Chapter 21: Lian Enters the Arena

Hirasawa Ichiro's expression shifted abruptly as his attack missed again. Unaware that novice Trainers rarely train their Pokemon to dodge moves, preferring direct confrontations, experienced Trainers often emphasize evasive training for their Pokemon.

The energy nutrients from Sandshrew continuously flowed into Treecko, replenishing its stamina.

Being a Grass-type move against a Ground-type, it had a super-effective advantage. Compared to Quick Attack, Sandshrew visibly displayed discomfort, likely due to the forced extraction of energy within its body.

As Absorb concluded, Treecko appeared more invigorated, with its eyes gleaming and battle spirit intensifying.

Treeckos inherently possess combative nature, becoming increasingly courageous in battle. Even when facing stronger opponents, they never show fear or hesitation.

"Treecko, use Quick Attack."

Since Treecko has not yet fully mastered Absorb, it couldn't employ it consecutively, which is why Kalia initially refrained from using this move.

To reduce the cooldown between special moves requires consistent training. Kalia aimed to skip Absorb altogether and focus on mastering Mega Drain once Treecko comprehends it, optimizing efficiency.

This approach saved time, as Absorb would soon become obsolete; there was no need to waste effort on it.

The battle quickly reached a stalemate, with Sandshrew unable to land hits on Treecko, while Treecko's moves inflicted insufficient damage on Sandshrew.

Lian watched, feeling speechless. The elimination-style tournament format seemed utterly boring. If two Pokemon capable of self-regeneration were to fight, they could potentially go at it for half a year without making progress!

Although both Pokemon appeared evenly matched, momentarily unable to gain an advantage, Sandshrew's stamina was visibly decreasing due to constantly taking blows.

Kalia remained satisfied with the situation, knowing that truth emerges from combat. Treecko consistently evading attacks showcased the effectiveness of their recent training.

At this rate, Hirasawa Ichiro's Sandshrew was destined to lose without causing any significant harm to Treecko, allowing Kalia's Gecko to face his second Pokemon fully refreshed.

Hirasawa Ichiro looked grim, sensing the disparity between them. Kalia calmly directed her Pokemon's evasive maneuvers flawlessly throughout the match.

"If only I had chosen Taillow instead," Ichiro regretted his decision. Although Sandshrew was his strongest Pokemon, he also possessed a Taillow.

If he had chosen Taillow instead, despite Treecko's speed, it wouldn't surpass his swift Taillow.

However, considering Taillow's weaker capabilities and Ichiro's confidence that Sandshrew's Fury Cutter could inflict severe damage upon hitting Treecko, he opted not to deploy Taillow initially.

"Sandshrew, use Sand Rush."

Feeling compelled, Ichiro commanded Sandshrew to employ an auxiliary move. Unable to land hits, he aimed to prevent his opponent from striking as well.

The entire battlefield consisted of sandy soil, making Sand Rush effortlessly executable. This Ground-type move, akin to Smokescreen, raises sand and dust, impairing the opponent's visibility.

Swiftly, Sandshrew scratched at the ground with its claws, sending gusts of sand and dust enveloping Treecko. The wide range of Sand Rush made it challenging to evade.

Yet, Kalia swiftly countered with a simple instruction: "Treecko, close your eyes."

The most potent effect of Sand Rush is blowing dust into the opponent's eyes, hindering their vision. However, by simply having the Pokemon close its eyes, the move becomes largely ineffective.

For experienced Trainers, this was basic common sense; however, it seemed Hirasawa Ichiro lacked this knowledge and failed to comprehend its significance.

A different Trainer would have seized the opportunity during their opponent's Sand Rush, launching an immediate counterattack. Unfortunately, Hirasawa Ichiro relied on rigid battle tactics, a common issue among newcomers.

Moreover, his training of Sandshrew fell significantly short in various aspects.

"Sandshrew, use Fury Cutter!" Feeling helpless, Hirasawa Ichiro could only continue shouting commands.

The surrounding Trainers felt as if they were witnessing a whole new world unfold. Kalia's prowess was extraordinary. Hirasawa Ichiro, despite being the top-ranked Pokemon competitor, appeared utterly inexperienced against her, lacking any means of defense.

