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A Flareon with the Flash Fire ability.
Jacob immediately analyzed Logan's Flareon. Its strength wasn't particularly impressive among its peers, and its moveset leaned heavily toward stall tactics that required careful attention. Beyond that, it possessed the Flash Fire ability, which demanded caution during battle.
"Charmeleon, use Dragon Pulse!"
Jacob took the initiative, commanding Charmeleon to unleash the Dragon Pulse attack. Charmeleon was still benefiting from the harsh sunlight, with its Solar Power ability actively draining its stamina while boosting its special attack power.
Therefore, Jacob needed to act quickly before Charmeleon's strength diminished. Watching this unfold, Jacob suddenly had an inspiration—perhaps he could help Charmeleon learn to control its Solar Power ability autonomously, switching it on and off at will, only activating it during crucial battle moments.
Jacob wasn't certain if such training was possible, but this was the real world, and experimentation was essential. Making a mental note, Jacob planned to incorporate this concept into Charmeleon's future training regimen.
"Protect yourself, Flareon!"
Logan's Flareon clearly employed the classic stall strategy: Toxic, Protect, Wish, and Yawn.
Jacob had anticipated this approach after observing Flareon's moveset earlier. He planned to bait Flareon into using Protect with Dragon Pulse, then follow up with Ancient Power to deal significant damage. Ancient Power's Rock-type energy would be super effective against the Fire-type Flareon, potentially securing a decisive advantage if it connected.
Charmeleon's Dragon Pulse struck the shimmering barrier of Flareon's Protect. Jacob decided not to waste any more time with prolonged tactics and commanded directly: "Charmeleon, Ancient Power!"
"Flareon, use Yawn!"
As rock energy surged around Charmeleon, a concentrated sphere of Ancient Power hurtled toward Flareon.
"Dodge it, Charmeleon!"
"Char!"
Charmeleon responded to Jacob's warning and swiftly sidestepped. At such a considerable distance, Yawn's drowsy bubbles had little chance of connecting. Charmeleon easily avoided the sleep-inducing attack and prepared another Ancient Power.
"Keep using Ancient Power!"
Seeing his strategy fail, Logan grew increasingly anxious.
"Flareon, dodge the Ancient Power!"
Flareon's agility was impressive as it weaved across the battlefield, constantly evading Charmeleon's rocky projectiles.
The battle seemed to reach a stalemate, with Charmeleon continuously launching Ancient Power attacks while Flareon maintained its evasive patterns, gradually closing the distance.
Planning for close combat?
Jacob recognized Logan's strategy but remained calm, allowing Charmeleon to continue its barrage of Ancient Power attacks.
After several consecutive Ancient Power attacks missed their mark, Charmeleon suddenly erupted with energy. Its aura intensified dramatically, and in an instant, all of its stats received a significant boost!
With all abilities enhanced, Charmeleon's speed and power in executing Ancient Power increased substantially. The sudden improvement caught Flareon completely off guard, and the next rocky projectile struck it directly.
The Rock-type move's super effective damage against the Fire-type dealt devastating damage to Flareon.
"That's Ancient Power's secondary effect! When using Ancient Power, there's a small chance that all stats will be raised!"
"No wonder he kept having Charmeleon use Ancient Power even when the attacks weren't connecting."
"With all stats boosted, Logan's Flareon will have an extremely difficult time defeating Charmeleon now."
...
"Continue with Ancient Power!"
At this moment, Charmeleon was displaying its true potential for the first time. It had become a living artillery unit, its relentless offensive pressure giving Flareon no opportunity to recover. One Ancient Power after another struck like a whip, forcing Flareon into constant retreat!
"Char!"
To make matters worse for Logan, Charmeleon triggered Ancient Power's stat boost effect once again, further enhancing all of its abilities.
"Use Protect, then Wish, Flareon!"
The protective barrier formed, blocking the first Ancient Power, and Flareon seized the opportunity to use Wish. However, the healing effect wouldn't activate immediately—it needed time to take effect.
Flareon simply couldn't survive the interval.
After Charmeleon's second complete stat boost, Ancient Power's projectile speed increased dramatically. The sudden acceleration made it impossible for Flareon to dodge. The attack connected directly, and Flareon fainted instantly. Jacob claimed victory in the match.
...
The one-versus-two victory shifted everyone's perception of Jacob slightly, from "all talk, no action" to "actually has some skill."
"Jacob is quite capable. That Charmeleon isn't even his ace Pokemon. I heard his main partner is a Grovyle."
"That was a month or two ago. By now, his Grovyle has probably evolved into Sceptile."
"I wonder who'll face him next. Most trainers here won't be able to defeat Jacob."
After the battle, Jacob recalled Charmeleon to its Pokeball and headed to the rest area. Nina followed him into the lounge, her brow slightly furrowed and eyes thoughtful as she handed Jacob a bottle of water.
"Drink some water." Nina leaned against the wooden door, crossing her legs as she regarded Jacob with starlike eyes, her red lips parting slightly: "Why did you post that TikTok video at noon today?"
"Let me give you an example." Jacob unscrewed the bottle cap, noticing the faint scent of Nina's perfume lingering on the container. He settled onto the sofa and took a long drink before responding. Rather than answering Nina's question directly, Jacob posed his own: "If you wanted to learn about Cottonee cultivation methods online, what would you do?"
"Just post a question asking directly," Nina replied after a moment's consideration.
"Wrong." Jacob shook his head. "That approach is too mundane. The fastest method would be to post something like 'Cottonee is a worthless Pokemon with no potential.'"
"Create controversy, generate conflict, then read the angry responses correcting you to learn how others actually train Cottonee."
"..." Nina was speechless, but after thinking it through, she realized the logic was sound. "So you posted that TikTok video to provoke battles with strong trainers?"
"Exactly." Jacob nodded. "Struggling against the heavens brings endless joy! Struggling against the earth brings endless joy! Struggling against people brings endless joy! Life is a continuous process of overcoming challenges."
After Jacob finished speaking, his image seemed to grow more impressive in Nina's eyes. However, based on his previous behavior, she suspected his motivations weren't entirely noble, and she studied him carefully.
"I didn't realize you had such philosophical depth," Nina couldn't help but advise. "You could be more diplomatic in your language, though."
"I already showed considerable restraint. Originally, I wanted to say 'either I'll crush you completely, or you'll crush me,' but I reconsidered," Jacob explained.
"..."
After a brief thirty-minute rest, Jacob returned to the battlefield.
Seeing Jacob enter the arena, the audience erupted in cheers—quiet but genuine. This surprised Jacob somewhat; he actually had supporters.
"Here comes Jacob! Jacob, we love you!"
"Jacob looks so gentle, handsome, and kind. He definitely wouldn't say something so arrogant. I think that TikTok video wasn't posted by him—his account must have been hacked."
"You never know—some people appear respectable on the surface but are actually wolves in sheep's clothing. Those types are truly frightening."
"His Charmeleon is incredibly strong. It defeated two opponents before even evolving into Charizard."
...
After Jacob won four consecutive battles, his winning streak reached eighteen matches, but Charmeleon still hadn't evolved. Now, Jacob faced his final opponent.
Standing on the battlefield, the surrounding noise washed over him like a tide, but Jacob remained unmoved. His only goal was victory in every match.
"Arena Number 8: Lord-level trainer Jacob versus Lord-level trainer Caleb. Match rules will be determined by Caleb."
"Two-on-two singles battle."
"Go, Hawlucha!"
"Charmeleon, let's do this!"