To be honest, this was the first time Cain had participated in a battle of this kind since becoming an Elite Four member.
Normally, at the slightest provocation, everyone would head straight onto the field in life-or-death battles; it had been a very long time since he had taken part in a one-on-one match like this.
After experiencing too many battles to the death, sometimes, when watching this kind of fight, he felt as if he were playing house.
But there was no other choice. This was the battle format promoted by the League as it pushed the trainer profession: more popular, easier to accept, capable of avoiding unnecessary bloodshed, and also less mentally taxing.
When a trainer reaches a certain level of strength, they naturally come into contact with far bloodier methods of combat, but that kind of battle does not need to be known by the general public.
If everyone believed that becoming a trainer was filled with mortal danger, how many parents would stop their children from following that path?
In their eyes, if the sky were to fall, there would always be someone tall enough to hold it up.
But if you do not rise, and I do not rise, then where do those "tall ones" come from?
Therefore, it is not that the League does not want, like underground forces such as Team Rocket, to train trainers' real combat capabilities from the very beginning; it is that it cannot and does not want to do so.
Returning to the main topic, under the gaze of everyone present, the battle between Koga and Cain officially began.
The challenger, Koga, was the first to summon his Pokémon.
He threw a Poké Ball, and after a flash of red light, a silver-colored Venomoth appeared on the field. As it beat its wings, white powder drifted off them and, under the sunlight, reflected tiny sparkling glimmers, creating a dreamy and beautiful scene.
Venomoth was not exactly a Pokémon whose appearance fully matched human aesthetics, but when summoned on an occasion like this, it exuded a special charm.
It was often said that a Pokémon's beauty was not measured by human taste, but by its overall appearance, its colors, and its spirit. Those who mastered this best were breeders, and in Cain's eyes, Koga's Venomoth was very well trained.
Pokémon: Venomoth (Dark Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 79
Types: Bug + Poison
Ability: Tinted Lens
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Baton Pass, Agility, Morning Sun, Toxic Spikes
Basic Moves: Gust, Quiver Dance, Bug Buzz, Silver Wind, Tackle, Disable, Foresight, Supersonic, Confusion, Poison Powder, Psybeam, Stun Spore, Signal Beam, Sleep Powder, Leech Life, Poison Fang, Psychic
Learned Moves: Snore, Tailwind, Skill Swap, Giga Drain, Defog, Zen Headbutt
TM Moves: Toxic, Venoshock, Protect, Roost, Double Team, Sludge Bomb, Aerial Ace, Energy Ball, U-turn, Substitute
Cain knew quite a bit about Venomoth. As a main attacker it could be somewhat lacking, but as a support Pokémon it was an excellent option.
In the past, when Cain had encountered Pokémon like Venomoth, he had also considered capturing one as pure support. However, taking into account his team's compatibility and the scarcity of resources at the time, he ultimately abandoned the idea.
If an appropriate opportunity were to present itself now, and a Venomoth—or even a Venonat—whose abilities satisfied him in every aspect appeared before him, Cain would not hesitate for even a second to capture it.
Moreover, for this type of support-focused Pokémon, Cain demanded much more in terms of ability and move pool, while he was not as strict about innate talent.
In his judgment, Koga's Venomoth was already more than sufficient; if it were in his hands, he could undoubtedly make excellent use of it.
Putting himself in the other's position, Cain could also to some extent infer Koga's battle style.
"In that case, you'll take the vanguard," Cain said as he unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt and threw it onto the field.
"BLAAZKK!"
Accompanied by a powerful cry, amid intense flames, a Blaziken appeared, standing tall against the wind.
Blaziken's imposing figure, together with its confident expression and steady gaze, ignited the atmosphere of the stadium in an instant.
Just like the flames surrounding it as it appeared, its presence swayed with the wind and grew ever more blazing.
At that moment, Blaziken's level was also at the Quasi-Champion level; to break through to the Champion level, it needed an appropriate opportunity.
Unlike Tyranitar, whose talent had reached the Light Black color, already entering the Black color quality characteristic of Legendary Pokémon, Blaziken did not have such an easy barrier to overcome. After the stimulus from Moltres, Tyranitar had directly entered the Champion level.
Blaziken's talent, on the other hand, was Dark Purple. Compared to the Light Black quality, although it was only a small step below, that step represented a qualitative difference.
Therefore, for Blaziken, reaching the Champion level was a bit more difficult than for Tyranitar.
Even so, with Dark Purple quality, there was no doubt that breaking through to the Champion level would pose no real problem.
Pokémon: Blaziken (Dark Purple)
Gender: Male
Level: 79
Type: Fire + Fighting
Ability: Speed Boost
Held Item: Blazikenite
Egg Moves: Flame Burst, Agility, Last Resort, Feint
Basic Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Sand Attack, Peck, Double Kick, Flame Charge, Quick Attack, Bulk Up, Blaze Kick, Flare Blitz, Fire Punch, High Jump Kick, Focus Energy, Slash, Brave Bird, Sky Uppercut
Learned Moves: Heat Wave, Low Kick, Laser Focus, Sacred Fire (imperfect version), Thunder Punch, Superpower, Snore, Bounce
TM Moves: Protect, Earthquake, Flamethrower, Aerial Ace, Low Sweep, Stone Edge, Swords Dance, Double Team, Rock Tomb, Will-O-Wisp
These were Blaziken's current data.
"Let the battle begin!" announced the referee, and Cain and Koga gave their orders at the same time.
"Venomoth, Quiver Dance!"
"Blaziken, Swords Dance!"
Both chose stat-boosting moves.
The effect of the move Swords Dance was to greatly increase the Pokémon's Attack, and the first time it was used, its boost was the largest.
The move Quiver Dance, on the other hand, raised Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed by one stage. Although the increase was not as explosive as that of Swords Dance, it covered many more areas.
Although both were "dances," their effects were completely different.
Swords Dance pushed physical attack to the extreme, while Quiver Dance offered a more balanced boost; each had its own advantages.
Venomoth remained suspended in the air, beating its wings gracefully like a true aerial dancer.
But Blaziken's action surprised many. Although it was using the move Swords Dance, it took long strides and charged straight toward Venomoth.
Only through the rhythm of its steps and the changes in frequency of its movement could one perceive that it was executing Swords Dance.
It was the perfect integration of the move Swords Dance with its everyday actions.
(End of chapter)