Charge! Lucario

Kaim felt uncomfortable with Cochran's words.

"But Cynthia and I have separate rooms."

"Oh, I was wondering whether you were sharing a room. Lady Cynthia went into your room without the slightest hesitation, Lord Kaim. That was all."

Kaim lowered his head, feeling troubled and wondering whether someone had been watching him.

"Also, Lady Shimi and Lady Alice are staying where Lady Cynthia's room originally was."

Convinced by Cochran's explanation, Kaim smiled.

"I know what you mean."

"Considering your relationship, there's nothing strange about it."

Then Kaim remembered. After all, Shirona had come seeking comfort after being teased at the girls' gathering yesterday. Since they had slept in the same bed the day before, he had not bothered saying anything and had simply gone into the room.

"Don't worry."

"Thanks."

"More importantly, were you planning to go somewhere else?"

Cochran spoke as he looked at Kaim's workout clothes.

Cochran guessed that he would be doing some training, and in fact, Kaim planned to train at the beach.

"Oh. Just a little beach."

"Be careful. When will you be back?"

"I'll be back in about an hour."

"Understood. Don't overdo your training."

"Yes."

Kaim left through the front door and let Lucario and Blaziken out of their balls.

After warming up a little, the two began running toward the beach.

Kaim blocked Blaziken's outstretched fist with his palm, then countered with a palm-heel strike. Blaziken shifted his body to evade it and extended a kick. Taking the kick on his upper arm, Kaim grabbed Blaziken's arm and lowered his stance for a shoulder throw.

But Blaziken read the move, twisting his body as he stepped around behind Kaim. He kicked at Kaim, who was still crouched low, but Kaim blocked it with his sword. Then Kaim and Blaziken threw punches at the same time, stopping their fists just in front of each other.

"That's enough."

Kaim relaxed. They bowed to each other, and he wiped away his sweat.

"I can't win anymore. Technique alone can't bridge the sheer gap in strength and speed."

Blaziken looked pleased by Kaim's words. He had always been a muscleheaded sort and had been slow to master techniques. Blaziken himself had felt no need to learn them, so he had not bothered, while Kaim had kept trying to teach him.

With his constant eagerness to learn, he had eventually become as skilled as his teacher, Kaim. In fact, even in their latest spar, Blaziken had held back a little. The difference in physical ability between humans and Pokémon made that inevitable, but even setting that aside, Kaim could no longer compete with Blaziken.

"Now, Lucario, have a go with Blaziken."

When Kaim called to Lucario, who had been meditating on the beach, Lucario opened his eyes and turned toward Blaziken.

Blaziken also faced Lucario, and their spar began at Kaim's call. Lucario had focused on acquiring skills before raising his level, so despite joining later, his level had already risen to about the same as Blaziken's. Knowing that his weakness was his low defense, he had also developed his defensive techniques-redirecting attacks, countering, and breaking falls-to the same level as Cynthia's Lucario.

His offensive techniques, however, were still immature, and Blaziken was more accomplished in that area. Perhaps that had something to do with their personalities, but both still had room to improve.

Recently, though, Kaim had felt stuck.

Neither humans nor Pokémon could keep growing forever, and growth had its limits. There was no such thing as endless improvement.

But the "stagnation" Kaim felt now did not come from a lack of room to grow. He thought its cause was something more fundamental.

I only started feeling stuck recently. I've fought pretty well against Sumomo, but I still haven't won. A draw is the best I've managed, so I've never actually beaten her.

Sumomo's ace, Lucario, was level 62. Type matchups played a part, but Little Black was level 59, so this was not an unbeatable opponent, depending on how Kaim approached the battle. Yet even Staraptor, with its favorable type matchup, had failed to win.

Defeating a Gym Leader who was fighting seriously was no easy feat. Still, there was a reason he kept losing to Sumomo, who did not know the full extent of his strength.

"I guess I'll have to ask Cynthia."

Unable to work out the answer himself, Kaim decided that asking his mentor, Cynthia, would be quickest. He looked past Blaziken and Lucario, who were still working on their techniques, toward the morning sun.

The rising sun was so dazzling that Kaim instinctively shielded his eyes with his hand.

"Dragonport Immortal Tower?"

After breakfast, Iris spoke while sipping her coffee and listening to Cynthia.

"Yes. You said it's a tower with deep ties to the legends of the Unova Region. As an archaeologist, I'd certainly love to see it."

Whether or not she had actually researched it, a place with such deep ties to a legend was somewhere an archaeologist would surely want to visit. She did not know whether the tower truly matched the legends, but it was certainly worth a look.

