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Chapter 148: The Feeling of Evolution
🕑 Added 2025-08-19 14:23:59 +0000 UTCChapter 148: The Feeling of Evolution
"You're throwing sand at me? Seriously?"
Basalt almost laughed out loud. Of all the moves his Combusken could have used, he chose Sand Attack? It was a gift, and it would be rude not to accept it.
Shhh-shhh-shhh...
In the split second that Aiden and his Combusken were stunned, Drilbur seized the opportunity. A golden sandstorm erupted, engulfing the entire field.
"Combus!" Combusken frowned. The sand whipped against its body, stinging sharply. Not only that, the elemental energy infused in the sand seemed to be draining its stamina.
"It's Sandstorm! He's using Sandstorm!" the announcer screamed, his voice trembling with excitement. A weather move was not something a trainer at this level could just casually master. Among all the elite young trainers gathered for this tournament, Basalt was only the second one to demonstrate such a skill.
"Holy crap! Basalt was hiding this the whole time? Those Metro City guys are sneaky!" In the stands, the Ochre City team's faces turned green.
Aiden felt a cold sweat bead on his forehead.
VWOOM!
Just then, a bright light flashed around Combusken, and a wave of relief washed over him. Its Speed Boost ability had finally activated. Now, it had an overwhelming speed advantage. But looking at the raging sandstorm, a sense of foreboding crept into his heart. He decided to play it safe.
"Combusken, Flame Charge!" Not only was it an attack, but it would also boost its speed even further.
"Combus!" Combusken charged, its body wreathed in flames, transforming into a speeding fireball. But Basalt noticed its movements were calculated and precise, clearly wary of his predictive Sand Tomb traps.
"Rock Tomb!" At Basalt's command, a dozen boulders shot toward the charging Pokémon.
"It's useless," Aiden said with a smug grin. "With the boost from its ability and Flame Charge, Combusken is unbelievably fast. Your Rock Tomb won't even touch it."
And he was right. Combusken weaved and dodged, expertly avoiding every single boulder.
"You think that's fast?" Basalt's mocking voice echoed through the arena as Aiden and the audience marveled at Combusken's speed. "Doesn't seem that impressive to me."
"What did you say?" Aiden was stunned.
But before he could retort, he witnessed something he would never forget. From within the sandstorm, a blur of motion shot forward, leaving a long afterimage in its wake. Combusken was fast, but Drilbur... was even faster.
In the blink of an eye, Drilbur was on top of Combusken, its claws glowing as it struck.
Crush Claw!
"Combus!" Caught completely off guard, Combusken was sent flying, its defenses lowered by the move's secondary effect. But the Fire-type was a fighter. It shook off the blow, its battle spirit blazing.
"Flame Wheel!"
"Drill Run!"
The two Pokémon clashed, fire against steel. Drilbur's power was immense, easily plowing through the flames. The two high-speed Pokémon became a whirlwind of motion, trading blows with relentless fury.
Crush Claw met Sky Uppercut. Rock Tomb met Double Kick. Metal Claw met Mega Punch.
It was a dead-even match. Drilbur had the speed advantage thanks to Sand Rush, but Combusken's superior fighting technique and footwork evened the odds. Whenever Drilbur tried to use Bulldoze, Combusken would leap high into the air, using Aerial Ace to prolong its air time.
"This is an incredible, evenly matched battle!" the announcer roared, his excitement infectious.
"Combus!"
"Chaa!"
After another clash, the two Pokémon flew apart, panting heavily, their eyes locked on each other. But Combusken was tiring faster. On top of everything else, it was still taking damage from the sandstorm.
However, Basalt had his own worries. Combusken's Speed Boost could still activate a second time. If he lost the speed advantage, Drilbur would be in serious trouble. But he had been setting up his own game-winning move this whole time.
"It's almost ready," he thought, a sense of relief washing over him. "Sand Tomb!" he yelled again.
As expected, Combusken leaped into the air.
VWOOM!
Just then, a light flashed around it again. The second speed boost.
"Finally!" Aiden was ecstatic. His Combusken's body could only handle two activations of its ability and one Flame Charge. The second one had taken a long time to kick in, but it was here.
"Basalt, you are a worthy opponent. But I'm sorry, this match is mine!" he declared.
"Is it?" Basalt smiled. Drilbur had just given him the signal. His plan was complete.
"Let's see you prove it!" Aiden roared. "Combusken, Mega Kick!"
This time, it was the real deal. A powerful, lightning-fast kick shot toward Drilbur.
"Just what I wanted," Basalt said, but instead of meeting the attack head-on, he had Drilbur use Dig to escape underground.
"You think that will work?" Aiden scoffed. "Bulldoze!"
The attack changed mid-motion. Combusken's foot slammed into the ground, ready to send a shockwave through the earth. But the solid ground was suddenly gone, replaced by a swirling pit of quicksand. Not only that, but all the individual Sand Tombs had now connected, turning the entire battlefield into one massive quicksand trap.
"An unbelievable turn of events!" the announcer screamed. "Somehow, Drilbur has secretly turned the entire field into a Sand Tomb!"
"Dig!" With Combusken trapped, Basalt went in for the kill.
BAM!
Drilbur shot up from the sand, sending Combusken flying. A final barrage of rock boulders finished it off.
"The winner has been decided!" the referee yelled.
"Chaa!" Drilbur smirked, looking at the fainted Combusken. Not bad, for a chicken. But not good enough.
But as it raised its claws to soak in the cheers, it felt a strange sensation inside its body. It was as if some kind of internal barrier had just been shattered.
"Chaa?" Drilbur scratched its head, confused. Oh well. Time to celebrate.
In the trainer's lounge, Caspian watched the match with a cool, detached expression. He was surprised that Basalt's Drilbur also knew a weather move, but as his opponent in the semifinals, he was confident of his victory. That Drilbur isn't even fully evolved. How much pure energy can it have? Besides, my Pelipper's weather control is a combination of its ability and a move. If it comes down to a weather war, how can I possibly lose?
When Basalt returned to the hotel, the Metro City team was ecstatic. He had made it to the Top 4. But they were pessimistic about his next match.
That afternoon, as Basalt was applying the daily metal fluid to Drilbur, he noticed something strange. It wasn't absorbing the liquid. Usually, it would all be absorbed after a few minutes of rubbing, but now, even after ten minutes, there was still a residue on its fur.
"Could it be... its energy reserves are finally full?" Basalt thought, a sudden wave of ecstatic joy washing over him.
This is it. It's time to evolve.
He immediately pulled out his Pokédex and called Agent Zhou. He had been instructed to notify him the moment Drilbur showed any signs of evolving. And the timing couldn't have been more perfect.
