"Damn it! You rude guy, you actually dared to throw me down? I'll make you pay for this!" Yancheng gritted his teeth in pain as he stood up, glaring at Robert with a vicious look.
"You've said that so many times already. If you're done, I'll be taking my leave," Robert replied indifferently. "But if you're still itching for a real fight, I'm always here."
"You...!"
"You what?"
"I..."
"What do you mean by 'I'? If you have something to say, say it already. I don't have time to waste with a brat like you. I still have a journey to continue."
"Damn it! Can't you wait for me to finish speaking?" Yancheng snapped. "You're so rude! If you have the guts, let's have a Pokémon battle! And whoever loses has to hand over one of their Pokémon. Do you dare?"
"Oh? A battle?" Robert smirked. "Are you sure about that? It's not that I look down on you, but in your current condition, I could defeat you without even commanding my Pokémon."
"Damn it! I'm one of the strongest students in the senior year of the Pokémon Research Academy, and you dare look down on me?" Yancheng fumed.
"In that case, let's fight." He pointed a finger at Robert's shoulder. "Your Pichu will be the bet."
Robert's gaze turned sharp.
"If I lose, I'll give you one of my Pokémon as well," Yancheng continued, pulling a Poké Ball from his pocket.
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it into the air. A flash of red light burst from the Poké Ball, revealing a small turtle-like Pokémon with large purple eyes, a wavy tail, and a hard brown shell covering its light blue body.
Squirtle
Category: Tiny Turtle Pokémon
Type: Water
Height: 0.50m
Weight: 9.00kg
Gender: Male
Ability: Torrent (Boosts Water-type moves when HP is low)
Hidden Ability: Rain Dish (Restores HP in rain)
Stats: HP (28), Attack (31), Special Attack (31), Defense (31), Special Defense (28), Speed (27)
Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Bubble, Water Gun, Withdraw
Strength: Normal Peak
Robert glanced at the panel appearing before him, his expression unreadable. But deep down, he was slightly surprised.
"Interesting. You're from a noble family, huh? A 3V-level Squirtle… That's rare. I don't have a suitable Water-type Pokémon yet. If you're so eager to give me yours, I see no reason to refuse."
"What's the matter? Are you scared?" Yancheng mocked, mistaking Robert's silence for hesitation. "If you're afraid, just leave your Pichu behind and go."
"Scared? No, no." Robert chuckled. "I'm just afraid you'll start crying when you lose and refuse to keep your word."
"Lose? Impossible!" Yancheng shouted. "As one of the top students in the Pokémon Research Academy, I've never lost a battle! Besides, I have no reason to cheat against someone like you."
"Good to hear. In that case, I accept your challenge." Robert smirked. "I hope you still have that confidence later."
"Hmph, you'd better worry about yourself," Yancheng sneered. In his eyes, Robert was nothing more than a poor traveling trainer. As the heir of a prestigious family, he had no respect for people like him.
"Shirono, you'll be the referee for this match," Yancheng ordered.
"Understood!" The student named Shirono quickly stepped between the two of them, preparing to officiate the match.
"Are you both ready? If so, please send out your Pokémon."
"I'm always ready. But first, how many Pokémon are we using?" Robert asked, folding his arms.
"Since this is a serious battle, let's make it a 3v3," Yancheng declared. "I hope you don't lose too badly. That Pichu of yours is as good as mine."
"Three Pokémon each? Sounds like a good warm-up before lunch."
"It seems both sides are ready. Please send out your first Pokémon!" Shirono announced.
"As the host of the Pokémon Research Academy, I'll send out mine first." Yancheng pointed forward. "Squirtle, you're up!"
"Jenny!"
Squirtle nodded and confidently stepped onto the battlefield, its gaze locked onto Robert. Though it didn't fully understand the situation, as Yancheng's Pokémon, it would fight with all its strength.
"So, Squirtle is your first pick?" Robert smirked and reached for his Poké Ball. "In that case, I choose..."
With a flick of his wrist, he threw the ball forward. A burst of red light emerged, forming into a powerful Charmeleon standing slightly smaller than a normal-sized Charizard.
"Raaah!"
The Fire-type Pokémon stretched its claws and let out a sharp cry, spitting flames toward the sky before turning to face Robert. It gave him a determined look, signaling that it was ready to battle.
Yancheng sneered. "Sending a Fire-type against my Squirtle? Are you underestimating me?"
"We'll see about that," Robert said confidently.
Shirono raised his hand. "Let the battle begin!"
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!" Yancheng commanded.
"Charmeleon, dodge and counter with Dragon Breath!" Robert ordered.
Squirtle fired a stream of water, but Charmeleon swiftly sidestepped, avoiding the attack. In response, Charmeleon unleashed a powerful wave of blue energy from its mouth. The Dragon Breath attack shot forward, engulfing Squirtle.
Squirtle staggered backward, smoke rising from its body as it coughed.
"Damn it! Squirtle, shake it off!" Yancheng gritted his teeth. "Use Withdraw to raise your defense!"
Squirtle quickly pulled its limbs into its shell, increasing its durability.
"Charmeleon, use Flamethrower!"
Flames erupted from Charmeleon's mouth, covering Squirtle's shell. Though the heat was intense, the shell managed to absorb most of the damage.
"Now, counter with Bubble Beam!"
Squirtle popped out of its shell and released a barrage of water bubbles toward Charmeleon. The attack struck, forcing Charmeleon to step back.
Robert narrowed his eyes. "Not bad. But you'll need more than that to win."
"Squirtle, use Tackle!"
"Intercept it with Slash!"
Squirtle dashed forward, aiming to ram into Charmeleon, but Charmeleon was faster. It swung its sharp claws, landing a clean hit on Squirtle's side. The Tiny Turtle Pokémon was sent flying backward, skidding across the battlefield.
"Squirtle, get up!" Yancheng shouted.
Squirtle groaned but slowly rose to its feet.
"Charmeleon, let's finish this. Use Fire Fang!"
Charmeleon's fangs ignited in flames as it charged forward.
"Squirtle, use Water Gun one more time!"
The stream of water met Charmeleon's fiery bite head-on, creating a burst of steam as the two attacks clashed. But Charmeleon's strength overpowered Squirtle, its fangs sinking into the Water-type's body.
Squirtle cried out in pain before collapsing onto the ground, unconscious.
Shirono raised his hand. "Squirtle is unable to battle! The first round goes to Robert!"
Robert smirked, crossing his arms. "One down. Two to go."
Yancheng clenched his fists, his pride taking a serious hit. "Tch! Don't get cocky! I still have two more Pokémon!"
"Then send out your next one," Robert said, his confidence unwavering.
The battle was far from over.
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