The real problem with Jasmine’s Pokémon wasn’t their offensive power but how they could all but ignore most attacks. Her Steelix, for example, was only so much stronger than an Onix, but its super-hardened body let it shrug off any physical move. Though a Steelix had the same limitations as an Onix in that it primarily attacked via weight instead of muscle, it weighed more, had a nastier bite, and in this case, it was only really vulnerable to the Fire Type damage on Sam’s team.

  But like all good specialists, Jasmine likely had a counter. Sam knew he could maybe make something work, but he’d rather stick to a strategy that he knew would completely invalidate her Pokémon’s defense.

  “Will-O-Wisp!”

  Damage over time effects didn’t care about a Pokémon’s resistance. The pain they caused drained a Pokémon’s stamina, making them eventually fall out of the fight. He didn’t need to worry about the insane number of Type resistances the Steel Type offered. To win this match-up, all he had to do was out-stall her stall. It was his best answer to sheer defense, and it was his best answer to making up for such a severe gap in strength.

  So, with his command, Typhlosion started the battle by taking off in a dash. Immediately, energies wrapped around her for an Agility that drastically boosted her speed. She used that momentum to circle her towering opponent, and Steelix did nothing but follow her with its gaze.

  Jasmine did not give an order to her Pokémon. Her Steelix remained where it was released, and she cocked her head to the side.

  “That’s an interesting Pokémon you have there,” Jasmine commented.

  “Hisuian Typhlosion. A variant evolution. Soon to debut in the Conference, but we’re testing her out against you,” Sam said.

  She nodded as if that answered all her questions.

  “So that’s why you specified a private match. You have secrets you don’t want to get out.”

  Typhlosion was already sending her wisps forward, and Jasmine’s Steelix still wasn’t moving. With such a defensive team, Jasmine seemed to want to wait to better understand Sam’s strategy before anything else.

  Except, all she was doing was giving Sam plenty of openings. Right as Typhlosion’s Will-O-Wisp reached halfway to its target, Sam gave a second command that’d seal this fight.

  “Typhlosion, chase!”

  Much like how Typhlosion could have her Will-O-Wisp chase Swift, with Sam’s shout, she now sent her Infernal Parade chasing after her Will-O-Wisp. This concept built off of a technique she’d used so many times before, but with these two moves used back-to-back, Will-O-Wisps’s burn would allow for Infernal Parade to hit with guaranteed extra damage, and Infernal Parade also carried a chance to burn if Steelix somehow managed to block the Will-O-Wisp.

  It was a flood of fire. Flames, both spectral and real, rushed Steelix through the air.

  “So that’s your strategy,” Jasmine said with a hum. “But enough of a head start. Steelix, Dig.”

  Her order came out calm and precise, and as slow as a Steelix was, it moved with a surprising amount of speed. Its body was large enough that it wasn’t the quickest when it came to whipping around, but when it came to digging, that was what its entire being was designed to do.

  Where an Onix’s body was just a chain of boulders, a Steelix’s body was covered in rugged spikes. It slammed its head into the ground, breaking through the earth, and each of its segments spun in a drilling motion that let it burrow and churn through the field.

  The diving motion of its head let it avoid Typhlosion’s attack, but that was only because it was no longer occupying the space it once did. Her wisps didn’t initially miss; with a minor flex of her will, they all dove after Steelix.

  Unfortunately, the second it entered the earth, it moved like a fish in water. The Steelix disappeared, its tunnel collapsed behind it, and the flaming barrage was snuffed out when it hit the ground.

  We’ll need a better strategy. If Steelix is Jasmine’s ace, then we need to pull out the big guns.

  “Typhlosion,” Sam called out. “Keep an eye on the earth around and under you. Get ready to react with Curse.”

  He preemptively grabbed her Pokéball for his next step of the plan. Halting her Agility, Typhlosion slid to a halt while pulling a shadowy dagger out of the air with her paw.

  “That’s not a defensive Curse. So she’s a Ghost Type after all...” Jasmine looked on curiously. “Useful. Steelix, use Crunch when you can.”

  Her Pokémon didn’t immediately attack, and Typhlosion tensed as she prepared. The dagger she held in her paw almost seemed to sink into her flesh, causing her a slight amount of pain even though her move hadn’t fully been used.

  But soon, a mound of dirt began to bulge out of the earth behind her, and as something pushed pebbles out of the field with a rumble, she snapped around, ready to unleash her Curse the second Steelix appeared.

  When steel flashed before her, Typhlosion didn’t wait to stab her dagger into her chest. Upon seeing her target, Curse did take effect, but it wasn’t Steelix’s head that burst out.

  No, its tail suddenly stabbed out of the earth, revealing that mound to have been nothing more than a distraction. Instead, from right underneath her, Steelix’s head exploded from the floor, knocking Typhlosion into the air dealing the full, super-effective damage of Dig.

  Alongside the self-inflicted injury from Curse, Typhlosion was ready to faint. Yet, shadows writhed around her opponent. Sam quickly brought up her Pokéball.

