How could a kingly~ Pokémon like Houndoom allow itself to be suppressed by Typhlosion in terms of momentum!? Without needing any instructions from Tetsuya, it let out a "Howl".
Typhlosion immediately felt the piercing sound assaulting its ears. It was definitely not as simple as a mere Howl. However, the chuunibyou boy had no idea what was happening and simply thought the sound was unpleasant.
The power of Snarl had already been mixed into Houndoom's [Blazing Howl]. Dark-type energy invaded Typhlosion's body through the sound waves, and Typhlosion's Special Attack was lowered as well.
The weather also changed along with the [Blazing Howl]. The sunlight suddenly became intense. The blazing sun scorched the earth, making the ground itself seem burned black.
Since both were Fire-type Pokémon, and both Houndoom and Typhlosion lines possessed the Flash Fire Ability, even Tetsuya did not dare act rashly.
However!
Hmph! A hot-blooded chuunibyou boy did not care about any of that!
"Typhlosion, Eruption!"
The Eruption move was extremely powerful when used in full condition and was one of Typhlosion's signature moves. It was not something ordinary Fire-type Pokémon could learn. Combined with the sunny weather, it could easily knock out an average Pokémon in a single hit.
However, Houndoom stood its ground without moving. It allowed the raging flames to engulf it without the slightest concern. Gradually, the flames began circling around Houndoom's body, forming a fiery barrier.
This was the Flash Fire Ability, converting Fire-type energy into power it could use itself. Such a powerful Eruption had instead become a gift for Houndoom.
"Houndoom, Flamethrower!"
Since you gave me an Eruption, it was only proper to return the favor. A single Flamethrower would be enough to test this Typhlosion's Ability.
Houndoom opened its jaws wide. The power of its flames was even greater than Typhlosion's Eruption just now. Even though Flamethrower's base power was significantly lower than Eruption's, this was the result of the Pokémon's own individual strength.
Sure enough!
No wonder the chuunibyou boy had claimed that his Typhlosion would never lose to a Fire-type Pokémon. It also had the Flash Fire Ability. When used properly, this Ability could greatly enhance a Fire-type Pokémon's power.
Now both Typhlosion and Houndoom were surrounded by flames, like two living volcanoes. Fire-type moves had no effect on either of them. What mattered now were their other moves, in other words, the overall versatility of the Pokémon.
"Typhlosion, Quick Attack!"
The chuunibyou boy gave the command, and Typhlosion kicked off the ground like a bullet.
Tetsuya watched Typhlosion rapidly closing the distance and found himself somewhat impressed… almost. Typhlosion had a sturdy build and could no longer be considered agile, yet it was still capable of achieving such speed.
"Smog."
Purple poisonous gas poured from Houndoom's mouth and quickly blocked Typhlosion's path.
Typhlosion charged headlong into the Smog, but was soon choking from the poisonous gas and struggling to breathe. Left with no choice, it retreated.
"Inferno, burn the field."
Tetsuya only spoke a single sentence, and Houndoom already understood his intentions. The flames of Inferno ignited the field covered in Smog. Fire and poisonous gas mixed together, creating the ideal environment for [Blightfire Assault].
Houndoom had already used Double Team. Ten Houndoom charged into the poisonous flames, and the toxic fire gradually gathered around them.
Moments ago, it had been a mass of purple and red poisonous flames intertwined together. Now the fire had attached itself separately to each of the ten Houndoom as they charged toward Typhlosion.
The chuunibyou boy gritted his teeth and shouted, "Typhlosioooon, Double-Edge!"
At this point, Typhlosion could only make a desperate stand. The first strike of [Blightfire Assault] carried the greatest power. Even with Typhlosion using all of its might, it was still sent flying by the collision. However, it did not end there. The other nine clones immediately followed up.
After nine consecutive hits, Typhlosion was knocked around through the air like a ball!
When [Blightfire Assault] ended, Houndoom stood proudly in place, watching as Typhlosion crashed to the ground.
It had defeated another opponent!
The chuunibyou boy recalled Typhlosion. He had lost all three battles so quickly that he had barely caused Tetsuya any trouble at all. With the Johto League about to begin, how could he achieve a good result in such a state…?
"I lost today, but next time… I. Will. Definitely. Defeat. You! I'm leaving now. I need to work even harder…"
'…'
After saying that, the chuunibyou boy disappeared from Tetsuya's sight. Perhaps this was how a hot-blooded young boy should be… no matter what happened, he could never be kept down. Wherever he fell, he would climb back up again.
Koffing, Beedrill, and Houndoom had all thoroughly enjoyed the battles, and their performances had been excellent. Mamoswine and Golurk, which had been watching the entire time, naturally felt somewhat disappointed because Tetsuya had not allowed them to battle.
The main reason was that Mamoswine and Golurk were simply too strong. If either of them had entered the battle, the chuunibyou boy would have lost even faster, and the battle would have lost its value as exp training.
Tetsuya knew very well what these Pokémon were thinking.
"Mamoswine, Golurk, if I had sent either of you out just now, it would have been too unfair to the kid. The next time we meet a stronger opponent, I'll definitely let you battle! For now, the two of you can spar with each other."
Unexpectedly, these two Pokémon had really been holding themselves back. The moment Tetsuya suggested a sparring match, they immediately started fighting.
"…?"
Just moments ago, the sun had been shining brightly. Mamoswine shook its body, and instantly snow and hail filled the space. The blizzard swept through the area, making it impossible to keep one's eyes open. Despite Mamoswine's enormous size, once its Snow Cloak Ability activated, its whereabouts could no longer be seen.
However, none of this posed any difficulty for Golurk. Golurk also disappeared, vanishing into a dimension where neither the snowstorm nor the hail had any effect on it.
Golurk attempted several attacks from within the dimension, but they knew each other too well. Mamoswine's sense of smell was exceptionally sharp, and the two Pokémon were extremely familiar with one another. For a time, neither could gain the upper hand.
---◓---
Mamoswine and Golurk fought for an entire morning without determining a winner. However, judging from their overall power, Mamoswine was still stronger. Whenever Mamoswine used that Blizzard, Golurk only dared to retreat into the dimension to avoid it.
This time, just as Mamoswine was preparing to use Blizzard, Golurk once again began entering the dimension. However, this was precisely the moment Mamoswine had been waiting for!
Mamoswine's control over Ice-type energy had already reached the pinnacle of mastery. The Blizzard did not stop. Instead, it followed Golurk into the dimension.
The Blizzard then formed a massive vortex that engulfed Golurk. Mamoswine controlled the Blizzard and forcibly dragged Golurk back out of the dimension.
Once trapped within Mamoswine's [Blizzard Vortex], it was practically a death sentence. Although Golurk could break free using its flight capacities, Mamoswine had already prepared Icicle Crash. The moment Golurk flew out of the [Blizzard Vortex], it was smashed back into it by the falling icicles.
In the end, Mamoswine was slightly superior. The gap between these two and the rest of Tetsuya's Pokémon had grown wider and wider. Even Houndoom and Beedrill could only watch from afar.
This made the Gengar within Tetsuya's shadow eager to come out and challenge them. However, it was inconvenient for Gengar to reveal itself right now.
Tetsuya also understood Gengar's might very clearly. Although it had formed a [Shadow Contract] with him, it was constantly training its psychic powers. At the very least, its strength was no weaker than Golurk's.
The stronger Gengar's psychic power became, the stronger Tetsuya's psychic abilities became as well. At the same time, as Tetsuya trained his psychic powers, Gengar's psychic power also grew stronger. It truly was a case of killing two Pidgey with one Rock Throw. They had become completely symbiotic.