Chapter 19: Hirasawa Ichiro's Challenge

Although they had identified their target, Lotads thrive near riversides, and their evolved form, Lombre, also frequents these areas. Therefore, finding a solitary Lotad was crucial.

Locating a lone Lotad wasn't difficult. Unlike the mischievous Lombre, Lotads are quiet creatures. During sunlight, they typically gather for photosynthesis, while at other times, they remain submerged with only their green lotus leaves visible above water.

Lotads perfectly fit Lian's definition of easy targets, so he fully supported Kalia's decision without any reservations.

Had she suggested battling against Lombre, he would have instantly declined. Lombre starts evolving at level 14, capable of taking him down with a single Water Gun attack—there'd be no contest.

Not only do Lotads have low base stats, making them soft targets, but they are also slow-moving. The primary threat to Lian from them is their Water Gun move.

Once they found a solitary Lotad, the battle commenced. Under Kalia's guidance, Lian initiated the attack with an Ember right away.

Sensing the incoming assault, the Lotad retaliated promptly. Despite their usually calm demeanor, any Pokemon faced with a hostile enemy will defend itself.

"Charmander, dodge the Water Gun!"

Before Lotad could execute its move, it submerged underwater, but Kalia swiftly issued her next command.

Lian was surprised; Kalia seemed to anticipate Lotad's strategy accurately. Though initially skeptical, he quickly realized her prediction was spot-on.

As Lotad resurfaced, its mouth swelled, and a stream of water shot towards Lian.

Thanks to Kalia's warning, Lian reacted promptly, evading Lotad's Water Gun effortlessly.

"Great! Charmander, while Lotad is still above water, continue using Ember," Kalia encouraged, issuing further instructions.

Since Lotad relies on water, Ember would only be effective when it emerges from the surface. Otherwise, hiding underwater negates any damage from fire attacks.

Lian was astonished by Kalia's precise timing, as her command coincided perfectly with his opportunity to unleash another Ember. He seized the moment, opening his mouth to release a burst of flames at Lotad.

The Ember struck Lotad, but unfortunately, due to the surrounding water, its impact was diminished compared to usual conditions. This limitation couldn't be avoided, as environmental factors significantly influence Pokemon battles.

The Fire-type move near a river diminished its effectiveness due to the abundant Water-type energy surrounding them.

Kalia's command was quite skillful, with the only mistake being Lian's lack of precision, allowing Lotad to evade the attack. Nonetheless, it wasn't significant.

After a brief battle, Lotad emerged victorious.

Lian sustained minimal damage, and he estimated his combat rating for this fight would be around D-level. Although he won without any injuries, considering Lotad's limited stamina, achieving a D-level rating was still commendable.

"Charmander, you performed well, but your accuracy with Ember needs improvement."

Upon concluding the battle, Kalia first praised Lian before taking out a pen from her backpack. She found a nearby rock and drew a circle with a dot inside.

Then, Kalia instructed Lian to use Ember, targeting the dot at the center of the circle, aiming to enhance his precision.

In battles, agile Pokemon can easily dodge their opponent's moves, especially Special attacks like Ember. With quick reactions, evading such attacks becomes feasible.

Improving the accuracy of Ember is crucial for Charmander. This practice not only enhances Ember specifically but also significantly benefits other similar long-range moves.

***

Time flew by, and three days quickly passed.

During these three days, Lian trained with Kalia, primarily focusing on improving Ember's accuracy. However, he couldn't resist slacking off; typically, after two minutes of training, he would take an hour-long break.

Kalia felt helpless, having never encountered such a lazy Charmander who either slept or ate incessantly, sometimes even sneaking to rummage through her backpack.

While Kalia was at wit's end, Lian remained quite content. These three days were incredibly relaxing for him, filled with eating, drinking, and plenty of sleep. Although there were occasional battles, they mainly served to maintain his daily combat rating streak.

Lian didn't spend the accumulated Combat Points from these three days on enhancing his special attack immediately. Instead, he aimed to save them until leveling up, confirming if Combat Points indeed affected base stats, then planned to boost his special attack significantly all at once for a transformative effect.

Currently, Lian had amassed around 500 Combat Points as a result of his efforts over these three days. While it seemed substantial, he knew that using them all to enhance his special attack might not yield significant improvement.

Lian suspected that after today's training session, he should be able to level up. By tonight, he would likely see the increase in special attack following the upgrade.

In the dense foliage,

Kalia directed Treecko diligently. Compared to Lian, over these two days, Treecko had engaged in numerous battles, too many to count on both hands, resulting in rapid progress in strength.

However, it still hadn't learned Mega Drain yet. But Kalia felt they were close, possibly just a couple more days away.

