Species: Meganium
Level: 43
Ability: Overgrow / Hidden Ability: Leaf Guard
Traits:
Demon-Slaying Skin: (Exceptionally tough hide. Special Defense is significantly increased.)Sunny and Cheerful: (Boosts the power of contact moves. Gains full experience even in defeat.)
Moves: Razor Leaf, Light Screen, Solar Beam, Leech Seed, Giga Drain, Body Slam...
As expected of the youngest daughter of the Verdant Gym Leader, Chloe pulled out a Purple-nameplate powerhouse right from the start.
Seeing that Meganium's traits and moveset, Luke felt a cold pit form in his stomach. Things were about to get ugly.
"Meganium! Seize the weather! Use Sunny Day!" Chloe commanded.
"Arno, move! Poison Sting, now!" Luke countered.
The Meganium let out a resonant roar. A ball of scorching, artificial light rose from its petals, hovering over the arena like a miniature sun. The air became stiflingly hot in an instant.
Simultaneously, the needle-like hairs on Arno's back stood on end. He unleashed a rainstorm of toxic barbs. Because of his Hustle ability, Arno's accuracy was shaky, but the sheer volume of the stings meant Meganium couldn't dodge them all.
Dozens of needles buried themselves in the Meganium's blooming chest, pumping Luke's engineered venom into its system.
On paper, Poison Sting was a weak move. But Luke chose it for its speed. He knew this was his only window to inflict a status condition.
Chloe, however, didn't look worried. She looked smug. "Eat the Lum Berry, Meganium!"
Luke's eyes widened. In professional battles, each Pokémon can hold one item. Luke was currently too broke to afford high-end equipment or single-use berries, so Arno was fighting "naked."
The Meganium plucked a green, plum-shaped fruit from its own petals and swallowed it. The toxins were neutralized instantly.
Luke realized he had been played. Meganium's hidden ability was Leaf Guard. Under the sunlight of Sunny Day, it was now immune to all status conditions. His most lethal weapon—the venom he had spent years perfecting—was now a total non-factor.
Chloe didn't let up. "Now, Light Screen!"
Arno fired a Thunderbolt, but the bolt shattered against a shimmering, transparent wall erected in front of the Meganium. The remnant electricity that leaked through barely even tickled the Grass-type.
"Reflect, next!" Chloe shouted.
Is she serious? Luke thought.
Between Light Screen for special attacks and Reflect for physical hits, she was building an impenetrable fortress. If she finished her setup, she could just stand there and shave Arno bald with Razor Leaf while he struggled to leave a scratch.
"Arno, forget the setup! Horn Drill! Smash through!"
This looked like a desperate gamble—a "dog jumping over a wall" move. Horn Drill is a one-hit-KO move, but its base accuracy is a miserable 30%. With Hustle further lowering his accuracy, Arno hitting a mobile Meganium was a fantasy.
As expected, the Meganium sidestepped the charge with ease.
However, Luke's eyes flashed. The Meganium had to dodge, which meant it had to stop channeling Reflect. The absolute defense was interrupted.
Chloe saw through the feint. She realized Luke wouldn't give her another second to breathe, so she pivoted to a full offensive.
"Fine! Meganium, Solar Beam!"
Under the effects of Sunny Day, the ultimate Grass-type move didn't need a turn to charge. The petals around Meganium's neck glowed with a blinding, solar intensity.
"Arno! Stomping Tantrum!"
Arno channeled his frustration into raw power. He slammed his front paws into the dirt, sending an earthy-yellow shockwave rippling through the arena like a tidal wave.
Stomping Tantrum has a unique effect: if the user's previous move missed or failed, its power doubles.
Because the Horn Drill had just "failed," the ground-shaking impact that hit the Meganium didn't have a power of 75. It hit with a devastating base power of 150.