After a while, Treecko defeated Sandshrew with a single Absorb move, emerging virtually unscathed.

Lian sensed that there might be no need for him to step in now.

With the defeat of Sandshrew, Hirasawa Ichiro felt deeply embarrassed by such a comprehensive loss. However, he still had a chance; he couldn't believe that Kalia could defeat both his Pokemon using just one Treecko.

In the next moment, Hirasawa Ichiro tossed his second Poké Ball, releasing a deep blue Taillow that circled once in the air before hovering steadily.

"Go, Taillow! Use Peck!"

Ichiro immediately commanded Taillow to employ its flying-type move, Peck, which also had an advantage against Treecko.

Seeing Taillow appear, Kalia slightly shook her head. Surprisingly, Hirasawa Ichiro hadn't sent out Taillow first; Grass-type Pokémon inherently fear Flying-types, and without overcoming this, it affects their performance.

However, Hirasawa Ichiro's overconfidence in Sandshrew led to a poor choice, ultimately resulting in Sandshrew's defeat.

"Treecko, use Quick Attack."

Facing Taillow, Kalia no longer felt as relaxed as before. The flying-type Pokémon was significantly faster than Treecko, making victory less straightforward for Treecko now.

Maybe I should bring Charmy into battle, thought Kalia. Despite not sustaining injuries, Treecko had expended considerable energy using various moves repeatedly. Winning against Taillow would be more challenging at this point.

Kalia glanced back at her Charmander and couldn't help but feel exasperated by its actions.

The Charmander had sneakily rummaged through her backpack again, grabbing an energy cube to leisurely munch on.

Oh no.

As Lian was eating, he suddenly sensed an intense gaze upon him. He lifted his head and immediately locked eyes with Kalia, causing a shiver of fear down his spine.

Deciding to go all-in, Lian swiftly swallowed the entire energy cube, stuffing his mouth full, then casually returned to his original position as if nothing happened.

Kalia turned away, feeling an urge to discipline Charmander for this behavior. Making energy cubes wasn't difficult, but if Charmander continued consuming one today, two tomorrow, it would become unsustainable over time.

Energy cubes were made from mixing various berries, which weren't cheap. They couldn't even be found at ordinary Pokémon shops; one needed to visit larger cities for such purchases.

Kalia decided to send out Charmander for the battle. If he lost, she'd skip his breakfast the next day, teaching him a lesson about stealing food.

Due to Kalia's distraction, she missed observing crucial moments of the battle. Although Treecko successfully hit Taillow, it also took a significant pecking blow, resulting in notable damage.

However, Kalia wasn't concerned; the purpose of this fight wasn't victory but rather to enhance her Pokemon's combat experience and strengthen the bond between Trainer and Pokemon.

Currently, Treecko's performance was commendable, and now it was Charmander's turn to shine. Kalia intentionally aimed for Treecko's defeat to bring Charmander into play.

In the ensuing battle, Kalia remained passive. Leveraging its superior speed, Taillow repeatedly struck Treecko. After multiple successful pecks, Taillow ultimately defeated Treecko.

"Good job, Treecko." Kalia opened a Poké Ball, recalling the exhausted Treecko inside.

Seeing Taillow triumph over Treecko, Hirasawa Ichiro's expression slightly improved, knowing only Charmander remained.

"Charmander, it's your turn now," Kalia called out to Lian.

Taken aback, Lian had just been enjoying his snack and hadn't realized Treecko had lost. This must be deliberate, definitely intentional!

Noticing Kalia's smirk, Lian sensed deep malice. Clearly, Treecko could have won easily, yet she insisted on making him participate.

However, he couldn't refuse at that moment and eagerly trotted onto the battlefield, aware that after sneaking energy cubes, denying Kalia might result in no dinner tonight.

Upon seeing his opponent was Taillow, Lian felt somewhat relieved. Taillow's advantage lay solely in its speed, with relatively low attack power. With his high Special Attack output, defeating Taillow wouldn't be challenging.