Chapter 35

Lian was unaware of the young trainer's intentions. With Axew defeated, his pressure significantly reduced, leaving only Bronzor and a potentially injured Staravia, uncertain if it could continue battling.

Bronzor wasn't particularly strong, with low offensive capabilities. However, to maximize his combat rating score, Lian remained vigilant and prepared to use Ember.

"Bronzor, use Confuse Ray." The young trainer shifted from direct attacks and instead commanded Bronzor to employ disruptive support moves.

By confusing Charmander, inducing chaos, he saw an opportunity for victory. Otherwise, Bronzor wouldn't withstand many Dragon Breath or Ember strikes from Charmander.

Floating in mid-air, Bronzor swayed several times, emitting a mesmerizing multicolored glow. This Confuse Ray oscillated back and forth, heading towards Lian.

Intrigued by the Confuse Ray, Lian felt its allure but quickly reacted by closing his eyes.

He knew he must not be captivated by the Confuse Ray; otherwise, it would disorient him, ultimately leading to a state of chaotic confusion.

With his eyes closed, Lian successfully avoided being affected by the Confuse Ray. In fact, many disruptive moves can be resisted simply by shutting one's eyes.

For instance, the Psychic-type move Hypnosis uses body movements to induce sleep on a Pokemon. However, simply avoiding eye contact renders it ineffective.

The young Trainer was even more astonished by Charmander's action. Is this Charmander truly uncaught? How does it possess such combat awareness?

With Charmander's eyes closed, unable to perceive its surroundings, the young Trainer swiftly ordered Bronzor to attack.

"Bronzor, use Confusion."

Confusion is a basic Psychic-type move, not particularly strong but still effective. Although Bronzor's special attack isn't high, being a same-type move, it can still deal some damage.

Upon hearing the command, Lian immediately opened his eyes. While he wasn't concerned about the Confusion attack, he aimed to minimize injuries, as they could affect the final combat rating.

Confusion manifests as an invisible force; although depicted with color in animations, in reality, it is an intangible spiritual energy.

Bronzor concentrated its thoughts, generating a weak psychic blast that rapidly headed straight for Lian.

Lian couldn't dodge; he couldn't see the location of the Confusion attack. However, knowing its damage was minimal, he decided to endure it directly.

He felt a force strike his abdomen, causing him to stumble back several steps. Undeniably, there was some pain, but it didn't significantly impact him. Unfortunately, this did lower his combat rating considerably.

With his speed advantage, Lian wasn't concerned about close-range Pokemon battles. However, evading long-range moves without anticipation proved challenging, as they often traveled at high speeds.

This issue wasn't related to the Pokemon's speed but rather the nature of these attacks. Confusion, being an intangible psychic force, faced no air resistance and reached its target almost instantly upon release.

Lian prepared to unleash Ember, determined not to let Bronzor hit him again with Confusion. Any further hits would significantly decrease his combat rating, which he wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Bronzor, find opportunities to continue using Confusion!"

Seeing that Confusion had successfully struck Charmander, the young Trainer sensed hope and promptly ordered Bronzor to keep using the move.

Although slightly angered by being hit with Confusion, Lian maintained his composure, aimed at Bronzor, and released Ember before swiftly moving away. He wanted to avoid any more damage from Confusion.

Bronzor grimaced from the Ember's burn but managed to endure it, thanks to its strong Special Defense capabilities. It then prepared another Confusion move.

Seeing his Ember hit Bronzor, Lian felt slightly relieved. With his Charmander's special attack and the double type advantage, one more Ember would undoubtedly defeat Bronzor.

If this Bronzor had the Heatproof Ability, it would have posed a greater challenge, but with the Levitate Ability, it was manageable.

Bronzor struggled to pinpoint Lian's position, making it difficult to effectively use Confusion. While invisible, Confusion could not easily change direction once released; if it missed, there was no second chance.

Without hesitation, Bronzor unleashed Confusion, but by the time it did, Lian had already moved away. The psychic blast merely struck rocks on the cave wall, causing them to crumble and fall.

Perfect opportunity! Lian's eyes lit up as he promptly halted. The brief interval after Bronzor's move release presented the ideal moment for his counterattack.

Realizing that Charmander was about to retaliate, the young Trainer quickly instructed Bronzor to dodge.

"Bronzor, swiftly evade!"

The young Trainer's timely reminder showcased his keen battle awareness, accurately anticipating Lian's intentions.

However, with no threat from Confusion, Lian confidently unleashed Ember without hesitation. There was no way he would allow Bronzor to evade this time; he was certain that this Ember strike would defeat it decisively.

Lian swiftly closed the gap with Bronzor and, at a distance where evasion was impossible, released Ember.

At such proximity, even if Bronzor attempted to dodge, its movements couldn't match up. Moreover, Lian could easily adjust the direction of Ember mid-flight.

It was akin to casting the move point-blank, leaving Bronzor utterly unable to escape. All it could do was watch as Ember rapidly filled its field of vision.

With a loud bang, the defeated Bronzor lost its ability to float and collapsed onto the ground.

Satisfied, Lian observed the incapacitated Bronzor. Despite taking one hit from Confusion, overall, his performance had been commendable. He estimated that the combat rating for defeating these two Pokemon likely surpassed his previous score against the Ground-type gym. Now, he awaited the young Trainer's reaction.

