"Stored Power!"
This time, Smeargle didn't evade. Instead, it stood its ground, tail raised high as it unleashed a blinding beam of psychic energy at the incoming wave of reinforced vines.
Stored Power gains strength for every stat boost the user has, with its base power increasing by 20 for each stage. Notably, any stat drops do not reduce its power.
Thanks to the latest proc of its Ability and Moody, Smeargle had gained +2 Special Defense and lost 1 stage in Defense—an exchange that didn't weaken Stored Power in the slightest.
Here was Smeargle's current stat profile:
Special Attack +3, Speed +3, Special Defense +1
(All from Quiver Dance and multiple Moody activations, with a single Speed drop from Stomping Tantrum)
That meant Stored Power's strength was now boosted sevenfold. And with Power Split equalizing stats, it was effectively launching the move with +3 Special Attack.
The result? A surge of pure psychic energy that made even Solar Beam seem pale by comparison.
When the two beams collided, Stored Power tore through Solar Beam and struck Torterra head-on.
BOOM!
"Raa...!"
Torterra let out a deep groan of pain—but it held its ground. The attack hurt, but it wasn't enough to bring it down.
Having been growing steadily throughout the battle, Torterra's Attack and Defense were now maxed at +3.
At this stage, even Smeargle's powered-up assault wasn't enough.
"I need more time..." Conway thought firmly.
If Smeargle could survive just a little longer and continue boosting its stats, Stored Power could reach its maximum of 30 boosts, delivering an unimaginable damage—more than enough to one-shot Torterra, even with its defenses.
But no sooner had Smeargle launched its counterattack than it plummeted back toward the battlefield. Torterra was ready—firing another Solar Beam from its mouth and sending a swarm of vines surging from the ground.
At the last minute, Smeargle shimmered with white light—Moody had triggered again, lowering its Special Defense but granting a huge Speed boost.
With a flick of its tail, Smeargle vanished using Phantom Force, slipping back into the shadows.
"Torterra, use standard Growth!" Paul commanded.
Torterra had two Growth modes: the basic version and the Infinite Growth—a technique it had refined to perfection.
"Raaa!"
With that, Torterra regained all its strength and initiated the standard Growth move.
Under the blazing sun, Growth's effects were doubled, instantly boosting its stats again.
Torterra's eyes scanned the sky once more.
"Leaf Storm!"
Before Smeargle could even reappear, the giant tree on Torterra's back shook. A violent storm of razor-sharp leaves formed and surged upward like a green typhoon.
The moment Smeargle emerged from the shadows, it was hit.
Quick to react, it summoned Protect, shielding itself within a glowing green barrier.
But this time, Torterra wasn't letting up.
While the Leaf Storm battered the barrier from above, another Solar Beam blasted from its mouth, slamming into Protect.
Simultaneously, the vines on the ground whipped forward like green serpents, thrashing violently against Smeargle's shield.
Three high-powered Grass-type attacks struck in unison.
The shield trembled—Smeargle knew it wouldn't last. It tried once more to vanish with Phantom Force, but the triple onslaught didn't give it a chance.
Leaf Storm and Solar Beam broke through the barrier, and the vines followed, slamming into Smeargle and pinning it down.
"No!!!"
Conway gasped—but he didn't hesitate.
"Smeargle, use Stored Power!"
In a last-ditch effort, the battered Smeargle channeled every last ounce of strength. The stat boosts it had accumulated erupted all at once in a burst of glowing psychic energy.
Countless violet orbs swirled around its tail, converging into one massive laser.
Torterra didn't flinch. A shimmering Protect barrier rose around it, just in time to meet the devastating beam.
Stored Power struck the shield, causing it to tremble violently. When the laser faded, the barrier vanished with it.
"Frenzy Plant!"
Without delay, massive thorny roots burst through the battlefield, tearing up the ground and surging toward Smeargle.
Exhausted from its prior attack, Smeargle tried to lift its brush-like tail to trigger Phantom Force or another Protect—but its body was too weak.
Before it could act, the vines pierced through.
BOOM!
With a final crash, the vines receded—leaving Smeargle lying motionless on the battlefield, like a broken ragdoll.
"Smeargle is unable to battle. Torterra wins!"
"Since all of Conway's Pokémon lost their ability to fight, the winner of this match is... Paul!"
The referee's voice rang out.
Conway silently returned his exhausted ace to its Poké Ball. He looked at Paul's Torterra—barely scratched—and sighed.
"Sigh... That Torterra is a monster. I really couldn't beat it, huh?"
"Well done." Paul said simply, recalling Torterra after a brief pause, allowing its roots to withdraw naturally.
Outside the Arena...
"These two are insane..."
Barry muttered, wide-eyed as he watched from the sidelines.
"Totally cracked... straight-up busted." Lucas agreed.
They were confident facing Conway's first two Pokémon. But Smeargle?
That thing was broken.
Protect to block any stray attacks.
Phantom Force for offense, defense, and mobility.
Quiver Dance massively boosting Special Attack and Speed.
Power Split equalizing stats to weaken foes and strengthen itself.
And the real ace in the hole: Stored Power.
When combined with Quiver Dance and Moody, it became unstoppable over time.
Unless you had a hard counter, the longer the battle went on, the more certain Smeargle's victory became.
And this was only the moves it had shown. Judging by its tactics, they suspected it had also sketched Darkest Lariat, giving it a way to target enemies regardless of stat boosts.
"If you fight Conway without knowing it, could you beat that thing?" Barry asked.
"That'd be... a nightmare." Lucas admitted. "If I knew his lineup ahead of time, maybe. But if not?"
He imagined barely scraping past Dusknoir and Shuckle, only to get hard-walled and picked apart by Smeargle.
Unless you brought your strongest Pokémon or a specific counter, it was almost an auto-loss.
"We should raise one too! That thing's crazy strong!" Barry said excitedly.
With Conway's strategy in mind, it felt achievable.
"Worth considering, but tough." Lucas replied.
A Moody Smeargle was already rare. Then you had to factor in IVs, nature, battle instincts, and which moves it had sketched. Getting one with the right setup was insanely hard.
Especially considering that Smeargle and Shuckle were both high-maintenance Pokémon. Training one to Elite Four level would be even harder than raising a competent Raticate or Blissey.
"Yeah... you're probably right." Barry sighed.
"Don't give up now! Your battle's next, remember?" Lucas patted him on the shoulder.
"No worries—I will definitely win this thing!"
In an instant, Barry's fire reignited.
Conway's Smeargle Moveset:
Protect
Quiver Dance
Phantom Force
Stored Power (Special Attack Finisher)
Power Split
Darkest Lariat (Physical Sweeper)
Sketch (for move copying)
—Special Tactics: Phantom Force Burst Combo, Sketch-Adaptive Offense!
(End of Chapter)
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