"Hehehe, how was that?"
Eevee skipped over to the rest of the team. She had a complacent smile, her tail wagging repeatedly from side to side.
"You did a really great job. I'm so proud of you, Eevee."
Dante smiled fondly and nuzzled his nose against his Eevee's fur.
"Stop it, Dad! That tickles."
Eevee giggled. She laughed even louder when the rest of the team continued to heap praises on her.
Dante shook his head in helplessness. He hoped she wouldn't get a big head due to this. Though, with what she accomplished, he couldn't really blame her.
He glanced at Regidrago who had already recovered. Honestly, by looking at their stats, Eevee should have stood no chance. But she somehow did it.
Though if they fought again, Eevee's strategy would most likely not work a second time.
From his observation, the Regis performance seemed to follow an algorithm. Regieleki, after seeing Pikachu can absorb its electric attacks, didn't use any other electric-type moves for the rest of the battle.
Regidrago was the same. Its strategy worked the first 29 times, so it continued using that. A mistake which allowed Eevee to adapt and overcome it.
If instead Regidrago used Dragon Dance to boost its already faster speed, Eevee wouldn't even get a chance for a counter-attack.
Even so, it's not like Regidrago's mistake is the only reason for Eevee's win- that was just one of the crucial factors. Her own talent, which allowed her to quickly adapt to Regidrago's attack patterns, was the other reason.
If she couldn't use Calm Mind, hell, if she couldn't combine Quick Attack and All-Terrain Hiker, she wouldn't have been able to win no matter how many tries she had.
Dante turned back to the team. At this time, Eevee was still proudly narrating her own feelings as she faced Regidrago. Things like "I could easily predict its next move!" or "That stupid dragon didn't expect me!" could be heard.
"Alright, Eevee. You must be hungry after such a long fight. Lucky for you, it's time for lunch. You can replenish your energy before we continue our team's testing."
"It's lunchtime already? No wonder my stomach's been growling."
"Hahaha, it took you so long to defeat Regidrago, little Eevee. Watch me show you how it's done later."
Pikachu said smugly as he patted Eevee on the shoulder.
"You'd have to wait for tomorrow for your turn. But for now, we'll only have Azumarill and Riolu test the power of the sword and shield before we go back."
"Ehh? What's the rush?"
The others also looked at Dante. Especially Mawile. She had been looking forward to impressing Dante. Maybe if she also defeats a Legendary alone, he'd be so excited he'd agree on a second date! Speaking of, she should decide already on where they'd go for their first date.
"It's the Gummies we've looted from Cofagrigus. There's so many it'd take quite a while to finish drinking them. So it's best if we can go early to Spinda's Cafe."
Dante paused as he handed out the Apples. When everyone had one, he continued.
"Besides, the rest of us didn't gain anything worth testing from absorbing the items. Except for Ursaring, of course. But in your case, we need a much larger space to see how big you can grow."
"Hnggh, fine then."
Pikachu grumbled. But in the end, he still accepted Dante's decision- and the apple.
They ate lunch in a jovial atmosphere. Except for Eevee always trying to bring up her win against Regidrago, they just had their usual, light-hearted conversations.
After the meal, Dante gave Azumarill and Riolu their new held items, namely: the Intrepid Sword and Dauntless Shield.
Held items are a kind of energy construct. When inert, they retain their physical form; the form most familiar to Trainers. However, if a Pokemon wraps it with their own energy, the held item can shift between its energy and physical form- with the energy form capable of being assimilated by a Pokemon.
Most Trainers and Pokemon prefer to just let the held items be absorbed inside the body. Some exceptions, like the Assault Vest and Protective Pad, have additional uses when manifested in the physical form.
In the case of the Dauntless Shield and Intrepid Sword, having them in physical form also has some uses.
Riolu held the Dauntless Shield without any problem. In fact, with the shield in his hand, the blue canine Pokemon felt quite novel. It was on Azumarill's side that a problem arose.
"...Dan, I don't think I'm suitable to be a swordsman."
"Come on~ Try swinging it a few more times. You only had the sword for a few minutes."
"If you say so."
Azumarill said, though his tone was full of skepticism. He swung the sword with a whoosh, creating a slice of wind that traveled for a few meters before dissipating.
However, when Azumarill saw this, he frowned. He could punch a wind fist that would at least dent the cave walls. This sword just seems to lower his power. And he knew the reason why.