  “Return!”

  The Steelix’s metal jaw snapped down on the empty air where she had just been falling. The sheer power of its Crunch caused a horrible noise to ring out.

  If that hit...

  A Steelix literally ate boulders and metal for lunch. Given Typhlosion’s Ghost Type making her vulnerable to the Dark Type, Sam doubted she would have walked away even at full health.

  But our plan worked. Steelix is under the effects of Curse, and Typhlosion doesn’t need to risk herself any longer. We just need to make sure that Jasmine doesn’t return her Pokémon, and we need to stall for long enough to have Steelix faint.

  “Misdreavus, quick! Mean Look!”

  The very second the battle resumed, Misdreavus sent a withering glare at her opponent. Now, if Steelix tried to leave the battle, Jasmine would find her Pokémon unable to be returned.

  But Jasmine just giggled.

  “This is why I like Ghost Type teams. They’re always fun to fight.”

  Sam couldn’t find the same casual joy—he was fighting at a disadvantage. He needed every trick in the book if he wanted to take a ten-star Pokémon out.

  “Will-O-Wisp! Burn it, but your priority is on dodging! Hex whenever you get room to attack!”

  Curse was a cruel, cruel move. The sheer amount of pain it caused saw Pokémon faint in almost no time at all. It was more effective than a burn, and it was more effective than even Toxic. The downside was that it required its user to take a significant amount of damage, and its victim would no longer be under Curse’s effects if the victim switched out.

  But if a Pokémon was switched to replace Curse’s user, and if Curse’s target remained trapped, then it didn’t matter how healthy a Pokémon was. They would inevitably faint no matter what.

  Hence, this strategy.

  “Interesting. Protect,” Jasmine said.

  Steelix lowered itself, and its body gained a greenish sheen. Misdreavus’s Will-O-Wisp hit but failed to make purchase. Despite being a Steel Type, the flames slipped off of it as if it were water.

  Then, Steelix flicked its tail without Jasmine even giving it a command. Dirt, hardened by Rock Type energy, flew right at Misdreavus. With Sam’s shout to focus on dodging, she was forced to pull back. Any follow-up was dropped in favor of avoidance, and Misdreavus even had to use Shadow Sneak to slide under a boulder launched her way.

  “Keep it up,” Jasmine said.

  Misdreavus was faster, but that meant nothing when she was forced to constantly dodge. Steelix unleashed Rock Throw after Rock Throw, destroying the earth, tearing up the field, and leaving large boulders wherever its move landed. The Curse might have been draining its energy, but it was only being drained by Curse. It was losing stamina, but without being affected by Will-O-Wisp, nothing reduced its attack.

  Misdreavus couldn’t unleash any damaging move.

  A ten-star Pokémon. I knew there’d be a difference in strength, but this is insane.

  Even though Misdreavus was faster, she still had to contend with the constant assault of Steelix’s moves.

  Shadow Sneak let her dodge the Rock Throws, which was good for her since the size of Steelix’s boulders would have seen her faint in one hit. She wasn’t a defensive Pokémon, but that focus on evasion was Jasmine’s plan.

  So focused on avoiding all moves, Misdreavus was never able to use any of her own. Soon enough, Jasmine’s strategy finished.

  The effects of Mean Look faded away, and Steelix disappeared from the field.

  “Phew.” For some reason, Jasmine looked genuinely relieved. “That was close. I didn’t expect to see Steelix almost faint there.”

  “Almost faint? Even with Curse, it was still at full health!”

  Jasmine blinked at Sam.

  “Was he?” she asked, and then she shook her head. “Oh, I see your mistake. Steelix is made of steel. He doesn’t show the same signs of injuries as most organic Pokémon. No, your Pokémon’s Curse was effective. Just a few seconds longer, and that would have been it.”

  “Wait, so if you hadn’t used Protect...”

  Jasmine said nothing and simply smiled.

  Merrily, she tossed a new Pokéball forward, and Misdreavus left her Shadow Sneak on the floor to properly meet her next opponent. Across from her, a red-carapaced Scizor faced her. The Bug Type Pokémon snapped its heavy claws while letting its short wings buzz on its back.

  “Continue,” the referee said.

  Jasmine gave a single word for her order.

  “Priority.”

  Sam tried to tell Misdreavus about the need for Will-O-Wisp since Scizor was one of the few Steel Types in Johto with seriously powerful physical attacks. Yet, barely even a single word had left his mouth before he blinked, and then the Scizor was suddenly right there.

  Its claw shone with Steel Type energy. Arm outstretched, it had shot across the field in an instant. The single punch it unleashed saw its move land directly into Misdreavus’s chest.

  “Bullet Punch is already a speedy move, and then when you combine it with Scizor’s Technician ability...”

  Misdreavus simply didn’t have the defense to withstand a strike that strong. Even if there hadn’t been a difference in strength, that one strike would have been enough to take her out.

  The force of Scizor’s move saw her bounce across the ground. Sam quickly took out her Friend Ball to bring her back before she could get too much more hurt while unconscious.

