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Eelektross was still in pain from being hit by the barrage of rocks. Since completing its specialized training and emerging stronger than ever, it had never encountered an opponent like this.
A punch landed... no reaction.
Another move connected... still no reaction.
The opponent could even hop around energetically while intimidating it.
Dakota had never seen anything like it either.
He had faced Trainers who focused on defensive abilities before. He and Eelektross had faced plenty of them before, and the results were usually excellent.
Even when Eelektross lost a battle, it always inflicted visible and substantial damage on the opponent, often leaving them unable to continue fighting.
Only Chansey could casually take attacks head-on, refuse to dodge, and remain so arrogant.
"How did you train it?"
As Dakota asked the question, the tense battle momentarily came to a halt.
He was genuinely curious.
"As a punching bag. By getting beaten up."
Luther's answer was simple.
That was exactly how Chansey trained.
Ever since he joined the team, he had always been the designated punching bag whenever training sessions began. Every day, it was bombarded with all kinds of moves. There wasn't a move it hadn't taken head-on.
Chansey grew stronger differently from the rest of the team.
The others became stronger through active training.
Chansey, however, became stronger passively.
As the other Pokémon improved and their training became more intense, the damage that Chansey endured also increased. In order to withstand that damage, it had no choice but to grow stronger too.
As its teammates grew stronger, they also gave Chansey the strength to become stronger.
Meanwhile, Eelektross was facing the ultimate tank, forged through the combined efforts of all of Luther's Pokémon.
"After the match, let's have a proper chat."
"Sure, I'd like to know how you specialised your Eelektross too."
Luther and Dakota exchanged smiles before shouting commands in unison.
"Don't give it a chance to throw Egg Bombs! Charge in with Thunder Punch!"
"Lay an egg and recover your stamina!"
Eelektross had already used two moves against Chansey. Meanwhile, Luther still had Darkrai and another Pokémon that had yet to appear.
Dakota no longer wanted to waste any more move slots unless absolutely necessary.
Luther, on the other hand, judged Chansey's condition by the rhythm of its tail movements once again and decided that recovering stamina was the best option.
The Nutrient Egg held before Chansey's chest dissolved into countless particles of light, nourishing its body.
The next moment, Thunder Punch struck.
Eelektross launched Chansey forcefully through the air.
Just as before, Chansey quickly rolled over and climbed back to its feet.
However, its breathing had become somewhat uneven.
Drawing on his vast battle experience, Dakota estimated Chansey's damage threshold based on its use of Soft-Boiled, concluding that the recovery had not restored it to full condition.
Not wanting to give Darkrai any chance to recover, he decided to put his theory to the test.
"Brute Force!"
This move would lower the user's Attack and Defense afterwards, but this drawback meant almost nothing to Eelektross.
Its Defense was already flimsy, while its Attack was absurdly high. A reduction hardly mattered.
The idea was simple.
A high-speed Eelektross charging straight at Chansey would be hard to predict, forcing Chansey into a defensive position.
Chansey had already revealed three moves:
Defence Curl, Soft-Boiled, and Egg Bomb.
Of these, both Soft-Boiled and Egg Bomb required the creation of Nutrient Eggs, which consumed a significant amount of stamina.
Dakota was pressuring Luther into using stamina-intensive defensive moves in the hope of forcing Chansey to run out of eggs and be left with only one offensive move.
The combination of Counter and Eelektross's ferocious momentum should have made the choice obvious.
Yet Luther did not hesitate.
"Egg Bomb!"
Eelektross was already almost upon Chansey before she began producing a Nutrient Egg.
Seeing this, Dakota sensed an opportunity to eliminate the infuriating Chansey in one fell swoop.
Eelektross's arms were already moving in a pushing motion when he suddenly realized something.
Chansey was hugging the Nutrient Egg tightly against her chest.
She had no intention of throwing it.
"Aftermath."
The instant Brute Force struck Chansey, the Egg Bomb exploded in her arms.
The tremendous blast wave sent Eelektross flying.
It also blasted Chansey away.
Sand and rocks flew everywhere.
Meanwhile, Mismagius floated up to shield Luther's face, and Dakota had Darkrai emerge from the shadows to protect him.
Only the bewildered referee ended up with a face full of sand.
Dakota was willing to gamble on instantly killing Chansey.
Likewise, Luther wanted to see if Egg Bomb would send Eelektross straight to the heavens.
Despite Chansey's low offensive power, Luther refused to believe that Eelektross could withstand an explosion at such close range.
After being caught in Chansey's self-destruct-style ambush, Eelektross was unable to battle any more due to the dust and gravel that had settled on it.
Chansey had not escaped unharmed either.
The combined damage from Brute Force and Egg Bomb, along with the strain of repeatedly producing Nutrient Eggs, left her exhausted.
The clash between spear and shield ended in a narrow victory for the shield.
Dakota closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, his gaze was razor-sharp.
Froslass returned to the battlefield.
Although she was still affected by Stun Spore and Poison Powder, her battle with Jumpluff had depleted her stamina rather than causing any lasting injuries. The rest period had allowed her to recover somewhat.
"Ice Fang!"
Luther immediately raised his Poké Ball and attempted to recall Chansey, thereby denying Froslass the opportunity to attack.
However, Chansey had just crossed halfway across the battlefield to attack Eelektross and was still far from Luther.
Froslass reached her first and bit down on Chansey.
Froslass was still not fully calm.
Filled with resentment, she put all her strength into the Ice Fang attack.
A frigid surge of cold instantly engulfed Chansey, freezing her solid.
Luther recalled the barely standing Chansey, now trapped in ice, and gritted his teeth.
His original plan had been for Darkrai to defeat Froslass and then for Chansey to wear down Vigoroth.
That plan was now impossible.
Being frozen effectively declared that Chansey had lost her ability to battle.
Unless she could somehow free herself from the ice, that is.
But after expending so much stamina, accomplishing that was far too difficult.
This was all foreshadowing Eelektross's elimination.
Luther could only accept the outcome.
Darkrai entered the field.
This time, his opponent was Froslass.
As Dakota's final Pokémon was Vigoroth, whose Vital Spirit Ability granted immunity to sleep, Luther could not select Darkrai's final move as Dark Void.
Nasty Plot.
Shadow Claw.
Brick Break.
For the final move, Luther chose Dark Pulse.
Provoking Froslass and destabilizing her emotions seemed to have produced an unexpected effect.
While Froslass's anger made it more difficult for Dakota to control the battle, an enraged Pokémon's attacks could become terrifyingly powerful.
Her furious roar echoed within the howling blizzard.
The Dark Pulse released by Darkrai was actually unable to advance through the storm.
The raging snowflakes blocked it in midair.
"Dodge."
Darkrai relied on his speed to evade, but his right arm was still struck by the Blizzard and immediately became coated in shattered ice.
The range of this Blizzard exceeded not only Luther's expectations, but Dakota's as well.
Wherever the Blizzard reached, everything was frozen.
Almost the entire battlefield transformed into a world of ice and snow.
(End of Chapter)