Chapter 114: A Hard-Fought Victory
Nosepass's gravity field was a pain, but Nosepass itself was not without its flaws. Its biggest weakness was its abysmal speed. It was practically immobile. It could only engage in close combat if the opponent came to it; otherwise, it was limited to long-range attacks.
But its best long-range moves, Rock Tomb and Bulldoze, were weaker than Drilbur's. Drilbur could easily defend against them and even counterattack. Under 2.0x gravity, it was difficult for Drilbur to move, but if it just stood its ground and engaged in a long-range battle, it would be fine.
The key was that Nosepass had to maintain the gravity field at all times. If it didn't, it couldn't suppress Drilbur. But that would continuously drain its stamina. In a long-range battle, Drilbur could easily defend and counter, while Nosepass's stamina would eventually run out, leading to a win by default. If Nosepass chose to drop the gravity field... it would die an even faster, more painful death.
At the critical moment, Basalt had found a path to victory without having to reveal his trump cards. A smile appeared on his face. Drilbur can win.
"Whoa! Am I seeing things? Is Basalt smiling?" Forrest spotted the smirk and was completely confused. With Nosepass's 2.0x gravity field active, wasn't Drilbur at a disadvantage? Why was he smiling? Had he lost his mind?
After another ten seconds or so, Fletcher started to get anxious. He knew his Nosepass's weaknesses. At 1.6x, it could maintain a balance of stamina. But at the full 2.0x, it couldn't last for more than five minutes. But he didn't dare lower the intensity. The 1.8x field had almost been broken by Drilbur.
"Nosepass, Rock Blast!" he commanded, forced to go on the offensive. He hoped to reignite the battle, to draw Drilbur in so Nosepass could use its defensive counter-attacking style.
"Counter with Rock Tomb!" Basalt commanded, completely unfazed. A battle of attrition was exactly what he wanted. Nosepass's stamina would drain even faster. His Drilbur, on the other hand, had incredible stamina and recovery. The advantage was his.
BOOM!
The rocks collided again. As before, Nosepass's Rock Blast was no match for Drilbur's Rock Tomb. It was not only overpowered but also hit by the remaining rocks, its speed lowered once again. Drilbur, meanwhile, made no move to attack directly. It was content to wait.
"Damn it!" Fletcher, known for his calm demeanor, actually cursed. The fear was starting to set in. He, Fletcher, might just become the first Group A trainer to be demoted since the camp began.
"Nosepass, Bulldoze!"
"Drilbur, counter with Bulldoze!"
The two Pokémon launched their attacks again.
RUMBLE!
The ground shook as the two shockwaves spread out and collided, canceling each other out. But to everyone's surprise, Drilbur didn't have the upper hand this time. It was a draw.
"So, the gravity does affect Drilbur's moves as well," Basalt sighed, but he wasn't too concerned. As long as Drilbur wasn't at a disadvantage, the one at a disadvantage was his opponent.
The two Pokémon continued to trade blows, but then Fletcher suddenly commanded, "Nosepass, break off the Bulldoze and use Rock Blast!"
Enduring the aftershock of the Bulldoze, the pained Nosepass managed to fire off two rocks. Caught off guard, Drilbur could only use Metal Claw to shatter one of them and was hit by the other, taking more damage.
"Trying to trade hits? A good idea," Basalt noted, his brow furrowed. Fletcher's strategy was clear. He wanted to turn the battle into a war of attrition, relying on Nosepass's superior defense to outlast Drilbur. In terms of attack, Nosepass was weaker. But in terms of defense, two Drilburs couldn't match one Nosepass. Fletcher was creating a new battlefield.
"So it's come down to a battle of stamina. You don't see that very often," Mr. Shane, the A-group instructor, said with a smile. The battle had been far more exciting than he had expected. The constant back-and-forth, the shifting advantages... both Basalt and Fletcher had performed exceptionally well. But there could only be one winner.
"Drilbur, maximum power... Bulldoze!" Basalt commanded, his fists clenched.
"Drilburr!" o(▼皿▼メ;)o Drilbur nodded, a surge of Ground-type energy erupting from it. If I just hit it hard enough, this stupid rock will have to fall eventually, right?
RUMBLE!
The ground shook again, and Nosepass was caught in the tremor. But with its incredible defense, even a super-effective move wouldn't take it down easily.
"Nose~" After taking the hit, Nosepass fired off another Rock Blast, sending Drilbur flying.
"Drilburr!" Drilbur was furious. Furious at the stubborn Nosepass, and furious at Basalt for not letting it use Sandstorm.
Damn it! Die!
It leaped into the air and came crashing down, its rage fueling the Ground-type energy that erupted from it. The power of the Bulldoze suddenly jumped to a new level.
"Is that..." Mr. Leo's eyes widened in surprise. At the critical moment, Drilbur had shortened the charge time of its Bulldoze and increased its power. A breakthrough in the middle of a battle?
At the side of the field, Luna frowned, a sense of helplessness washing over her. The speed of Basalt's growth was staggering.
"It seems we have a new member," Waylon said suddenly, his face unreadable.
On the battlefield, with the increased power of the Bulldoze, Nosepass was in dire straits. The intense vibrations were making it difficult for it to even maintain its gravity field. And as the gravity weakened, Drilbur was able to unleash even more power, creating a vicious cycle that Nosepass couldn't escape.
"Nose~"
Ten seconds later, Nosepass finally fell.
"Nosepass is unable to battle! The winner is... Basalt!"
Though it was covered in wounds, Drilbur had, in the end, won without revealing its biggest secret.
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