  “Challenger Samuel, please send out your next Pokémon,” the referee said.

  “I know, I know. I just need a second to think.”

  Curse had almost worked, but Steelix had been returned anyway. Scizor was a big enough threat that he knew most Pokémon on his team wouldn’t be able to handle it. He wanted to rely on status conditions, but Scizor’s speed meant it could catch anyone he sent out.

  Unless I want it to catch us, Sam realized.

  If the rest of Sam’s team couldn’t beat Scizor, then he had one Pokémon whose sole role would be to take it out.

  “Annihilape.”

  With this Pokémon’s appearance, Jasmine gained a look of genuine shock. The referee struggled to keep a straight face at the Pokémon that appeared on the field.

  Somewhat used to this reaction, Annihilape just grumbled and scratched at the dirt with his hand. Wisps of grey energy trailed off his head. The only human here who recognized him was Sam.

  Blearily, Jasmine rubbed her eyes.

  “So you had more than just Typhlosion...” she mumbled.

  “Annihilape. Evolution of Primeape. Also set to debut in the Conference,” Sam quickly explained.

  “And this species is—”

  “Already known,” Sam half-lied.

  He was pretty sure Morty and Agatha weren’t aware, but Carl did say he would pass the information around.

  Jasmine slowly nodded at that, mumbling something to herself about watching the upcoming Conference. She sent a look to the referee to signal that the battle should continue, and the referee just barely managed to tear away her stare to give the command.

  “Continue!”

  “Bullet Punch,” Jasmine ordered. “Overwhelm and assault!”

  “Bulk Up!” Sam countered. “Everything into defense!”

  Against this kind of foe, Annihilape knew exactly what he needed to do, and Sam didn’t need to give any other order. Annihilape brought up his arms, breathed in to steady himself, and then a punch with the force of solid steel behind it slammed into his block.

  Sam could see what Jasmine was trying to do; Annihilape was an unknown factor, and Primeape were known for their rage. While her team’s defense helped to resist physical moves, the Steel Type made them vulnerable to Fighting Type attacks, and she wanted to overwhelm and harass Annihilape so that he’d give in to his rage.

  Except, she was operating under limited information. Overwhelming a Primeape to prevent it from attacking was a good way to annoy it into making a mistake. In the case of Annihilape, however, he knew exactly how to control himself. All of his effort was spent breathing carefully, slowly enhancing all aspects of his physical power with Bulk Up, and doing his best to withstand Scizor’s strike.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Each Bullet Punch was a lightning-fast jab that saw Annihilape wince. Yet, despite the difference in strength, only the first two attacks saw him step back. As Bulk Up grew, so did his power. Eventually, he became able to resist more and more damage.

  But it wasn’t like he wasn’t taking damage. Each strike still brought Annihilape closer to a faint. If they mistimed their move here, this battle would be over.

  “Careful... Careful...” Sam mumbled.

  Jasmine narrowed her eyes.

  “Scizor, this strategy isn’t working. Switch to—”

  “Now!”

  For a Steel Type, Scizor was fast, and it certainly would have been able to dodge a normal attack. Using its wings to assist its movements, it jerked back to move just out of reach of Annihilape’s arms.

  However, Annihilape was a Ghost Type, and though he was still firmly rooted in the physical, certain aspects of his body could change. Every hit he took was for the single purpose of enhancing this one move, and pouring his rage forward, his fist grew, and grew, and grew.

  “Farther!” Jasmine yelled.

  Her Pokémon didn’t react; Scizor was far too overwhelmed by the sheer weight of the attack heading its way. Though the move took less than a second to hit, the moment seemed to stretch into infinity as Scizor froze at the truck-sized fist heading its way.

  Rage Fist struck, and for every strike the Scizor had inflicted on Annihilape, Rage Fist’s attack power increased. That, combined with the boost of Bulk Up, saw Scizor fly back.

  Far, far back.

  Jasmine had been correct when she said this room was rated to withstand her Pokémon’s moves. When Scizor slammed against the wall, utterly knocked out, even that level of force didn’t leave a dent.

  “Scizor is... unable to battle,” the referee said quietly.

  As she and Jasmine stared in disbelief, Sam was unable to hold back his excitement. His voice was a roar.

  “YES!”

  This was a ten-star team versus a near-eight-star team, and one of his Pokémon had somehow managed to win. Of course, Annihilape had to take an extreme amount of damage to build himself up to where this was possible, but he had done it—more than just done it.

  He had taken out one of Jasmine’s core team members in just a single hit.

  “You...” Jasmine breathed out. “You two clearly put in a lot of effort for this.”

  Sam grinned at her. Annihilape wobbled from the sheer amount of damage he’d taken, but he still managed to remain on his feet.

  “I’ve underestimated you so far,” Jasmine said. “I’ve given you too much room to do as you please. We’re ending this. Expect the battle to not last much longer from here.”

  Nodding to herself as if to reaffirm her own words, Jasmine returned her fainted Scizor to release a new Pokémon.

