"Hold on, you two! Stop arguing. Let Lapras help heal the Aipom first!"
Rex intervened, stopping the bickering between Combusken and Ambipom.
He noticed that the Aipom were seriously injured and seemed on the verge of collapse. Since Combusken was responsible, Rex decided it was best to heal them first.
Sure enough, after hearing Rex's suggestion, Ambipom ceased its arguing with Combusken and nodded in agreement.
Ambipom had come seeking help from Combusken's Trainer, hoping for healing. The injuries sustained by the Aipom were severe, and their group lacked the means to treat them. Further delay could put their lives at risk.
Lapras then used Life Dew to treat the injured Aipom. Though they still looked battered, most of their injuries were healed, and after a few days of rest, they would be back to their lively selves.
Seeing its underlings recover, the anger in Ambipom's eyes lessened, but as their leader, it still felt the need to stand up for them.
Ambipom nodded at Rex to express its gratitude and then gestured towards Combusken, signaling its desire for a battle. Rex understood immediately—Ambipom wanted a fight.
Rex turned to Combusken, who confidently nodded and stepped forward.
With both sides determined, Rex had the other Pokémon step back, leaving enough space for Combusken and Ambipom to battle.
Once everything was set, Ambipom charged at Combusken and attacked with Fury Swipes. Combusken didn't dodge but instead countered with Scratch.
Ambipom's two tails moved swiftly, catching Combusken off guard and sending it flying.
However, Combusken quickly recovered and retaliated with a powerful Flamethrower aimed at Ambipom.
Ambipom remained calm, using its tail to spring into the air, evading the Flamethrower, and then launched a Swift attack, sending a flurry of energy stars at Combusken. Caught off guard by Ambipom's speed, Combusken was hit and sent flying again.
Being knocked back twice frustrated Combusken. It erupted in flames, charging towards Ambipom with Flame Charge.
Each time Flame Charge is used, Combusken's speed increases, so after several successful uses, Combusken's speed would significantly improve.
Seeing the determined Combusken rushing towards it, Ambipom responded with Double Hit, using its tails to strike. The first hit slowed Combusken's charge, and the second hit sent it flying again.
"It looks like Combusken might lose," Rex said to his Pokémon, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.
To Rex, the battle between Combusken and Ambipom was just a game; winning or losing didn't matter much. In fact, if Combusken lost, it would likely train even harder in the future, which was a good outcome.
Sensing its Trainer's mischievousness, Swellow rolled its eyes at Rex, thinking, "You're such a trickster!"
Meanwhile, Carbink, Combusken's closest friend, was anxious and wished it could fight in Combusken's place, but it knew Combusken would never allow it.
On the other hand, Ambipom's underlings were cheering loudly for their powerful leader, excitedly celebrating its prowess.
Combusken staggered to its feet and launched another Flame Charge at Ambipom. This time, its speed was much faster, and before Ambipom could counter, Combusken had slammed into it, sending it flying. The flames on Combusken also inflicted some damage on Ambipom.
The battle between Ambipom and Combusken turned into a back-and-forth struggle, with both sides sustaining more and more injuries. In the end, it became a test of willpower—whoever gave out first would lose.
Seeing the fight reach a deadlock, Rex considered stepping in, but just then, Combusken underwent a sudden change. Its flames flared up, overpowering Ambipom.
Rex recognized that Combusken had activated its Blaze ability, but this also meant Combusken was nearing its limit. If Ambipom could hold out a bit longer, Combusken would likely collapse from exhaustion, as Blaze would increase its energy consumption.
Realizing it couldn't hold out much longer, Combusken made a final charge at Ambipom. Rex thought it was using another Flame Charge, but the powerful flames surrounding Combusken revealed it was actually using Flare Blitz.
Flare Blitz is a powerful Fire-type move, but it also causes significant recoil damage to the user—a "double-edged sword."
Seeing Combusken's terrifying attack, Ambipom's expression changed, but it seemed to steel itself for a final stand. It used its tails to strike Combusken with Double Hit, trying to fend off the attack.
Unfortunately, Double Hit only managed to slow Combusken down slightly. Combusken still crashed into Ambipom, sending it flying.
Ambipom landed hard and rolled a considerable distance before finally going still, unconscious.
After standing for a moment, Combusken also began to breathe heavily, then suddenly winced in pain and collapsed.
Seeing this, Rex scratched his head. He hadn't expected the battle to end in a tie. Although Combusken had remained standing a bit longer, this wasn't an official match—out here in the wild, it was more like a mutual knockout.
After watching the scene for a bit, Rex first went to Combusken's side, using his ability to help it recover. After such an evenly matched battle, he believed that Combusken's strength would greatly improve with the help of Life Energy.
As for Ambipom, Rex initially planned to have Lapras use Life Dew to heal it, but after thinking it over, he decided that Ambipom was quite to his liking, so he used his last healing ability of the day on it.
After a while, both Combusken and Ambipom recovered. Combusken, familiar with its Trainer's abilities, wasn't surprised—just happy about its newfound strength.
Ambipom, however, looked at Rex with newfound respect. It could feel a profound change within its body, as if it had suddenly become young again.
Ambipom, which had lived in the wild for a long time, had accumulated many hidden injuries. This healing had a much greater impact on it than on Combusken. Its long-stagnant strength surged with newfound power.
(End of Chapter)