"Roar~" A red Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. Its powerful legs allowed it to stand upright, while its short but sharp claws gleamed under the lights. Behind it, a tail flame swayed continuously.
That's right—Keli had not chosen Rhyhorn or Scyther. After thinking it over repeatedly, he ultimately decided on the safest option: Charmeleon.
He had also studied the booklet and realized that only Charmeleon lacked an obvious type disadvantage, so he refused to gamble in the opening round.
"Awoo~" Facing the opponent's roar, Houndoom also let out a long howl.
"My doggo absolutely cannot lose in aura!"
At the last moment, Tian Ci had changed his choice as well. He realized Houndoom was the safest opener. The other two simply weren't reliable enough.
Even if it faced Rhyhorn, Houndoom could at least inflict a burn before going down, meaning the first round wouldn't be wasted even in defeat.
"Charmeleon, Ember barrage!" As expected, Keli immediately ordered his most familiar Fire-type attack.
"Ignore it, Houndoom—Smog!"
Seeing the three fist-sized Embers flying toward him, Tian Ci smiled. He already felt the trip today had been worthwhile.
"So Ember can actually be used like this? Looks like I fell into a mindset trap before, always trying to increase Ember's power until it became Flamethrower."
Watching the compressed Embers slam into Houndoom, Tian Ci instantly learned a new trick.
The principle was simple: compression.
The originally scattered Embers had been condensed into fist-sized fireballs. Not only were they faster, but they also exploded on impact due to the unstable nature of Fire-type energy.
"Awoo! Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"
After absorbing the three concentrated Embers, Houndoom looked more energized than ever. Its condition visibly improved, and after a proud bark, it immediately spread thick black Smog across the field.
"What!? That Houndoom has Flash Fire!"
Keli's eyes widened instantly. He cursed the person who compiled the booklet a hundred times in his heart.
"Why did that Houndoom take three Embers without any damage!?"
"Yeah! It even looks more energetic now!"
"That dog looks like it took stimulants!"
Most of the audience were ordinary people and had no understanding of Pokémon abilities, so the stands instantly erupted into noisy discussion.
"That Houndoom has Flash Fire!"
"Charmeleon is in trouble now!"
"That kid is way too sneaky!"
"I bet 150,000 on this match! Damn it!"
Meanwhile, the Trainers in the audience immediately explained the situation to the others, causing waves of despair to spread through the crowd.
Back on the battlefield, the entire arena was now covered in black mist. Charmeleon remained alert, anxiously standing in place.
"Houndoom—Growl and Nasty Plot!"
Seeing Charmeleon stop moving after its Fire-type attacks had been sealed away, Tian Ci immediately decided to boost Houndoom's strength first.
"Awoo~"
Houndoom used two status moves consecutively. Combined with the earlier Flash Fire boost, it felt stronger than ever before.
"Damn it! Charmeleon, Slash! Attack toward the sound!"
Keli's expression darkened. With no better option available, he could only force Charmeleon into close combat.
"So basic Claw can evolve into Slash. I wonder when Pidgeotto and Houndoom will master that."
Hearing the order, Tian Ci remained completely calm. Charmeleon was undoubtedly powerful, but no matter how strong it was, it was still fighting blind.
"Houndoom, keep moving! Attack however you want! Small Flame—ignite everything!"
"Whoosh Bang bang bang"
The Charmeleon that lunged into empty air was immediately struck from every direction.
Especially the Small Flames—they were almost as powerful as Flamethrower. Even as a Fire-type Pokémon, Charmeleon couldn't endure being continuously scorched by such intense flames.
"Kabo! Kabo!"
Inside the Smog, Charmeleon's miserable cries echoed nonstop. Forced to endure attacks without being able to retaliate, the accumulating damage quickly pushed it into critical condition.
During this time, it repeatedly used Slash and other close-range attacks, but because Houndoom never made direct contact, none of them landed even once.
"So it doesn't know Dragon Rage after all."
Tian Ci shook his head while watching Charmeleon wildly slash through empty space.
"That makes sense. Dragon-type moves require the dragon bloodline in the body to reach a certain level before they can awaken. Ordinary Charmeleon usually only barely reach that standard after fully evolving."
"Bastard! You coward! What kind of skill is running around!? If you've got guts, tell your Houndoom to stop and fight head-on!"
Keli had already sensed through their bond that Charmeleon's Blaze ability had activated. That meant it was on the verge of collapse.
