Chapter 43. New Battlegrounds

The first day of summer vacation was when Alex decided to take all his Pokémon to the Fighting Dojo for some experience. He didn't expect all of them to get a battle, but at least a few had interesting combat styles that might catch the floor coordinator's attention. Alex entered the building, greeted Laura, the receptionist, and declared that he was back for business. She smiled at his antics before shooing him off to the second floor. There, he met the floor coordinator, who was happy to see him again after four months. "Alex, good to see you back. Ready for your usual spot?" the coordinator greeted him. "Good to be back, Ruan. Actually, I wanted to give some experience to my new Pokémon. They need some breaking in, and I made sure to include a scenario similar to Raticate's, who had restrictions," Alex explained. "Sounds interesting. Drop Raticate and Growlithe at their battlegrounds first before you show me your new setup." "Sure. Let's drop Raticate first." Raticate's progress had slowed down. It was becoming painfully obvious that he was starting to stagnate, even when showered with resources. But neither Alex nor Raticate let that bother them. Their goal wasn't to rank Raticate up but to improve his move proficiency, and in that regard, he was doing fine. Raticate had declared that he was starting to get the hang of a more powerful Shadow Ball. He just needed more practice. To better reflect Raticate's strengths, Alex adjusted his EVs. No focus on defense—only damage dealt. He maxed out Raticate's Attack and Special Attack, making his fights more interesting. He still held onto Focus Sash though just in case.  Raticate took his position just as his regular opponent stepped up—an Expert-ranked Pangoro with Mold Breaker. A menace to defensive Pokémon. The two squared up for a moment before—Bang!—they collided at high speed. Raticate unleashed Quick Attack, but Pangoro countered with Quick Guard, bouncing Raticate back. Pangoro lifted her foot, brown energy glowing around it, and stomped the ground. Earthquake. Shockwaves spread outward, shaking the battlefield. But before the attack could reach him, Raticate had already dashed upward with Quick Attack, slashing Pangoro across the face as he leaped away from the tremor. Pangoro looked up and unleashed a Dark Pulse, aiming straight for Raticate. But once again, Raticate dodged with Quick Attack—this time, a bit too far away. He landed on the opposite side of the field, already preparing a glowing purple Sludge Bomb. Pangoro wasted no time. She charged a full-powered Hyper Beam, silver energy shining from her mouth. The beam tore through the air, consuming the incoming Sludge Bomb before slamming into Raticate. Both Pokémon were now slightly injured. But only one could still move. Raticate, recovering faster, fired a Hyper Beam of his own at the defenseless, slower Pangoro. It was a guaranteed hit. Bang! Pangoro was launched across the battleground, landing near the opposite side with massive damage. Meanwhile, Raticate was completely vulnerable, catching his breath after using Hyper Beam. This gave Pangoro the perfect opportunity. Lifting her foot once more, brown energy surging around it, she slammed it down. Earthquake. This time, the shockwave was far stronger than before. Alex's eyes widened. That was an Advanced-ranked Earthquake. The sheer force of the attack shook the battlefield. Raticate had no way to dodge. He had assumed Pangoro's Earthquake wouldn't be strong enough to knock him out. That miscalculation cost him. The ground erupted beneath him, sending tremors through his body. The damage was overwhelming. Raticate fainted. Alex sighed, retrieving Raticate into his Poké Ball. After four months of training, Raticate would probably be upset about losing. "Congratulations, Kael," Alex said with a smile. "Your Pangoro reached Advanced rank on Earthquake." Kael laughed. "Hahaha! Thanks. She actually upgraded it three months ago, but when she heard her rival was out training, she kept at it until she could fully control it. Why don't you heal him up? Pangoro is still itching for a fight." "Alright. Give me a few minutes." A short while later, Raticate was fully healed. Before sending him back into battle, Alex decided to give him some advice. "You know why you lost, right?" "Rati." Raticate nodded. "Good. You're a hit-and-run specialist. You'll never be as strong as most Pokémon. Thinking you can overpower your opponents is a mistake. Always be cautious. Always be prepared. Never let your guard down. You assumed Pangoro's Earthquake wasn't strong enough, and that's why you lost. Learn from it. Get smarter, not stronger. Trust your instincts, not your ego. Got it?" "Rati." This time, Raticate's eyes shone with determination. He was a filthy sewer rat. He should fight like one. Lately, he had been jealous of Growlithe, who was destined for greatness, while he skulked in the shadows. But instead of resenting it, he needed to own it. "Raticate!" he replied with excitement. Alex smirked. "Good. Now go learn from your mistakes. She isn't even tired from that battle." "Rati." Raticate dashed back to the battleground, ready for round two. Meanwhile, Alex turned toward Growlithe's usual spot. He had something special in mind for his Growlithe, considering