"Close the distance, Rock Smash."
"Interfere with Vine Whip."
This battle was nothing like the simplified encounters portrayed in the anime. The Pokémon in this world possessed far greater power, and even a momentarily delayed command could dramatically influence the outcome of a confrontation.
The standard expected of Trainers had significantly elevated.
Riolu followed Roy's instructions and swiftly approached Bulbasaur. After witnessing speed that completely contradicted what one would anticipate from a "novice-level Pokémon," Callan recognized that once Riolu closed the distance, Bulbasaur would find itself at an overwhelming disadvantage.
Callan's instruction wasn't to 'attack,' but specifically to 'interfere.'
Because if Riolu managed to grab Bulbasaur's Vine Whip, even at the cost of sustaining damage, he could transform the encounter into close-quarters combat.
Four vines suddenly emerged from the emerald bulb on Bulbasaur's back, merging into a formidable whip.
The extended vine rose high, and with alarming velocity, crashed down toward Riolu's advancing path.
"BOOM!"
The grass collapsed inward, sending stones and dust flying in all directions.
The airborne sand and rocks rushed toward Riolu, forcing him to halt his advance. His arms began to glow as he concentrated energy, then slashed powerfully at the incoming debris.
Rock Smash!
True to its designation, the flying rocks shattered into fragments.
Before Riolu could recover his stance, several shadowy shapes emerged silently from the dust cloud!
Another Razor Leaf attack!
By the time Riolu detected the threat, the razor-sharp leaves had already reached a proximity where evasion was impossible.
"Ri-!"
Riolu emitted a cry of pain as several cuts appeared across his body.
However, there was no blood visible.
Pokémon are truly extraordinary creatures, which explains why some researchers refer to them as Pocket Monsters.
The wonder of Pokémon exists not only in their remarkable strength but also in their unique biological structure.
Dragons, Ghosts, Humanoids, Grass-types, Bugs, even animated swords... Pokémon life forms exhibit incredible diversity and peculiarity.
Yet there exists one protective mechanism shared by all Pokémon.
The Fainting Condition.
Assuming a Pokémon's HP is quantified as 100, whether it sustains 101 points of damage or 9999 points of damage, the outcome remains identical—its HP decreases to zero.
For humans, reaching zero HP would signify death.
But Pokémon function differently. When a Pokémon's HP is completely depleted, it enters the Fainting Condition.
In this state, a Pokémon's vital energy remains secured at its most fundamental level. It won't actually perish unless it remains untreated for an extended duration or experiences additional attacks while in this vulnerable condition.
"Keep moving, Quick Attack!" Roy commanded.
Though momentarily disrupted, Riolu managed to close the distance, and Bulbasaur now found itself within range of his Quick Attack.
However, as if anticipating this development, Callan's voice resonated clearly:
"Bullet Seed!"
Riolu halted abruptly and attempted evasive maneuvers.
Bulbasaur unleashed a barrage of energy seeds resembling machine gun fire, creating several small craters across the battlefield, each impact generating force comparable to a small explosive.
Observing this, Roy's expression revealed sudden comprehension.
'...So that's the counter-strategy against Quick Attack.'
Quick Attack provided impressive speed, but it lacked versatility.
Its linear charging trajectory made it predictable.
Ordinary novice Trainers might struggle against such a technique, but for Callan—a recommended student with extensive battle experience—he had already assimilated countermeasures from his upperclassmen.
All he needed was to predict the "shortest distance between two points" trajectory.
This explained why Quick Attack remained classified as merely a basic-level move.
Roy, having absorbed another valuable lesson, persisted with his offensive strategy.
"Vine Whip!" Callan ordered.
"Rock Smash," Roy countered.
The battle reached a tactical impasse.
One competitor sought to eliminate distance and dominate through close combat.
The other continuously disrupted with ranged attacks to maintain field control.
Both Pokémon's stamina reserves were rapidly diminishing.
But Riolu, as the primary aggressor, was undoubtedly consuming more energy.
