Pokémon: Trainer Paul

"Apologies for that—I instinctively tried to boost my Pokémon's stats, thinking I could win once its strength was high enough." Lucas said sheepishly as he recalled his Cranidos back into its Poké Ball.

Throughout his journey, Lucas had noticed that most trainers didn't bother teaching their Pokémon status-altering or stat-boosting moves. That's why he kept focusing on strengthening during the battle.

Unfortunately, if Ursaring hadn't used Bulk Up, Cranidos might've had a chance to win by dodging while building up its stats.

"Learning too many stat-boosting moves is pointless." Paul commented tersely.

In high-level battles, it's rare to see Pokémon constantly boosting stats because such moves take time—too much time. Using them sparingly might work, but over-relying on them leaves an opening for the opponent to strike and chain attacks.

"Hmm... That's true." Lucas nodded thoughtfully.

The more stat-boosting moves a Pokémon knows, the more time it takes to train for quick execution. If the Pokémon isn't trained well enough, a faster opponent could easily seize the opportunity to attack.

"Alright, enough talking. Send out your next Pokémon!" Barry interjected impatiently.

Both Paul and Lucas retrieved Poké Balls simultaneously and threw them.

"Gible, get ready to battle!"

"Clefairy, it's your turn!"

"Giib~"

"Clefairy~"

Gible stared at the pink doll-like Clefairy with its wide eyes. The two Pokémon locked gazes, sizing each other up.

Seeing Clefairy appear, Barry was stunned, and even Paul was surprised.

After all, which serious trainer aiming for strength would catch a Pokémon that only young girls seemed to like?

Lucas, however, didn't mind. He had caught Clefairy for a reason—after careful consideration.

"Clefairy, they're underestimating you. Use Metronome!"

"Clefairy~"

Clefairy smiled innocently at Gible, raising its tiny fingers and waving them rhythmically. A mysterious energy began to gather, preparing to unleash a random move.

Metronome was an extremely unique move, capable of using any move from the entire move pool at random, making it nearly impossible to predict.

"Fire Fang!" Paul commanded.

The unknown can inspire fear, but Gible showed no hesitation. With its mouth ablaze, it charged straight at Clefairy.

"Clefairy~"

At that moment, Clefairy's Metronome activated, releasing a beam of psychic energy—Psybeam!

However, Gible sidestepped with a swift jump, easily dodging the attack, and closed in on Clefairy to bite down with flaming fangs.

Clefairy, however, didn't panic. Instead, it smirked slightly as if it had a trick up its sleeve.

"Use Sweet Kiss!"

Clefairy blew a heart-shaped kiss, which fluttered toward the approaching Gible. The moment it made contact, Gible's eyes became unfocused, and it wobbled unsteadily. Although its strong will allowed it to continue its attack, Clefairy had already shrunk itself with Minimize, effortlessly dodging the Fire Fang.

"Use Dig!" Paul commanded.

A confused Gible couldn't pose much of a threat to Clefairy. Digging underground would buy time to recover from its confusion.

Gible's eyes briefly cleared as it burrowed into the ground.

"Now, use Disarming Voice into the hole, and don't stop!"

Clefairy's eyes lit up. It opened its mouth and unleashed a melodic cry into the tunnel. The sound echoed through the burrow, dealing significant damage to the already confused Gible.

It's super effective!

"Sand Tomb!" Paul called out.

Despite the torment, Gible regained clarity for a moment and turned the battlefield beneath Clefairy into a vortex of sand.

Caught off guard, Clefairy was dragged into the swirling pit.

"Fire Fang!"

On Paul's command, Gible leaped out from the sand pit, jaws ablaze, ready to strike Clefairy.

"Jump with Splash!" Lucas countered.

In a surprising display of power, Clefairy launched itself into the air, narrowly avoiding Gible's attack and escaping the Sand Tomb's range.

"Disarming Voice!"

The soothing yet powerful cry resonated again, knocking Gible out cold in the sand.

With Gible defeated, the Sand Tomb dissipated, leaving the unconscious Pokémon on the ground.

"Gible is unable to battle. Clefairy wins! The score is now tied at 1-1." Barry announced.

After declaring the result, Barry couldn't help but grumble. Was this the kind of battle he wanted to see? Why did it feel so strange?

"Can you two have a normal battle for once?"

"What's wrong with this strategy? I've thought it through carefully, and it seems effective." Lucas replied as he recalled Clefairy.

Clefairy's seemingly harmless appearance and versatile move pool made it a formidable opponent against many Pokémon of similar levels. That was why Lucas had chosen it.

Even against Paul, Lucas was confident Clefairy could win a few more matches. With moves like Sweet Kiss, Sing, Attract, and Disarming Voice, how could Gible stand a chance?

Paul, meanwhile, realized he needed to train his Pokémon to better handle status conditions, though there was no rush. Such training could wait until his team had mastered the basics. For now, his focus remained on strengthening their raw power.

"Final round—choose your Pokémon!" Barry reminded them weakly. As usual, his impatience as a referee showed he wasn't cut out for the role.

This time, Paul and Lucas exchanged glances before simultaneously tossing out their next Poké Balls.

"Go, Chimchar!"

"Elekid, ready for battle!"

"Chim-char!"

The energetic Chimchar jumped out of its ball, brimming with fighting spirit. But upon seeing its opponent, its movements stilled, and its expression turned serious.

"Bzzt~"

Elekid leaned lazily to one side, arms crossed, exuding a confident and almost dismissive demeanor. When it recognized Chimchar, it smirked disdainfully.

Chimchar's eyes flared with anger at the provocation.

"Chimchar, use Flamethrower!" Lucas commanded.

Fuming with rage, Chimchar unleashed a concentrated jet of flames that seemed to melt the very air.

Elekid, despite its arrogance, remained vigilant. Beneath its casual exterior, it had already been preparing its next move.

"Thunder!" Paul ordered.

In an instant, a golden bolt of lightning pierced through the Flamethrower, neutralizing the attack.

"Flame Wheel!"

Chimchar twisted its nimble body, igniting itself into a rolling wheel of fire as it charged forward.

"Thunder Punch!"

Elekid met the attack head-on with an electrified punch.

Boom!

The two collided, appearing evenly matched, but Elekid's smirk suggested it had more strength to spare.

"Thunder!" Paul commanded again.

Electricity surged from Elekid's body, coursing through its arm and overpowering Chimchar's Flame Wheel.

"Ah!"

The flames were extinguished, and Chimchar was left paralyzed, unable to move.

Elekid seized the opportunity to strike with a decisive Thunder Punch, sending Chimchar flying.

"Finish it with Quick Attack!"

In a flash, Elekid delivered a final blow, slamming into Chimchar and leaving it sprawled on the ground.

"Chimchar!" Lucas shouted in alarm.

"Chimchar is unable to battle…" Barry began, only to notice Chimchar stirring, struggling to rise.

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