  Above the field, a Magneton appeared. Three individual Magnemite, locked together, buzzed with electricity. This Pokémon was just as defensive as any other Steel Type, but most threateningly, it was a powerful special attacker.

  “Annihilape, return,” Sam said.

  At this point, even the slightest of shocks could finish off Annihilape, but Sam felt it was all worth it just for that one knock-out against Scizor.

  “Haunter, enter this battle carefully. Put it to sleep. Don’t take damage, yourself,” Sam told his next Pokémon.

  Jasmine looked over the grinning Ghost Type that appeared on Sam’s side of the field and chose to respond with a command of her own.

  “Ringing.”

  As Magneton had three eyes, Haunter clearly thought he could quickly cause it to fall asleep with Hypnosis, but metal lids slid over the Steel Type’s unfocused gaze to prevent the move from working.

  Following that up, the Magneton then pulled itself apart—temporarily. Each Magnemite that made up its body attempted to separate only for a sharp, metallic ring to echo throughout the room when each Pokémon clanged back together.

  Sam couldn’t tell if this attack was a Metal Sound or a Supersonic, but Haunter was certainly disrupted. The vibrations caused his body to shudder, and he let out a groaning whine while pressing his hands to his ears.

  “Thunderbolt.”

  Magneton’s magnets spun and crackled, and Haunter purposefully dropped, unable to do anything else. His speed helped him here; if he was just a split second slower, the lightning wouldn’t have sailed over his head.

  “Shadow Ball!” Sam shouted.

  He would have liked to call for a Hex, but without a status condition, Shadow Ball was stronger.

  Gritting his teeth, Haunter looked up at his opponent, but his aim was off. Still affected by the ringing noise, the move went a little too wide.

  Do we risk getting close? Magneton’s eyes are still closed, but it doesn’t seem to have any problems sensing where Haunter is.

  Sam didn’t know much about the Electric Type, but he guessed the Magneton was detecting electromagnetic waves or something like that.

  Another Thunderbolt came out, and Haunter zipped to the side to avoid that one as well. The problem right now was that Sam needed a way to deal damage, and the rest of the team was either too injured or too vulnerable at range to take on the Magneton. Acid Spray would have been decent if Magneton wasn’t immune, so there was only a single other move left.

  “Ominous Wind!”

  Thankfully, Haunter didn’t need to aim his attack since Ominous Wind’s unearthly breeze spread across the entire room. As the chilling Ghost Type move reached his opponent, the Magneton took the attack and shuddered.

  Jasmine then gave a command that made Sam’s stomach twist.

  “Charge.”

  Easily withstanding the damage, the Magneton’s magnets spun even more to generate electricity. Charge let it build up energy that it could use for future attacks. Even if Ominous Wind provided Haunter a boost, Charge would see the Magneton become too strong for anyone on Sam’s team.

  “...We have to risk it. Haunter, wrench open its eyes!”

  Haunter immediately understood the purpose behind Sam’s command, and he darted through the air, going as fast as he could. He reached Magneton in less than a second, and latent, crackling static made him wince.

  Yet, he still snapped his hands forward, half-phasing through the Magneton’s metal body just to grab one of its eyelids. In a genuinely awful action, he managed to just barely crack it open.

  He pulled off Hypnosis.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  While this part of the Magneton did fall asleep, it was only one Magnemite. Though slightly disrupted by a third of it being unable to fight, the other two-thirds of its body could still attack. And, with Haunter right there, it didn’t even need to aim. The Magneton simply burst for a Discharge that utterly consumed him.

  As if to add insult to injury, using the move woke up the third Magnemite.

  “...Discharge isn’t common in Johto,” Sam grumbled. “So if you know about it, you also have to know about Magnezone.”

  Sam returned Haunter, but as he spoke, Jasmine gained a furious blush.

  “I, um, I-I do. I just... haven’t had a chance to visit Sinnoh just yet?”

  She twisted her hair around a finger, suddenly intently looking at the ground to not meet Sam’s judging gaze. Over the field, her Magneton buzzed as if sighing. With that kind of reaction, Sam had a feeling this happened often.

  But Sam had to focus on considering his next Pokémon. He didn’t like his odds.

  Misdreavus and Haunter had fainted. Typhlosion and Annihilape were extremely injured. That just left Trevenant, but a Grass Type wasn’t a great match-up against Steel Type Pokémon.

  Still, Trevenant knew Leech Seed, and even with the difference in strength, he would be able to withstand most attacks. Sam was sure Trevenant could heal through at least some of Magneton’s damage, and Leech Seed’s drain bypassed its defense. Like with the Steelix, they could potentially put a timer on this fight.

  “Trevenant,” Sam said.

  He didn’t expect Jasmine’s reaction.

  “Wow! That’s a rare Pokémon!”

  “...As compared to Typhlosion and Annihilape?”

  “Sure, but those are special evolutions! You can actually catch Trevenant in Johto!”

  “You can also catch a Typhlosion?”

  This time around, Jasmine’s blush came from embarrassment.

