Chapter 3: Exceeding Expectations

Having finally regained his Fire-type energy, Lian didn't want to recklessly expend it again, knowing it would take considerable time to recover.

Although reluctant to engage in battle, he was more than willing if it meant effortlessly overpowering his opponent. This would depend on effectively utilizing Ember.

Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon typically fear Fire-types due to the significant damage their moves can inflict. Even a slight touch could cause injury, and a direct hit might instantly render them unable to continue fighting.

Based on the combat evaluations observed yesterday, Lian concluded that minimizing self-inflicted damage while maximizing harm to the opponent would result in higher Combat Points earned.

Additionally, if the opponent excelled in certain aspects compared to him, there would be extra rewards. Conversely, if their capabilities were weaker than his, points would be deducted.

The Combat System clearly aimed for Lian to challenge opponents above his level, striving for victory against stronger adversaries. The greater the disparity between their abilities, the larger the reward upon winning.

Therefore, by achieving a one-hit knockout without sustaining any damage, Lian could maximize his gains. The effectiveness of Ember against Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon presented his only opportunity to achieve this.

However, implementing this strategy required careful planning. As sunlight no longer reached the grassy area, Lian effortlessly stood up with a casual flip and prepared to search for his target.

Firstly, the target must not be too strong; otherwise, if Lian couldn't defeat it, he risked gaining nothing while sustaining unnecessary injuries.

The target should ideally be vulnerable to Fire-type attacks. In this forest, only Bug- and Grass-type Pokémon were present, so other types could be disregarded.

Lian decided to focus on Grass-type Pokémon, as most Bug-type ones were too weak. Even if victorious, the battle rating would likely be low, and after evolving, there was no guarantee of quickly resolving future fights, thus not meeting Lian's criteria.

Among Grass-type Pokémon, several species had decent base stats despite being relatively weak, making them perfect opponents susceptible to Fire-type moves.

Based on the Combat System's scoring rewards, it seemed that factors such as level, species, ability values, and output determined the final score and rewards.

Level can be ignored since Lian cannot directly see a Pokémon's level; he only knows his current level is five. Regarding species, Lian speculates it might relate to their base stats, which should be taken into consideration.

Ability values depend on both base stats and level, at least from what Lian understands, though there may be additional influencing factors.

For achieving maximum output score, Lian's Ember move would be crucial. Whether he could obtain better ratings and higher Combat Points largely depended on his ability to defeat targets with Ember in a single blow, maximizing damage.

Within this forest, there were several potential opponents, such as Oddish, Seedot, Shroomish, and Bellsprout—these were the few Grass-type Pokémon Lian had encountered so far that met the criteria.

However, Lian decided to exclude Seedot and Oddish from consideration. Firstly, Seedot's species base stats were too low; compared to Charmander based on the previous life's game values, it fell significantly short.

While game settings might not directly translate to reality, they still served as useful references. As for Oddish, although its base stats were slightly higher than Charmander's, it was primarily nocturnal, burying itself in the ground during the day with only its leafy top visible, resembling ordinary foliage. This made them difficult to locate and would waste valuable time.

Evenings were reserved for rest, and venturing outside in the dark wasn't feasible, so he opted to pass on those options.

This left Shroomish and Bellsprout. Comparing both, Lian decided to target Bellsprout.

From their base stats alone, both Pokemon were comparable, with Bellsprout having slightly higher values. However, Bellsprout's defense was relatively weak compared to Shroomish, which boasted superior defensive capabilities.

Considering this, it became evident that Bellsprout would be a more suitable target for Lian. Bellsprout is typically known for its high attack and low defense, along with moderate speed.

The most critical factor, though, was that although Shroomish isn't a Poison-type Pokemon, it could potentially release spores with various negative effects. Encountering any abnormal status due to these spores might lead to unforeseen complications, making it too risky for Lian to take such chances.

Therefore, Bellsprout emerged as the safest choice. Additionally, Bellsprout has a distinctive appearance, often anchoring itself in soil, camouflaging like a flower to attract insects, then capturing them using its agile vines.

Lian hoped to find a Bellsprout today so he could learn the results by evening. Based on his hypothesis, the combat evaluation score should appear only after falling asleep. If he missed today, he'd have to wait until tomorrow night to know the outcome.

Thus, Lian decided to prioritize searching for Bellsprouts. They usually hide within grassy areas, being quite common among Grass-type Pokemon.

