Chapter 108: Contemplation

The blessing energy formed from Wish gradually descended onto Audino's pink body, continuously healing the burn injuries caused by the Fire Spin.

Despite still being within the whirlpool, its previous wounds were almost completely healed.

Misty Terrain negated status-inducing moves, limiting Tanner to offensive strategies with Charmeleon. However, Light Screen weakened any special attacks, making it challenging to swiftly defeat Audino.

Kalia observed Charmeleon, which was now intensely heated, particularly its blazing tail, burning more fiercely than usual. Despite severe injuries, it appeared remarkably formidable.

The current situation seemed favorable as Audino wasn't primarily an offensive Pokémon but rather focused on support roles, giving Charmeleon a significant opportunity.

"Charmeleon, use Flamethrower!"

Offense is often the best defense; once Audino is defeated, Tanner would only have one severely weakened Zangoose left.

As the Smokescreen dissipated, Audino could be seen trapped inside the Fire Spin. The flames swirled relentlessly, emitting intense heat.

Lian felt the surge of fiery power within him. Despite being weakened by the Light Screen, his Flamethrower in Blaze Mode still commanded immense potency.

"Audino, use Disarming Voice," Tanner commanded promptly.

Oh no!

Alarm struck Lian as he realized it was Disarming Voice, Audino's signature move. Although not particularly strong, for his current state, it could be the final straw that breaks the camel's back.

There was no turning back now; he had to unleash Flamethrower first.

Opening his mouth wide, a torrent of scorching flames burst forth, heading straight towards Audino hidden behind the Light Screen.

At that moment, Kalia warned, "Charmeleon, cover your ears!"

Against sound-based moves, covering one's ears may not entirely prevent damage unless the Pokemon has the Soundproof Ability, but it significantly reduces their effectiveness.

Heeding Kalia's advice, Lian swiftly covered the ear holes on both sides of his eyes, pressing firmly. With his current Stamina level, any harm from Disarming Voice would instantly render him unable to continue battling.

Audino began releasing its Disarming Voice, emitting enchanting sounds that were melodious but comprehensible only between Pokemon. Humans could perceive it as pleasing to the ear without experiencing any harm.

As Audino continuously produced captivating noises, Lian faintly heard bits of them, and even those snippets caused him excruciating headaches.

Disarming Voice directly affected the mind through sound, causing mental damage. Although not particularly powerful, at this moment, it posed a fatal threat to Lian.

I can't fall!

Struggling to endure, he was nearing his limit—this was the first time he had pushed himself so close to exhaustion. Based on his Stamina level, he likely had just one point left.

It felt like an eternity yet also seemed instantaneous. Lian sensed the sound fading away, but his fighting ability was nearly depleted. If not for Blaze Mode sustaining him, he wouldn't have the strength to stand.

"Charmeleon, return!"

Kalia's face lit up with surprise, noticing Charmeleon still showing signs of consciousness. She had already prepared to send out Grovyle next.

However, if Charmeleon fell, relying solely on Grovyle to defeat both Audino and Zangoose would be immensely challenging.

It was crucial to let Charmeleon rest now; otherwise, if it were defeated, there would be no chance for recovery. At this point, Audino had likely sustained damage from Flamethrower, giving Grovyle an opportunity.

Lian was reaching his absolute limit and could only kneel on one knee. He knew that enduring another Disarming Voice would surely result in defeat, but thankfully, he could soon return Charmeleon to its Poké Ball.

Grovyle had also been frequently battling lately, although not leveling up as rapidly as Lian's Pokémon. Nonetheless, it had reached level 23, significantly enhancing its strength.

"Still conscious?" Tanner expressed surprise that Charmeleon hadn't succumbed to the Disarming Voice despite being hit.

Covering its ears proved to be quite effective—a weakness of Disarming Voice and similar sound-based moves.

