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The Grovyle that appeared on the battlefield was affected by Wrenly's Swagger move, significantly boosting its Attack stat but also confusing it. However, the Grovyle's naturally calm disposition meant that the confusion affected it less severely than most Pokemon would be.
Wrenly observed the scene and thought to himself, "Did Jacob deliberately have Grovyle use Swagger to increase its Attack power?"
He immediately understood Jacob's strategy but had no effective counter. Facing a Grovyle with dramatically increased Attack power, his only option was to defeat it while it was still confused!
But would that actually work? Looking at the massive Grovyle, Wrenly felt his confidence waver.
"Conkeldurr, use Ice Punch repeatedly," he commanded.
In this situation, Ice Punch and Fire Punch would have similar effectiveness, but since Conkeldurr had greater proficiency with Ice Punch and could generate more power with it, Wrenly chose that move.
What he didn't anticipate was that Jacob had specifically trained his team to resist Ice-type attacks, as his team was particularly vulnerable to Ice Pokemon.
Both of Conkeldurr paws became enveloped in icy energy. Though Conkeldurr couldn't yet execute Ice Punch with one paw and Fire Punch with the other simultaneously, it could perform Ice Punch with both paws at once.
"Grovyle, Thunder Punch!" Jacob called out.
Among the physical attacks Grovyle had mastered, Bug-type Fury Cutter and Dark-type Pursuit would both be resisted by Conkeldurr. Only Thunder Punch, Pound, and Quick Attack would deal normal damage. Therefore, Jacob had no choice but to command Grovyle to use Thunder Punch.
Jacob's luck seemed particularly good today. Despite being confused, Grovyle successfully executed Thunder Punch. Its fist, wrapped in electrical energy, collided with Conkeldurr's Ice Punch.
It was clear that Grovyle, with its Attack power greatly enhanced by Swagger, had the advantage. Even Conkeldurr, renowned for its strength, couldn't match Grovyle's power. The collision of energies created small sparks, and while Grovyle maintained its position firmly, Conkeldurr was pushed back.
"Every time I see it, I'm amazed at how well-developed that Grovyle is," someone in the crowd remarked.
"Yes, it's probably the largest Grovyle I've ever encountered," another spectator added.
"That Grovyle is incredibly powerful. Even Conkeldurr can't match it," commented a third voice.
Jacob's Grovyle once again became the center of everyone's attention. The impressive size of this unique Grass-type Pokemon was truly remarkable.
In fact, all of Jacob's Pokemon were exceptionally well-developed. For instance, while a typical Noibat stands at 0.5 meters tall, Jacob's reached 0.8 meters – considerably larger than average. Still, none were as striking as his Grovyle, which nearly matched the height of an adult human.
The most intimidating aspect wasn't just Grovyle's height but also its strength – a truly formidable combination.
"One more time, Thunder Punch," Jacob commanded.
"Conkeldurr, continue with Ice Punch," Wrenly countered.
Jacob issued his order, but this time, fortune didn't favor him. Though the confused Grovyle successfully initiated its attack, it chose the wrong direction and struck empty air instead of hitting Conkeldurr. Seizing this opportunity, Conkeldurr swiftly launched a counterattack!
The ice-energized punch connected with Grovyle, instantly inflicting substantial damage. At that moment, Grovyle finally shook off its confusion.
As Conkeldurr's second Ice Punch approached, the newly-focused Grovyle displayed incredible speed, leaping backward to evade the attack.
"Grovyle, use Sunny Day," Jacob directed.
Having created some distance, Grovyle employed Sunny Day, and the sky immediately cleared. Despite it being five o'clock in the afternoon, the sun shone intensely overhead.
In the real world, unlike in the games, moves like Sunny Day only functioned during daylight hours. Using it at night wouldn't produce the effect of clearing the sky.
"Grovyle, Grassy Terrain," Jacob continued.
"Conkeldurr, Ice Punch!" Wrenly shouted.
Wrenly was perplexed. His initial intention had been to let Conkeldurr shine one last time and weaken Grovyle's stamina! However, Jacob wasn't rushing to attack. Instead, he allowed Grovyle to maintain distance while changing its moves. This seemed strange to Wrenly, as Grovyle should have had the overall advantage.
Grovyle's superior speed caused Conkeldurr's Ice Punch to miss. After using two consecutive support moves, Grovyle finally launched its offensive.
"Thunder Punch!" Jacob commanded.
As Grovyle and Conkeldurr collided head-on, electricity crackled through the air, and Grovyle successfully defeated Conkeldurr.
"Return, Conkeldurr. Go, Breloom!" Wrenly recalled his Fire-type and sent out Breloom, which was still in fighting condition despite taking damage earlier.
"Mach Punch!" Wrenly ordered.
"Dragon Breath!" Jacob countered.
Breloom emerged with Mach Punch ready, while Jacob instructed Grovyle to use Dragon Breath. With minimal stamina remaining, Breloom was essentially on the field merely to deplete Grovyle's energy.
Grovyle's Dragon Breath overwhelmed Breloom with a single blast, though Breloom managed to land a Mach Punch as its final contribution. Jacob now held a significant advantage, leading the battle. If he could defeat just one more of Wrenly's Pokemon, victory would be his.
"Return, Breloom. Go, Heracross!" Wrenly called.
Wrenly's final Pokemon was the Bug/Fighting-type Heracross. A second-generation Pokemon that Ash owned in the anime, Heracross had appeared in numerous exciting battles throughout various competitions. Its Swarm ability could boost its Bug-type moves when its health was low, and it possessed the potential to sweep an entire team.
This particular Heracross had the Moxie ability, which increased its Attack after defeating an opponent, making it obviously Wrenly's ace Pokemon. He had been strategically reducing Grovyle's stamina, intending for Heracross to sweep Jacob's team.
What Wrenly hadn't anticipated was that as he recalled Breloom, Jacob also withdrew Grovyle, replacing it with Charmeleon.
"Come out, Charmeleon," Jacob said.
Though Charmeleon had minimal strength remaining, Jacob insisted on this substitution because he was confident his three Pokemon could handle a single Heracross. He mainly wanted to test Charmeleon's Solar Power ability in battle conditions to evaluate its output. While Jacob had experimented with it during training, he'd never employed it in an actual battle.
As Jacob made the switch to Charmeleon, Wrenly was confused but secretly pleased, believing Jacob had given him an opportunity to stage a comeback.
First, he would defeat the weakened Charmeleon to boost Heracross's Attack with Moxie, then complete the sweep!
"Heracross, Rock Slide!" Facing the low-health Charmeleon, Wrenly wanted Heracross to knock it out immediately with the super-effective Rock-type move.
"Charmeleon, Heat Wave!" Jacob commanded.
Enhanced by the sunny weather, Charmeleon's Solar Power ability activated. The energy within its body became extraordinarily dynamic, boosting its Special Attack!
"ROAR!" Charmeleon bellowed.
The surging Fire-type energy within its body erupted, forming scorching flames in Charmeleon's mouth before bursting forth. A rolling wave of intense heat engulfed the area, completely enveloping Heracross. The red-hot breath evaporated the air, distorting visibility and fully consuming Heracross in its path.