Chapter 33: Mission Completed, New Strategies
"Go, Poké Ball!" Ryan sent out his first Pokémon. A Dewgong appeared on the field, but the examiner looked surprised. Was this an unfavorable matchup?
The examiner's Pokémon was a Dragonite. Ryan quickly pulled out his Pokédex and recorded Dragonite's data. At the same time, he felt a surge of satisfaction—he'd finally encountered one of the Pokémon he'd been hoping to study.
Ryan was thrilled. He hadn't expected to find a Dragonite during this exam. It was truly a case of finding what you're looking for when you least expect it. This encounter would complete his research on Dragon-type Pokémon evolution chains, giving him valuable data for future battles.
He quickly analyzed his strategy. Dewgong was an Ice/Water type, which gave it a significant advantage against the Dragon/Flying-type Dragonite. Ice moves were super effective, and he had several powerful options.
"Dewgong, Hail!" Ryan commanded.
Dewgong immediately summoned a hailstorm, with ice and snow pelting Dragonite and dealing continuous damage. At the same time, Ryan observed these exam Pokémon's limitations: they lacked the fluid combat instincts of well-trained partners, acting only on direct commands rather than adapting independently.
"Dragonite, Thunderbolt!" The examiner showed no mercy, calling for a powerful Electric attack.
Ryan's mind raced as he processed the battlefield. He could see the attack pattern clearly and formulated his counter-strategy. "This is it—time to show what strategic thinking can accomplish!"
"Dewgong, dive deep, then Surf!" Ryan commanded, seeing how he could turn Thunderbolt's power against his opponent.
Dewgong submerged briefly, avoiding the Thunderbolt, then rose with a massive wave that crashed into Dragonite. The Dragon-type took the hit, though as a partial Flying-type, the Water attack wasn't devastating.
"Now the field is flooded. That's a tactical error—points will be deducted," the examiner noted. "Dragonite, Thunder!"
"That's not an error," Ryan grinned. "This is exactly what I planned! Dewgong, endure the Thunder, then Sheer Cold!"
"What?!" The examiner looked startled.
Dragonite's Thunder struck the water-covered field, and electricity coursed through the puddles, hitting Dewgong hard. But Dewgong was resilient with high HP, so it weathered the attack. Then, an aura of absolute cold swept across the battlefield. The water on the ground and the hail in the air created an inescapable frozen trap. Sheer Cold delivered the decisive blow!
Recalling his frozen Dragonite, the examiner nodded approvingly. "I underestimated your strategy. Using the water and hail to create an inescapable ice trap—excellent move combination. Now for round two."
Ryan smiled, recalled Dewgong, and sent out his second randomly assigned Pokémon. A Slowbro appeared on the field. The examiner released a Hitmonlee. While Hitmonlee's Fighting-type moves were super effective against Slowbro's Psychic typing, Slowbro was known for its incredible defense and durability.
"Jump Kick!" the examiner ordered.
Ryan shook his head. "The ice from Sheer Cold hasn't melted yet. On this icy battlefield, don't underestimate Slowbro's stability! Slowbro, slide to the right, then Body Slam!"
Hitmonlee launched a jump kick at Slowbro. But Slowbro, surprisingly agile on the ice, slid smoothly out of the way. Then, with a heavy tackle, it knocked Hitmonlee down and pressed its weight against the Fighting-type.
"Use Close Combat to break free!" the examiner commanded.
Hitmonlee unleashed a flurry of close-range attacks, knocking Slowbro back and dealing significant damage. Ryan then called, "Ice Beam!"
"Mind Reader, then High Jump Kick!" the examiner countered.
The Ice Beam successfully struck Hitmonlee, but the Fighting-type didn't dodge. Instead, it closed its eyes, using Mind Reader to lock onto Slowbro before launching a devastating High Jump Kick. Ryan grimaced—with Slowbro's remaining health, this attack would be a guaranteed knockout. He had to take a risk.
"Slowbro, hang in there! If you can't avoid it, use Sheer Cold!"
Slowbro cried out, releasing another wave of absolute cold at Hitmonlee. But before the ice attack could connect, the High Jump Kick struck Slowbro square on, sending it flying backward, unable to continue.
Recalling Slowbro, Ryan said, "Thank you—you did great. Third round, let's go!"
The examiner also recalled his Hitmonlee and sent out his final Pokémon. Ryan's was Chansey, while the examiner had Hitmonchan. Ryan couldn't help but laugh: "If I can't frustrate you completely with this one, I'm not doing my job right!"
Anyone who had battled with Chansey knew it was the ultimate test of patience.
"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!" The examiner took the initiative.
Ryan calmly responded, "Chansey, Minimize."
Chansey instantly shrank to half its size, causing Hitmonchan's Mach Punch to miss completely. Ryan then said, "Keep using Minimize, then Seismic Toss."
Having shrunk even further, Chansey grabbed the much larger Hitmonchan and hurled it across the battlefield with surprising strength. Hitmonchan rolled sideways to recover, and the examiner called, "Comet Punch!"
Hitmonchan rushed forward with a barrage of punches aimed at the tiny Chansey. Then Ryan said calmly, "Soft-Boiled, then another Seismic Toss."
Chansey restored itself to full health with its signature move, then grabbed Hitmonchan for another devastating throw. The examiner looked exasperated: "If you can't defeat Chansey in one hit, it'll just heal back to full health and keep fighting. This is incredibly frustrating!"
Add to that Chansey's massive HP pool and impressive special defense, and few Pokémon could claim to knock it out instantly. If they couldn't, they'd have to endure this drawn-out battle of attrition.
Finally, to the examiner's relief, Chansey eventually wore down Hitmonchan through persistence and patience. Even the examiner sighed and said, "I'm definitely recommending that Chansey be removed from the exam Pokémon pool after this."
After the examination concluded, both Lillie and Ryan received their Pokémon League qualification badges. Both could now directly enter the Indigo League Championship, but Ryan decided he still wanted to collect all eight Gym Badges for the complete experience, and Lillie agreed—after all, she didn't want their journey to end too quickly.
Since Lillie wasn't originally from the Kanto region, the examiner helped register her information in the League database. By the time all the paperwork was completed, evening had arrived. Ryan and Lillie quickly found a hotel for the night, planning to take the ferry to Cinnabar Island the next day.
(End of Chapter)
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