Nidorino vs. Arcanine
This battle ended very quickly. Nidorino started with a 'Sludge Wave' and directed it at a wave of elemental-ranked Pokémon, with Arcanine positioned at the front. Its confidence made Axel a little worried.
A stream of poisonous liquid shot from Nidorino's mouth, aimed directly at Arcanine. However, Arcanine swiftly countered with a new move. A fiery slab materialized in the air above it, which it stepped onto, propelling itself upward. Another slab appeared adjacent to it, allowing Arcanine to continue its mid-air ascent.
It was truly a spectacular sight, but its display was short-lived. Just as Arcanine reached its peak, a colossal shadow loomed over it, followed by a high-pressure torrent of water crashing down on its head. The force was too overwhelming for Arcanine, causing it to collide with the toxic sludge wave.
The culprit behind this attack was Gyarados, employing 'Hydro Pump' and utilizing its newfound ability, 'Sky Walk', to soar through the air. Although Arcanine was a rare-ranked Pokémon, it couldn't ignore the power of 'Hydro Pump'. The impact left Arcanine immediately poisoned, and Nidorino took advantage of the situation by employing 'Poison Spread' and 'Poison Damage Control'. The effects were immediate.
Gyarados, however, found itself in an unfavorable situation. Despite its mastery of 'Sky Walk', it had only recently learned the move and hadn't fully honed its skills. Consequently, it began descending into the sludge wave. Just as it was about to plunge, it was instantly teleported to a safe distance—Xatu, a Pokemon of Mark, utilized its ability 'Teleport', Its role in this battle was solely to teleport its allies in times of trouble, and it fulfilled its duty perfectly.
Arcanine now found itself in dire straits. It suffered from severe poisoning, and Nidorino was capitalizing on the situation. Although Arcanine didn't know that Nidorino possessed 'Poison Spread' and 'Poison Damage Transfer', it could sense that this poison was far from ordinary.
Frustrated and determined to survive, Arcanine roared and emerged from the sludge wave. At that moment, an Eevee emerged and emitted a unique, soothing sound. Axel didn't know what it meant, but he instinctively knew it wasn't something desirable.
To handle Eevee, he instructed Shedinja to take action. Shadow tentacles emerged from the ground, binding the Eevee, followed by a point-blank, fully powered 'Hyper Beam' unleashed by Shedinja. Eevee met an unequivocal demise. 'Hyper Beam' was an immensely powerful move, and Shedinja's mastery of it ensured a swift and devastating outcome. No elemental-ranked Pokémon could withstand its force.
The move Eevee was about to use was 'Heal Bell' which would have cured it of poison. Fortunately, it was unable to execute the move, leaving Arcanine in a bind. If Arcanine wanted to survive, it had to swiftly eliminate Nidorino, Shedinja, and Gyarados in succession.
The following five minutes proved even more nightmarish for Arcanine. The combined attacks of these three Pokémon proved too much for it to handle. Shedinja was especially vexing; it would disappear into shadows, only to reappear and strike. Even if one managed to land a blow, it would merely hit a decoy. Throughout those five minutes, Arcanine couldn't land a single hit, and it eventually fainted, knowing its demise was imminent.
Nidorino was having the time of its life. If it sustained injuries, it would utilize 'Poison Damage Transfer' to recover health.
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Ding!
Nidorino's 'Poison Damage Transfer' has leveled up to 23.
Ding!
Nidorino's 'Poison Damage Transfer' has leveled up to 24.
Ding!
Nidorino's 'Poison Damage Transfer' has leveled up to 25.
...
...
...
Ding!
Nidorino's 'Poison Damage Transfer' has leveled up to 30.
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The move had ascended all the way to level 30. Just as Arcanine was about to depart from this world, Axel threw a Pokéball and successfully captured it. He didn't want to waste a perfectly good pseudo-king-ranked Pokémon.
The team of Nidorino, Shedinja, and Gyarados then moved to assist Gogoat.
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Gogoat vs. Primeape
While Beedrill and Mamoswine were holding their own, Gogoat was struggling against Primeape. This particular Primeape seemed like an experienced Pokémon. Primeapes were typically prone to anger, constantly irate without reason, which was their main disadvantage. But this Primeape exuded a calmness akin to a tranquil lake, almost resembling an ancient sage who had meditated for centuries.
Axel couldn't fathom how this Primeape had learned the move 'Calm Mind', How could a Pokémon like Primeape possess such an ability? It made no sense whatsoever.
Gogoat began the battle by utilizing 'Grassy Terrain' and 'Field Control' which were the only reasons it remained standing.
Prior to the fight, Axel had instructed Gogoat, "Don't use any stat-lowering moves."
This was due to Primeape's hidden ability, 'Defiant' which increased Primeape's attack stat if it was hit by a stat-lowering move.
However, Axel failed to mention Primeape's ability 'Anger Point' which significantly raised its attack stat when hit by a critical move.
Gogoat successfully maintained control over the field with 'Field Control' and managed to strike Primeape with 'Horn Leech'. This signature move of Gogoat suited it perfectly on every level.
Gogoat employed 'Field Control' once more, ensnaring Primeape with thick, massive branches before delivering a critical hit with 'Horn Leech' directly to its chest. The attack elevated Primeape's attack stat, and due to the close proximity, Primeape retaliated with a devastating 'Counter'. The move was especially potent if the user had been struck previously by a physical attack.
While Gogoat slowly recovered HP thanks to 'Grassy Terrain' the process was hampered by its injuries. Primeape exploited this opportunity, launching an assault with 'Close Combat' and 'Fire Punch'.