Chapter 373 · Breloom vs. Combusken

"E—" Growlithe twitched. The paralyzing spores had numbed its body and dulled its sense of smell. For the moment, it couldn't locate its opponent at all.

"Growlithe, what's wrong?" Mr. Moore noticed something was off, but he couldn't tell exactly what was troubling his Pokémon.

Growlithe, struggling with the paralysis from the spores, felt its senses dull and its limbs prickling with discomfort. But unable to explain its condition, it simply growled in frustration.

"Surround yourself with flames!" Although Moore didn't know the exact problem, he knew the best way forward was to defend against the next attack.

Fwoom!

Growlithe's body ignited in a fiery cloak—just in time.

Breloom burst out from underground, slamming into the flaming Growlithe. The impact knocked Growlithe backward, but Breloom was scorched by the surrounding flames.

Even though Growlithe was paralyzed, it could still summon flames to cloak itself.

"Growlithe, use Flame Wheel!" Moore ordered.

Growlithe charged forward, wreathed in fire, but its speed was noticeably reduced.

"So it's paralyzed," Moore realized, seeing Growlithe's sluggish movements.

"Stone Edge!" Gary commanded.

"Bree-loom!" Breloom struck the ground with its tail, sending Rock-type energy rippling outward. Jagged stone spikes erupted from beneath Growlithe.

Growlithe didn't try to dodge. It charged straight into the rocky spikes, breaking through them. But a stone spike struck upward with a sucker punch-like force, launching Growlithe off its feet.

The hit landed cleanly.

"Stone Edge!" Flannery exclaimed from the sidelines. "That's a Rock-type finishing move!"

She hadn't expected a Grass-type like Breloom to wield such a technique.

"End it—Rock Tomb!" Gary called.

Breloom slammed both palms into the dirt, ripped out a massive boulder, and hurled it into the air. The rock shattered above Growlithe, raining down dozens of stones.

"Awoo-oo!"

When the dust settled, Growlithe lay half-buried under the rubble, its fur coated in ash, eyes spiraling.

"Growlithe is unable to battle—Breloom wins!" Flannery declared.

"It even knows a Rock-type move…" Moore muttered as he recalled his fallen partner. Then, smiling, he looked at Gary.

"Gary, it seems you're quite skilled at raising Pokémon," Moore praised.

Gary kept a straight face, though he was secretly pleased.

Teaching a young Pokémon off-type techniques was never easy.

Gary's Breloom had evolved from Shroomish only three months ago. Yet in that short time, it had reached the elite level and learned a diverse range of moves.

Moore, a seasoned Trainer, could tell at a glance that this Breloom wasn't ordinary. Its talent was exceptional.

Little did he know that Breloom's diverse skill set came from Gary's system.

"All right then—let's try this one!" Moore said, tossing out his second Poké Ball.

Flash!

[Lv. 33 Combusken ♂ / Elite]

A tall Combusken with olive-tinged plumage landed lightly on the arena floor.

Already elite-level, Gary noted. Most likely from the Torchic breeding program in Lavaridge Town.

"What Pokémon is that?" May asked, scanning it with her Pokédex.

Pokédex: "Combusken, the Young Fowl Pokémon and the evolved form of Torchic. Its powerful legs can deliver ten kicks per second."

"So that's Torchic's evolution!" May gasped. She hadn't imagined the cute little chick would grow into something so fierce.

As a Coordinator, May admired Blaziken's elegant looks, but its battle style didn't suit Contests. Later on, May would leave her Blaziken at the Gym, rarely using it in Contests.

Gary looked at Moore's Combusken. He had considered switching Breloom out, but against Combusken, there was no need.

Combusken specialized in physical attacks, and in close combat, the one at a disadvantage would be the fiery chicken.

"Breloom, use Mach Punch!" Gary ordered.

Breloom dashed forward, its fist glowing white, but Combusken caught the punch between its razor-sharp claws.

Breloom: !!!

Breloom struggled to pull its fist free, but Combusken's grip was too strong.

"Nice catch! Flamethrower!" Moore seized the opportunity.

"Dynamic Punch with the other hand!" Gary countered.

"Bree-loom!"

Breloom's free fist glowed with Fighting-type energy and struck Combusken square in the chest.

At the same moment, a column of fire burst from Combusken's beak, engulfing Breloom.

The Dynamic Punch landed cleanly, knocking Combusken backward, but Breloom was caught in the fiery vortex.

"Combusken, are you okay?" Moore called, concerned.

Crash!

Both Pokémon staggered, reeling from the exchange.

Smoke drifted from Breloom's scorched cap. Combusken wobbled, its eyes unfocused—confusion had taken hold from the Dynamic Punch.

"It already mastered Dynamic Punch at this level?" Moore exclaimed. He knew Breloom could eventually learn Dynamic Punch, but it typically required much higher experience.

Yet in front of him, Gary's Breloom had awakened the move far earlier than expected.

As the smoke cleared, Breloom stood badly burned and breathing heavily.

Between Growlithe's earlier attacks and Combusken's Flamethrower, it was nearly out of energy—and burn status meant Gary couldn't switch it out without risking it fainting later.

"Breloom, use Leech Seed!" Gary called.

Breloom spat out a cluster of seeds, which struck the dazed Combusken.

Still confused, Combusken didn't dodge. The seeds latched onto it, vines sprouting instantly and wrapping around its body. Green orbs of energy were siphoned from Combusken and absorbed by Breloom.

"Combusken, snap out of it—Flamethrower!" Moore shouted, trying to break through the confusion.

But Leech Seed didn't drain much power. Combusken, still staggering from confusion, lashed out blindly with random kicks at the air.