Chapter 645: Catch Them Off Guard

Chapter 645: Catch Them Off Guard (Combined, Requesting Monthly Votes!)

In the middle of Perfume City and the Pokémon Ball Factory lies an open battlefield.

One of the great things about the Pokémon world is the widespread availability of battlefields. If you want a battle, you can almost always find a suitable place to do so.

If all else fails, the wilderness is also an option.

And Dolassena clearly had "premeditated" this, having already scouted out a suitable battlefield.

In a secluded and empty battlefield, Jinghe Male and Dolassena stood on opposite sides, each holding a Poké Ball, ready for the battle.

Originally, Jinghe Male had wanted a simple 1v1 battle. After all, it was just a casual match, and with no audience, the outcome didn't really matter.

But Dolassena insisted on a 3v3 rotation battle.

Compared to 1v1, a 3v3 battle indeed tests a trainer's skills more thoroughly and reduces the element of luck.

Jinghe Male could only think: luck?

Ha—

What a joke, he couldn't care less.

"Are you ready?" Dolassena opened her eyes, her expression serious.

"Of course."

Without hesitation, Jinghe Male threw his Poké Ball, and at the same time, Dolassena did the same.

Two red beams of light flashed.

"Yuki!"

Standing before Jinghe Male was the sturdy Yuki, landing with a thud and kicking up a thin layer of dust.

Dolassena's first Pokémon to appear was Toxtricity!

It resembled a seahorse with purple skin, surrounded by what looked like withered seaweed, with a vibrant red leaf on its head.

"Toxtricity, the evolved form of Corviknight, a Poison and Dragon-type Pokémon. It is a rough and highly territorial Pokémon, dangerous! Dangerous! Rotom!"

The Rotom screen flashed with a red warning light.

Toxtricity?

Jinghe Male's eyebrows raised slightly.

As everyone knows, the Fairy type is very effective against Dragon types, dealing double damage and being immune to Dragon-type attacks.

However, the Poison type is weak against Fairy types.

So, while Toxtricity is a Dragon-type Pokémon, it isn't afraid of Fairy types and can even counter them.

Clearly, as the "Dragon-type King of the Fairy Pokémon Origin", Dolassena had a strategy to deal with Fairy types.

However,

Jinghe Male didn't send out a Fairy-type Pokémon.

"Yuki?"

Seeing Yuki, Dolassena's reaction was even more pronounced than Jinghe Male's when he saw Toxtricity.

She narrowed her eyes and glanced at Jinghe Male.

In a battle at least at the King level, sending out an unevolved legendary Pokémon's offspring could mean one of two things: either Jinghe Male didn't take this battle seriously, or this Yuki was no ordinary Pokémon!

In Dolassena's view, it had to be the latter.

But,

strategically, one should despise the enemy, but tactically, one should respect them.

So,

Dolassena's lips curved into a smile. "Ah, a cute little guy."

"Yuki! Yuki!"

Sure enough, upon hearing Dolassena's words, Yuki became agitated, clenching its small fists and gesturing at Dolassena and Toxtricity.

Not cute at all! You haven't seen my sandbag-sized fists yet!

Jinghe Male lightly rubbed his forehead.

This Dolassena, she really is—

But using psychological tactics against a Pokémon psychologist's Pokémon, isn't that a bit too dismissive of Jinghe Male's presence?

Taking the initiative!

"Yuki, Sandstorm!"

"Yuki!"

The previously belligerent Yuki, upon hearing Jinghe Male's command, immediately calmed down and stomped the ground hard.

Bang!!

The ground seemed to tremble slightly, and a cloud of dust rose, along with flying sand.

Dolassena was somewhat surprised by this.

She hadn't expected this little guy to look so reckless but be quite clever.

Moreover, from this Sandstorm, it was clear that this Yuki was as strong as she had guessed.

Sssss—

The sand filled the air, and in an instant, it covered the entire battlefield. Each grain of sand that hit Toxtricity felt like a tiny knife, causing a slight pain.

"Toxtricity, move around, use Water Whip!" Dolassena said sternly.

