LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 102: Chapter 102: New Ideas
Please support me on Patreon, where you can read a bunch of extra chapters, not just for this novel, but for all the novels I'm working on. I upload at least 2 times daily for most novels - There are at least twice as many available chapters on Patreon, compared to here on Webnovel.
Additionally, there are also free extra chapters available for Free Members, so head on over:
Patreon.com/ThatGreatStuff
******
Blanc could only helplessly watch as his Golduck collapsed; he never anticipated losing before arriving at this battle, being a challenger of the sixth floor in the Battle Tower.
However, this time, disaster struck - just a fraction short, and Golduck would have defeated Kalia's Charmeleon, but crucially, it fell down at the critical moment.
Feeling utterly devastated, Blanc thought losing to others might be acceptable, but once again falling to Kalia, especially against a Fire-type Pokémon, was unbearable.
When did type effectiveness become so insignificant? How could this Charmeleon endure numerous Water-type moves without succumbing?
Blanc's confidence was shaken; he had been relentlessly pursuing strategies for his Water-type Pokémon to overcome Grass-types, only now to find them defeated by a Fire-type Pokémon instead. It seemed painfully ironic.
"Kalia, why isn't your Charmeleon affected by Water-type moves?" Blanc recalled his Pokémon and asked, perplexed.
Normally, a Charmeleon wouldn't exhibit such strong resistance; it must have undergone specialized training by Kalia.
"Actually, you shouldn't overly focus on type advantages. Since you specialize in training Water-type Pokémon, consider enhancing their evasion skills. If they can dodge opponents' moves effectively, type advantages become irrelevant," Kalia suggested.
The primary drawback of specializing in a single attribute is the significant disadvantage against type counters. However, it ultimately depends on how the Trainer cultivates their Pokémon.
Any aspect of a Pokémon's abilities can be developed, such as evasion, defense, endurance, speed, and more, through appropriate training methods. This is where the role of a Trainer comes into play.
"Evasion training isn't that straightforward." Seeing Kalia withhold further explanation, clearly keeping her own secrets, Blanc shook his head and opened the door to leave the room.
Lian felt satisfied after confirming Charmeleon's Water Resistance; now he wouldn't have to fear Water-type Pokémon anymore.
However, at present, he lacked any moves specifically effective against Water-types. Moreover, Grass-type Hidden Power couldn't be used regularly due to its narrow range of effectiveness.
Apart from Water-types, Fire-type Pokémon also fear Rock and Ground-types. Lian recalled the special attack moves Charmeleon could learn, but none seemed to counter these two attributes effectively.
Unless it evolves into Charizard, which can potentially learn Solar Beam, a Grass-type move, though requiring a Move Disk for acquisition.
Solar Beam is a crucial move; once mastered, Lian would no longer worry about Rock and Ground-type Pokémon. However, mastering Sunny Day alongside it is essential, especially when battling outdoors under clear skies.
Indoors, Solar Beam becomes less effective, as accumulating sunlight takes considerable time, making quick deployment impractical.
After the battle, Lian followed Kalia into a treatment room where they lay on beds for medical care.
Once treated, Lian returned to his Poké Ball, while Kalia proceeded to Room 3, readying herself for another fight.
This match against Blanc marked her fifth battle of the day. After this one, it would be nearly time for dinner.
Later that evening, at the sixth floor of the Battle Tower:
Blanc effortlessly secured five consecutive victories and returned to the sixth floor. For him, the Trainers on the fifth floor were not particularly strong; his loss against Kalia was simply due to overconfidence.
In the rest area:
"Blanc, what brought you to the fifth floor today?" A short-haired Trainer curiously asked upon seeing Blanc return. As fellow challengers on the same floor often interacted, they developed a friendly rapport.
Blanc casually replied, "Nothing much."
He couldn't reveal to his competitors that he had suffered a defeat. Given the strength of his Pokémon, losing on the fifth floor would be a laughing matter for the sixth-floor challengers for quite some time.
"Ha, I don't believe it." The short-haired challenger noticed Blanc's evasive demeanor and decided to leave the rest area, determined to uncover the truth. He suspected Blanc must have been hiding something significant.
