The Electrode stood about a meter tall, its body white on top and red on the bottom, resembling a gigantic upside-down Poké Ball.
Unlike a normal Poké Ball, however, it had eyes and a mouth, and its jittery, hyperactive movements revealed its nature. This was Electrode—the evolved form of Voltorb, an Electric-type Pokémon.
"Since it's an Electric-type Pokémon… go, Graveler!" Yozora decisively sent out his Graveler.
The sturdy Rock Pokémon landed heavily on the battlefield, letting out a low, eerie chuckle. Its entire body gleamed with a dazzling golden hue, causing Donglei and many of the Gym's disciples to gasp in shock.
"Graveler, huh? Not a bad choice!" Donglei nodded repeatedly.
Ground-type Pokémon had a natural advantage over Electric-types. They not only dealt double damage with their attacks but were also completely immune to Electric-type moves.
Of course, in this reality, "immunity" wasn't absolute—but against an opponent of the same tier, immunity still held true, and even against stronger opponents, Ground-types enjoyed considerable resistance.
[Graveler] (Rock + Ground): Senior-level peak, Champion potential[Electrode] (Electric): Senior-level high rank, Senior potential
…
Judging by level alone, Graveler already had a crushing advantage.
A level advantage, a type advantage—victory seemed almost guaranteed.
"For Graveler, Electric-type moves really are useless… but my Electrode isn't limited to just Electric moves!"
Donglei swept his hand forward. "Attack, Electrode—use Swift!"
Electrode began spinning rapidly, sending a stream of glittering golden stars flying through the air. The stars connected in a dazzling chain, streaking toward Graveler like a golden serpent.
The brilliant light shone across the arena, but Yozora only smirked faintly. "Graveler—use Harden to block it."
Shhh!
A flash of white light enveloped Graveler. Its rough body instantly smoothed over, gleaming like polished metal. Its defense had risen by thirty percent.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One after another, the golden stars slammed into Graveler's body, the impacts sparking brightly.
And yet—
Graveler just grinned wickedly. The barrage of Swift hit home again and again, but its mirror-smooth body stood firm, as if completely unaffected.
Donglei's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Sorry," Yozora said lightly, "it's not just type advantage. My Graveler's natural defense is also extremely high."
Donglei's expression grew darker by the second. Electrode's attacks couldn't even scratch Graveler's defense, let alone deal actual damage…
"Counterattack! Graveler, use Rollout!" Yozora commanded.
Harden consumed Graveler's energy to toughen its rocky hide, boosting its defense. Defense Curl, on the other hand, refined the body by compressing impurities, enhancing physical sturdiness.
For an ordinary Geodude, Graveler, or Golem filled with internal flaws, using Defense Curl truly rounded their bodies and made Rollout twice as strong.
But once those flaws had already been worn away through relentless training, the body would already be perfectly round. In such cases, further use of Defense Curl produced little to no additional effect.
Graveler's Rollout didn't need the boost—its natural shape and strength were already terrifying.
"Sharpening your weapon right before battle may not be ideal—but the warrior who has trained every day, sharpening without rest, is always strongest."
Yozora's Graveler was precisely such a warrior. It had long since integrated Defense Curl into its daily routine, constantly honing its form, polishing away impurities until its body was perpetually smooth and round.
In truth, most Gravelers looked jagged and uneven, their rocky bodies rough to the touch.
But Yozora's golden Graveler was different. Its body had been polished to a mirror finish, reducing friction with the ground to a minimum.
It was proof of its endless training—and a sign it was nearing evolution into Golem.
BOOM!
Graveler curled up tightly, transformed into a gleaming golden boulder, and began rolling across the battlefield at breakneck speed.
Its speed was astonishing, like a gust of wind!
With so little friction slowing it down, its Rollout moved faster, hit harder. Even without Defense Curl, the attack's power surpassed the norm.
"That speed… I've never seen a Graveler move like this!"
Donglei was startled, but soon regained his composure. A confident smile tugged at his lips. "Impressive—but my Electrode's speed is nothing to scoff at either! Electrode, use Agility!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The moment Donglei gave the order, Electrode zipped across the battlefield like a streak of lightning. Its movements were blindingly fast.
Graveler kept rolling, adjusting its trajectory again and again, but every attack whiffed harmlessly.
Truly worthy of Electrode—its speed was phenomenal.
Yozora wasn't surprised. Speed was Electrode's greatest natural talent. With a base Speed stat of 140, it ranked among the fastest Pokémon in the world.
This particular Electrode, despite being only Senior-level high rank, was already faster than many Commander-tier Pokémon.
"Well? What are you going to do now?" Donglei chuckled, watching Graveler's futile chase.
But Yozora seemed entirely unbothered. "Graveler—use Dig."
Through long hours of training, Graveler had grown skilled at using Dig. While not as adept as a Dugtrio, it was still more than competent.
BOOM!
Graveler suddenly slammed itself into the ground, boring deep into the arena floor. The battlefield trembled as a gaping hole appeared. In the next instant, the golden Rock Pokémon vanished underground.
The arena fell silent.
Donglei's expression turned grim.
With Graveler gone from sight, Electrode twitched nervously, skidding to a stop.
"Electrode! Stay alert—watch for Graveler at all times!" Donglei shouted.
Electrode bobbed its head anxiously, its gaze darting around the field, tense and wary.
Seconds stretched into minutes. Still, Graveler did not reappear.
Finally, when Electrode's patience began to falter—
CRASH!
Graveler suddenly burst up from beneath the floor, slamming into Electrode with explosive force and sending it flying across the battlefield.
…
…
(End of Chapter)