Swish—

As Dolassena spoke, Toxtricity immediately began to move. A stream of water emerged from its body, concentrating at its tail.

The water propelled Toxtricity, compensating for its relatively slow movement speed.

Moreover, the water's presence also alleviated the stinging sensation from the Sandstorm.

Toxtricity began circling Yuki, leaving a trail of water on the ground.

"Now!"

Swish—

The accumulated Water Whip found a weak spot in Yuki's defense and swung decisively.

"Yuki, Dragon Dance, dodge!"

"Yuki!"

Yuki let out a high-pitched cry, its body pulsing with a rhythmic energy. It took off running on its short legs, using this energy to move.

Dragon Dance?

Toxtricity, being a Dragon-type Pokémon, doesn't know it, but Yuki, a Rock and Ground-type Pokémon, does?

"Toxtricity, Sludge Bomb!"

The whip formed by the Waterfall Tail was narrowly avoided by Yuki, but the mud bomb that followed from Toxtricity's mouth wasn't as easy to dodge.

A deep purple, highly toxic mud shot out from Toxtricity's mouth like a cannonball, hurtling towards Yuki at high speed.

"Yuki!"

Yuki crossed her hands in front of her chest, a faint metallic sheen glowing on her body as she braced herself for the mud wave from Toxtricity.

Bang!!

The little one was knocked back, stumbling.

Huh?

Dolassena squinted, noticing the metallic hue that had appeared on Yuki's body.

Is this Iron Defense?

But Iron Defense increases physical defense, while Mud Bomb is a special attack.

"Yuki!"

Struggling to regain her footing, Yuki shook her slightly numb hands, flinging off the toxic mud that had stuck to them, preventing it from seeping in.

Dolassena's pupils contracted, then she suddenly understood.

So, she's using the steel-type characteristic of Iron Defense to prevent poisoning?

And...

This Yuki is really tough!

Ignoring the toxicity, even with a four-times resistance, Yuki only stumbled from the direct hit?

If it were a Bagon, Dolassena wouldn't be surprised.

Is this really just a Yuki?

However...

"It's not that simple", Dolassena said, her expression turning serious again.

This time, it was Jinghe, Male's turn to be surprised, as he noticed that toxins were spreading up Yuki's body, not from the mud wave, but from the water left behind by Toxtricity's earlier movements!

Poison in the water?

The toxin spread from her legs upward.

A Dragon-type Elite Four member who's so skilled with poison...

"Yuki, Rock Slide!"

Thanks to the speed boost from Dragon Dance, Yuki steadied herself and launched her first counterattack.

A massive rock hurtled towards Toxtricity's head.

"Toxtricity, Waterfall Tail, split it apart!"

The water swirled, creating a barrier.

Bang!!

The rock shattered instantly, and Toxtricity was barely affected. When it refocused on Yuki, it found the little one lifting a foot high.

She brought it down.

Rumble—

The ground shook violently, as if the earth itself was venting its anger. A crack formed at Yuki's feet and quickly spread to Toxtricity.

This power...

Earthquake? Fissure?

No, it's Stomp!

Since Rock Slide missed, the power of Stomp doubled!

And the doubled Stomp is 50% more powerful than Earthquake!

"Toxtricity, Waterfall, charge up!"

Dolassena reacted quickly, and Toxtricity immediately summoned a water surge, climbing up like a waterfall to avoid the Stomp's impact.

However...

The water surged upward, but it also poured into the cracks on the ground.

Bang!!

The ground energy burst forth, causing significant damage to Toxtricity.

"Yuki!"

Seeing this, Yuki clenched her fists excitedly, but her eyes half-closed in pain after her exclamation.

She was poisoned.

"Don't let your guard down, it's far from over."

Jinghe, Male's voice echoed in Yuki's mind.

After all, the little one's level was far below Dolassena's Toxtricity. Even with the ground-type's double resistance, it was impossible to KO Toxtricity in one move.

This battle was more for "leveling up."

Yuki nodded heavily, enduring the pain from the spreading toxin, and kept her eyes fixed on the dust cloud raised by the Stomp.

The next second, Jinghe, Male's voice rang in her ear.

"Protect!"

