Chapter 114: Training Focus

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Lian found Kalia's suggestion of combining Smokescreen with Will-O-Wisp, without needing explicit commands, to be an effective strategy. This would enhance the accuracy of Will-O-Wisp by concealing it within the smoke.

However, this tactic is primarily used against Pokemon with strong attacking capabilities. Against weaker opponents, a single Flamethrower could quickly end the battle.

The afternoon training focused on coordinating Flamethrower with other moves, aiming to defeat opponents swiftly using the most potent combinations in the shortest time possible.

Kalia instructed Lian to rapidly follow up Flamethrower with Dragon Rage, without any additional commands between the two moves. The moment he deemed it appropriate to use Flamethrower, he should immediately transition to Dragon Rage. Even if the opponent doesn't lose combat capability, they would undoubtedly sustain severe damage.

Previously, Lian had been repeatedly using individual moves, but there was always a gap between successive uses due to the need for recovery time, which wasted valuable moments.

By mastering the quick succession of Flamethrower and Dragon Rage, Lian could potentially defeat even powerful opponents instantly with this move combination.

However, the main drawback of using these moves consecutively is that during their execution, there would be no opportunity for evasive maneuvers. If the opponent's actions were swift enough, they might still land an attack.

In the open field, Lian continuously unleashed Flamethrower followed swiftly by Dragon Rage. With his current proficiency level, transitioning from Flamethrower to Dragon Rage required a brief moment to catch his breath, as Dragon-type energy needed time to accumulate before release.

Realizing his Energy Control Rating was insufficient, Lian decided to use his remaining Combat Points to enhance his Dragon-type Energy Control Rating, aiming to improve the fluidity between these moves.

Time flew during the intensive training, and Lian made sure not to waste any combat ratings. He sought out a wild Pokemon battle, earning him around six or seven hundred Combat Points, although the rating wasn't exceptionally high.

Afterward, Kalia returned with her Pokemon to the library. Now equipped with a clear direction for practice, all that remained was honing these skills through actual battles.

Later that evening, within the system space.

Lian checked his remaining Combat Points and found he had 1,811 points, enough to potentially increase his Dragon-type Energy Control Rating by approximately 3%.

However, he noticed that for energy control ratings below 10%, each 1% increment only required 250 Combat Points.

Instead of solely focusing on Dragon-type energy, Lian decided to allocate just enough to reach 9% mastery, consuming 1,000 Combat Points, leaving him with 811 points.

Subsequently, he spent another 500 Combat Points to maximize Will-O-Wisp's proficiency level. This would enable even faster execution when combining Smokescreen and Will-O-Wisp moves.

"It's time to practice."

The daytime training session provided Lian with a clear direction. Starting tonight, he planned to dedicate every evening in the system space not only to refining his energy control but also to practicing move combinations.

He began with the combination of Smokescreen and Will-O-Wisp. With enhanced control power, Lian could now effortlessly execute his envisioned perfect move sequence—simultaneous release.

Once he achieved a perfect simultaneous release, Lian would have a clear direction on how to optimize his move combinations.

For the Smokescreen-Will-O-Wisp combination, concealment was paramount, followed by synchronization between releasing both moves. The goal was for Smokescreen and Will-O-Wisp to hit the opponent simultaneously.

Utilizing his exceptional control power, Lian mobilized two types of energies, attempting to unleash Smokescreen and Will-O-Wisp together.

A dense cloud of smoke erupted from Lian's mouth, with faint traces of purple flames flickering behind it, moving forward alongside the smoke.

Not good enough; the concealment is lacking.

Although Will-O-Wisp is relatively subtle, there's still a noticeable difference between its purplish hue and the blackness of smoke. Moreover, Will-O-Wisp emits a faint glow, making it easily detectable.

Let's try altering the form of Will-O-Wisp.

On the second attempt, Lian again expelled smoke, but this time, the presence of Will-O-Wisp within the smoke was barely perceptible. Naturally, Lian had modified the release form of Will-O-Wisp while also slowing down the speed of the smoke, causing Will-O-Wisp to blend seamlessly with the swirling mist.

"Yes, just like that!"

The drawback of Will-O-Wisp was its slow speed, but by deliberately reducing the velocity of smoke, he could match it with Will-O-Wisp's pace. With the smoke as cover, his opponent would be unable to detect the presence of Will-O-Wisp.

However, this approach required simultaneous release and altering Will-O-Wisp's form to mimic smoke closely.

Lian experimented several more times, achieving a near-perfect result. As he expelled the smoke, the Will-O-Wisp undulated alongside it, completely concealed within the cloud. No one would suspect the hidden Will-O-Wisp amidst the smoky haze.

Next, Lian practiced combining moves under normal conditions, meaning releasing Smokescreen swiftly followed by Will-O-Wisp.

After multiple attempts, he realized that without synchronizing their release, even with exceptional Energy Control, it was challenging to execute flawlessly. There would inevitably be gaps, necessitating reliance on the smoke's concealment to gradually bring Will-O-Wisp closer to the opponent.

"Alright, let's practice something else first."

Lian momentarily paused to focus on practicing the combination of Flamethrower and Dragon Rage.

He attempted to release both moves simultaneously but found it unfeasible. With Flamethrower triggering an explosive state upon release, Dragon Rage similarly acted in this manner. Combining them would result in immediate collision, causing their energies to violently interact and dissipate.

It became clear why dual-element moves did not exist. Except for transformation-type moves, whether offensive or special attacks, once released, they entered a state ready to unleash their energy explosively. This only occurred if countered by another move, hitting an opponent, or striking any object. Any encounter with other moves, even those self-released, would trigger this explosion.

Both Flamethrower and Dragon Rage were mouth-based moves, making simultaneous release without contact impossible, despite Lian's exceptional control power at present.

Thus, achieving the perfect simultaneous release of Flamethrower and Dragon Rage was impractical. Instead, he had to execute them sequentially, minimizing the time gap between each move for maximum effectiveness.

Lian diligently practiced these combinations about twenty times before stopping. He decided to refine them further during actual battles, as there would be ample opportunities for improvement. For now, his focus remained on precise energy control, which was crucial.

With precise energy control, Lian could modulate the power and energy consumption of his moves significantly, offering immense advantages. However, mastering this skill would be a long and tedious process, requiring patience and consistent practice over time.

In reality, without the system, achieving such precision in energy control might have taken Lian at least eight to ten years. But with the system, infinite possibilities lay within reach.

Without precise energy control, even with a high Energy Control Rating, one could only alter the form of their attacks, adding more variations but not necessarily enhancing their strength.

For example, a spinning Flamethrower remains fundamentally the same; its explosive force does not intensify. Consequently, the overall impact stays relatively unchanged or may even weaken due to dispersed energy.

However, with precise energy control, the released energy can be tightly concentrated rather than scattered. This ensures that every strand of energy maximizes its potential, leading to a significantly stronger attack.