Chapter 43: Chapter 43: "It's So Cool!"
"This Toxic Spikes... That's just too much, isn't it?"
"Damn! That Drapion is so cool! It's just so incredibly cool! I want to catch one too."
"Pikachu got totally wrecked, taken out in one move with no chance to fight back."
"These two are both so strong, I wonder how the next person will deal with Drapion."
The onlookers were whispering among themselves, keeping their voices low to avoid disturbing the battle between the two trainers.
As a trainer, there's no one who dislikes battles; even watching others battle is fascinating.
Watching more, learning more, practicing more—that's how you improve.
"Pikachu is unable to battle, Drapion wins!"
Leah quickly recovered, observed Pikachu, and announced the result.
"What a fierce Drapion!"
Misty couldn't help but be amazed. Wow, that was really a near-instant takedown of Pikachu by capitalizing on the Toxic Spikes!
Ash was still a bit stunned. Just a moment ago, he was praising Pikachu, and then Pikachu got caught, and... that was it.
"Indeed, Drapion is very strong, but the key here is the Toxic Spikes."
Brock nodded, then pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Toxic Spikes don't just trigger once. This puts Red at a severe disadvantage. Even though it won't poison them, the damage from Toxic Spikes can't be ignored either."
The damage from a single trigger of Toxic Spikes might not be high, but the pain from the corrosive spikes is very real, making it easy for the opponent to find an opening.
Pikachu was caught by Drapion because of the combined pain from its Volt Tackle's recoil and the Toxic Spikes' corrosion.
Otherwise, Drapion wouldn't have been able to catch the agile Pikachu so easily.
"There are ways to deal with Toxic Spikes. Poison-type Pokémon aren't affected by them, and moves like Haze or Rapid Spin can clear the field. No wonder Arbok didn't use Toxic Spikes at the start."
"Dylan is really impressive~"
Brock couldn't help but admire, but will the challenger really be happy with a battle like this?
Hmm, probably. After all, Dylan is also honing their experience in battling Poison-type trainers... right?
...
On the battlefield.
"Thank you, Pikachu."
Red gently comforted Pikachu as he recalled it, then looked up at the menacing Drapion across from him.
"Blastoise!"
Without much hesitation, Red threw out his third Poké Ball.
With a deep roar, the heavily injured Blastoise landed in front of Red once again.
But as soon as it touched the ground, the Toxic Spikes' damage hit.
Blastoise's face twisted in pain. It was already severely injured, and now the Toxic Spikes' damage made it even worse.
"So you're opting to clear the Toxic Spikes, huh?"
Dylan chuckled lightly at this.
But it makes sense. After suffering from the Toxic Spikes, Red understands how difficult it would be to battle without dealing with them first.
Although Venusaur wouldn't be poisoned, it's tough for Venusaur to battle Poison-type Pokémon. The reason is simple: both of its STAB types are not very effective against Poison types. How could it win?
"Rapid Spin."
"Pin Missile!"
Blastoise immediately retracted its limbs and head, spinning its shell rapidly.
But Dylan wasn't just going to watch. Drapion swung its pincers forcefully, launching a barrage of Pin Missiles.
Blastoise spun rapidly, skimming the ground as it moved. With Blastoise's rapid spinning, streams of purple fluid flew off the ground.
The Toxic Spikes were quickly cleared away by Rapid Spin.
But the Pin Missiles were already coming.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Pin Missiles struck Blastoise repeatedly, causing explosions and sending shockwaves rippling outwards.
When the bombardment ended, Blastoise was lying on the ground, unconscious.
Even though Blastoise's shell provided high resistance to physical attacks, it couldn't completely negate the damage.
Blastoise was in such poor condition that it couldn't hold on.
"Blastoise is unable to battle, Drapion wins."
Leah stepped in again to announce the battle's result.
"..."
Red recalled the fainted Blastoise, lowering the brim of his hat slightly.
"Red, even though the Toxic Spikes have been cleared, my Drapion is still tough to deal with."
Dylan smiled at the silent Red across from him. Besides, now that Blastoise is down, there's no need to worry if he uses Toxic Spikes again!
"Snorlax!"
Red remained silent, throwing out his third Poké Ball.
"Snor~"
With a flash of white light, a large, bear-like Pokémon heavily landed in front of Red.
Its body was mostly blue, with a white belly. It had a very chubby physique, with a plump face and eyes that were almost always squinting, giving it a somewhat dopey look.
It was Snorlax!
'Beep~ Snorlax, Normal type, the Drowsing Pokémon.
Ability: Thick Fat.
Moves: Belly Drum, Hammer Arm, High Horsepower, Amnesia, Heavy Slam, Giga Impact, Fire Punch...
Description: It spends its days eating and sleeping in a continuous cycle. Its gentle nature makes it a perfect playground for children on its big belly.'
Ash read the Pokédex entry with great interest, his first impression of Snorlax being very favorable.
Hmm, I'll definitely catch one in the future!
"Going for close combat, huh?" Dylan sized up the Snorlax and couldn't help but smile. He wasn't afraid of close combat.
"Snorlax, Belly Drum!"
Red glanced at Drapion and then decisively gave the order.
Snorlax roared, its body undergoing rapid changes, swelling and contracting as if enduring some kind of intense pain, its expression twisted.
A Normal-type Belly Drum!
"Going all out, huh?"
The crowd watching was stunned.
Belly Drum is a very interesting move. After using it, the user's Attack stat is maximized!
According to Pokémon researchers, a Pokémon's stat boosts have a limit, with six stages being the maximum. Any further attempts to boost the stat will have no effect.
The same goes for stat reductions, with six stages being the minimum.
Moves like Swords Dance and Nasty Plot only raise Attack and Special Attack by two stages each, but Belly Drum is different. It raises Attack by twelve stages!
This means that even if your Attack has been lowered by six stages, Belly Drum can still max out your Attack—up to twelve stages.
Of course, since six stages is the maximum boost for Attack, Belly Drum will only raise it by six stages if it hasn't been lowered.
But Belly Drum has a severe drawback: it causes significant damage to the user. In game terms, the user loses half of its HP.
"Toxic Spikes."
Dylan was a bit surprised too. Starting with Belly Drum means Red is really going all out and wants to win badly.
After Belly Drum, Snorlax's attack power is maxed out. Even a basic tackle would deal massive damage to Drapion.
But if you're boosting, I'm laying down Toxic Spikes!
Drapion's pincers gathered, forming a deep purple energy ball that was sent skyward, where it exploded. The eerie purple fluid rained down and disappeared into the battlefield.
Red watched silently. There was no other choice. After two battles, he had a rough understanding of Dylan's strategy.
It's either Toxic or Toxic Spikes...
To defeat Dylan, Red's only option was to win quickly, overwhelming the opponent's Pokémon with sheer power!
By now, Snorlax had finished using Belly Drum. Its body returned to normal, and a thick white light was absorbed into Snorlax's body, causing its aura to surge dramatically.
"Snor~!"
Snorlax raised its chubby arms, striking a powerful pose. It felt like it was overflowing with limitless, inexhaustible strength!
It felt invincible!
Snorlax tried its best to open its squinted eyes and glare at Drapion, but it was difficult. Still, no matter.
Just a mere scorpion; how could it match the might of Emperor Snorlax?
Victory was certain!
(End of Chapter)
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