"Yuki!"

Yuki was no longer the newborn she once was. Her synchronization with Jinghe, Male was very high. As soon as the words were spoken, she raised a green barrier.

Boom—

A terrifying water column burst from the dust.

It was clearly the Water-type move, Hydro Pump!

Crack!

Under the force of the turbulent water, Yuki's Protect barrier shattered.

"Toxtricity, Scald!"

Dolassena waved her hand, no longer underestimating Yuki.

As the dust cleared, the slightly fatigued Toxtricity continued to spray water, but this time it was scalding hot!

[Scald: Sprays boiling water at the opponent, with a chance to burn them!]

Yuki is a physical attack-type Pokémon. The poisoned state was manageable, but burning...

"Yuki, Roar!"

"Yuki—!!"

Yuki pointed at Toxtricity and roared loudly, the sound waves forming circles that reduced Toxtricity's special attack.

At the same time...

A red beam shot out and landed on Yuki before the hot water could hit her.

Pokémon switch!

Jinghe, Male held the Poké Ball, glancing at the heavily breathing Toxtricity, and nodded slightly to the Yuki inside the ball.

"You did very well."

For a Legendary Pokémon's offspring to face the main Pokémon of one of the Elite Four and perform this well was a significant achievement for Yuki.

Moreover, Dolassena wasn't just any Elite Four member; she was the last of the Castelia region's Elite Four!

Continuing the battle, Yuki might still have a fighting chance, but for a regular sparring match, it wasn't necessary to push it that far.

Seeing Yuki being recalled, Dolassena couldn't help but frown.

After a brief hesitation, she didn't choose to switch.

Forcing Jinghe, Male to switch Pokémon first, she had already gained the upper hand and initiative.

Jinghe, Male put away the Poké Ball containing Yuki and then took out the second one.

"Go, Forger!"

"Chaa!"

A flash of red light, and the hammer-wielding Hammer Girl made a dazzling entrance, waving her massive hammer at the opposing Toxtricity.

Hey, how are you?

The Steel and Fairy-type Forger had a significant advantage against Toxtricity.

But—

"Toxtricity, use Scald again!"

Whoosh—

Steamy hot water surged once more.

"Chaa!"

You don't give, I don't take!

Forger twisted her wrist, and despite the hammer's apparent weight, she effortlessly lobbed it.

The scalding hot water met the metal hammer.

Bang!!

A gap was forcibly created in the water, and the hammer flew straight toward Toxtricity.

"Dodge!"

Toxtricity instinctively moved, the terrifying hammer narrowly missing its ear.

Seeing this, Toxtricity breathed a sigh of relief.

For the hammer to break through the hot water and still have such impact, it must be incredibly heavy and wielded with immense strength.

However, before it could fully comprehend the situation, Dolassena's voice rang out again.

"Watch out behind! Dodge again!"

But this time, Toxtricity clearly wasn't quick enough.

Bang!!

The hammer, which had just flown past it, somehow came back from behind?

Forger hadn't moved from her spot!

How did she do that?

Dolassena watched in amazement as the hammer flew past Toxtricity, and then Forger opened her palm, causing the hammer to make a sharp turn behind Toxtricity.

A sharp turn!

How did she do that?

Dolassena couldn't figure it out, and Toxtricity was even more confused.

The hammer's unexpected maneuver caught Toxtricity off guard, putting it into a brief state of shock.

Forger, taking advantage of this, stepped forward, and the hammer returned to her hand just in time!

She leaped high and brought the hammer down with a powerful strike.

Ice Hammer!

Boom!!

Ice crystals scattered, and the ground cracked.

Toxtricity, unable to continue the battle!

"Chaa!"

Forger held her hammer, looking like she had just won a decisive victory.

Across from Dolassena, Jinghe, Male watched the entire process with a peculiar expression.

Well, well, well—

The hammer was actually "alive."

A living hammer, huh?

The Life Force infusion from Zygarde's Gnome Field allowed Nine-Tails to learn Earth Control to some extent. Forger, on the other hand, channeled that massive Life Force into her hammer, and now—

This is what happened.

