POKÉMON: Makuhita
Level: 6
Type: Fighting
Moves: Arm Thrust, Focus Energy, Fire Punch, Bulldoze
Level 6. Three levels above Gible. And that moveset was brutal—two Fighting-type moves that would hit hard against Steel, Bulldoze for Ground-type coverage, and Fire Punch as a wild card that could cause burns.
This wasn't going to be like the Budew fight. This was going to be a real battle.
"Gible," I said, keeping my voice calm. "Makuhita wants to fight. Are you ready?"
The little dragon dropped into a combat stance, crimson scales gleaming, teeth bared.
'I'm ready. This is what I've been waiting for.'
Makuhita didn't wait for formal introductions. It charged forward with surprising speed, fists glowing with orange energy. It punched straight with an arm thrust.
"Dodge left!" I called out.
Gible tried to sidestep, but the 80-pound steel-plated body wasn't built for quick lateral movement—Makuhita's first punch connected with Gible's shoulder.
Thump.
GIBLE HP: 15 → 11
Four damage from a single hit. Fighting-type moves hit Steel for super-effective damage, and it showed. Gible skidded backward from the impact, claws digging furrows in the dirt.
But Makuhita flinched immediately after landing the punch, shaking its fist with a grimace.
MAKUHITA HP: 22 → 21 (Rough Skin)
'That hurt!' Gible's mental voice carried surprise and pain. 'Not like the Absorb. That actually hurt.'
"I know. But you're tougher than it is. And did you see? It hurt itself hitting you. Your Rough Skin ability damages anything that makes physical contact. Use Tackle!"
Gible shook off the hit and charged forward, building momentum despite its weight. Makuhita tried to dodge, but Gible was already too close.
Thud.
The impact sent Makuhita stumbling backward several steps. I watched its health bar drop.
MAKUHITA HP: 21 → 18
Three damage. Respectable, but Gible would need to land several more Tackles to win this fight. And Makuhita wasn't going to stand there and take it.
MAKUHITA HP: 18 → 17
Wait... what. Rough Skin isn't supposed to do that. I didn't even notice it when we fought Budew. Rough Skin works when he initiates contact, too? That will make fights a lot easier.
The Fighting-type recovered quickly, its eyes narrowing with focus. I saw a faint red aura surround its body.
"That's Focus Energy," I warned. "It's increasing its critical hit chance. Be careful!"
'What does that mean?'
"It means its next attacks might do way more damage than normal."
Makuhita charged again, this time leading with a glowing fist wreathed in flames.
"Sand Attack! Now!"
Gible's back legs kicked up a spray of loose dirt and sand, catching Makuhita mid-charge. The Fighting-type flinched, swiping at its eyes, but the Fire Punch still connected with Gible's side.
Whoosh.
GIBLE HP: 11 → 9
Two damage, and I saw Gible wince from the heat.
Fire-type moves were super effective against Steel, but being half dragon canceled out the super effective damage.
And there was always the risk of a burn...
I held my breath, watching for the telltale shimmer that would indicate burn status.
Nothing. Gible shook off the hit, scales slightly scorched but otherwise intact.
But Makuhita winced again, shaking its fist from the burning pain of touching Gible's rough scales.
MAKUHITA HP: 17 → 16 (Rough Skin)
'That was warm. Not good warm. Painful warm.'
"I know. But you're doing great. Keep moving!"
Makuhita was rubbing its eyes, clearly affected by the Sand Attack. Its accuracy would be lowered now—not guaranteed misses, but a fighting chance.
"Tackle again!"
Gible charged, and this time Makuhita's attempted counter-punch whiffed entirely, the Fighting-type swinging at empty air as Gible slammed into its midsection.
Thud.
MAKUHITA HP: 16 → 13
Another three damage. We were making progress, and Makuhita was visibly frustrated.
The Fighting-type growled, clearly annoyed by the sand in its eyes. It stomped one foot on the ground, and I felt a tremor run through the earth.