  “So if you’re using that Pokémon... Alright, Magneton, come back.”

  Honestly, Sam had to question why she replaced a strong, ranged attacker with the ball of metal that took its place.

  Forretress wasn’t the most impressive Pokémon, but Sam knew it was almost as sturdy as a Steelix. Its defenses weren’t comparable, but its hardened shell made the Bug Type incredibly difficult to defeat.

  “Trevenant, Forretress can’t do much to hurt you. It may be a Bug Type, but it doesn’t have any strong attacks. Set up, first. Once you’re ready, prioritize landing a Leech Seed to deal damage.”

  Quietly, Jasmine waited to give any commands until Sam finished giving his orders. When he was done, she smiled.

  “You’re making this too easy. Before you have your Pokémon trap itself with Ingrain, do you know what a Forretress is known for?”

  “Its defense?” Sam offered. He also wasn’t worried about her comment on Ingrain. He already knew Trevenant could switch no matter what.

  “No,” Jasmine replied with a giggle. “Remember, I allowed for free switching for a reason. I could let you use that as you will, or with Forretress, I could—”

  “It’s known for its spikes,” Sam said with a dawning realization. “Return, quick! And Typhlosion, hurry!”

  As healthy as Trevenant was, Sam simply couldn’t afford to keep him out there. Typhlosion was on the verge of fainting, but she needed to knock out Forretress now before it could use its move.

  Yet, Jasmine just giggled again, and as Typhlosion breathed in, she once more gave her Pokémon a single command.

  “Spikes,” she ordered.

  Forretress closed its shell to become a tight ball and spun. Glowing spikes grew out of its body to scatter in every direction, and then flames consumed it. Possessing two Types vulnerable to Fire Type moves as well as a mediocre special defense meant that was it. It didn’t matter how sturdy Forretress was; with enough fire, it would faint, but Jasmine had let it faint.

  All because she wanted it to pull off this one move.

  “Your team has a fine strategy for modern conceptions of battling, but there are a few tricks from Sinnoh you should be aware of,” Jasmine said. “Many trainers from Sinnoh heavily rely on entry hazards. Forretress is known for its Spikes, so now if you try to send out any Pokémon, they’ll take damage the moment they hit the ground.”

  The spikes were spread out thinly enough that Typhlosion would have no problem moving around them. Unfortunately, a newly sent-out Pokémon wouldn’t know where they were and would land on them, taking damage in the process.

  If he had kept Typhlosion in her Pokéball, that would have been it for the battle. The small amount of chip damage from the Spikes would have been enough to see her faint. The same was true for Annihilape and the extreme number of injuries he’d sustained.

  “With one move, you almost took out two of my Pokémon,” Sam mumbled in disbelief.

  Jasmine hadn’t let up her smile.

  “But you managed to recognize that and send out your Typhlosion early! That was a good choice on your part!”

  She looked over to Sam’s Pokémon and at how Typhlosion was breathing heavily. The fur on her chest was discolored from where she’d hurt herself with Curse. Honestly, she should have fainted. If Steelix’s Dig had been more focused on damage instead of disruption, that would have been it.

  Right now, she was so hurt that it would take only a single hit to knock her out.

  Recognizing what Jasmine still had left, Sam braced himself for the return of her Magneton. However, Magneton wasn’t the Pokémon Jasmine chose to send out.

  “Let’s finish this,” Jasmine said. “Steelix, use Earthquake.”

  As if resuming the match-up that started the battle, Jasmine released her ace Pokémon—her Steelix. That towering Pokémon reared back to shake the earth, but Typhlosion was quick.

  “Jump!”

  Steelix’s attack wasn’t a usual attack. In the case of Earthquake, its attack was the field. A crack formed in the dirt and stretched to where Typhlosion stood. She likely only managed to jump in time to avoid the damage thanks to Detect.

  But there was a problem with that; Typhlosion couldn’t fly. She had entered the air, so she was due to fall. Though she had managed to use this single attack, all she had bought herself was a second.

  Yet, to finish off Steelix, she also only needed to land a single attack.

  “Fire! Whatever you can! Even Ember could work!”

  Curse had done its job earlier. Steelix barely had any stamina left. Anything would be enough.

  So, Typhlosion breathed in. Deeper than ever before, her flames turned a near-black purple. Both shadow and light were cast across the field in a brightness that made Sam squint. Wisps then formed in the air around her, but they didn’t spread out. The various motes appeared and rushed her, and Typhlosion sucked all of them right in.

  What is she...

  Fire glowed within her neck. She hit the earth, but she pushed off of it to lunge to the side, somehow narrowly avoiding a second Earthquake. Her entire purpose was being spent just to finish charging this attack.

  It wasn’t an Ember. It wasn’t a Flamethrower. It was a Fire Type move, but one more powerful than Sam had ever seen before.