It was the first time Jinghe, Male had let Forger battle after she woke up, and it was also his first time seeing this.

Even though he had suspected something, it still felt a bit strange.

Unexpected.

It was unexpected not only for Dolassena and Toxtricity but also for Jinghe, Male.

"Chaa~"

Forger held the hammer handle in one hand and patted the hammerhead with the other.

Good hammer, obedient hammer~

Jinghe, Male stared at the hammer for a while, and Waveguide carefully sensed it. Only after confirming that the hammer didn't respond did he feel slightly reassured.

It wasn't alive.

But Forger must have learned some strange ability or technique.

Admittedly,

That spinning hammer move was pretty cool.

However, Dolassena would definitely be more cautious now.

She had intended to use Toxtricity to expand her advantage, but instead, she was caught off guard and ended up at a disadvantage.

Steel and Fairy, hard to handle...

Dolassena took a deep breath and mentally reviewed the situation.

After a brief moment of thought, she took out another Poké Ball and threw it.

"Go, Noivern!"

A Pokémon resembling a bat, with a black and purple body, appeared in the air. A ring of white fur around its neck fluttered in the wind, and its large ears, acting like sound amplifiers, were particularly noticeable.

"Noivern, a Flying and Dragon-type Pokémon known for its aggressive and brash nature, but it also has a friendly side toward humans. In the dark, it can even make a three-headed dragon fear it, Lotad!"

Jinghe, Male was clearly familiar with Noivern, as Ash had one in the anime, which was very cool and liked to show off. Unfortunately, it was given to Professor Oak after the Kalos journey.

"Another 'Satoshi's Dragon'..." Jinghe, Male muttered.

The Flying and Dragon-type Noivern had no advantage against Forger in terms of attributes.

Of course, as a Flying-type Pokémon, its agility and mobility were an advantage against non-flying opponents, especially with Noivern's incredible speed.

But—

"Chaa!"

Seeing Noivern appear in the air, Forger's eyes lit up. She turned to Jinghe, Male and pointed upwards.

A bird! Look, such a big bird!

"Gah—!!"

Noivern, hearing this, roared in anger.

You're the bird! Your whole family is birds!

Hey, those ears are really sensitive.

Forger didn't care, just rubbing the hammer handle, her eyes filled with enthusiasm.

Bird or not, it's not up to you; it's up to my hammer!

The battle continued!

The sandstorm continued to swirl.

"Forger, Rock Slide!" Jinghe, Male waved his hand.

Crack!!

The rock fragments from Yuki's earlier attack saved Forger some effort. She picked up a large rock with one hand and threw it, then gripped the hammer with both hands and swung it in an arc.

Bang—

The rock flew like a cannonball, heading straight for Noivern.

“Noivern, Boom Voice!”

Dolassena also knew the key to this battle—Noivern absolutely couldn't get close to the ground.

Buzz—

Noivern's two ears glowed white, and a terrifying sound wave erupted, causing the surrounding air to vibrate violently, as if it were going to crush everything in its path.

Crack, crack, crack—

The rocks Forger had thrown cracked and shattered into small pieces, eventually turning to dust under the powerful sound wave.

The sound wave, undiminished after shattering the rocks, continued to charge toward Forger.

“Chak!”

Forger immediately raised his hammer to protect himself.

However, the sound wave was relentless. Although the hammer blocked part of it, Forger still felt the impact, and for a moment, he even experienced some ringing in his ears.

To be honest,

Jinghe, Male seemed to have discovered a bug in real-life Pokémon battles.

A move like Noivern's Boom Voice, when used, would likely cause the Pokémon to experience temporary ringing in their ears, making it impossible for them to hear their trainer's commands.

“Gah!!”

Noivern grinned, flapping its wings.

Let's see what you have to say now.

But before he could gloat,

Whoosh—

his ears picked up the sound of something breaking the air.

Huh?

The next moment,

Bang!!

A massive rock smashed into Noivern's head.

What's going on?

Weren't the rocks already shattered?

Noivern was confused.

“Noivern, quickly dodge!”

Dolassena's voice suddenly rang out.

Whoosh—

Another sound of something breaking the air.