"Most pure Fighting-type Pokémon face disadvantages in ranged combat, and Riolu certainly isn't exempt from this limitation."
"However, once Riolu evolves into Lucario, this weakness will be significantly mitigated."
"At present, we cannot sustain this approach."
Roy's eyes narrowed as he evaluated his opponent's capabilities and formulated a decision.
"Riolu, release—"
"RI-LU!"
His instruction was interrupted by Riolu's determined cry.
In the subsequent moment, electrical sparks emanated from Riolu's fists.
"Thunder Punch? Riolu knows this move?"
Callan's expression displayed surprise, which rapidly transformed into confusion.
In their current predicament, what advantage could Thunder Punch—another melee technique—possibly provide?
Even if it were a ranged Electric-type attack, it would scarcely alter their circumstances.
Grass-type energy naturally exhibited resistance against Electric-type moves.
Then, astonishing both Trainers, Riolu unexpectedly slammed his electrified fists together before his body!
"BZZZZT!"
The electrical currents collided, but rather than exploding or neutralizing each other, they conducted!
Lightning surged through Riolu's body, spreading from his hands throughout his entire physique.
Callan was utterly bewildered.
What kind of strategy was this?
Was Riolu deliberately attacking himself?
Riolu wasn't an Electric-type Pokémon, so he couldn't charge himself like a Pikachu.
Was this... some form of self-inflicted damage?
At that precise moment, only Roy comprehended what Riolu was attempting.
This was...
"The combat application of Lightning Body Forging..."
Lightning stimulated cellular activity and enhanced cellular vitality, which could not only improve exercise performance efficiency but also temporarily amplify overall capabilities.
But implementing Lightning Body Forging during actual combat required substantially greater control over electrical currents than during controlled training sessions.
One miscalculation would result in serious self-inflicted injury!
Did Riolu possess that level of confidence in his abilities?
Roy felt inspired by his partner's initiative and determination.
Meanwhile, Callan, still perplexed by the unfolding events, observed as Riolu charged forward again!
"Vine Whip," he commanded, choosing to maintain his field-control strategy.
But in the next instant, horror spread across his features.
The Vine Whip descended as anticipated, but midway through its arc, Riolu's velocity suddenly increased to an entirely different magnitude.
In a fraction of a second, Riolu positioned himself directly beneath the falling vines.
"Riolu, use Endure!"
Riolu raised his hands and precisely caught two of the descending vines.
The tremendous force drove his feet into the ground, creating two deep impressions beneath him.
The Endure move reduced the incoming damage, and without awaiting further instructions, Riolu suddenly pulled with extraordinary strength.
"Bulbasaur, hang—"
Before Callan could complete saying "on," Bulbasaur's defenses completely collapsed.
An irresistible force yanked Bulbasaur from the ground, propelling it through the air toward Riolu.
"Protect yourself with Vine Whip!" Callan immediately adjusted tactics, directing Bulbasaur to utilize its remaining two vines as a defensive barrier.
Roy shouted authoritatively:
"Counter!"
In the games, Counter inflicts double the physical damage that the user most recently received.
Regardless of the Pokémon's level, it can only administer this predetermined amount of damage.
In reality, this mechanic didn't correspond with actual physics.
In this world, Counter functioned by redirecting the opponent's energy that had been absorbed, combined with the user's own power.
The enemy's power plus the user's power.
Hence, double damage!
Riolu's body illuminated as he channeled the kinetic energy from the Vine Whip attack.
The light concentrated at his head, and with impeccable timing, Riolu delivered a devastating headbutt to the airborne Bulbasaur.
"BOOM——!!!!!!"
As the dust gradually settled, Bulbasaur lay unconscious in the center of a three-meter crater. Riolu stood triumphantly nearby, small arcs of electricity still dancing across his form, exhibiting a majestic presence that Roy had never witnessed before.
Riolu turned toward Roy with an excited, expectant gaze.
Roy responded with a broad grin and returned an affirming look.
"Bulbasaur is unable to battle. The winner is Roy!"