  “This can’t be Eruption. She’s too injured,” Sam said in a whisper. “Eruption’s power is tied to a Pokémon’s health. I thought she’d eventually pick it up, but here—”

  Sam stopped himself. He could remember their time on Carl’s ranch. Typhlosion had vanished for several days straight all for the sole purpose of training under her grandfather. They’d been practicing. That aged Typhlosion had been teaching her. Sam hadn’t been aware of what move it was, but...

  I always knew my grandfather had experience as a trainer, but this?

  Across from Sam, Jasmine let out a soft chuckle.

  “If there was any way for Steelix to faint, a Blast Burn would do it,” she said.

  The flames that ultimately left Typhlosion’s throat turned the room a deep red. The dirt churned up by so many attacks almost seemed to melt under her heat. This was an eruption, but an eruption so different from that similarly-named move. Only so many species could learn this, and even then, it took a special Pokémon to pull it off.

  But Typhlosion had figured out Blast Burn with only a handful of days under her grandfather. And now she was using that ultimate move here.

  The Steelix tried to dodge, of course, but Jasmine saw the move was coming and recognized there was no way to avoid it. The Pokémon dove, trying to dive beneath the incoming attack, but the flames were a meteor that consumed both it and the earth, and when the heat finally died down, the Steelix was glowing. Consumed by heat, it fell over.

  Steelix fainted.

  Then, exhausted, Typhlosion fell over, too.

  The battle was sealed from there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t sealed in Sam’s favor. Trevenant just didn’t have a way to deal enough damage to Magneton from range. He could heal through its initial attacks, and Leech Seed almost seemed to give him a chance. But he didn’t have a way to heal from status conditions, and once the electricity paralyzed him, the rate at which he healed was cut in half. Magneton’s Charge then let it build into a threat he couldn’t beat.

  After that, Sam only had Annihilape left, but Forrretress had already effectively taken him out of the fight. Sam chose to at least try to see if Annihilape could withstand being released, but the Spikes had somehow persisted even through everything else, and the moment he landed on the ground, that little bit of damage was just enough to take him out.

  Then, it was over.

  Sam could only breathe out to acknowledge what had happened.

  “We lost.”

  And that was that.

  He had mixed feelings about the battle. Losing was painful, but he couldn’t ignore his team’s achievements. Not only had Typhlosion done the impossible and defeated Jasmine’s Steelix, but Annihilape had fainted her Scizor in a single punch. Even Forretress, who Jasmine chose to let faint, was a victory just because Jasmine was in a position to make that choice in the first place.

  Yet, she had only used four Pokémon—Steelix, Scizor, Magneton, and Forretress. As great as an achievement that taking out three of four was, Jasmine also still had her fifth. She’d been poised to win from the start.

  But there was no sense in arguing over the outcome of the match. Sam had lost, but that was a given considering the level of opponent he faced with his team. He still won in small ways. How many trainers, even at an elite level, could say they knocked out Jasmine’s ace Steelix in a match?

  To shake Jasmine’s hand, Sam had to walk around the side of the field. The field itself was so churned up and covered in both spikes and stones that there was no way either of them could safely walk over it. The referee sent out a Pokémon—not a Steel Type, to Sam’s surprise, but a Ground Type Sandslash. It looked around before excitedly diving into the dirt, using its sharp claws to break up the debris and smooth the field out.

  “Good fight,” Jasmine said.

  “...Good fight,” Sam said, and he meant it even though he didn’t win. “I know we lost, but when it comes to ways we can improve, do you have any tips that could help my team?”

  He had his ideas. Ranged Pokémon were by far his team’s biggest weakness. Though Typhlosion, Misdreavus, and Haunter could attack them back, they didn’t have a great team member to withstand special attacks. Giving Annihilape or Trevenant a ranged move could help, but at least against Jasmine, between her Steelix’s Earthquake and her Magneton’s everything, they simply didn’t have a way to handle that.

  Humming, Jasmine considered Sam’s question, but when she spoke, she didn’t bring up anything similar.

  “At a base level, you and I have similar strategies. I use my Pokémon’s defenses to my advantage, and you use your team’s status conditions and evasion. My Pokémon were a bit more aggressive than usual in this fight just because we could afford that, but even with how you tried to limit us, we had a surprising amount of freedom.”

  “What do you mean?”.

  “Status conditions can weaken opponents, but you're not restricting your opponents enough to truly make them work,” Jasmine said. “Status conditions shine the most when your opponents don’t have a viable way to fight back, and when they have no choice but to be worn down over time. Except, in our match, my Pokémon and I always had ways to counter your team. Your best moment was when your Misdreavus used Mean Look. It was what let your Typhlosion finish off Steelix! But for the rest of it—”

  “I focused too much on offense,” Sam grumbled, rubbing his head.

  “More than that. You only have a few Pokémon that actually inflicted useful status conditions. Teaching more of them Will-O-Wisp can help, but I also think you should look into moves like Mean Look to help in your fights.

  “But really, Pokémon battles are all about finding or creating advantages you can use,” Jasmine continued. “You either want to limit your opponent’s options or make as many opportunities as possible for your team. You focus on limiting your opponents like I do, but you don’t do that enough. Power is power, and power is always good, but you need to find a better balance between power and status moves to make the most out of your team.”