Despite clearly being stronger overall, he could only passively endure attacks. The frustration nearly drove him mad.
"Heh~ Sounds like the powerless rage of a loser."
"Houndoom, continue! Wear it down!"
Tian Ci completely ignored the provocation. Why risk taking damage if victory could be secured safely?
"Damn it! This cursed commoner! Referee, I surrender the first round!"
Seeing his taunts fail yet again, Keli unwillingly raised his hand.
"Crap! Why did that idiot surrender!?"
"My 100,000!"
"He should've let Charmeleon struggle a little longer!"
Many spectators who had supported Keli immediately started cursing.
Meanwhile, the smaller group supporting Tian Ci exploded with excitement.
"Go, dark horse!"
"Tian Ci! Go go go!"
"I bet 200,000! I'm rich! Hahaha!"
"Brother Tian Ci! You can do it!"
"The first round goes to Aoki Taji. Contestant Keli, please send out your second Pokémon immediately."
After hearing the surrender, the referee announced the result and urged the next round to begin.
"Come back, Charmeleon. Go, Rhyhorn!"
After recalling Charmeleon, Keli hesitated briefly before finally choosing Rhyhorn.
The black mist still lingered across the battlefield. Although Scyther was extremely fast and likely capable of intercepting Houndoom, the type disadvantage still made him abandon the idea.
After all, the first round had essentially been a free loss. Taking another type disadvantage in the second round was simply too risky.
"Houndoom—Growl and Nasty Plot!"
Since he couldn't switch Pokémon, Tian Ci, who had priority, immediately had Houndoom buff itself again.
"Awoo~"
Houndoom howled loudly while its eyes glowed blue.
"Your doggo is back!"
"Rhyhorn, Stomp!"
Hearing the howl end, Keli immediately launched his attack.
"Hmph~ Thump!"
Rhyhorn raised its front legs high before smashing them heavily into the ground.
"Houndoom, jump! Ignite!"
The moment Tian Ci felt the arena begin to tremble, he immediately ordered Houndoom to leap into the air and counterattack.
Against such a wide-area move, hiding in the Smog was meaningless.
"Whoosh Hmph"
Houndoom leapt high into the air, while a ring of flames similar to Fire Spin rapidly shot toward Rhyhorn.
"Endure it! Rock Throw! Knock Houndoom down!"
Seeing Houndoom airborne, Keli's expression finally brightened.
The Stomp had only been bait to force Houndoom into the open. Everyone knew his Rhyhorn specialized in anti-air combat.
"Whoosh~ Bang!"
A sharp rock projectile slammed heavily into Houndoom.
"Woof!"
Houndoom cried out in pain as it crashed to the ground.
But at the same moment, the fire ring engulfed Rhyhorn. The sudden burst of flames interrupted its follow-up attack.
"Hmph~"
Rhyhorn only felt a slight burning sensation across its hide. Fire damage against it wasn't very effective, but the flames still disrupted its momentum.
"Get up, Houndoom! This round's been rough on you, but just keep wearing Rhyhorn down!"
Tian Ci quickly seized the opportunity.
"Heh! You think you can outlast me? Rhyhorn, Stomp!"
Keli naturally understood Tian Ci's intentions and immediately repeated the same tactic.
"Jump! Ignite!"
Tian Ci had no better answer either. It became a straightforward battle of endurance.
Soon, the exact same exchange repeated itself again and again.
"That Houndoom is going to lose if this continues."
"At this point it's just draining Rhyhorn's stamina."
"Looks like Keli managed to pull back half the advantage. Fire damage is too weak against Rhyhorn."
Several experienced Trainers in the audience had already drawn their conclusions.
"Brother Tian Ci still has Weepinbell! Dealing with Rhyhorn won't be hard!"
"Go, Brother Tian Ci!"
Meanwhile, Xiao Ling and Shi Tou, who knew Tian Ci's team best, continued cheering enthusiastically.
After repeating the exchange four times, Houndoom finally collapsed during the fifth attempt, covered in injuries and unable to rise again.
However, its hard work paid off.
Its final Ignite successfully inflicted a burn on Rhyhorn.
"Hmph~"
A large red burn mark was now visible across Rhyhorn's back, causing constant pain.
"The second round goes to Asada Keli. Contestant Tian Ci, please send out your next Pokémon immediately."
Hearing the referee's announcement, Tian Ci immediately sent out Weepinbell.