"Move! That's Bulldoze!"
The ground erupted beneath Gible's feet, earth and rock exploding upward. Gible tried to jump clear, but he was too heavy to stay airborne long enough. Slamming the little dragon back to the ground as it landed.
Crash.
GIBLE HP: 9 → 5
Four damage. And I saw Gible struggle to get back up, movements noticeably slower.
SPEED: 6 → 4 (Bulldoze effect)
"Damn," I muttered. Bulldoze not only dealt solid damage but also lowered Speed. Gible was already slow—now it would be even harder to dodge.
'My legs feel heavy,' Gible said, shaking its head. 'Like I'm running through mud.'
"I know. But you can still fight. You need to be smarter about it."
Makuhita pressed its advantage, charging forward with both fists glowing orange again. Ready to finish this.
But Gible was learning.
Instead of trying to dodge—which wouldn't work with reduced Speed—Gible did something unexpected.
It opened its jaws wide and bit down on Makuhita's incoming fist.
Crunch.
The steel-sharp teeth sank into Fighting-type flesh, and Makuhita's triumphant battle cry turned into a yelp of pain.
"Maku! Maku-hita!"
MAKUHITA HP: 13 → 11 (1 HP from bite + 1 HP from Rough Skin)
The Fighting-type tried to pull its fist back, shaking its arm violently, but Gible's jaws clamped down harder. I could see the little dragon's eyes narrowed in concentration, refusing to let go.
'Not letting go. Not letting go. Not—'
Makuhita's free hand came around, another Fire Punch charging up, aimed directly at Gible's face.
"Gible! Let go!"
But Gible didn't release. The Fire Punch connected, flames washing over Gible's snout and jaw.
GIBLE HP: 5 → 4
One damage. Minimal, because Gible had bitten down so hard that Makuhita couldn't get proper leverage for a full-force punch. But I saw Gible's eyes water from the heat, felt the pain through our bond.
And yet the little dragon held on.
Makuhita hissed in pain as the rough scales scraped against its knuckles.
MAKUHITA HP: 11 → 10 (Rough Skin)
'Warm,' Gible's mental voice was strained. 'Actually... kind of nice? No you need to focus Gible. Bite harder.'
The jaws tightened further, maintaining the grip.
"Good thinking!" I called out. "Now—"
Makuhita's eyes blazed with fury. Its free foot came up, and I realized what was about to happen a second too late.
"Gible, watch the—"
The kick caught Gible in the chest, a brutal punt that sent the little dragon flying backward, finally releasing its grip on Makuhita's fist.
Gible tumbled across the rocky ground, coming to a stop several meters away.
GIBLE HP: 4 → 2
But even as Gible landed, I saw Makuhita wince and hop on one foot; the pain from kicking those razor-sharp scales was evident.
MAKUHITA HP: 10 → 8 (Rough Skin)
Two damage to Gible. We were down to two HP left. One more solid hit and Gible was done.
I looked at Makuhita's health bar.
MAKUHITA HP: 8/22
Less than half health. And the Fighting-type was favoring both its bitten hand AND the foot it had used to kick Gible. Every physical contact had cost it health through Rough Skin, and the accumulated damage was showing.
"Gible," I said quietly. "Can you stand?"
Slowly, painfully, Gible rose to its feet. The crimson scales were cracked in places—Fighting-type moves had done their work, breaking down the metallic composition.
There were scorch marks from the Fire Punches. And the little dragon was breathing hard, clearly exhausted.
But Gible's eyes were still focused. Still determined.
'I can stand. I can fight. We're not done yet.'
"No," I agreed. "We're not."
Makuhita stood across from us, breathing just as hard. The Fighting-type's confidence from the start of the battle had evaporated. It had expected to crush this smaller opponent quickly, but Gible had proven far more durable than anticipated.
And every time Makuhita landed a hit, it hurt itself in the process.
The two Pokémon stared at each other, both battered, both determined, both refusing to back down.
This fight was far from over.