FEPW Chapter 87 It's Starting to Feel Right

The battlefield was a Grassy Terrain, with lush grass and towering trees.

As usual, the Gym Leader let their Pokémon take the stage first, and Luther chose Jumpluff to lead the charge.

Seeing Jumpluff, Shōhei took a moment to think before sending out Makuhita.

This choice left Luther momentarily stunned. A Fighting-type like Makuhita should have a tough time against a Flying and Grass-type like Jumpluff.

Could it be that Makuhita knows Ice Punch or Fire Punch?

"First Move, Shōhei, the match begins!" The referee announced.

"Use Force Palm!" Shōhei commanded.

The Fighting-type's Force Palm had a chance to paralyze the opponent, but Jumpluff, under Luther's command, dodged it gracefully. However, no counter-move was issued.

Makuhita's Force Palm struck the ground harmlessly, and Luther quickly realized the level of Makuhita's strength.

Shōhei continued issuing Brick Break, Push, and Focus Blast, but the small Jumpluff seemed to taunt Makuhita with each dodge, slipping away just before Makuhita could land a hit. Jumpluff would then bounce in front of Makuhita, bouncing and mocking him playfully.

The mockery was mostly due to Shōhei not instructing Makuhita to reposition in battle. Makuhita remained in Jumpluff's attack radius, allowing the nimble Jumpluff to fully take advantage of her dodging abilities.

"What are you doing, Shōhei? Have you run out of energy just trying to secure a position?" Someone from the crowd jeered.

"Can you hurry up? Don't waste time!" Another voice added.

The jeers grew louder.

After dodging multiple attacks, Jumpluff continued her playful chatter around Makuhita.

This was a battle style Luther had described to his Pokémon: trash-talking.

As the pace of the battle quickened, both the Pokémon Trainer and the Pokémon on the field would shift their mental states; whoever lost composure first would likely collapse under pressure.

It seemed Jumpluff understood this well. Though Luther didn't know exactly what Jumpluff was saying, he could tell Makuhita's rhythm had already fallen out of sync with Shōhei's commands.

With familiar faces watching from the stands and Jumpluff's bold taunts giving her an edge in the battle, Shōhei was starting to feel embarrassed.

Frustrated, Shōhei shouted, "Makuhita, what are you doing? Adjust your stance and use Fire Punch to take down Jumpluff!"

As soon as Makuhita unleashed Fire Punch, Jumpluff gracefully dodged it amidst the cheers from the crowd.

"Is it worth it, trying to rely on Persistence?" Luther remarked with a knowing grin.

Shōhei shuddered at the remark.

"Jumpluff, Aerial Ace!" Luther commanded.

"Aerial Ace?" Shōhei gasped.

Now, Luther understood why Shōhei had sent out Makuhita, it was a deliberate strategy to him.

Just after dodging Fire Punch, Jumpluff transformed into an afterimage and zipped past Makuhita's chest. Makuhita tried to dodge, but its body suddenly froze, as if it couldn't control itself. It stood there dazed, while Jumpluff struck.

Shōhei noticed Makuhita's strange posture. He had already tried to adjust its position, but for some reason, Makuhita seemed stuck in place.

Ignoring Makuhita, who had collapsed, Jumpluff returned to Luther's side.

"How did you know it was Persistence?" Shōhei asked, feeling bewildered.

"Come on, your act is too obvious. Makuhita stands in the same spot after every attack, like a wooden doll. Given its Ability, who wouldn't guess you're trying to fake a Status Condition?"

"And also, you should get to know your Pokémon better. Jumpluff isn't just a Grass-type; she's also part Flying-type. She may not have many Flying Moves, but she still counts as a Flying-type. So, is it really that surprising she can use Aerial Ace?"

Shōhei's face turned bright red, feeling as though he'd just been scolded by a parent in front of everyone. He unconsciously tightened his grip on his Poké Ball.

Even the spectators in the stands laughed, but Luther distinctly heard someone gasp in disbelief as Aerial Ace was unleashed.

"Mind your own business! These are just things I didn't notice. Numel, turn the tide for me!" Shōhei barked.

A dull-colored Numel appeared in the battle area, looking lethargic.

"A Fire-type?" Luther mused, nodding in approval. This was a decent choice based on type advantages. He felt satisfied, thinking that his earlier comments hadn't been wasted.

"Now, it's your turn, Abomasnow."

As Luther tossed the Poké Ball, he had a sudden thought. The ball landed at his feet, and Abomasnow emerged, waving its arms. A gust of cold air surged from Abomasnow's body, causing Luther to shiver in response.

"Don't get too excited; the match hasn't started yet."

Abomasnow looked around, realizing it was still outside the battle area. It turned to Luther with a confused expression.

"Once you enter the field, try to hold back a bit. Don't take them out immediately. Control your strength."

Abomasnow hesitated for a moment before nodding in understanding.

"That's a foul! Abomasnow is Gardenia's Pokémon, not yours!" Shōhei shouted.

Luther responded calmly, "Shōhei, I'm currently the acting Gym Leader of Hearthome Gym. In a sense, all the Pokémon here belong to Hearthome Gym, so why can't I use them?"

A rustling of boos echoed from the stands.

Luther glanced over at Basil, who had moved a chair and was sitting rigidly, her hands on her knees. She looked pale and nervous as the sound of boos reached her ears.

Shōhei was momentarily stunned. Embarrassed, he shot back, "Your strength might not even make them listen."

The match resumed, with Shōhei making the first move again, opting for 'Flamethrower'.

As soon as Abomasnow entered the field, its Ability 'Snow Warning' activated, causing snow to fall heavily across the battlefield due to Abomasnow's presence.

'Flamethrower' struck Abomasnow head-on, and Shōhei clenched his fist in excitement. He remembered that Abomasnow was an Ice and Grass-type, and Fire-type moves would definitely deal significant damage.

Moreover, Abomasnow was large and not particularly fast, making it a prime target.

Numel's 'Flamethrower' created a wall of fire that engulfed Abomasnow, and to his credit, Shōhei's Numel was no slouch. The 'Flamethrower' had almost formed a fiery vortex.

However... it seemed like it was more show than substance.

Abomasnow's arm pushed through the fiery barrier, followed by the other. With a forceful push, it tore through the impressive-looking wall of flames.

Hail began to fall, dealing damage to Numel. While it didn't seem to affect Numel too much, the icy assault did irritate him.

Shōhei stared in shock as the fire wall was torn apart, but quickly regained his composure.

"Sunny Day!" He shouted.

Numel let out a roar, and scorching energy surged from its hump, shooting up toward the clouds above, which had been releasing hail.

The intense heat wave shattered the Snow Warning effect, halting the hailstorm.

With the sun now blazing down, Numel's body temperature spiked rapidly, and the grass beneath it began to smolder and burn.

Luther couldn't help but applaud. Though Shōhei was quite arrogant, he had to admit the kid was starting to make the right moves.

In the past, battling weather-based teams involved careful planning and counter-strategies. He hadn't expected Shōhei to take to this tactic so eagerly.

However, it seemed Shōhei hadn't realized that Luther was genuinely pleased to see him use 'Sunny Day'.

(End of Chapter)

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