"I see. You're both scholars."

"Well."

"All right. Then I'll contact my big brother."

"Your grandfather...?"

"Alice's mentor is Shaka, the Leader of the Soul Current Gym. He also manages Dragonspiral Tower."

"Yes. Then, if we get Mr. Shaka's permission..."

"We can enter Dragonport Immortal Tower."

"Now I'm even more curious. Then, Alice, could I ask you a favor?"

"Of course! You listened to my selfish request yesterday, so thank you!"

"Thank you."

That settled their plans for tomorrow.

They discussed what to do today, but after yesterday's packed schedule, including a full day of fun and going to see a show, the plan was to rest and recover some energy.

That said, there was no way Iris, with all her energy, would simply stay at home.

"For now, I've just emailed Little Ji. I'll let you know when I get a reply."

"I can help."

"So! There's something else I want to do today!"

As Iris spoke, her eyes sparkled, and she turned her gaze toward Kaim.

Kaim had a bad feeling and looked away, but Iris did not stop there.

"Mr. Kaim, let's battle!"

"Really?"

"Yes. I can tell your Pokémon trust you a lot, Mr. Kaim. That makes me think battling you would be fun, so I want to try!"

"I'm not strong enough to satisfy a Champion yet."

Kaim could not imagine being a match for a Champion when he could not even defeat a Gym Leader.

Of course, Kaim understood that Iris wanted to battle as a way of communicating, not to test his skills. Still, against someone as capable as Cynthia, he felt the question would not be whether he could win, but how much he could endure.

"It's fine, it's fine! Come on! Let's do it!"

"Oh, yes, all right, all right. I'll do it."

"Great! Then let's hurry outside!"

When Iris stood up, Kaim nearly spat out his coffee. However eager Alice might be, he had never imagined they would start battling so soon. He glanced at the clock. It was already nine in the morning. It was a good time to get moving, but he felt it was still too early for a battle.

"Uh, now?"

"Absolutely!"

"Naturally."

"Let's go!"

"Wait!"

Kaim hurried after Iris, who had sprung to her feet and taken the lead.

"Hehe, Alice will make Kaim more active in battle."

"I think Kaim ought to be a little more aggressive when he battles."

"Exactly. Mr. Kaim was strong enough to defeat Caitlin's Musharna and deal considerable damage to her other two Pokémon."

An ordinary Gym Trainer could not take down even one of an Elite Four member's Pokémon. The fact that Kaim could do so made it clear that he was no ordinary Personal Trainer.

Yet he did not want to battle, even though there was no reason to think he simply did not want his Pokémon getting hurt.

Cynthia knew the reason very well. His approach had worked so far, but if he wanted to defeat Gym Leaders in the future, he needed to change the way he battled. A battle against Iris, whose level was far above his, was a good opportunity.

"Is Kaim hesitating over something?"

"Perhaps hesitation isn't quite the right word, but yes. There's definitely something on his mind."

"People lose their way and worry. Pokémon worry, so people worry too. I think new bonds and strength are born when we worry together and overcome those worries."

"You really are a novelist. You're good at putting people's feelings into words."

"Hehe, I've only just started, but I'm happy to hear you say that."

Cynthia stood up, looking kindly at the embarrassed Shimi.

"Let's go."

Cynthia raised her head and spoke with a somewhat serious expression, her earlier tenderness gone.

Caitlin and Shimi noticed her serious expression, but did not understand why she looked that way. They silently followed her.

"All right, let's begin!"

"Yeah."

Shimi stood between the two as they faced each other across the field.

"There will be no time limit. Kaim will use four Pokémon, and Iris will use one."

"I don't think winning with that kind of disadvantage would be strange!"

"Well, let's see how far someone like me can get."

Kaim had never managed to defeat Cynthia's Pokémon. I can put up a good fight now, but I don't know how far I can go.

"Begin the battle!"

At Shikimi's shout, the two threw their balls.

"Come on out, Haxorus!"

"Let's go, Blaziken."

Iris sent out her ace, Haxorus.

Kaim chose Blaziken. It was not a favorable type matchup for Blaziken. Fire-type moves were ineffective against Dragon-types. Fighting-type moves dealt neutral damage, but Haxorus had greater attack power and speed. With his limited endurance, Blaziken probably could not withstand Haxorus's moves.

"You're starting with your ace?"

"Of course! Please show me everything you've got, Mr. Kaim!"

"Let's do our best. Basamo, Flame Charge."

Wrapped in flames, Blaziken charged toward Haxorus.

