But that was only how it looked. Just as Squirtle's appearance was a tactical deception, Litten's Blaze was one too.
You thought it was a desperate last stand, when in reality, your opponent was still in good shape.
An unusual exception could exploit what an opponent considered common knowledge, leading them to make the wrong call.
"Block it with Fury Swipes, then pin its claws!"
Because of their training regimen, the Pokémon in Xin Mu's home were essentially all powerhouses, and Litten was no exception.
Sharp claws clashed with pincers at close range. Finally, Litten seized an opening and forced Corphish's pincers down against the ground.
Different Pokémon underwent changes to their internal organs during evolution. Blastoise was one example. Before evolving, both Wartortle and Squirtle spat water from their mouths.
After evolving, however, that function transferred to the cannons on their backs. At least, the vast majority of Blastoise could no longer spit water from their mouths.
The twin cannons were more powerful, but their firing angles were restricted, preventing them from using moves against certain targets directly in front of them.
Corphish was much the same. They relied on their pincers to unleash Water-type moves, so once Litten pinned those pincers against the ground, their best Water-type moves were temporarily sealed off.
"Ember, full power! Stop holding back!"
Restrictions went both ways. With Litten using her forepaws to pin her opponent's pincers, she could no longer attack with her claws either. As for other types...
Litten actually knew the Ghost-type move Lick, but she hated using it. The number of times she had used it was practically zero.
If there were a Forgetful Old Man around, Litten would definitely go to him and ask to forget that move. She hated attacking that way.
With Blaze boosting her, she