Lian didn't venture too far, as the likelihood of encountering stronger Pokemon increased with distance. If he met a particularly aggressive one, Lian wasn't confident in his ability to handle it.

After exploring nearby, luck was on his side; not only did he find Bellsprout but also several other Grass-type Pokemon. Unfortunately, none were as suitable as Bellsprout.

Moreover, Ember could only be used once, and since he had identified his target, there was no need to change plans and introduce unnecessary variables.

Lian preferred to end the battle swiftly, enjoy a good meal, and then head back for some rest.

With his target set, Lian prepared to execute his plan. He decided to launch a surprise attack while Bellsprout was unsuspecting. Considering Fire-type moves have a significant advantage over Grass-type Pokemon, there was a high chance that Bellsprout would instantly lose its fighting capability.

Even if it managed to resist, it would likely sustain severe injuries, requiring just one more strike to finish it off. Should Bellsprout counterattack using Grass-type moves against him, being a Fire-type, their effectiveness would still be diminished.

Thus, victory for Lian seemed virtually assured, with the worst-case scenario being minor injuries.

Stealthily approaching the area where he had spotted Bellsprout earlier, Lian carefully observed it disguised as ordinary foliage. Its trumpet-like head was unmistakable and easily identifiable.

Noticing no similar plants nearby indicated that Bellsprout likely didn't have companions in close proximity, allowing Lian to act without hesitation.

As he gradually neared Bellsprout, Lian prepared his Ember move, mentally counting down:

3... 2... 1!

Lian swiftly charged towards Bellsprout, swearing this was the fastest he had ever run, determined not to let his plan fail.

His sudden attack proved crucial. Surprisingly, Bellsprout reacted quickly, detecting Lian immediately. However, being rooted in the soil and with Lian closing the distance rapidly, it couldn't evade in time.

Despite this, Bellsprout promptly retaliated by extending a green Vine Whip from its body, swiftly lashing out at Lian.

Caught off guard, Lian sensed that this Bellsprout might be stronger than anticipated, though likely not significantly so.

Lian ignored Bellsprout's Vine Whip, prioritizing the execution of Ember. He had only one chance to hit Bellsprout with Ember; failure would likely result in a low score even if he won the battle.

Facing the immobile Bellsprout, Lian opened his mouth, concentrating Fire-type energy in his throat before releasing it directly towards the opponent.

A small flame shot forth, not particularly fast but sufficient to strike the unprepared Bellsprout. Simultaneously, Bellsprout's vine lashed diagonally at Lian's body.

Snap!

The forceful impact of the Vine Whip echoed loudly, far exceeding Lian's expectations. Despite Fire-type Pokémon having some resistance to Grass-type moves, Lian still felt half of his body go numb, followed by a searing pain as he crashed into a nearby tree.

It was evident that this Bellsprout's level greatly surpassed Lian, possessing significantly higher capabilities.

This indicated that Ember might not instantly defeat Bellsprout, and Lian needed to prepare for a prolonged battle. Moreover, he wasn't sure if he could withstand another such Vine Whip attack.

The Vine Whip attack left Lian with a searing pain. Comparing it to the damage caused by Spearow's Peck move, his stamina had undoubtedly been significantly depleted.

Fortunately, Ember successfully hit Bellsprout, giving Lian hope that he could still hold his own in this battle; otherwise, his only option would be to flee.

The scorching flames collided with Bellsprout's body, scattering sparks and gradually burning its leaves and stem.

As a Grass-type Pokémon, Bellsprout suffered heavy damage from the Fire-type move. It let out a painful cry, and its green foliage began showing scattered black spots due to the burning embers.

Lian couldn't determine the exact damage dealt by Ember, but judging by Bellsprout's reaction, it was clearly severely injured.

He decisively charged forward, ready to finish off the opponent. This was not the time to retreat; wasting so much energy without achieving anything would be pointless, better off just going home to sleep.

Bellsprout, enraged by the unprovoked attack from this Charmander, extended its Vine Whip once more, aiming for another fierce strike at the small fire lizard. However, the intense pain radiating from its body significantly weakened the force of its Vine Whip.

Snap!

The Vine Whip struck Lian again, but he distinctly felt that compared to the initial impact, this time the force behind the whip was considerably diminished.

The initial strike had genuinely hurt, akin to being lashed by a red-hot iron rod, while this time it felt more like a heavy blow from a wooden stick.