"Haxorus! Dual Chop!"

Blaziken caught the arm Haxorus swung down with a roar. With a level gap of more than twenty, Blaziken could not fully absorb the blow and took damage.

However, Flame Charge had increased Blaziken's speed. He lowered his stance and pushed Haxorus's arm aside.

"Sky Uppercut!"

He raised his fist and slammed it into Haxorus's chin.

That connected. It did some damage, too. But Haxorus braced its chin against his fist and fixed its eyes on Blaziken.

"Ah?!"

"Dragon Claw!"

"Get back!"

Blaziken immediately retreated, avoiding a direct hit. He took some damage, but not enough to hamper his movement.

That would've been disastrous if I hadn't boosted his speed with Flame Charge.

While thinking about what to do next, Kaim inwardly grumbled at Haxorus's endurance, which exceeded his expectations.

But Champion Iris was not naive enough to wait for him to finish thinking.

"Hehe, nice move! Haxorus, Dragon Dance!"

Damn it, can't you slow down a little?!

While Kaim hesitated, Iris used Dragon Dance to boost Haxorus's physical abilities. Kaim was frustrated with his own thinking, unable to make a quick decision at a time like this.

"Bulk Up!"

Kaim decided that since he could not stop Dragon Dance, he should spend the time strengthening his own Pokémon rather than attacking. He used Bulk Up to raise Blaziken's attack and defense. Combined with Flame Charge, it greatly improved Blaziken's physical abilities.

Still, that was not enough to defeat Haxorus. Both Blaziken and Kaim knew it.

"Let's go! Dragon Claw!"

"Flame Charge!"

Haxorus's claws and body collided with Blaziken's flame-wreathed fists. With his increased defense, Blaziken took very little damage unless a hit landed directly, but even his own direct hits barely hurt Haxorus. At this rate, he would be worn down and finished.

"Blaziken!"

Kaim realized that he could do nothing at this pace and called out to Blaziken. Understanding his intention, Blaziken nodded and watched Haxorus.

The instant Blaziken glanced toward Kaim, Haxorus's descending claws knocked him back.

"Don't look away! Dual Chop!"

"Right here!"

Blaziken grabbed Haxorus's swinging arms. He could not block the attack itself and took the blows from both descending arms, but he stopped Haxorus from moving.

"Will-O-Wisp."

Haxorus immediately caught the intense flames pouring from Blaziken's mouth with its tail. However, those flames had no direct attack power. They lingered on Haxorus's body, inflicting a searing, painful burn.

"!"

"Follow up with Blaze Kick!"

"Dragon Claw!"

Blaziken's Blaze Kick struck Haxorus's body, but Dragon Claw slashed into him regardless of the damage. No matter how much he had raised his defense, Haxorus had also increased its attack with Dragon Dance. Blaziken pressed a fist against the ground and tried to stand, but his accumulated injuries were too much, and he collapsed.

"Blaziken, you did well."

Blaziken's strength lay in fast-moving close combat. A strategy of enduring attacks and inflicting a status condition did not suit him. I managed to burn Haxorus, but I only took away about twenty percent of its stamina.

There should have been more ways to do this. Pokémon should have more strengths to draw on.

Regretting his own helplessness, he held the ball containing his next Pokémon. In contrast to Kaim, Iris looked delighted.

"I will do that. Haxorus's Attack is lowered by its burn, so from now on, does it feel like the real thing?"

"First, Hax is the real deal. Please, Staraptor."

Staraptor popped out of the next ball.

The moment it emerged, it cried out loudly and intimidated Haxorus.

"Heh, truly terrifying. Normally you're just sleeping, but when it's time to battle, you look great."

"He's best at turning on and off."

"Good. Stay alert, Haxorus!"

"Your Attack is lowered by the burn, but every move is still lethal. Stay strong, Staraptor."

"Dragon Pulse!"

"Fly!"

Staraptor flew and dodged the Dragon Pulse unleashed by Haxorus. It evaded it, but the pulse continued to shoot toward Staraptor. It was hard to avoid because it accurately read Staraptor's path and fired at it instead of blindly chasing it. Staraptor managed to avoid it for now with its burst of speed, but it wouldn't last long.

"Dodge to the left and dive straight in!"

"Come on! Dragon Claw!"

"Stand up and perform Feather Dance right above Haxorus!"

"!"

The feathers scattered by Staraptor's Feather Dance attached themselves to Haxorus. The soft feathers slowed its body's movement and drastically lowered its Attack.

"Dragon Pulse!"

