Pokémon Court

Chapter 29: vs Lotad

After another two days, under Mt. Chimney.

This is Terrance’s eighth day and night here.

Yesterday, Swablu completed its basic training and learned the principle of the move Natural Gift.

Currently, Swablu’s Peck attack is strong enough to crack wooden stakes. If switched to “Fury Attack” mode, it can perform 3-5 consecutive Peck attacks, each with approximately 40% to 60% of the power of a single Peck attack.

As for Agility, Swablu still struggles to control it, let alone using Take Down in high-speed mode. However, Terrance doesn’t expect Swablu to rely on this move due to its small size.

As for Feather Dance, this inherited move is quite decent.

While, even though Swablu had already learned Natural Gift, it still inevitably wasted the energies of two Berries made by Terrance during the initial two attempts.

…

…

“Little one, are you sure you want it to be your opponent?”

In front of Terrance and Swablu was a Lotad, searching for a clean water source.

Terrance hasn’t seen this Pokémon nearby before. It probably accidentally wandered into this area. Lotad rarely walks on the ground and usually floats on the surface of ponds and lakes. However, if it loses the water source, its leaves wither and it becomes weak and then it immediately starts searching everywhere for a new clean water source, occasionally moving on land.

If Terrance’s guess is correct, this Lotad must be lost.

“Chirp~” Swablu hesitated but confirmed with a cry.

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“Okay, I’ll go communicate with it.” Terrance took out some clean lake water from his backpack, pushed aside the grass, and walked towards the Lotad.

Terrance’s method was simple: he promised clean water and offered to help Lotad find a lake in exchange for a battle between it and Swablu. The process was straightforward and smooth. Although initially cautious, Lotad happily agreed after Terrance took out water.

“Are you ready?” Terrance looked up at Swablu, already soaring in the sky, and asked.

At the same time, Lotad regained its vitality and was full of energy due to Terrance’s bottle of clear water.

With a glance, Terrance could tell that both Pokémon were eager to battle.

“It seems you are ready, so let the battle begin.” Terrance showed an expression of surprise. He hadn’t expected Lotad to be so eager for a fight. It seems Swablu will have an enjoyable battle this time.

After arriving at an open space and making some quick preparations, Terrance positioned the two Pokémon on opposite sides of the battlefield.

“After this stone hits the ground, the battle will begin. Pay attention.” Terrance explained to Lotad and pointed to the stone in his hand, making a throwing motion. Once Lotad understood and nodded, Terrance stepped aside and threw the stone into the air.

The stone ascended slowly until it reached a critical point, then quickly fell!

With a “thud!” sound, the stone hit the ground. After hearing the noise, Lotad immediately launched its attack, surrounded by a blue light, and released a group of Bubbles!

The numerous Bubbles floated towards Swablu, but it remained calm. It was no longer the same little one from a few days ago who battled Wurmple.

Watching the Bubbles calmly, this was the first lesson Terrance taught Swablu—to remain calm in times of danger, trust the Trainer, and await their commands.

Swablu executed it perfectly. It didn’t actively dodge or attacked the incoming Bubbles. Swablu knew that it was battling as Terrance’s Pokémon, not fighting alone. So, it was patiently waiting for Terrance’s command!

The three main factors that determine the outcome of a Pokémon battle are the Trainer’s command, the Pokémon’s strength, and external factors. For now, Terrance ignored the external factors. The command is the Trainer’s responsibility, while the Pokémon’s strength not only includes its surface power but also encompasses many aspects such as battle awareness, judgment and reaction.

During battles, Trainers may face special circumstances that could affect their decision-making, resulting in delayed commands and other errors. This is when the Pokémon’s own judgment of the battle situation comes into play. There are Pokémon that simply wait for the Trainer’s command, and there are others that possess their own subjective battle awareness but still follow the Trainer’s commands. They approach the battle from both within and outside the situation, understanding the Trainer’s intentions in an instant or even beforehand, executing them perfectly, achieving a true synchronization of hearts with the Trainer. In that moment, the strong and weak are determined instantly.

Terrance hopes to train Swablu into a Pokémon that trusts his commands while also possessing rich battle awareness.

This training requires a deep bond and understanding of trust between Trainer and Pokémon. The road ahead is still long, and Terrance is not in a rush to achieve results. Everything must start from scratch.

“Fury Attack!”

The clear and concise command was given, and Swablu immediately understood Terrance’s intentions. Its beak emitted a white light, and without flinching in the face of the incoming Bubbles, it began a fierce assault in the direction with the fewest and most loosely packed Bubbles.

“Pop! Pop! Pop!”

Three consecutive Bubbles were pecked apart as Swablu advanced with unwavering momentum towards Lotad.

The light on its beak doesn’t dissipate. At this moment, Swablu launched an attack from the sky, aiming to use a powerful peck to deal with Lotad directly. However, Lotad didn’t sit idly by and instead unleashed a green light resembling vines, attempting to entangle the incoming Swablu.

Absorb!

The energy vines surrounded by the green light were filled with countless small holes. If Swablu gets bound by them, its energy will continuously be drained by Absorb.

Therefore, Terrance issued the command to retreat.

“Fly back into the air.”

Upon hearing this, Swablu hastily canceled its attack and quickly flew back into the air, narrowly evading the Absorb.

However, Lotad’s actions didn’t stop. From the way Lotad smoothly transitioned between its moves, Terrance realized that the Lotad, unlike Swablu, has at least some battle experience.

“Pu~”

With even greater force than before, Lotad blew out a multitude of bubbles, all converging towards Swablu in a remarkably organized manner. It was Bubble Beam, an advanced move that could be seen as the pinnacle of Lotad’s mastery over Bubble. Finding an opportunity, Lotad executed this move with great finesse.

“Can’t help it, use Agility to dodge,” Terrance sighed and shook his head. Given Swablu’s current capabilities, its options for evading this powerful move were limited. The undeveloped Agility unexpectedly became the most practical choice.

Compared to a conventional dodge, Swablu’s movements in Agility state were quite nimble. With a “whoosh,” it leapt past the barrage of bubbles. Swablu was somewhat fortunate this time. Although it hasn’t fully mastered controlling the high-speed state, it at least didn’t collide with any obstacles. However, it came to a stop with a lingering sense of fear.

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