After witnessing Rhyhorn's anti-air accuracy, he completely abandoned the idea of using Pidgeotto to stall from the sky.
"Hurry up! Stomp plus Rock Throw!"
Seeing Rhyhorn burned, Keli also understood he needed to end things quickly.
"Hmph~ Thump!"
As Rhyhorn stomped violently, countless small stones rapidly condensed before it.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"
The stone barrage instantly rained toward Weepinbell.
"Double Team first, then Ingrain to stabilize yourself! Seed Machine Gun plus Vine Whip! Block as much as possible!"
Seeing the overwhelming storm of rocks, Tian Ci's heart tightened.
"Moo moo~ Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
Weepinbell immediately split into afterimages while simultaneously firing Seed Machine Gun and wildly swinging its vines.
"Bang bang bang~"
"Moo moo! Moo~"
Although many stones were blocked or destroyed, the barrage was simply too dense. Numerous rocks still struck Weepinbell, causing it to cry out painfully.
"Brother Shi Tou, what kind of move is that!?"
In the audience, Xiao Ling stared at the terrifying stone barrage in shock.
"Uh… if I'm guessing correctly, it's a combination of Rock Blast and Stealth Rock, maybe mixed with some other techniques too."
Shi Tou's eyes lit up as he watched the attack.
"When we get back, I'm definitely making Graveler try this!"
After all, Graveler was also in the middle stage of evolution. It already knew both Stealth Rock and Rock Blast. The only missing piece was modifying Rock Throw.
Normally, Rock Throw condensed a single large rock for heavy damage. Rock Blast instead reduced the energy cost, turning it into multiple rapidly fired projectiles—essentially a rapid-fire stone cannon.
"Hoo Hoo Moo moo!"
In the end, the thick-skinned Weepinbell barely endured the attack, panting heavily.
"Weepinbell, return the favor! Seed Machine Gun first, then bind it and use Absorb!"
Seeing the barrage finally end, Tian Ci immediately launched the counterattack.
"Moo moo! Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
"Clap clap!"
Clearly furious after getting pelted repeatedly in the face, Weepinbell unleashed a furious barrage of green seeds while several vines shot directly toward Rhyhorn.
"Roar~" A red Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. Its powerful legs allowed it to stand upright, while its short but sharp claws gleamed under the lights. Behind it, a tail flame swayed continuously.
That's right—Keli had not chosen Rhyhorn or Scyther. After thinking it over repeatedly, he ultimately decided on the safest option: Charmeleon.
He had also studied the booklet and realized that only Charmeleon lacked an obvious type disadvantage, so he refused to gamble in the opening round.
"Awoo~" Facing the opponent's roar, Houndoom also let out a long howl.
"My doggo absolutely cannot lose in aura!"
At the last moment, Tian Ci had changed his choice as well. He realized Houndoom was the safest opener. The other two simply weren't reliable enough.
Even if it faced Rhyhorn, Houndoom could at least inflict a burn before going down, meaning the first round wouldn't be wasted even in defeat.
"Charmeleon, Ember barrage!" As expected, Keli immediately ordered his most familiar Fire-type attack.
"Ignore it, Houndoom—Smog!"
Seeing the three fist-sized Embers flying toward him, Tian Ci smiled. He already felt the trip today had been worthwhile.
"So Ember can actually be used like this? Looks like I fell into a mindset trap before, always trying to increase Ember's power until it became Flamethrower."
Watching the compressed Embers slam into Houndoom, Tian Ci instantly learned a new trick.
The principle was simple: compression.
The originally scattered Embers had been condensed into fist-sized fireballs. Not only were they faster, but they also exploded on impact due to the unstable nature of Fire-type energy.
"Awoo! Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"
After absorbing the three concentrated Embers, Houndoom looked more energized than ever. Its condition visibly improved, and after a proud bark, it immediately spread thick black Smog across the field.
"What!? That Houndoom has Flash Fire!"
Keli's eyes widened instantly. He cursed the person who compiled the booklet a hundred times in his heart.
"Why did that Houndoom take three Embers without any damage!?"
"Yeah! It even looks more energetic now!"
"That dog looks like it took stimulants!"
Most of the audience were ordinary people and had no understanding of Pokémon abilities, so the stands instantly erupted into noisy discussion.
"That Houndoom has Flash Fire!"
"Charmeleon is in trouble now!"
"That kid is way too sneaky!"