With his uncle being a staff member at the Battle Tower, a simple inquiry would reveal Blanc's performance record for the day. While typically the Battle Tower doesn't disclose individual challenger information, sharing match results was acceptable as it wasn't considered sensitive data.
As Blanc watched the other Trainer depart, he felt a sense of unease but chose not to pursue. After a full day of battling, exhaustion set in, prompting him to prioritize getting some sleep before addressing anything further.
***
Within the System space, Lian checked today's combat rating score. It was quite good, earning him 1,800 Combat Points and pushing his total to over four thousand, now reaching 4,103 points.
The battle against Blanc earlier wasn't included in the combat rating calculation. Lian wouldn't waste such opportunities merely for testing Water Resistance; that wasn't his style.
Currently, Lian had reached level 23, with significant improvements across all ability values. Unfortunately, he still lacked variety in moves. He hoped Kalia would soon purchase some Move Disks compatible with his Pokémon, allowing them to expand their move repertoire.
Charmeleon
Gender: ♂
Type: Fire
Level: Lv.23
Abilities: Blaze/Solar Power
Moves: ...
Stats: Stamina 813, Attack 561, Defense 533, Special Attack 864, Special Defense 565, Speed 818
Explosive Power: 1.5 (+)
Rock Resistance: 1.87 (+)
Water Resistance: 1
Lian's Special Attack attribute had long surpassed 800, far exceeding any non-legendary Pokémon at this level.
Apart from achieving a decent combat rating today, the most significant gain for Lian was viewing Vulpix's attributes panel. It largely matched his expectations, with its Ability being Flame Body. However, what surprised him was Vulpix's unexpectedly high level.
Vulpix
Gender: ♀
Level: Lv 30
Type: Fire Type
Ability: Flame Body
Moves: Ember, Tail Whip, Disable, Quick Attack, Spite, Incinerate, Confuse Ray, Will-O-Wisp, Extrasensory, Fire Spin
Stats: Stamina 628, Attack 296, Defense 290, Special Attack 350, Special Defense 440, Speed 440
Upon seeing Vulpix's attributes panel, Lian's first reaction was surprise at its level of thirty. His second thought was that this must be the weakest Level 30 Pokemon ever.
With such low ability values at Level 30, Lian couldn't help but feel speechless; it seemed like Vulpix had gradually leveled up over time without much effort.
Pokemon can naturally increase their levels as time passes, even without battling, similar to how humans grow older and stronger over time. Training accelerates this process.
It appeared that staying too long with Grandma Mana allowed Vulpix to level up primarily through the passage of time. Otherwise, having such minimal ability values at Level 30 would be exceptionally poor, even considering base stat limitations.
Although Vulpix's abilities were relatively weak, Lian wasn't concerned. Kalia would gradually train her, and once she evolves into Ninetales, her capabilities would significantly improve.
As Lian examined Vulpix's moveset, he felt a bit envious. Despite being another Fire-type Pokémon, Vulpix had already learned Fire Spin, Will-O-Wisp, and Incinerate, which made him quite jealous.
Incinerate was nothing special, nor was Fire Spin, but Will-O-Wisp stood out as an exceptional move. With just one successful hit, it could inflict the Burn status on any Pokémon. If Lian could master Will-O-Wisp, future encounters with high-attack Pokémon would become much easier, instantly weakening them to mere chicks after a single use.
Lian had an idea: since Move Disks continuously display the execution of a move, what if he had Vulpix repeatedly cast Will-O-Wisp? By observing extensively, perhaps he too could learn the move.
In theory, this approach seemed feasible.
He decided to give it a try tomorrow. After all, Vulpix couldn't defeat him, so if she refused, a gentle nudge might be necessary.
That's the plan—have Vulpix continually cast Will-O-Wisp and see if there's any effect. Who knows, with some luck, he might even learn it himself.
It's worth trying out Incinerate and Fire Spin as well, as these are fire-type moves he could potentially learn. Mastering them would not only save money on buying additional Move Disks but also allow for purchasing other useful items instead.