This time, Noivern finally reacted, dodging to the side just as a rock flew past where he had been.

Rocks?

Fortunately, he finally noticed what was happening below.

“Chak! Chak!”

Forger was visibly excited, swinging his hammer with one hand and holding a rock in the other, ready to throw another.

At Forger's feet lay a pile of rocks of various sizes, and he could easily grab another one.

No!

When did you collect all these rocks?!

And your rock-throwing skills are way too polished!

So polished that it gave Noivern a headache.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Noivern darted through the air, dodging the rocks being thrown from below.

For a moment, the two seemed to be at a stalemate.

Forger grew more excited and happier the more he fought.

It's so satisfying!

It's been a long time since I've had such a fun time fighting birds.

Whether or not I hit them, the more challenging it is, the more enjoyable it becomes.

Meanwhile, Noivern was busy dodging in the air, unable to find an opportunity to counterattack. Can you believe it?

Not just Noivern, but even Dolassena hadn't expected the battle to turn out this way.

“Chak!!”

Forger threw another rock, quickly glancing and then repeating his action.

I can fail countless times, but as long as I hit you once and successfully trigger the secondary effect of Rock Slide, then hehe—

Jinghe, Male, facing Dolassena's "shocked" gaze, slightly covered his forehead.

Cough—

This isn't the result of training; it's purely Forger's instinct.

Only, our Forger is a bit more skilled than other Forgers.

This is also related to Forger's experience in the Zygarde Gnome Field.

Although the hammer isn't alive, Jinghe, Male could feel that it seemed to have become lighter in Forger's hands.

Previously, Forger needed both hands to make the rocks fly so fast, but now he could do it with just one hand.

Swinging the hammer with one hand and throwing rocks with the other, the speed of his attacks naturally increased.

He's even been given the nickname "Alder's Nemesis"!

Even Nine-Tails might not be as effective as Forger when it comes to countering Flying-type Pokémon.

This can't go on!

Dolassena also understood the danger to Noivern.

Sure, Noivern's speed is fast, and he can probably hold out for a while, but constant defense and dodging will inevitably expose weaknesses over time.

Prolonged defense will eventually lead to a mistake!

Moreover,

Forger and Jinghe, Male might not continue this strategy indefinitely. The battle between Noivern and Forger was turning into a test of endurance.

They would surely change their tactics or rhythm at some point, putting Noivern and herself at an even greater disadvantage.

Rather than that, it might be better to—

Dolassena's eyes narrowed, and she waved her hand. “Noivern, Boom Voice!”

Feeling Dolassena's resolve and awakening, Noivern found an angle to dodge a rock, then suddenly turned and released a terrifying sound wave.

He shattered another rock that was about to hit him and endured a rock smashing into his wing, struggling to maintain his position.

“Tsk” Jinghe, Male and Forger both clicked their tongues.

The Elite Four are truly the Elite Four.

The timing was perfect.

Forger reluctantly put down the ice crystal he had quietly formed with his ice hammer while throwing rocks, intending to catch Noivern off guard. But now the opponent had taken a hit and started to counterattack.

However,

A counterattack is good!

I was afraid you'd keep circling in the sky.

“Roar—!!”

Noivern roared, flapping his wings, releasing a terrifying sound wave as he charged down at Forger.

It's going to be a close-range melee!

“Chak!”

Forger gripped the hammer with both hands, the hammer glowing with a soft pink light.

“Noivern!”

At that moment, Dolassena shouted, her hand glowing with a fiery red light.

Hmm?

Mega Evolution?

Noivern?

No, that's not right!

It's a Z-Move!

After a brief moment of shock, Jinghe, Male suddenly realized that Dolassena had chosen to use a Z-Move at this critical moment?

The timing was perfect, completely unexpected.

The power of the Z-Crystal surged through Dolassena and was channeled into Noivern. As Noivern's Boom Voice faded, a scorching flame erupted from its mouth!

Limiting Flame!

Damn!

A Fire-type move enhanced by a Z-Move?!

This time, Jinghe, Male was truly outmaneuvered by Dolassena.