As soon as Lian returned Charmeleon to its Poké Ball, they began resting immediately. However, without treating the injuries, full recovery was limited, making even minor subsequent damage enough to lose combat capability.

"What a pity! I wonder if Grovyle can defeat Audino. It seems challenging, and I might have to step in myself." Lian felt his own power was still insufficient, with Light Screen being particularly troublesome. Without it, he would have undoubtedly defeated Audino instantly.

Lian's offensive output was impressive, but his current biggest weakness lay in sustaining damage.

This battle made it clear to Lian that durability is crucial for sustained offense. Despite Zangoose's high damage potential, Comeuppance nearly depleted his health bar, and Disarming Voice almost defeated him. If not for Kalia's timely warning, he would have been incapacitated, ruining his combat rating for the day.

With sufficient Stamina, Lian wouldn't need to worry about Audino's attacks and could maintain control over the entire battle. Moreover, if he could force Audino to continuously use Wish for recovery, he might even farm Combat Points.

While extreme offensive power is formidable, the system restricts Lian from solely relying on this approach, as the required Combat Points increase significantly in later stages.

Conversely, enhancing other ability values consumes far fewer Combat Points. The cost of improving Special Attack by one point can potentially boost other abilities by ten or even twenty points.

"Is the system trying to steer me towards becoming a well-rounded pokemon?"

This wasn't the first time Lian had pushed himself to the limit during a battle, but it was the first time he truly recognized his shortcomings.

Even though his Special Attack and Speed far exceeded those of his peers, with the system's capabilities, if his other abilities didn't significantly surpass their levels as well, what would be the point?

High-output attacks require precise execution, but if Lian encounters skilled Trainers and powerful Pokemon with much higher levels, his advantage in output could easily be negated.

What would he have left then?

After this system update, Lian must carefully consider how to enhance his abilities moving forward. He should not solely focus on increasing his Special Attack; given that other attributes consume fewer Combat Points, it is prudent to allocate some improvement there as well.

With his Special Attack attribute already exceptionally high, the remaining abilities now serve as significant weaknesses—four shortcomings, excluding Speed.

Meanwhile, Grovyle had engaged Audino in battle.

"Audino, use Wish!" Seeing Kalia switch to Grovyle, Tanner instructed Audino to cast the Wish move, as the Fire Spin was about to dissipate.

Audino closed its eyes and began praying, invoking a mysterious force.

"Grovyle, use Giga Drain!"

After deploying Grovyle, Kalia swiftly ordered it to unleash its strongest move. Knowing Charmeleon's fate, she realized that although the Fire Spin persisted, it wouldn't last much longer.

At this moment, Audino continued praying while Grovyle stood firm, spreading its arms wide to release Giga Drain.

A burst of Grass-type energy created a powerful attraction force, penetrating the Light Screen and heading straight for Audino. In the next instant, the energy nutrients from Audino began being continuously drawn towards Grovyle.

Since Grovyle had minimal injuries, these energy nutrients couldn't significantly heal it and mostly dissipated without effect.

Just then, the Fire Spin gradually dispersed due to insufficient energy supply, unable to maintain its rotation any longer.

"Audino, return!" Tanner seized the opportunity promptly, opening a Poké Ball as he spoke.

"Oh no!" Kalia's expression changed as the healing energy from Wish had not yet manifested. Once Zangoose enters the field, it would be perfectly healed.

"Grovyle, use Pursuit!" At this critical moment, Kalia couldn't prevent Audino from returning, but Grovyle had the Pursuit move, capable of instantly chasing down a Pokémon about to enter its Poké Ball. This was their only option now.

Grovyle swiftly charged forward, utilizing the unique effect of Pursuit that grants immediate pursuit power.

Just as Audino was about to be recalled into the Poké Ball, at the last instant, Grovyle made its move and struck Audino.

Although Grovyle's attack stats were relatively low, Audino had already endured Flamethrower, Giga Drain, and now Pursuit, resulting in significant damage.

"Go, Zangoose!"