his plan to build an attack squad. He needed a centerpiece—one that would rampage across the battlefield, devastating everything in its wake. Arcanine would be that centerpiece, ensuring destruction, but to achieve this, Growlithe needed to be trained to both take and return hits. His current build focused on Defense and Special Defense, supported by Leftovers. Alex released Growlithe, and one of his regular opponents arrived—the Hitmonlee that had repeatedly sent Growlithe flying in previous battles. Both Pokémon were now at the lower end of Expert rank. "Before we get started, I have an interesting proposition," Alex began as he released Clawitzer. "Both Pokémon are not allowed to retreat or create distance. They must fight with everything they have. However, each time a Pokémon is healed by Clawitzer, its opponent gains a point. The winner is the one with the most points after five minutes." "What if your Clawitzer cheats?" Ruan asked. "Her pride is on the line. She's quite proud of her ability to assess health accurately. Besides, does it really matter who wins or loses?" Alex said as he gently stroked Clawitzer's claw. "What do you think, Charles?" Ruan asked Hitmonlee's trainer. "Worth trying out, at least. It should toughen them up," Charles replied. "Exactly my thoughts." Alex said. "Good. Let's see how it works." Both Pokémon entered the battlegrounds while Clawitzer stood off to the side, ready to fire Heal Pulses. Clawitzer had recently evolved, so she still didn't have advanced-ranked moves. However, she was now able to learn all possible moves, which she both hated and loved with equal passion. This was her new status with her focused moves. Name: Clawitzer, Adept Type: Water, Female Ability: Mega Launcher Moves:  Basic: Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, Dragon Pulse, Heal Pulse, Terrain Pulse, Water Pulse, Aqua Jet, Flip Turn, Surf, Rock Slide, Sludge Wave, Blizzard, Protect Description: Clawitzer, the Howitzer Pokémon, is a Water-type known for its massive claw, which functions like a high-powered cannon. It can shoot jets of water with enough force to pierce steel, using its specialized appendage for both hunting and combat. Its powerful shots allow it to overwhelm opponents with precision and force. She was now quite a bit larger at 4 feet (1.22 m). Her EVs were maxed for Special Attack and Speed. She was quite the accurate shooter, able to land consistent hits on her practice target. Overall, she had bloomed and was now ready to be a very annoying combat medic. At the battlegrounds, no signal was given. Hitmonlee immediately used Taunt, dark-type energy surrounding his form and sealing away Growlithe's ability to use Charm or Will-O-Wisp. However, Growlithe charged in with Flame Charge, his body bursting into flames as he bolted toward Hitmonlee, while gaining a stack of Speed. Now, Growlithe was faster. He followed up with Play Rough, his body glowing pink as he lunged at Hitmonlee to finish the fight. But just before the attack landed, a darker pink glow enveloped Hitmonlee, healing him to full health. That was one point for Growlithe. He tackled Hitmonlee and bit randomly before the energy of Play Rough dissipated. Hitmonlee, now glowing with orange energy, countered with Reversal—delivering a massive blow with a double hammer fist. Growlithe took significant damage but was immediately healed by Clawitzer's Heal Pulse. Charles, realizing Growlithe's strategy of lowering Hitmonlee's Attack with Play Rough, wised up and adjusted his tactics. "Use Swords Dance first. Get your Attack up." Growlithe, hearing the strategy, settled on a countermeasure. He opened his mouth, Fire-type energy bubbling up before releasing Fire Blast, hoping to land a burn. Fortunately for him, it worked. Just as Hitmonlee's Attack rose by two stages, the burn halved his power. On top of that, Clawitzer healed him again—giving Growlithe more points. As the dark energy faded from Growlithe's body, signaling the end of Taunt's effect, he immediately used Charm. A pink aura radiated from him as he made an adorable expression, further lowering Hitmonlee's Attack. Recognizing the stalemate, Hitmonlee used Taunt again, locking Growlithe out of using Charm once more. Growlithe responded with Fire Spin, aiming to rack up as much damage as possible. Meanwhile, Hitmonlee used Swords Dance again, only to receive yet another Heal Pulse. Charles was growing frustrated. He finally understood the challenge of this mode—it forced Pokémon to deal as much damage as possible while managing status effects. It was a brutal endurance test. "Mud-Slap! Blind it!" Charles ordered. Growlithe quickly used Dig, narrowly avoiding a face full of mud. "Stomping Tantrum! End it in one!" Charles shouted, getting caught up in the moment. Hitmonlee glowed brown with ground-type energy and lifted his leg. Just as Growlithe burst from the ground in an explosion of dirt and rock, Hitmonlee stomped down repeatedly, unleashing a powerful, devastating attack. The impact not only countered Growlithe's Dig but also knocked him out in the process. Growlithe had fought well, lasting longer than expected, but he was simply too weak to keep up. As he fainted, however, a spark of determination burned in his heart. He was ready. ----- Support me on Patreon patreon/babywrath