Chapter 29: Absol vs. Cyndaquil
"Alright, enough talking. Let's get this battle started."
Flannery urged impatiently.
"Sure, let's go one-on-one. I only have three Pokémon, and the other two are too weak to battle," Yuga replied.
Chimecho doesn't have any attacking moves, and Flabébé is low level and lacks battle experience. Its Grass type is also weak against Fire types, so it's better not to use them in battle.
Thinking about his situation, Yuga realized he only had Absol that was battle-ready. He resolved to work even harder in the future.
"That works for me too. I can only use Cyndaquil for battle right now. I haven't had a chance to use my newly acquired Torchic in battle yet."
Flannery had recently become a Trainer and wasn't allowed to travel far by her grandfather. She could only explore the nearby wilderness of Lavaridge Town, which led her to encounter Yuga.
The League allows registration at the age of ten, but there's no specific age requirement for owning Pokémon. Flannery is an example of this.
She's had Cyndaquil for a long time, which explains its high level. However, she recently became an officially registered Trainer with the League.
Her grandfather holds a high-ranking position in the League, giving her an advantage. She received Torchic as a reward for becoming a Trainer, thanks to her lineage.
Having influential family members has its perks, providing a significant head start compared to the average person.
Her starter Pokémon has a blue potential, and the second Torchic she received from the League usually has green potential. Unlike Yuga, even though the Shimizu couple had put in great effort to obtain Flabébé, it still only has yellow potential. Yet, Yuga starting point is higher than that of most people.
It's clear that everyone has a different background.
Yuga and Flannery found an open grassy area. They stood on opposite sides and released their Pokémon—Absol and Cyndaquil.
With everything set, they exchanged nods, signifying that the battle could begin.
"Absol, Swords Dance!"
"Cyndaquil, Quick Attack!"
Without a referee to signal the start of the battle, both of them almost simultaneously gave their orders.
Absol body was surrounded by a faint blue light as it performed the Swords Dance move, increasing its attack power.
On the other side, Cyndaquil leaped forward and charged at Absol with a swift Quick Attack.
Absol finished its Swords Dance and looked up to see Cyndaquil charging at it.
With Cyndaquil closing in, Absol battle experience came into play. Even though Yuga couldn't issue a command in time, Absol skillfully twisted its body, avoiding Cyndaquil Quick Attack.
Flannery didn't anticipate Absol evasive maneuver after using Swords Dance. Her expression turned sour.
"Cyndaquil, Flame Wheel!"
Close-quarters combat wasn't effective, so Flannery switched to a ranged attack. Cyndaquil body was engulfed in flames as it transformed into a blazing wheel and sped towards Absol.
Absol wasn't just strong in offense; it was adept at defense too.
"Absol, Protect!"
Flannery was caught off guard as Absol body was surrounded by a protective barrier just in time to block Cyndaquil Flame Wheel.
The collision of Flame Wheel against Protect created a burst of sparks, illuminating the battlefield.
As the sparks cleared, Flannery could see Cyndaquil a short distance away, still surrounded by flames. Its Flame Wheel had been effectively countered.
Flannery expression was a mix of surprise and frustration. She hadn't anticipated Absol quick reaction and the Protect move.
Realizing that her straightforward approach wasn't working, Flannery understood that she needed to come up with a more unpredictable strategy to turn the tide of the battle in her favor.
Cyndaquil didn't react in time and was sent flying like a cannonball by Absol sudden charge, crashing hard onto the ground.
The petite Cyndaquil couldn't withstand such a fierce attack from Absol. It was covered in injuries almost immediately.
At that moment, intense flames erupted from Cyndaquil back. Despite its injuries, Cyndaquil momentum was on the rise.
Yuga recognized that Cyndaquil ability Blaze had been triggered. This meant that Cyndaquil Fire-type moves would have increased power for the remainder of the battle, but it also indicated that Cyndaquil was reaching its limits.
Speaking of abilities, Absol ability is Pressure. This ability causes opponents to consume more energy when using moves due to the pressure it exudes.
However, throughout the battle, Absol ability hadn't come into play at all.
In essence, this ability revolves around utilizing its own aura and exerting pressure on opponents, which is supposed to make their moves more energy-intensive. But it seemed that Absol didn't quite understand how to use its own aura to achieve this effect.
Seeing her Pokémon nearing its limit, Flannery felt a sense of urgency. She commanded Cyndaquil, "Cyndaquil, use Ember!"
Upon hearing the command, Cyndaquil opened its mouth and spewed clusters of fiery sparks, transforming into red meteors that streaked towards Absol.
"Absol, Psycho Cut!"
Following Yuga command, a massive white blade of energy shot forth from Absol curved horn.
The red flames and the white Psycho Cut clashed in mid-air, resulting in a powerful explosion that obscured everyone vision.
Just as Cyndaquil was waiting for the smoke to dissipate, a white figure suddenly burst out of the haze, colliding fiercely with it.
It turned out that while the smoke hid Cyndaquil line of sight, Absol had maneuvered into the haze.
Using the smoke as cover, Absol closed the gap between itself and Cyndaquil. It then pinpointed Cyndaquil location just as the smoke was about to clear and launched an attack the moment the haze was about to disperse.
With little strength remaining, Cyndaquil couldn't withstand another hit. It lost the ability to battle when it was sent flying.
Seeing her Cyndaquil unable to battle, Flannery exclaimed, "You trickster! You claimed to be a weak Trainer, but why did I lose now?"
Yuga weakly replied, "Hehe, maybe you didn't perform well."
Flannery shot him a glare before rushing to Cyndaquil side, picking up the fainted Pokémon.
"Do you want Chimecho to heal your Cyndaquil?"
Seeing an angry Flannery, Yuga cautiously asked.
Flannery rolled her eyes at Yuga and said with annoyance, "Just do it."
So, Yuga called Chimecho over and had her use Heal Pulse on Cyndaquil.
Since it was just a friendly match, Absol hadn't used excessive force, and Cyndaquil injuries weren't severe. It didn't take long for Cyndaquil to regain consciousness.
Seeing Cyndaquil awake and safe, Yuga bid farewell to Flannery. "Since Cyndaquil is fine now, I'll be on my way."
Flannery protested, "You haven't even told me your name yet!"
"I thought you wouldn't want to know my name after losing."
Yuga chuckled.
Flannery stared at Yuga as if he were a fool. "Am I really that petty?"
Despite her young age, Flannery had no shortage of sass. Yuga couldn't recall the animated version of Flannery having this kind of personality.
Yuga smiled and introduced himself, "I'm Shimizu Yuga. I live not far from here, in Verdanturf Town. If you have time, feel free to come visit."
Yuga felt that this young girl was quite likable, and it would be nice to make a new friend, even if he was a few years older. He considered it a "cross-generational friendship."
"Got it, got it. Now go."
"In that case, goodbye."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone