Pokémon: Sandstorm Sovereign

Chapter 89: Surprise

A flash of insight struck Bronzor. It understood.

After devouring the mysterious metal Basalt had given it, not only had its physical wounds healed, but its defense also felt significantly stronger. What it hadn't expected was that the metal also granted it a resistance to heat.

As a Pokémon that consumed metal, Bronzor knew just how rare heat-resistant metals were. Even in its homeland, a place rich with ore veins, only the clan elders had access to such a luxury.

This Basalt... he's too good to me!

( T ▽ T )

Tears welled up in Bronzor's "eyes" once again. It was deeply moved by Basalt's "sincerity." Basalt is truly a wonderful person!

Whoosh!

As Bronzor was lost in its emotional turmoil, it suddenly heard the sound of rushing wind.

"Bronz..."

For safety, it quickly floated higher, above the reach of the smog. But just then, a fiery hound burst from the smoke behind it, leaping high into the air and charging towards it with lightning speed.

"It's Houndour's Flame Charge!"

"How?! Is Finch's Houndour's body already strong enough to handle two stat boosts?" someone in the crowd yelled.

Stat-boosting moves were game-changers in Pokémon battles, but they were difficult to master. Furthermore, a Pokémon's body had to be strong enough to withstand the strain of multiple boosts. The power didn't come from nowhere; it was drawn from the Pokémon's own physical or mental reserves. Forcing a boost on a body that wasn't ready could lead to a dangerous backlash.

In the real world, you wouldn't see a low-level Rattata use Swords Dance three times and then take down a professional-level Blastoise. First, a low-level Rattata couldn't learn Swords Dance. Second, its body couldn't handle the strain of three uses.

But no one had expected that after boosting its attack with Howl, this Houndour could still use Flame Charge to boost its speed. Finch and his Houndour were much stronger than Basalt had anticipated.

"Double Team!" Basalt commanded, countering on the fly.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

In an instant, Bronzor split into three identical copies, making it impossible to tell which was real.

"A cheap trick like that won't fool my Houndour!" Finch smirked. As a canine Pokémon, Houndour's sense of smell was incredibly sharp. It had already locked onto Bronzor's scent.

BAM!

Houndour's Flame Charge hit its mark. Bronzor was knocked back several meters, faint black scorch marks visible on its body.

"Flame Charge landed! Bronzor is hit!"

"A Fire-type move is super-effective against a Steel-type like Bronzor. That must have hurt."

"Definitely. Bronzor's defense is high, but Finch's Houndour's attack is nothing to sneeze at, especially after a Howl."

"Bronzor's in trouble. One more hit like that, and it's over."

Seeing Bronzor take a direct hit from the flames, the crowd sighed. Almost no one thought it could win. After all, it was Basalt's second Pokémon, trained for a much shorter time than his starter. Losing was to be expected.

But surprisingly, Bronzor didn't show any signs of pain. In fact, it looked a little... puzzled.

"Bronz..." (`_´?) A powered-up Flame Charge... and that's it? It's not that impressive.

Basalt, however, didn't know what Bronzor was thinking. His face was etched with worry. "Bronzor, are you okay?" Even with its high defense, a boosted, super-effective Fire-type move had to be painful.

"Bronzz..." Bronzor replied. I'm fine! I'm great! No problem at all!

Unfortunately, Basalt couldn't understand a word.

Across the field, Finch saw the slow-moving Bronzor and a cold glint appeared in his eyes. "Houndour, finish it with Incinerate!" He was ready to end the battle.

BOOM!

A massive pillar of fire erupted from Houndour's mouth and shot towards Bronzor. The intense heat washed over the crowd, making their faces flush.

"Bronz!" (▼ヘ▼#)

Hearing the command, Bronzor was enraged. Finish me? Such arrogant words!

But seeing the pillar of fire rushing towards it, Bronzor wasn't scared. It was delighted. The smog had been preventing it from locating Houndour. But now, all it had to do was follow the pillar of fire back to its source.

It's time... for revenge!

Whirrr!

Bronzor's body began to spin, transforming into a cutting blade that charged straight into the flames.

"What the—what's going on?"

"Guys, are my eyes playing tricks on me? Is that Bronzor charging through the fire?"

"I think... it is!"

"How is that possible? As a Steel-type, Bronzor should be incredibly vulnerable to high temperatures."

"You're asking me? How should I know?"

"Damn! This is like watching the Drilbur and Totodile fight all over again."

"This is insane! None of this makes sense!"

The crowd stared, their eyes wide with disbelief. The spinning Bronzor, like a living buzzsaw, sliced the pillar of fire in two and plunged straight into the smog, disappearing from view.

SLICE!

The sound of a blade cutting through flesh echoed through the air, sending a shiver down the spines of the spectators. A pained cry from Houndour came from within the smog. A moment later, there was another "slice," and then silence.

"This..." A cold bead of sweat dripped down Finch's temple. His mouth was dry.

A short while later, the smog dissipated, revealing the fainted Houndour on the ground and Bronzor floating calmly in the air. Houndour's eyes were swirling. On its body were two deep, red gashes, still bleeding slightly.

"Houndour is unable to battle! The winner is... Basalt!" the referee announced, bringing the battle to a close.

"Wha... what just happened?"

Even though he had won, Basalt was probably the most confused person in the entire arena. I... don't feel like I really earned that win.

☆☆☆

-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE

-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER

☆☆☆

-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!

-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper

(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)

If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you