"I bet 150,000 on this match! Damn it!"
Meanwhile, the Trainers in the audience immediately explained the situation to the others, causing waves of despair to spread through the crowd.
Back on the battlefield, the entire arena was now covered in black mist. Charmeleon remained alert, anxiously standing in place.
"Houndoom—Growl and Nasty Plot!"
Seeing Charmeleon stop moving after its Fire-type attacks had been sealed away, Tian Ci immediately decided to boost Houndoom's strength first.
"Awoo~"
Houndoom used two status moves consecutively. Combined with the earlier Flash Fire boost, it felt stronger than ever before.
"Damn it! Charmeleon, Slash! Attack toward the sound!"
Keli's expression darkened. With no better option available, he could only force Charmeleon into close combat.
"So basic Claw can evolve into Slash. I wonder when Pidgeotto and Houndoom will master that."
Hearing the order, Tian Ci remained completely calm. Charmeleon was undoubtedly powerful, but no matter how strong it was, it was still fighting blind.
"Houndoom, keep moving! Attack however you want! Small Flame—ignite everything!"
"Whoosh Bang bang bang"
The Charmeleon that lunged into empty air was immediately struck from every direction.
Especially the Small Flames—they were almost as powerful as Flamethrower. Even as a Fire-type Pokémon, Charmeleon couldn't endure being continuously scorched by such intense flames.
"Kabo! Kabo!"
Inside the Smog, Charmeleon's miserable cries echoed nonstop. Forced to endure attacks without being able to retaliate, the accumulating damage quickly pushed it into critical condition.
During this time, it repeatedly used Slash and other close-range attacks, but because Houndoom never made direct contact, none of them landed even once.
"So it doesn't know Dragon Rage after all."
Tian Ci shook his head while watching Charmeleon wildly slash through empty space.
"That makes sense. Dragon-type moves require the dragon bloodline in the body to reach a certain level before they can awaken. Ordinary Charmeleon usually only barely reach that standard after fully evolving."
"Bastard! You coward! What kind of skill is running around!? If you've got guts, tell your Houndoom to stop and fight head-on!"
Keli had already sensed through their bond that Charmeleon's Blaze ability had activated. That meant it was on the verge of collapse.
Despite clearly being stronger overall, he could only passively endure attacks. The frustration nearly drove him mad.
"Heh~ Sounds like the powerless rage of a loser."
"Houndoom, continue! Wear it down!"
Tian Ci completely ignored the provocation. Why risk taking damage if victory could be secured safely?
"Damn it! This cursed commoner! Referee, I surrender the first round!"
Seeing his taunts fail yet again, Keli unwillingly raised his hand.
"Crap! Why did that idiot surrender!?"
"My 100,000!"
"He should've let Charmeleon struggle a little longer!"
Many spectators who had supported Keli immediately started cursing.
Meanwhile, the smaller group supporting Tian Ci exploded with excitement.
"Go, dark horse!"
"Tian Ci! Go go go!"
"I bet 200,000! I'm rich! Hahaha!"
"Brother Tian Ci! You can do it!"
"The first round goes to Aoki Taji. Contestant Keli, please send out your second Pokémon immediately."
After hearing the surrender, the referee announced the result and urged the next round to begin.
"Come back, Charmeleon. Go, Rhyhorn!"
After recalling Charmeleon, Keli hesitated briefly before finally choosing Rhyhorn.
The black mist still lingered across the battlefield. Although Scyther was extremely fast and likely capable of intercepting Houndoom, the type disadvantage still made him abandon the idea.
After all, the first round had essentially been a free loss. Taking another type disadvantage in the second round was simply too risky.
"Houndoom—Growl and Nasty Plot!"
Since he couldn't switch Pokémon, Tian Ci, who had priority, immediately had Houndoom buff itself again.
"Awoo~"
Houndoom howled loudly while its eyes glowed blue.
"Your doggo is back!"
"Rhyhorn, Stomp!"
Hearing the howl end, Keli immediately launched his attack.
"Hmph~ Thump!"
Rhyhorn raised its front legs high before smashing them heavily into the ground.
"Houndoom, jump! Ignite!"
The moment Tian Ci felt the arena begin to tremble, he immediately ordered Houndoom to leap into the air and counterattack.
Against such a wide-area move, hiding in the Smog was meaningless.
"Whoosh Hmph"
Houndoom leapt high into the air, while a ring of flames similar to Fire Spin rapidly shot toward Rhyhorn.