  Sam nodded along, committing Jasmine’s words to memory. He could already recognize one opportunity he missed. With Haunter, at least, he focused too much on Hypnosis. When Jasmine called for Charge, he missed out on a perfectly viable Spite.

  His team did have those kinds of moves Jasmine was talking about, he just wasn’t using them enough. His Pokémon also had options they were in the process of learning—like Pain Split and Destiny Bond—but for most of his team, those two moves weren’t in a ready enough state to have used them in this match.

  “Thank you. That really helps,” Sam said.

  Jasmine sent him a smile.

  “I’m glad. I’d offer more, but I’m not a Ghost Type specialist. I’m not sure I can say anything more than that. Still, thank you for the battle! It was a nice distraction from all the work...” Her eyes suddenly widened in realization. “...All the work I still have to finish.”

  She let out a defeated sigh.

  Sam left the Gym feeling strongly about the Conference. In every way, this had been a learning experience, and he felt more prepared than ever to continue to train his team.

  As he left, he was once again joined by Dreepy and Drakloak. Those two continued to stay next to him so that no one would try to catch them, and all the way, Dreepy gushed on and on about everything he’d seen.

  It was hard to parse such energetic squeaks, but he gestured enough to let Sam understand the gist of what he was trying to refer to. Dreepy liked Annihilape’s attacks. He really liked Haunter’s speed. He was also enamored with Typhlosion’s Blast Burn, and it seemed like he wanted to be the heart of a move that strong.

  At times, he would tap his sister’s head to try to get her to chime in, but Drakloak would just grunt, roll her eyes, or give one-syllable responses. However, there was one moment brought up that caused her to go silent, look at the ground, and almost seem to blush.

  If there was anything she got out of watching that match, it was that she wanted to become as tough as Jasmine.

  The night was spent letting everyone rest, and Sam spent a while just considering Jasmine’s advice. As effective as his strategy was, he could tell he had made mistakes and had plenty of gaps to fill in.

  But they would fix that. So far, his most effective periods of practice had been before his seventh Gym match and when he’d been on his own after his return to Ecruteak. He was slowly becoming more and more attuned to the best ways to train his team. With his increase in both knowledge and experience, he could see all the little ways to help his Pokémon become strong.

  He knew that once they spent some time training in Ilex, his Pokémon would see a drastic increase in strength. Before that, they needed to get through Cianwood and earn their eighth Gym Badge.

  The next morning, they left. A curious pair of shadows slipped onto the boat after Sam. As much as Drakloak tried to stay hidden, she wasn’t good at it with how Dreepy came out to stay at Sam’s side.

  The ticket for this boat had been a bit more expensive than Sam would have liked, but that was just because the boat wasn’t a ferry. Rather, someone had a small speeder primarily used for medicine deliveries that they also sold tickets for as a way to earn extra cash on the side.

  Because of Sam’s choice of ride, the trip to Cianwood only took most of a day instead of the two-and-a-half days it’d take otherwise. It might have been faster if not for the Whirl Islands in the way, but the shape of those islands saw so many whirlpools form that even thinking of getting close was not worth the risk.

  Sam arrived in Cianwood only a bit past dusk, and he breathed in its salty sea air. The city’s similarities to his home didn’t miss him. Like Dewford, Cianwood was a coastal island city separate from the region’s mainland, and it also had its own Fighting Type Gym.

  It was so similar, in fact, that upon entering it, he didn’t regret his choice to spend as little time here as possible. This place was too much like Dewford. He just wanted to earn his final Gym Badge and then move on.

  But of course, this was the place Misdreavus was set to evolve, but that was something they planned for tomorrow. After such a tough fight against Jasmine, when a nurse tells you that your team needs to rest, you have them rest instead of doing something insane like presenting one with an evolutionary stone.

  The night of their arrival in Cianwood was meant to be a rest until the next morning, but upon checking into the Pokémon Center, the nurse froze when she entered Sam’s ID. It wasn’t the usual freeze—she was too early in the process to see the members of his team. Instead, she looked up and hesitantly asked for him to confirm his name.

  “Yes? I’m Samuel Greyson?” he answered.

  Her brow furrowed.

  “Can you wait here for a moment?”

  He wasn’t going to ignore a nurse’s request.

  Though Sam was a bit worried about what that reaction could mean, he still nodded, and the nurse stepped into the Center’s back. There weren’t too many other trainers around since it was pretty much night. Cianwood also wasn’t the largest city in the region, so he imagined Gym challengers here were processed pretty fast.

  Sam found a chair. His Pokémon rested in their Pokéballs or his shadow. The nurse hadn’t asked for him to hand them over for treatment.

  For now, not sure what else to do, he closed his eyes to try to relax as well. That lasted only a few minutes. Before no time at all, he heard the ding of the Center’s automatic front doors, and after a second of catching their breath, someone shouted out with a booming voice.

  “THERE YOU ARE!”

