[Chansey]
Attribute: Normal-type
Height: 1.15 m
Weight: 34.68 kg
HP: S
Attack: D-
Defense: D-
Sp. Atk: C-
Sp. Def: A
Speed: C
On the 3D six-dimensional chart, Chansey's HP stat stood out spectacularly—an S-rank rating. But her physical defense and both offensive stats were painfully lacking. Aside from her Special Defense, which was fairly strong, the rest were unremarkable.
Chansey having little offensive power was something Kael had long known. He hadn't chosen her for damage output. Rather, he was preparing for the possibility of large-scale team battles in future missions.
The tank would hold the front line. A scout would harass from the flanks. A speed attacker would slip behind enemy lines to eliminate fragile targets. A support would protect the trainer while assisting the tank against concentrated fire. A heavy hitter would stay at the center, pouring out damage.
And finally, Chansey—the team medic—would restore stamina and treat injuries.
At present, Kael's Chansey had mastered six moves. Aside from her innate signature moves, Soft-Boiled and Egg Bomb, she had also learned Heal Pulse, Refresh, Sing, and Light Screen.
If Soft-Boiled was a single-target recovery move, then Heal Pulse was its group-healing counterpart. These two healing moves would form the core of Chansey's future training. Kael intended for her to master them to absolute perfection.
Refresh could remove status conditions from herself or allies—poison, burns, paralysis, and similar afflictions—making it an excellent support skill.
Of course, Refresh wasn't omnipotent. If, for example, a Pokémon like Arbok sank its venomous fangs directly into a vital point, severe poisoning of that magnitude could not simply be cleansed.
Sing, like Lulu's Hypnosis, could lull opponents into sleep. It lacked direct attack power but could decisively turn the tide at a crucial moment.
Finally, Light Screen could be deployed when facing concentrated enemy fire, creating a translucent barrier that reduced the damage of special attacks.
It only mitigated move-based energy attacks—like Flamethrower or Ice Beam. It was useless against close-quarters physical assaults from Fighting-type Pokémon.
The strongest healing move in Chansey's evolutionary line was actually Healing Wish. Unfortunately, that move could only be learned after evolving into Chansey.
Chansey's stamina simply wasn't enough to sustain Healing Wish's enormous cost. Even after evolving, such a draining move could only be used once every 24 hours.
The requirements were harsh. The price immense. But the results never disappointed.
Healing Wish could nearly restore a critically injured Pokémon to full vitality, removing all abnormal conditions. Even if a poisonous Pokémon had bitten through its throat—so long as a single breath remained—Healing Wish could pull it back from the brink.
That was precisely why Kael valued Chansey so highly.
...
"Hey! Anyone home?!"
Outside the courtyard, the red-haired youth pounded hard on the newly repainted crimson gate. The dojo's gate stood over four meters tall and more than twenty centimeters thick—solid hardwood. Its sheer weight made it immovable.
No matter how hard he slapped it—his palm swelling red—the door didn't budge.
"Damn it!" he cursed, then lashed out with a vicious kick.
Bang!
The gate remained steady. The red-haired youth, however, clutched his toes and let out a piglike scream.
"Release the Pokémon! We'll push it together! Think hiding inside will help? If they don't open up, we'll smash it down!"
The yellow-haired leader shouted deliberately loud. By now he was convinced the new Gym Leader was a coward. After knocking this long, there hadn't been a single response.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three bursts of white light flashed as Poké Balls opened. A Primeape and two Mankey appeared beside the brothers. The Primeape belonged to the yellow-haired eldest—strongest among the three.
...
"Kael, aren't you going to check that out?" Lulu asked while trimming newly transplanted flowers and trees with her Magical Leaf, glancing toward him.
"Good. That's it. Hold the posture—now slowly raise your waist and legs," Kael instructed, hands planted firmly on the bluestone ground as his legs lifted into the air.
He was teaching Rhydon how to perform a Russian-style planche push-up. The high-difficulty exercise strengthened the upper body, waist, and core while enhancing flexibility.
"Roarrr…"
Rhydon gritted its teeth, low growls rumbling from its throat. Weighing over 1.25 tons, even with its terrifying arm strength, performing a proper planche push-up was brutally difficult.
Its massive tail made balance even harder during the movement.
After twenty repetitions, Rhydon finally collapsed sideways onto the bluestone training field with a thunderous crash. The ground trembled under its tremendous weight.
The sudden boom startled the Matt brothers outside, who had been preparing to smash the gate.
"Big Brother, what was that?" the green-haired one asked.
The red-haired youth stroked his chin. "Doesn't matter. Smash the door first."
"Mankey, use Low Kick on the gate!"
He couldn't hold back any longer.
"Primeape, use Karate Chop!"
"Mankey, Low Kick!"
Bang! Bang!
The repeated pounding outside made Kael frown.
"Rhydon. Go open the gate."
"Roar!"
Rhydon rose to its feet, walked to the entrance, lifted the heavy latch with one hand, and pushed outward with both arms.
With a series of creaking groans, the several-hundred-kilogram hardwood gate slowly swung open.
Caught off guard by the sudden release, the Matt brothers lost control of their momentum and tumbled forward. The two Mankey and the Primeape fared no better—having struck with too much force, they stumbled headlong inside, rolling into the courtyard in an undignified heap.