"Endure it! Rock Throw! Knock Houndoom down!"
Seeing Houndoom airborne, Keli's expression finally brightened.
The Stomp had only been bait to force Houndoom into the open. Everyone knew his Rhyhorn specialized in anti-air combat.
"Whoosh~ Bang!"
A sharp rock projectile slammed heavily into Houndoom.
"Woof!"
Houndoom cried out in pain as it crashed to the ground.
But at the same moment, the fire ring engulfed Rhyhorn. The sudden burst of flames interrupted its follow-up attack.
"Hmph~"
Rhyhorn only felt a slight burning sensation across its hide. Fire damage against it wasn't very effective, but the flames still disrupted its momentum.
"Get up, Houndoom! This round's been rough on you, but just keep wearing Rhyhorn down!"
Tian Ci quickly seized the opportunity.
"Heh! You think you can outlast me? Rhyhorn, Stomp!"
Keli naturally understood Tian Ci's intentions and immediately repeated the same tactic.
"Jump! Ignite!"
Tian Ci had no better answer either. It became a straightforward battle of endurance.
Soon, the exact same exchange repeated itself again and again.
"That Houndoom is going to lose if this continues."
"At this point it's just draining Rhyhorn's stamina."
"Looks like Keli managed to pull back half the advantage. Fire damage is too weak against Rhyhorn."
Several experienced Trainers in the audience had already drawn their conclusions.
"Brother Tian Ci still has Weepinbell! Dealing with Rhyhorn won't be hard!"
"Go, Brother Tian Ci!"
Meanwhile, Xiao Ling and Shi Tou, who knew Tian Ci's team best, continued cheering enthusiastically.
After repeating the exchange four times, Houndoom finally collapsed during the fifth attempt, covered in injuries and unable to rise again.
However, its hard work paid off.
Its final Ignite successfully inflicted a burn on Rhyhorn.
"Hmph~"
A large red burn mark was now visible across Rhyhorn's back, causing constant pain.
"The second round goes to Asada Keli. Contestant Tian Ci, please send out your next Pokémon immediately."
Hearing the referee's announcement, Tian Ci immediately sent out Weepinbell.
After witnessing Rhyhorn's anti-air accuracy, he completely abandoned the idea of using Pidgeotto to stall from the sky.
"Hurry up! Stomp plus Rock Throw!"
Seeing Rhyhorn burned, Keli also understood he needed to end things quickly.
"Hmph~ Thump!"
As Rhyhorn stomped violently, countless small stones rapidly condensed before it.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"
The stone barrage instantly rained toward Weepinbell.
"Double Team first, then Ingrain to stabilize yourself! Seed Machine Gun plus Vine Whip! Block as much as possible!"
Seeing the overwhelming storm of rocks, Tian Ci's heart tightened.
"Moo moo~ Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
Weepinbell immediately split into afterimages while simultaneously firing Seed Machine Gun and wildly swinging its vines.
"Bang bang bang~"
"Moo moo! Moo~"
Although many stones were blocked or destroyed, the barrage was simply too dense. Numerous rocks still struck Weepinbell, causing it to cry out painfully.
"Brother Shi Tou, what kind of move is that!?"
In the audience, Xiao Ling stared at the terrifying stone barrage in shock.
"Uh… if I'm guessing correctly, it's a combination of Rock Blast and Stealth Rock, maybe mixed with some other techniques too."
Shi Tou's eyes lit up as he watched the attack.
"When we get back, I'm definitely making Graveler try this!"
After all, Graveler was also in the middle stage of evolution. It already knew both Stealth Rock and Rock Blast. The only missing piece was modifying Rock Throw.
Normally, Rock Throw condensed a single large rock for heavy damage. Rock Blast instead reduced the energy cost, turning it into multiple rapidly fired projectiles—essentially a rapid-fire stone cannon.
"Hoo Hoo Moo moo!"
In the end, the thick-skinned Weepinbell barely endured the attack, panting heavily.
"Weepinbell, return the favor! Seed Machine Gun first, then bind it and use Absorb!"
Seeing the barrage finally end, Tian Ci immediately launched the counterattack.
"Moo moo! Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
"Clap clap!"
Clearly furious after getting pelted repeatedly in the face, Weepinbell unleashed a furious barrage of green seeds while several vines shot directly toward Rhyhorn.
-------------Author---------------
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