Earlier, Jinghe, Male and Forger had caught Dolassena off guard, but now Dolassena and Noivern had returned the favor.

A massive, blazing fireball hurtled toward Forger. The red-hot sphere turned Forger's hammer a fiery red, and the intense heat made Forger's lips dry and his saliva thick.

"Guard!"

Jinghe, Male's voice rang out in Forger's mind just in time.

As a Waveguide Messenger, the greatest advantage was that Waveguide allowed him to oversee the entire battlefield and provide timely commands.

Speaking of which, Dolassena didn't have a Waveguide, but Jinghe, Male did. Was that considered unfair?

Buzz—

A bright green barrier appeared on the battlefield for the second time.

Noticing the faint green light beneath the scorching fireball, Dolassena knew that Forger had reacted.

She inwardly marveled at the quick reflexes of Forger and Jinghe, Male. No wonder he was known as "Teacher Jinghe, Male."

However, even "Guard" couldn't completely withstand a Z-Move!

Boom!!

The blazing fireball struck.

Crack—

A sharp sound echoed through the flames as the Guard barrier shattered. The intense flames inflicted significant damage on Forger.

"Noivern, Whirlwind!"

Seizing the moment when the Guard barrier broke, Dolassena issued another command.

The fire was fanned by the wind.

Although Limiting Flame had been released, the burning didn't end. With the help of Whirlwind, the flames would burn even more fiercely!

Of course, controlling the wind's intensity was crucial; otherwise, too strong a wind would extinguish the fire.

Noivern flew to the burning flames, flapped its wings, and summoned a Whirlwind.

Whoosh—

But at that moment, a dark shadow suddenly darted out of the flames!

Thud!!

It was Forger's hammer!

It struck Noivern's head with a resounding thud, leaving the Pokémon dazed. The hammer flew out of the flames and was caught by Forger, who had emerged from the inferno.

In the next instant, Forger leaped up, taking advantage of Noivern's momentary confusion. He mounted the Pokémon, grabbed one of its ears, and brought his hammer down with a vengeance.

Play Rough!

Bang—

A cloud of dust and peculiar cartoon patterns erupted.

"Feeling lively, are you?" Dolassena hadn't expected Forger to break free from the flames so quickly.

A few seconds later.

"Chaa!"

Noivern fell to the ground, its face bruised and swollen. Forger was still on its back, one hand gripping an ear and the other holding his hammer to Noivern's mouth.

Admit Defeat!

Noivern was miserable.

Lady, you're almost shoving the hammer down my throat. How am I supposed to speak?

Do you want me to lose my teeth?

Clearly, even though the damage from Limiting Flame was significant after being guarded, it wasn't fatal.

Moreover, Jinghe, Male noticed that some of the burn marks on Forger were slowly healing.

The vast Life Force from Zygarde seemed to give Forger a similar effect to the Leftovers item?

Dolassena took a deep breath, retrieved a Poké Ball, and recalled Noivern, who was still under Forger's control.

Both sides had aimed to catch each other off guard, but she had ended up at a disadvantage.

There was a gap in their command and reaction times.

The stronger one became, the more they could appreciate the benefits of Waveguide and Psychic Power, which provided a significant information advantage.

With Noivern recalled, Forger quickly examined his hammer, relieved to see that it hadn't melted. He patted his chest and sighed in relief.

Thank goodness.

"Good job, Forger", Jinghe, Male praised.

"Chaa?"

Forger turned his head sharply, cupping his hand to his ear and leaning in to listen.

What? I can't hear you. Speak up, did you forget to eat?

Jinghe, Male: "..."

He adjusted his glasses, feeling a bit embarrassed.

To be honest, if it weren't for his Waveguide, it would have been much harder for someone else to communicate with a Pokémon without a certain level of autonomy.

Sound attacks really are something.

Seeing Forger's adorable demeanor, Dolassena, who had been stern, couldn't help but chuckle.

"Teacher Jinghe, Male, your Pokémon are truly one cuter than the other."

"Haha..." Jinghe, Male laughed dryly.

If you knew how much trouble these guys can cause, you wouldn't be so quick to call them 'cute.'

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end