Chapter 56: Fire, Fire, Fire

"Charmander, use Ember again!"

Since type advantages were in play, Natsuhiko saw no need to switch tactics; he would simply use Fire-type attacks to thoroughly burn Tangela.

Erika shouted aloud, "Tangela, use Bind!"

Constantly dodging the flames, Tangela executed a sharp turn. Spotting an opening, the vines on its body lashed forward at incredible speed, tightly wrapping around Charmander!

Was she trying to close the distance and follow up with a Normal-type close-quarters battle?

However, for Natsuhiko, this decision played right into his hands!

Boosted by Chlorophyll, Tangela's speed was simply too fast. Natsuhiko had originally been pondering how to end this battle while expending the minimum amount of stamina, and now that an opportunity had delivered itself to his doorstep, he naturally wasn't going to let it pass.

"Charmander, make your Ember travel along its vines and reach all the way back!"

Constrained tightly by the vines, Charmander endured the crushing pressure with a painful expression on its face. Hearing Natsuhiko's command, it opened its mouth and spat out a cluster of flames, using the vines as a medium to scorch straight toward Tangela's main body!

"Oh no!" Erika cried out anxiously, "Tangela! Let go right now!!"

Yet, wanting to release the bind at this moment was already far too late. The flames raced along the vines at astonishing speed, spreading directly toward Tangela!

The next second, Tangela's entire body was set ablaze, resembling a moving fireball!

"Well done!" Natsuhiko said calmly, "Charmander, take advantage of this and close the distance!"

When Tangela finally managed to shake off the flames, it discovered that an orange-yellow figure had already arrived right in front of it!

Before it could react, following another command from Natsuhiko, yet another burst of Ember was unleashed, enveloping Tangela entirely!

Fire beats grass, and it's super effective!

Looking at Tangela, which was now suffering from extensive burns across its body, Erika gently shook her head, recalled it, and then sent out her second Pokémon.

This was a peculiar Pokémon shaped like a trumpet with a large mouth. On either side of its yellow body grew massive leaves, while a pair of large, round, black eyes gave it a somewhat goofy appearance.

Pokémon Pokédex: "Bip. Weepinbell, the Flycatcher Pokémon. Grass and Poison type. The evolved form of Bellsprout. Appearing no different from an ordinary plant, Weepinbell typically preys on Bug-type Pokémon. Once prey is spotted, they launch sharp leaves, paralyze their target with poisonous powder, and finally digest them completely using dissolving liquid."

Although Charmander had sustained minor injuries earlier, Natsuhiko had no intention of swapping it out.

Once both Pokémon were ready, perhaps influenced by the previous setback, Erika chose to take the initiative.

"Weepinbell, use Razor Leaf!"

A continuous stream of razor-sharp leaves shot forth from Weepinbell's stem. With a wave of Natsuhiko's hand, Charmander unleashed an Ember to counter them head-on.

Bang!!

The two moves met and neutralized each other in mid-air. Yet, just as the flying leaves and fiery glow completely vanished, Weepinbell moved without a sound, charging straight toward Charmander.

"So fast? Is your Weepinbell also rocking the Chlorophyll ability?" Natsuhiko asked in surprise.

"You guessed correctly." Erika glanced at the Kirlia by Natsuhiko's side, a gentle smile crossing her face as she calmly replied, "Your Pokémon held the type advantage, but today's ample sunlight certainly clawed back some of my disadvantages."

Huh?

That tone of voice, accompanied by a slightly mischievous smile—was she complaining that I was just bullying her with type advantages?

Pulling his thoughts back to the battlefield, Natsuhiko had already vaguely guessed her intentions.

Seeing Weepinbell approach Charmander at close quarters, Natsuhiko shouted loudly, "Charmander, use Smokescreen!"

A plume of black smoke billowed from Charmander's mouth. Before it could even fully shroud itself, a glob of viscous yellow liquid erupted from Weepinbell's wide mouth, splashing directly toward the spot where Charmander was hiding!

It was Poison-type Acid, capable of dealing damage while simultaneously lowering the target's Special Defense!

Judging by the seamless teamwork between Weepinbell and Erika, this move had undoubtedly been practiced countless times in previous Gym battles!

Even though Charmander had evaded preemptively and had the cover of the smokescreen, it was still clipped by a splash of the dissolving liquid.

From within the fog, a cry of pain escaped Charmander, but it quickly composed itself once again.

As the smoke billowed thicker, it shrouded half the battlefield in the blink of an eye. Weepinbell stood outside the fog, but Charmander was nowhere to be seen.

The atmosphere shifted abruptly, growing exceptionally quiet—so silent that a pin drop could be heard. After waiting for quite a while, Charmander still did not reappear.

Erika glanced at Natsuhiko. Seeing his expression remain unchanged, she knew matters weren't that simple.

Was this tactic meant to stall until the effect of the Acid wore off?

With that thought, Erika hesitated no longer and called out, "Weepinbell, use Razor Leaf!"

Weepinbell gathered razor leaves once more and swept them across the smoke. The swift blade-like leaves kicked up gusts of wind that quickly dissipated the haze.

"Now is the chance!"

At that sight, Natsuhiko shouted at the top of his lungs. Following the order, Charmander burst out from the opposite side, braving the damage from the Razor Leaf, aimed squarely at Weepinbell, and unleashed a direct blast of Ember!

Since Weepinbell was still in the middle of executing Razor Leaf, it was locked in recovery and unable to dodge, forcing it to take the full brunt of the attack head-on!

Flames engulfed Weepinbell! It's super effective!

Yet Charmander's assault was far from over. It sprinted toward Weepinbell, first extending its sharp claws to slash fiercely at the opponent over a dozen times, before immediately transitioning into Dragon Rage at point-blank range, unleashing a shockwave that directly knocked Weepinbell out.

Seeing Weepinbell fall to the ground and unable to continue, the blue-haired girl raised her right hand and announced loudly, "Weepinbell is unable to battle!"

Erika silently recalled her Pokémon and was about to send out her final one when she suddenly noticed Charmander's body enveloped in a glowing light.

"Oh? Is it evolving?"

Having traveled alongside Natsuhiko for quite some time, Charmander had finally accumulated enough experience to begin evolving!

Soon enough, as the light faded, it was replaced by the much more formidable Charmeleon!

Charmeleon's appearance was far more ferocious than Charmander's. Not only had its skin darkened in tone and its claws grown longer and sharper, but its eyes had also sharpened in intensity, and a horn-like protrusion had sprouted atop its head.

Pokémon Pokédex: "Bip. Charmeleon, the Flame Pokémon. Fire type. The evolved form of Charmander. Skilled at using Flamethrower and mastering a vast array of Fire-type moves. The destructive power of its attacks is closely linked to its mental state. When encountering a formidable foe, it becomes excited, spewing bluish-white flames while the fire on its tail burns intensely."

The newly evolved Charmeleon roared toward the sky, radiating a powerful fighting spirit!

Its evolution also meant that Natsuhiko's starter Pokémon had finally all reached their second evolutionary stages!

Erika let out a soft sigh.

They were already at a type disadvantage, and now her opponent had suddenly evolved, undoubtedly growing even stronger. This final bout was bound to be extraordinarily difficult.

Though she was reluctant to see her Pokémon get hurt, the pride of being a Gym Leader compelled her to send out her final partner.

"Go, my most cherished companion—Gloom!"