Lian had a vague suspicion but realized now was not the moment for analysis; his claws swiftly aimed at Bellsprout.

By then, Bellsprout had fully emerged from the soil, showcasing its agility due to its slender body. If Lian hadn't targeted Bellsprout's head precisely, his attack might have missed entirely.

Despite being knocked down by Lian's strike, Bellsprout remained combat-ready and quickly got back on its feet, clearly indicating high stamina levels.

Lian hesitated to launch another hasty attack and instead began evading behind trees. He wasn't concerned about Bellsprout escaping either; observing the fiery intensity in its tiny, pea-sized eyes, it was evident that even if Lian wanted to cease fighting, Bellsprout wouldn't agree.

Although Lian could be lazy, he certainly wasn't foolish. This battle exceeded his expectations, but his strategy was sound. Fortune favors the bold, and defeating such a high-level Bellsprout would yield even greater benefits than initially anticipated.

Snap!

Bellsprout's Vine Whip was swift, but with Lian exerting his full agility and utilizing tree cover, he successfully evaded another strike, causing the vine to lash against a tree trunk instead.

Despite narrowly avoiding it, Lian felt lingering fear as his body grew increasingly weak. It was evident that just two hits from the Vine Whip had dealt significant damage.

He couldn't withstand a third blow.

Taking advantage of Bellsprout missing its target, Lian once again increased the distance between them. He still couldn't afford to attack directly.

Bellsprout maintained a rapid offensive pace, its Vine Whip almost relentless. If Lian charged now, even if he managed to hit Bellsprout, there was a risk that if it didn't immediately lose combat capability, he would be in danger.

Huh?!

Lian suddenly noticed that the number of black spots on Bellsprout was increasing significantly, clearly marks left by the Ember burns earlier.

As these black patches spread, Bellsprout appeared to be in pain, slowing down the speed of its Vine Whip strikes.

Deciding to prolong the fight, while conserving some energy, Lian engaged in a game of "hide-and-seek" with Bellsprout without initiating further attacks. He remained uncertain whether Bellsprout could withstand one direct hit from his Scratch move.

Soon, Bellsprout ceased its Vine Whip attacks, showing signs of retreat and turning to flee. Lian knew that Bellsprout was nearing its limit; he couldn't let it escape now and immediately gave chase.

The severely injured Bellsprout had black spots spreading almost to its root stem, impairing its movement due to pain. Lian effortlessly caught up to it.

Bellsprout no longer had the strength to continue fighting. With one swift claw strike from Lian, akin to the last straw breaking a camel's back, Bellsprout collapsed weakly onto the ground, losing all combat ability.

With the battle concluded, Lian wasted no time and swiftly returned to his territory. Feeling extremely vulnerable, even a Caterpie could defeat him at this moment.

After resting safely in his cave for some hours, Lian regained some strength. Eagerly, he picked two Pecha Berries, sensing that only these would satisfy his ravenous hunger.

As nightfall approached, Lian lay down to rest in his cave. He couldn't help but acknowledge that Bellsprout's strength surpassed his expectations, nearly leading to an unexpected defeat. Thankfully, his quick thinking allowed him to ultimately overcome and defeat the stronger opponent.

Lian silently resolved to carefully choose a weaker target next time; he didn't want another exhausting battle like this one, which felt as if it nearly took half his life.

As night fell, Lian gradually drifted off into a peaceful slumber. Just past midnight, his consciousness suddenly became clear, transporting him once again to that white, ethereal space.

Immediately, Lian checked the data panel before him. As expected, it no longer displayed yesterday's battle statistics but rather today's encounter.

Charmander (Lian)

Gender: ♂

Type: Fire

Level: Lv 5

Ability: Blaze

Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember

Stats: HP 189, Attack 102, Defense 93, Sp. Atk 110, Sp. Def 100, Speed 115

Bellsprout

Gender: ♀

Types: Grass, Poison

Level: Lv 11

Ability: Chlorophyll

Moves: Vine Whip, Growth, Wrap

Stats: HP 330, Attack 215, Defense 127, Sp. Atk 204, Sp. Def 116, Speed 138

Battle Rating: D+

Level Difference Bonus: +6

Racial Difference Penalty: -1

Stat Disparity Reward: 42

Output Disparity Reward: 156

Charmander's Output: 330

Bellsprout's Output: 174

Outcome: Charmander wins

Battle Rewards Settlement: 203 Combat Points

Total Combat Points: 203