Chapter 64: Abilities and Dark-type

Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy

---------------------------------

Inside the Pokémon Rescue Center, Nurse Joy stared at the dozens of PokéBalls Liam had handed over, her expression dark. 

Before she could ask about the origins of the PokéBalls, Liam handed her an address and requested that she send them there. 

Naturally... cash on delivery.

Afterward, Liam quickly darted to the nearby video phone and dialed Professor Oak's lab.

"Ah, Liam! It's you again. So much has been going on lately. Even Max hasn't called in months—I guess he's having too much fun out there. But you always think of us, don't you? Good, good," Professor Oak said warmly as he appeared on the screen.

Liam skipped the pleasantries and quickly summarized his recent experiences, informing Professor Oak that a package containing the Pokémon he had collected would soon arrive.

After hearing the story, Professor Oak was visibly furious, gripping the phone tightly.

"Abandoning Pokémon like that is simply unforgivable! These people have no idea how much harm they cause! Liam, you did the right thing this time!"

Scratching his head sheepishly, Liam replied, "Professor, you don't think I went overboard?"

"Overboard? Not at all!" Professor Oak retorted. "Confiscating their Pokémon was lenient! If I were there, I'd have my Dragonite send them flying with a Hyper Beam to teach them a lesson. Send those Pokémon over—I'll handle everything. You don't need to worry about the rest."

Relieved, Liam felt a wave of gratitude. Then, an idea struck him. He pulled out a PokéBall and released his recently captured Arcanine. 

Stroking Arcanine's head, Liam said, "Professor, this is the Arcanine I mentioned earlier. I have also discovered something interesting about him."

Professor Oak immediately grew serious, knowing Liam was onto something big again. "What did you discover? Tell me!"

Smiling, Liam explained, "I've noticed that every Pokémon seems to have a unique innate powers. I call it an 'Ability.' These abilities vary widely. For example, my Nidoking sometimes poisons opponents even without using Poison-type moves—I call this ability Poison Point. My Gabite becomes faster and doesn't take damage during sandstorms or when using Sandstorm—I call this ability Sand Veil. Arcanine, on the other hand, has an ability I named Justified. When hit by certain types of moves, his attack power increases. And speaking of those types, I think I've managed to uncover a new one."

Professor Oak's eyes widened in astonishment. "Liam! Are you saying you've discovered a new type, like Fairy-type?!"

Liam hastily covered the receiver, looking exasperated.

Realizing he had gotten carried away, Professor Oak lowered his voice. "Sorry, sorry. Go on. What did you find?"

Clearing his throat, Liam said, "It's a type I'm calling the Dark type. Pokémon of this type are immune to Psychic-type moves and deal significant damage to Ghost-types. However, they're weak to Bug-, Fighting-, and Fairy-type moves."

He continued, "Pure Dark-types are rare. Umbreon is one example. Hoenn has more, like Poochyena, Mightyena, and Absol. There are none in Kanto, but my Sneasel from the Sinnoh region has the Dark typing, along with Ice."

After finishing, Liam felt parched from talking so much. Meanwhile, Professor Oak had been jotting down notes furiously. 

Once satisfied he'd captured everything, he smiled and said, "You've really outdone yourself this time, Liam. And this Sneasel—is it a new companion of yours?"

Embarrassed, Liam scratched his head. "Well, I couldn't mention it until I was sure. Sneasel is a new partner, yes. And since you're curious, Gible and Nidoking have both evolved. In fact, Nidorino evolved only last night with a Moonstone. Let me introduce them to you."

He released Gabite, Nidoking, and Sneasel from their PokéBalls.

"Oh, so this is Gible's evolved form? It looks powerful! And Nidoking—so regal and strong! And this adorable little one must be Sneasel from Sinnoh? With the new type, no less! I'd love to study it right away," Professor Oak said, his enthusiasm palpable.

Gabite chirped happily, recognizing the familiar face on the screen. Nidoking, now more aloof, merely nodded in acknowledgment. Sneasel, however, nearly fell off Liam's shoulder at the sound of Professor Oak's voice. 

It steadied itself quickly, eyeing the screen warily as if fearing it might be whisked away for research at any moment.

Professor Oak laughed heartily. "What wonderful Pokémon! Liam, if there's nothing else, I'll get started on studying these Abilities and the Dark type. I expect to be quite busy for a while." He waved his notebook before signing off, clearly eager to dive into his research.

After ending the call, Liam turned to his companions, patting the huge Nidoking on the shoulder (as high as he could reach). Nidoking's stats appeared before him.

----------------------

[Ding!]

Pokemon: Nidoking 

Type: Poison/Ground-type

Species: Drill Pokémon (final evolution of Nidoran)

Ability: Poison Point

Nature: Rash

Gender: Male

Base Stats (Total: 505):

HP: 81

Attack: 85

Defense: 77

Sp. Attack: 102

Sp. Defense: 75

Speed: 85

Moves: Leer, Peck, Focus Energy, Double Kick, Poison Sting, Fury Attack, Horn Attack, Helping Hand, Toxic Spikes, Poison Jab, Chip Away, Thrash, Earth Power.

Egg Move: Counter.

TM Moves: Thunderbolt, Protect, Shadow Claw, Surf.

Evaluation: Outstanding! This Nidoking excels in special attack, an unusual trait. Recommend focused training!

----------------------

Liam stroked Nidoking's arm thoughtfully. Evolution had certainly altered its nature, but what stood out most was its unexpected affinity for special attacks.

"Looks like evolution really changes things sometimes," he mused. "But this just means Nidoking's unique—time to focus on those special moves!"

After recalling his Pokémon, Liam stocked up on supplies in the town before consulting his map again.

Setting his sights on Vermilion City, he released Arcanine and asked for her consent to ride. With an eager bark of approval, Arcanine allowed Liam to climb on.

Riding on Arcanine's back, Liam shouted joyfully. Arcanine shot forward like a red blur, leaving only Liam's exhilarated cries echoing through the air.