"Catch it with Steel Wing!"

It defended against the Dragon Pulse with Steel Wing, which suited its typing, but due to the level difference and its inherently lower Special Defense, the damage was still substantial. Unable to withstand the impact, Staraptor was forced to land all at once.

"I'll protect this!"

"I'm going too! Dual Chop!"

"Isn't it unavoidable, swallow-!"

Both attacks were direct hits. Haxorus saw through Staraptor's swallow, not only deflecting the trajectory with one of the Dual Chops to avoid a direct hit, but also directly striking Staraptor with its other arm, robbing Staraptor of its stamina.

Burn, Feather Dance, Intimidate have all lowered its Attack.

Even with just one less, Staraptor would have been taken down by those Dual Chops. The spot it hit was Staraptor's neck, where its defense was lower, showing the high level of Haxorus's own technique.

"Dondom! Dragon Claw!"

Before it could recover from the attack, Haxorus slashed down with its claw, beginning to knock Staraptor out.

Yet things did not end with Staraptor being defeated. It used its final strength to carry out Kaim's instruction.

"Struggle."

It wasn't perfect and only managed to launch about half of it, but Staraptor's Struggle indeed struck Haxorus's torso.

When the Struggle ended, Staraptor had already fainted. This Struggle hadn't dealt massive damage either.

"Enough. Good job, Staraptor."

It was gradually losing power due to the burn, but the burned part was its tail, which didn't affect its movements much. It would have been nice if it could be used to attack with its body, arms, or chin, but the effect wasn't great since the opponent was simply the opponent.

Still, it was indeed losing stamina. As long as the Attack was drastically lowered, there was still a chance of winning.

It was worth it, and Suzuna could have done better.

Kaim thought this as he picked up the next ball.

Seeing that expression, Iris slightly frowned.

Mr. Kaim?

"Your strength is indeed getting weaker. Let's go, Lucario!"

Kaim sent out Lucario while Iris wondered what the discomfort she felt was.

"Observe the opponent's movements closely! Swords Dance!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

Just as Lucario's Swords Dance ended, the Dragon Pulse struck Lucario. However, Lucario, having completed the Swords Dance at the very last moment, crossed its arms and concentrated the aura in them, reducing the damage.

"Dragon Dance!"

"Stop it with Extreme Speed!"

Lucario approached the Dragon-dancing Haxorus with lightning speed, launching consecutive attacks as they brushed past each other. Kaim thought that this was an Extreme Speed unbefitting its type and that its original power wasn't high either, but the effect of Swords Dance would deal heavy damage.

However, the miscalculation lay in Haxorus's physical capabilities. Even while performing Dragon Dance, Haxorus was able to read the trajectory of Extreme Speed with its exceptional physical prowess and dynamic vision, avoiding a direct hit. Not only Kaim, but even Lucario itself couldn't hide its surprise.

Are you serious?

"We're pressing forward! Rage!"

Haxorus yielded to rage and madness, beginning to run amok at the limit of its physical capabilities. Lucario, possessing the Steel-type, halved the Dragon-type Rage. Although it had also received a burn and its Attack was lowered by Feather Dance, if Lucario were caught by this attack even once, it would be crushed by the violent onslaught of Rage.

Since Outrage had been triggered, it was temporarily in a state of loss of control. The option to "give up" instantly popped into Kaim's mind, but he immediately countered it. The duration of backing down was shorter than the activation time of Rage. Deciding that he would rather be killed after giving up and become a laughingstock, Kaim recalled Cynthia's strategy.

At a time like this, if it were Cynthia...!

Go on the offensive and further overwhelm the opponent. This was Cynthia's method, but Kaim couldn't do that. In this situation, he decided to at least achieve it with everything he had.

The thinking time from the trigger of Outrage to this point was less than one second.

"Observe the opponent's movements closely! Its attack speed is fast and its attack power is heavy, but it's monotonous and has flaws!"

Hearing Kaim's voice, Lucario widened its eyes. It placed its hands on the axe on Haxorus's chin, swinging downward to deflect the trajectory. It forcefully blocked the continuous sweeping attacks, reducing the damage.

"There! Struggle!"

The very moment the axe on the chin swept away in an unnatural direction, Lucario tried to continuously smash its enhanced fists into Haxorus's body.

However, Lucario's attacks never reached Haxorus's body. Haxorus fully exerted its physical capabilities, which had reached their limit, and thrust its arm into Lucario. Fully prepared to attack, Lucario took the hit because it was left undefended.

Then, the axe on the chin, returning from that gap, slammed down into Lucario.