered all that toxic energy into a Sludge Bomb, which it hurled at Torterra!
Boom!
The Sludge Bomb exploded violently.
The green light from Giga Drain was shattered in an instant.
But just as the blast was about to hit Torterra, a milky-white glow appeared around it.
It was the effect of Cherrim's Flower Gift—a passive ability that increased Torterra's special defense and reduced special attack damage!
The powerful shockwave blasted both Pokémon apart, and they stood facing each other once again.
Although Nidoking had gained the upper hand earlier, after Giga Drain drained much of its energy and Torterra recovered significantly, both Pokémon now looked battered—but their fighting spirit remained undiminished.
"Toar!"
Torterra took a step forward.
But in the next moment, it froze—its body wracked with pain.
A sickly purple aura appeared on its body, along with blotchy spots on its skin.
"Torterra's been poisoned!"
The patrolling trainers turned pale.
Having encountered Vileplume's Poison Powder before, they immediately recognized the symptoms.
"Roar! Roar!!"
The nearby Nidorans roared in excitement.
They knew just how deadly their leader's poison could be!
Even the Nidoking leader seemed to sigh in relief.
As long as the opponent was poisoned, the battle was as good as over.
Nidoking took a deep breath, preparing to launch one final blow.
But mid-inhale, it suddenly caught a pleasant fragrance in the air.
Confused, it sniffed again, then looked at Torterra—only to find the poisoned status had vanished!
"Roar?!" Σ(っ°Д°;)っ
Nidoking was dumbfounded. How had Torterra's poison just... disappeared?
The Nidorans were equally stunned. Their triumphant smiles froze on their faces.
"Aven smiled knowingly. "As I thought—it's the Poison Point ability."
Nidoking had three possible abilities: Poison Point, Rivalry, and Sheer Force.
Poison Point causes contact to possibly inflict poison.
Rivalry boosts power against the same gender but weakens it against the opposite.
Sheer Force is a hidden ability that boosts power at the cost of secondary effects.
Aven ruled out Rivalry right away—Torterra was female, and Nidoking's power hadn't been reduced.
He also ruled out Sheer Force after observation, leaving only Poison Point.
So early in the battle, Aven had secretly instructed Petilil to use Aromatherapy, ensuring that if Torterra got poisoned, it would be cured immediately.
"Torterra, use Wood Hammer again!"
While Nidoking was still stunned, Torterra charged once more.
(End of Chapter)