"Take a break now, Treecko."

After defeating another wild Bug-type Pokemon, Kalia decided to rest and first tended to Treecko's injuries.

Suddenly, movement in the grass caught Kalia's attention. Looking up, she noticed a buzzcut boy emerging from the bushes.

The buzzcut boy, feeling awkward upon seeing Kalia, apologized sheepishly, "Sorry, I saw the Treecko battling from afar and thought it was wild."

"It's alright," Kalia replied calmly. "Just remember, my Pokemon and I are resting now, so please don't disturb us."

The buzzcut boy smiled apologetically, realizing his mistake. He had assumed the Treecko was unowned, but now understood how naive that assumption was - finding a wild Treecko was highly unlikely.

However, considering this Trainer had a Treecko as their starter Pokémon, how come he hadn't seen them before in any local competitions? Were they perhaps eliminated in the first round?

Hmm?

As the buzzcut boy pondered, his gaze suddenly fell upon the soundly sleeping Charmander nearby, its vibrant red body catching his attention.

Is that her Pokémon too?

Envy surged within him; being a civilian Trainer, it took considerable effort for his parents to purchase a set of Poké Balls and a wild Sandshrew for him.

These items alone drained half of his family's savings, given the high cost of each Poké Ball, which were also prone to damage during capture attempts.

Determined to become a professional Trainer, he embarked on a journey to challenge gyms and just arrived at Cianwood City, registering for this competition.

Fortunately, he secured the top spot and received a rare Passho Berry from the Mayor of Cianwood City, enhancing a Pokémon's resistance to Water-type moves when consumed.

Feeling quite proud of himself, he now realized that all his hard-earned achievements seemed insignificant in this moment.

Both Charmander and Treecko are highly sought-after Pokémon for novice Trainers due to their gentle nature, adorable appearance, and great potential.

The buzzcut boy recalled when he first obtained Sandshrew; despite its timid nature, it had quite a bad temper and frequently scratched his arms with its claws.

It took some time for them to bond before Sandshrew finally obeyed him. However, due to its inherent timidity, it struggled significantly during battles.

Countless times, his peers mocked him and advised him to switch Pokémon, but he refused to give up. Through relentless effort, he eventually instilled courage in Sandshrew, enabling it to engage effectively in combat.

Only he knew the hardships endured throughout this journey.

Yet, the Trainer standing before him casually possessed two rare and remarkably docile Pokémon.

With a smile, the buzzcut boy introduced himself, "Hello, I'm Hirasawa Ichiro."

Kalia courteously responded, "I'm Kalia."

Ichiro suddenly asked, "Um, would you like to have a Pokémon battle with me?"

Kalia hesitated, initially inclined to decline Ichiro's spontaneous challenge. However, she vaguely remembered him as the winner of a small-scale Pokémon competition, indicating that he must possess some skill.

Although Kalia didn't closely follow small-scale beginner competitions, during her stay at the hotel, she had overheard discussions about them and thus knew some details.

"Sure." Kalia nodded slightly. Despite continuously battling wild Pokemon, engaging with other Trainers better showcased the synergy between Trainer and Pokemon.

Hirasawa Ichiro seemed to be a formidable opponent.

"That's great." Ichiro's face lit up with joy. He aimed to demonstrate his prowess, confident that even against a Trainer like Kalia, he could secure victory.

"What are the rules?"

"I only have two Pokemon, so let's make it 2v2, elimination style," Ichiro proposed. In elimination battles, once a Pokemon loses its ability to fight, it cannot be switched out; the next Pokemon can only enter when incapacitated or unless the Trainer voluntarily concedes.

Many Trainers disfavor elimination-style battles due to concerns about their Pokemon sustaining severe injuries. Typically, they prefer rotation-style combat, where after each round of engagement, Trainers may choose to switch their Pokemon.

The rotation system prevents malicious harm to opponents' Pokemon while adding more enjoyment to battles.

Kalia had no objections to the elimination format; she was confident in defeating Hirasawa Ichiro and eager to see the results of her recent training.

Seeing Kalia's agreement, Hirasawa Ichiro suggested, "Let's head to the battle arena at Cianwood City's Pokemon Center."

The reason for not battling here is due to the forest environment favoring Grass-type Pokemon. If his Sandshrew faced Treecko without the option to switch, it would inevitably be worn down by Treecko's agility, leading to its defeat.

Kalia understood Hirasawa Ichiro's strategy, but against overwhelming power, any tricks or schemes become futile.

"Charmander, wake up." Kalia gently tickled Lian's chubby belly before vigorously shaking him awake.

Lian reluctantly opened his eyes, clearly displeased. He was enjoying a deep sleep, and this interruption felt truly annoying.