  Sam’s eyes snapped open. The sheer volume of that voice practically shook the building. He tried to look around to see if the burly man in the doorway was speaking to anyone else, but Sam was the only person in the room.

  “...Me?”

  “YOU DON’T EVEN REALIZE HOW LONG YOU’VE KEPT ME WAITING, DO YOU? AN ENTIRE SEASON! MONTHS OF NOTHING! I HONESTLY THOUGHT YOU WERE NEVER GOING TO SHOW UP!”

  The heavy man huffed.

  “WHAT, YOU GET COLD FEET?”

  Even though it had to be true, Sam prayed that this man was talking to literally anyone else, but the man’s eyes were firmly locked onto him. Grinning, the stranger practically stormed over.

  Sam knew this wasn’t someone he could beat in a fight—any kind of fight, actually.

  The man stopped marching forward when he reached a spot right in front of Sam. He had a presence to him that made him feel bigger than he truly was, and he was made that much more intimidating by the fact he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

  “You really think Brawly recommended Johto for no reason?” the man said, now speaking at a still loud but more reasonable volume. “You should have known better than that. Now, come on! We’re leaving.”

  “Why?” Sam squeaked.

  “Because you’ll be staying with me! I’m Chuck!” Chuck let out a deep, chortling laugh. “Now get up, Sam! This is an opportunity for you! Don’t you know it’s an honor to be invited to a Gym Leader’s home?”

  Skarmory.

  Sam’s Team:

  Badges Earned: 7 (Mineral, Fog, Plain, Hive, Zephyr, Rising, Glacier)

  Approximate Team Strength: 7 Stars

  (Fire / Ghost Type, Female, Timid Nature +Spe/-Atk)

  Abilities: Blaze

  Held Item: Charcoal

  Moves: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Ember, Flame Wheel, Curse, Will-O-Wisp, Incinerate, Detect, Quick Attack, Swift, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Double Team, Infernal Parade, Confuse Ray, Hex, Shadow Ball, Night Shade, Shadow Claw, Agility, Blast Burn

  (Fighting / Ghost Type, Male, Impish Nature +Def/-SpA)

  Abilities: Vital Spirit

  Moves: Scratch, Leer, Low Kick, Karate Chop, Fury Swipes, Assurance, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Cross Chop, Curse, Brick Break, Rock Smash, Rock Slide, Bulk Up, Rage, Rage Fist, Close Combat

  Haunter (Ghost / Poison Type, Male, Naive Nature +Spe/-SpD)

  Abilities: Levitate

  Moves: Hypnosis, Lick, Confuse Ray, Spite, Mean Look, Hex, Shadow Punch, Night Shade, Acid Spray, Ominous Wind, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Nightmare

  (Ghost Type, Female, Hasty Nature +Spe/-Def)

  Pokéball: Friend Ball

  Abilities: Levitate

  Moves: Growl, Psywave, Astonish, Confusion, Confuse Ray, Mean Look, Night Shade, Shadow Sneak, Shadow Ball, Nasty Plot, Psybeam, Will-O-Wisp, Psychic, Hex, Power Gem

  Trevenant (Ghost / Grass Type, Male, Quiet Nature +SpA/-Spe)

  Pokéball: Moon Ball

  Abilities: Harvest, Frisk (Developing)

  Held Item: Sitrus Berry

  Moves: Horn Leech, Tackle, Confuse Ray, Astonish, Growth, Ingrain, Leech Seed, Forest’s Curse, Shadow Claw, Phantom Force

  Inevitable: ,

  Auxiliary Pokémon: A decent number of wild (only increasing)

  At Home (non-battlers): ,

  At Carl’s Ranch: (more than twenty), (Annihilape’s brother)

  Redi’s Team (at last sighting):

  Badges Earned: 7 (Mineral, Plain, Hive, Zephyr, Rising, Glacier, Fog)

  Approximate Team Strength: 6 Stars

  (Normal Type, Male, Adamant Nature +Atk/-SpA)

  Abilities: Guts, Quick Feet

  Moves: Scratch, Fury Swipes, Fire Punch, Baby-Doll Eyes, Slash, Ice Punch, Focus Energy, Thunder Punch, Hyper Beam, Rock Slide, Swords Dance, Giga Impact, Shadow Claw, Sleep Talk

  Porygon (Normal Type, Genderless, Quirky Nature +-n/a)

  Abilities: n/a

  Moves: Tackle, Sharpen, Conversion, Psybeam, Thunder Shock, Charge Beam, Discharge, Tri-Attack, Charge, Teleport, Recover, Thunder Wave, Magnet Rise, Lock-On, Zap Cannon

  (Dragon Type, Female, Rash Nature +SpA/-SpD)

  Abilities: Shed Skin

  Moves: Wrap, Leer, Thunder Wave, Twister, Slam, Agility, Aqua Tail, Dragon Rush

  Auxiliary Pokémon: x2 (Tibia and Fibula)

  Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:

  Forretress

  / / /

  Chuck

  huge thank you to everyone reading! Your support keeps this story going.