"Why can't it land a hit?"
"It's been so close several times!"
Hailey Blake frowned slightly as she watched her Marshtomp continuously miss attacks and take hits instead.
In fact, it was precisely that illusion of "almost landing a hit" that had led her to insist Marshtomp use the Ice Punch move. After all, if it landed just one blow, there was a high chance of winning the battle immediately.
In comparison, although the Water Gun move, being a Water-type move, might seem effective, Marshtomp's strength didn't translate as well into long-range moves. And since the opponent was a Cacnea—Grass-type and resistant to Water-type moves—she preferred not to use that strategy.
Boom!
On the battlefield, Marshtomp could no longer endure the strain of the battle. With a confused expression, it turned to look at Hailey Blake.
"Marshtomp, another attack is coming! Quickly, use Water Gun to block it!"
Hearing the order from its trainer, Marshtomp quickly turned and began charging up a water attack in its mouth. The powerful stream of water destroyed the incoming leaves and shot directly at Cacnea.
Boom!
Cacnea, who had planned to move once Marshtomp got closer, was caught off guard. The water jet hit it directly, soaking it completely.
"This is it! Marshtomp, use Ice Punch again!"
Seeing that, Hailey Blake ordered Marshtomp to use Ice Punch once more, clearly determined to stick to her strategy until the end.
"Cacnea, final attack, use all your power in Magical Leaf!"
At that moment, Ethan Black's voice rang out at the perfect moment.
Immediately, the floating leaves that surrounded the field began to gather, forming a dense mass under Cacnea's control. Suddenly, they shot out like a flying dragon, heading straight toward the charging Marshtomp.
"Oh no! Quickly, use Water Gun!"
Hailey Blake's face changed again and she ordered an immediate change.
Boom!
In the next instant, with a loud crash, the Water Gun attack was completely overwhelmed by the "dragon-shaped" mass of leaves. It advanced with crushing force, completely nullifying the Water-type move.
Under Hailey Blake's incredulous gaze, the whirlwind of leaves swept through everything in its path, striking Marshtomp violently and sending it flying through the air.
Already weakened from the constant damage caused by the leaves, Marshtomp couldn't resist the final blow from a Grass-type move with a quadruple advantage and lost the ability to continue fighting. It collapsed to the ground with a groan, its eyes spiraling.
"Such impressive control over the Magical Leaf move!"
"Constantly gathering leaves during the battle to then launch them all at once as a finishing blow... an excellent tactic!"
Rachel Blake, seeing that the battle already had a victor, couldn't help but sigh softly. Compared to Ethan Black's commands and reactions in battle, her younger sister was simply not at the same level.
"Marshtomp!"
Hailey Blake ran urgently toward Marshtomp when she saw it had lost the ability to continue fighting.
"Marsh..."
Noticing her trainer approaching, Marshtomp gave a weak whimper, looking embarrassed. It was clearly apologizing for not being able to win.
"It wasn't your fault we lost this time."
Hailey Blake gently comforted it, then returned it to its Poké Ball and turned to look at Ethan Black, letting out a soft sigh.
"You've passed the test. I entrust you with the Pokémon Club Competition in Ironvale City." She said this with a somewhat solemn tone, taking a deep breath.
"Pokémon Club Competition?"
Ethan Black looked a little surprised.
"That's right. You'll represent our club in the Pokémon Club Competition in Ironvale City. That's my condition."
Rachel Blake smiled faintly, her gaze full of admiration for Ethan Black. With his strength at his age, he was already someone outstanding.
"You want me to participate in the Pokémon Club Competition? But I'm not a member of the Pokémon Nightstar Club."
Ethan Black frowned slightly.
"Who says you're not?"
"Aren't you an honorary member of our club?"
"Honorary members are like external consultants, so they have the right to participate."
Rachel Blake smiled again, with an expression of "I've got you where I want you."
"And what are the rules of the tournament?"
"I'm not sure I can win."
Ethan Black was silent for a few seconds before responding.
Seeing his hesitation, Rachel Blake explained with a smile: "The rules limit the competition to intermediate-level trainers. Don't worry, advanced-level trainers like Ryan Grant don't participate in this kind of tournament."
"Each club sends ten participants. The battle format is a chain battle: one after another, until all ten members from one club are defeated."
"So you only have to represent us in one battle. If you win, I'll help you capture a Shellder."
"Also... I'm a trainer specialized in Water-type Pokémon. If you win the battle, I'll also give you my personal notes on training Water-type Pokémon."
Upon hearing this, Ethan Black's eyes sparkled. He thought for a moment and agreed. Since only intermediate-level trainers would participate, he felt pretty confident.
However, since he, as an "honorary member," could participate, the Pokémon Island Adventure Club could also invite their own honorary members, which would make the outcome difficult to predict.
But after all, it was just one battle. If he won, it would be a big victory. If he lost, he would lose nothing. A very fair deal!
(End of chapter)