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10:30 AM – Seventh Floor of the Battle Tower
In a small battle arena on the seventh floor of the Battle Tower, Sato was about to face off against a female Trainer in an intense battle.
After securing an impressive streak of three consecutive wins with his Marshtomp alone, Sato had begun to gain some recognition.
The audience seats in the small arena were now more than half full, with spectators drawn by the rookie Trainer's achievement of pulling off three back-to-back victories.
Since Sato's battles had been swift, many of the spectators had only seen the replays.
They quickly realized that Sato wasn't a veteran Trainer, and his Marshtomp, as analyzed by Pokémon battle experts, was only a Level 30 Pokémon at best.
What truly captivated the audience, however, was Sato's exceptional battle strategy and Marshtomp's extraordinary raw power.
Each time Marshtomp's mighty punches landed on an opponent's Pokémon and sent them crashing into the arena walls, the crowd's blood boiled with excitement.
The visceral, hard-hitting combat style left them exhilarated and cheering for more.
The seventh-floor arena featured a standard deep-sand battleground. Once both Trainers took their positions, the referee immediately signaled the start of the match.
"Go, Grovyle!"
"Let's go, Marshtomp!"
Sato and his opponent swiftly released their Pokémon.
Sato, true to his usual tactics, sent out Marshtomp first.
The female Trainer, recognizing this pattern, countered with a Grass-type Pokémon that naturally held a type advantage against Marshtomp.
(Note: In the Battle Tower, Trainers cannot freely switch out their Pokémon unless moves like Roar, Dragon Tail, or self-switching moves such as U-turn or Volt Switch are used.)
"Grovyle… It's practically a natural counter to Marshtomp," Sato muttered, frowning slightly as he assessed the tall, green lizard Pokémon standing before him.
A hint of seriousness crossed his face as his eyes briefly flickered with a faint blue glow.
The next moment, detailed data about the Grovyle appeared in Sato's vision:
Pokémon: Grovyle
Level: 25
Type: Grass
Ability: Overgrow
Gender: Male
Known Moves: Fury Cutter, Pound, Leer, Absorb, Quick Attack, Mega Drain, Pursuit, Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed (Egg Move), Double Team (TM), Protect (TM), Aerial Ace (TM)
Held Item: None
IVs:
HP: 19 (out of 31)
Attack: 21 (out of 31)
Defense: 15 (out of 31)
Sp. Atk: 18 (out of 31)
Sp. Def: 23 (out of 31)
Speed: 21 (out of 31)
[Overall IV Rating: Blue] (Total IV: 117)
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From the Trainer's attire, Sato could tell that she was a civilian Trainer. It was likely that she had captured Grovyle in the wild by sheer luck.
Despite its subpar stats, Grovyle was still a formidable threat due to its type advantage, making Sato approach the battle with heightened caution.
Marshtomp, now at Level 24 after nine consecutive battles, remained full of vigor. Thanks to the restorative power of the rare, mutated Supreme Blue Water Stone it carried, it showed no signs of fatigue.
Like many Trainers Sato had faced before, the female Trainer opted for an aggressive opening. The moment Grovyle appeared, she commanded it to unleash Bullet Seed.
Grass-type moves dealt quadruple damage to Marshtomp due to its dual Water/Ground typing. However, before Sato could issue a command, Marshtomp was already in action.
A pool of muddy water had formed beneath Marshtomp's feet. As the green energy seeds from Bullet Seed hurtled toward it, Marshtomp's eyes gleamed, and its right fist clenched as a layer of icy-blue energy coated its arm.
"Boom!"
Marshtomp struck the ground with an Ice Punch, sending shockwaves through the arena. In an instant, the muddy water froze into a sturdy ice wall, mixed with sand for added reinforcement.
The Bullet Seed attack struck the ice wall with a flurry of sharp clang sounds but failed to penetrate it. Marshtomp remained unharmed behind its improvised defense.
This ice-wall technique was inspired by the Feraligatr Sato and Marshtomp had encountered in the Sea Cavern.
After witnessing the move, Marshtomp had successfully adapted it through training, utilizing its Ice Punch and ability to manipulate mud and water.
While the ice wall blocked Grovyle's attack and obscured its and its Trainer's vision, Marshtomp began tunneling underground with Dig.
Marshtomp, naturally adept at burrowing as a mud-dwelling Pokémon, quickly moved beneath the battlefield. When Grovyle paused after its Bullet Seed barrage, Marshtomp surfaced directly behind it, unleashing a devastating Ice Punch.
Grovyle, however, reacted faster than anticipated, countering with Leaf Blade.
The two moves clashed in a dramatic display of power. but Grovyle's strength paled compared to Marshtomp's sheer physical might.
Its Leaf Blade shattered against the force of Marshtomp's punch, and the Grass-type was sent flying into the arena wall with a resounding crash.
Marshtomp didn't let up. As Grovyle attempted to recover, Marshtomp bombarded it with Mud Bombs, pinning it back into the wall.
This time, Grovyle remained motionless, fainted.
The crowd erupted into cheers as Marshtomp claimed its tenth victory and another streak win.
With her strongest counter to Marshtomp defeated, the female Trainer sent out Ninjask and Seviper in succession.
Ninjask's Double Team initially gave Marshtomp trouble, but once it used Foresight, Ninjask's evasion tactics were rendered useless, and a single Ice Punch took it down.
Seviper attempted to immobilize Marshtomp with Wrap and poison it, but Marshtomp's immense strength allowed it to break free.
Using Refresh to purge the poison, Marshtomp seized Seviper by the tail and slammed it repeatedly into the ground until it was knocked out.
With another 3-on-1 sweep, Sato and Marshtomp secured their fourth consecutive win in the Battle Tower.
As the crowd's applause and cheers surged, Sato and Marshtomp exited the arena through the player's tunnel. Their resolute and commanding silhouettes left a lasting impression on the audience.
This was only the beginning. Though the victories were glorious, Sato knew there was still a long way to go before true greatness could be claimed.