As for Staravia, it was unclear whether it still had any fighting capability, but based on appearances, it seemed already incapable of battling effectively.

Seeing both Bronzors unable to continue battling, the young trainer felt disheartened. Should he just let this Charmander go? However, he had no more Pokemon available for combat.

Wait, I still have a chance.

The young trainer swiftly rummaged through his backpack and found a Revive fragment. If it could restore Axew's fighting capability, there might be another opportunity to capture this Charmander.

Lian observed the young trainer's actions, wondering if he would attempt to directly throw a Poké Ball now. But Lian couldn't simply flee; otherwise, the system might judge him as running away, which would be disastrous.

Quickly, the young trainer retrieved a box, opened it, and revealed a diamond-shaped white Revive fragment inside.

Revive fragments were medications developed by the League, capable of rapidly restoring a Pokemon's mental state and healing injuries. Their primary ingredient was a bitter medicinal herb.

However, Revive fragments themselves were not bitter. Despite being beneficial, these medications can cause slight harm to Pokemon, making them scarce and typically only available for purchase in large cities.

With visible reluctance, the young trainer took out a Poké Ball, released the severely injured and unconscious Axew, and carefully placed the Revive fragment into its mouth.

As the Revive dissolved, it entered Axew's body, beginning to heal its injuries. Simultaneously, Axew gradually regained consciousness from its unconscious state.

Lian was astounded by this sight; the young Trainer must be quite wealthy! Even Kalia didn't have such resources, as she typically brought her defeated Treecko to the Pokemon Center for treatment.

A sudden realization struck Lian - if this fragment could restore Axew's injuries, wouldn't that also mean Axew regains much of its Stamina?

If he defeats Axew again, would the subsequent damage count towards the system?

At this thought, Lian's eyes lit up with excitement. This guy is truly kind-hearted, essentially gifting him Combat Points - how amazing!

Upon waking up, Axew showed significant recovery from its injuries, although not fully healed since it was just a single Revive fragment, not a complete Max Revive.

"Axew, please, defeat Charmander," the young Trainer pleaded. With only Axew remaining, it was his last chance.

Noticing the determination in the Trainer's eyes, Axew responded with a fierce fighting spirit and stood up.

"Axew, be cautious of Dragon Breath; get close to Charmander and use Dragon Claw," commanded the young man. This time, he specifically reminded Axew not to let Dragon Breath hit it again.

With a resolute gaze, Axew charged towards Lian, constantly maneuvering to evade the incoming Dragon Breath attack.

Seeing Axew's focused demeanor, Lian realized that the fully recovered Axew was now more vigilant and serious. However, speed remained his advantage; no matter how cautious Axew was, if it couldn't keep up, its efforts would be futile.

The effect of Taunt had long passed, allowing Lian to resume his kite-fighting strategy effortlessly.

Lian continued running intermittently, pausing to unleash Dragon Breath before resuming his movement. Out of two attempts, one missed, but on the second, Axew failed to dodge and was mercilessly defeated once again.

This defeat shattered any remaining hope for the young Trainer. His Staravia, previously knocked out by Axew, suffered severe injuries and could no longer participate effectively in battle.

Observing for a moment, Lian noticed the young Trainer's expression of despair, realizing he had no more Pokemon capable of battle.

Glancing at the sky, this prolonged fight took quite some time and left Lian feeling exhausted. He decided it was time to return, opting not to engage further today. The intense battle drained all his energy; he needed a good rest before considering any additional training tomorrow.

Without acknowledging the defeated young Trainer, Lian simply departed, leaving him pondering his life choices alone.

Back at their usual spot, Lian promptly fell asleep, utterly worn out from constantly running during the battle. A well-deserved rest was essential to regain his strength.

At noon, Kalia returned, unsurprised to find Lian sleeping but curious about Charmander's abdominal injury.

Could it be that Charmander, unbeknownst to her, initiated a battle on its own?

Kalia shook her head, dismissing the thought as unlikely.

***

Late at night, Lian entered the system space to check today's combat rating, anticipating a pleasant surprise.

As expected, the combat rating was available, and he began examining it closely.

Charmander

Gender: ♂

Level: LV 12

Type: Fire-type

Ability: Blaze

Moves: Growl, Scratch, Ember, Smokescreen, Dragon Breath

Stats: Stamina 314, Attack 175, Defense 153, Special Attack 379, Special Defense 170, Speed 367

Axew (Zach)

Level: LV 19

Type: Dragon-type

Ability: Mold Breaker

Moves: Scratch, Leer, Bite, Assurance, Taunt, Slash, Dragon Claw

Stats: Stamina 465, Attack 395, Defense 278, Special Attack 164, Special Defense 202, Speed 273

Bronzor (Zach)

Level: LV 16

Type: Psychic-type, Steel-type

Ability: Levitate

Moves: Tackle, Confusion, Confuse Ray, Retaliate, Imprison, Gyro Ball

Stats: Stamina 445, Attack 127, Defense 330, Special Attack 130, Special Defense 332, Speed 124

Combat Rating: B-

Level Difference Bonus: 203

Racial Difference Bonus: 1

Stat Difference Bonus: 173

Output Difference Bonus: 1019

Outputs: Charmander (1019), Bronzor (124), Axew (0)

Total Combat Reward: 1396

Overall Combat Value: 2086