Chapter 79: More Training

The next day.

Maki returned to the battle arena once more. Although he hadn't managed to buy the Pokéblocks he wanted in Orange City, he figured since he was already here, he might as well get Charmander warmed up with some practice.

Cottonee, on the other hand, had insisted on participating upon hearing that Charmander was going to battle. It took a fair amount of coaxing from Maki to dissuade her.

"The opponents here are around Charmander's level, or even stronger. Are you sure you can handle them?"

If Cottonee had passed her juvenile phase and learned a few more moves, Maki might have considered letting her take on a challenge. But for now... better not.

She'd have to settle for being the team's cheerleader from the sidelines.

After thinking for a moment, Cottonee realized that even against Charmander, she would probably be knocked out in a single hit by Flame Burst. In the end, she gave up on the idea.

However, the mischievous little Pokémon soon came up with a different plan.

"Cotton~ Cotton~!"

[I can use Helping Hand while Charmander is fighting!]

"Don't treat the referee like they're blind! And don't even think about pulling anything sneaky. Just watch the match from the sidelines."

Maki twitched slightly at Cottonee's scheming and gently patted the cotton fluff on her head.

"Cotton~"

Cottonee let out a small, slightly aggrieved sound before sulking off to pitch her idea to Charmander.

"Char!"

Charmander was startled by Cottonee's plan and quickly shook his head vigorously. Cheating was absolutely not an option!

"Cotton~"

Cottonee sighed in disappointment. You two are so boring.

Seeing that Cottonee still wasn't giving up—trying to persuade Charmander into cheating—Maki immediately issued a warning: If you don't behave, you're going back into your Pokéball. Only then did Cottonee settle down.

Compared to Saffron City's battle arena, the one in Orange City was smaller in scale, but the overall style was quite similar. Without wasting any time, Maki signed Charmander up for a match and made his way to the battle area.

According to the rules, Pokémon not participating in the battle were allowed to watch from the sidelines—most of them, anyway. Pokémon like Cherrim and Clefairy, who could passively grant buffs just by standing there, were not allowed, and those on the sidelines were strictly prohibited from using any moves.

Just as Maki had warned Cottonee earlier—don't underestimate the referee's sharp eyes! If they caught someone cheating, it wouldn't just mean an automatic loss; the consequences could be much worse. The League wouldn't hesitate to hand out a ban for several months. Did people really think they had no authority?

Unfortunately, just like last time when Charmander had lost to that Squirtle, Maki's luck didn't seem to be much better today—her opponent was a Buizel, which had a clear type advantage over Charmander.

Still, in low-tier battles like these, luck played a significant role. Just last time, they had faced a Paras—five times weak to Fire—and won easily.

"Looks like my luck's good!"

The boy standing across from Maki clenched his fists in excitement, convinced that his type advantage meant an easy victory.

"Looks like my luck's bad."

Maki, however, remained unfazed. This Buizel clearly wasn't as strong as the Squirtle Charmander had fought before. Even with a type disadvantage, he was confident in Charmander's chances.

After all, against Squirtle, there was always the risk of triggering Torrent when it was low on health—causing its Water-type moves to become overwhelmingly powerful. Buizel, on the other hand, had Swift Swim, which wouldn't be useful in this situation.

If a low-tier, sub-ten-star Buizel actually knew Rain Dance at this level, Maki might as well eat his hat—because that was practically impossible.

As for its other ability, Water Veil—Maki hadn't even considered trying to burn it with a Fire-type move.

"Cottonee~"

The moment Cottonee opened her mouth, Maki knew what she was about to say.

"If you cause any trouble, I'm canceling your nightly milk and snacks."

Cottonee immediately shut her mouth. After all, Miltank's milk was absolutely delicious—anyone who tried it would be hooked.

"Buizel, use Water Sport!"

Buizel's move immediately increased the moisture in the air, weakening Fire-type attacks. It was clear that this trainer had plenty of experience dealing with Fire-type Pokémon.

And Water Sport didn't just weaken Fire moves—the damp environment slightly boosted the power of Water-type attacks as well. It was essentially a super-weak version of Rain Dance.

This was the difference between games and reality. In the games, moves function exactly as described, but in real life, certain combinations could lead to unexpected effects.

For example, if Sunny Day were used right now, it would evaporate the moisture in the air, nullifying Water Sport completely.

But Maki wasn't worried. He hadn't planned on using Fire-type moves in the first place.

At this level of battle, when in doubt—boost first.

"Use Dragon Dance!"

While Buizel activated Water Sport, Charmander completed Dragon Dance. No need to rely on Fire moves—Buizel was frail enough that a well-placed Crunch could take out most of its health.

Clearly, this move had made the opposing trainer nervous. Buizel quickly fired a Water Gun, but Charmander boldly countered with Dragon Breath.

Using a Fire-type move in a dampened environment wasn't ideal, so Maki opted for Dragon Breath instead. Charmander wasn't particularly proficient with it yet, but it was the best choice.

The two attacks collided in mid-air.

Maki considered Charmander's Dragon Breath to be "barely passable," but to other people, it was a different story.

After all, Charmander had an exceptionally high affinity for Dragon-type moves, and with the Pokéblocks Maki had been feeding him, his moves packed serious power.

The Dragon Breath overwhelmed Water Gun, its bluish energy striking Buizel head-on.

"What?!"

The boy across from him was dumbfounded. His Buizel had just lost a clash between a Water-type and a Dragon-type move. Everyone knew that moves of the same type as their user were naturally stronger.

Hmm... still not strong enough. More training needed.

Maki made a mental note to work on Charmander's proficiency with Dragon Breath.

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