He glanced at his short limbs. With both hands holding the sword handle, he can only move the sword in a limited range. He could try holding it with a single hand, but that would compromise his balance.
As Azumarill was contemplating on how to use the sword better, Riolu had already begun to test his performance with the shield. This time, Registeel was chosen to be his opponent.
"Hey, Riolu! As my little brother, you can't lose!"
"This'll be easy, sis!"
Riolu shouted back confidently. Unlike Eevee, he had already fought with Registeel before in close-combat and won. And now, holding a more powerful item, he'd win this more easily.
But he forgot. His experience from fighting it comes with Pikachu, Azumarill, and Mawile covering up the team's openings. Without them, victory may not come as easy.
The battle began. Riolu relied on his speed to dodge the steel golem's punches. Then, he blocked one of Registeel's attacks with the shield when he saw a chance, and hit it right after with a Power-up punch.
Riolu knew from prior experience. Even if he used Focus Punch against the Steel-type Legendary, without any attack boost, his attack wouldn't be able to make a dent.
He needs to increase his attack first before fighting back. And with his higher speed, he could easily achieve that.
At least, that's what he initially thought.
He deflected a punch from Registeel and hit it with another Power-up Punch. Then, he took a step back, to gain enough time when Registeel swung a fist at him. But that moment never came. Instead, the ground shook as the steel golem stomped instead.
Riolu was caught unprepared. His body stumbled on the sandy floor. When he recovered, he found a steel fist right in front of his face.
TINNGGG!
A loud, metallic clang rang throughout the cave. Without time to dodge, Riolu could only hold up the shield. He slid backwards across the sandy floor for quite a distance, his momentum only dissipating when his back was about to hit the wall.
"Riolu, do you want to continue?"
"...I'm fine! I can go on!"
Riolu couldn't stop panting as he replied. That was close. His heart was still beating at the thought of almost receiving that punch undefended. However…
He stared down at the shield, his eyes filled with wonder. That did not hurt as much as he thought.
A grin crept up his face. With his fighting spirit rising, he charged forward and confronted Registeel once again. He still adopted the same strategy, blocking the attacks when he could, and landing one Power-up punch after another.
With his Defense and Attack constantly rising, soon, even when Registeel stomped on the ground, Riolu remained unfazed.
"Go, Riolu!"
Ursaring cheered from the sidelines. His pupils were razor focused on the on-going match.
At this moment, Riolu finally finished boosting his attack. This time, when he blocked Registeel's swipe, he briefly tightened his fist, before unleashing a Focus Punch.
CLANGGG!!!
It echoed throughout the cave. Registeel took several steps back, leaving a trail of massive footprints on the sand. Its eyes repeatedly flashed, as if surprised at Riolu's sudden increase in strength.
—
"Hmm, I think we should call this battle a draw."
Dante muttered.
"Ehh! Why, Dad? Brother Riolu is clearly winning!"
"No. This is his limit. His attack is already boosted to its maximum of 176. Meanwhile, Registeel's defense is 194. With its high health, even a Focus Punch would only cause little damage. Not to mention…"
—
"BEEP! MINIMAL PHYSICAL THREAT DETECTED! ADJUSTING STRATEGY!"
On the field, Registeel suddenly stopped moving. His body shone light-gray.
"Huh? Adjusting strategy?"
Riolu tilted his head. However, seeing Registeel stop in place, he did not miss this opportunity. He used Quick Attack to close the distance, then clenched his fist and hit it with a Focus Punch right in the center of its red eyes.
But unlike before, this time, the steel golem acted as if it didn't even feel a thing. Riolu grimaced. His opponent must have boosted its defenses. His fist felt the same as when he punched it at the beginning.
"Registeel had just boosted his stats. With one use of Iron Defense, unless Riolu lands a critical hit, then none of his attacks could hurt it."
Dante said as he watched the two Pokemon continue to fight. In the battle with the Regis, there was Ninetales who could clear the increase in stats. But here, without her, Riolu had a hard time going against the boosted Registeel.
Except for Regidrago and Regieleki, the other three Regis are specialized in defense. Against his hyper-offensive Pikachu, Azumarill, and Mega Mawile, these three wouldn't be able to hold on after a few hits.
Ursaring is a bit of a special case. He could defeat both Regice and Registeel, but would struggle against the physically defensive Regirock.
And as for the more defensive Alolan Ninetales, Eevee, and Riolu, they would have a hard time getting past their opponent's defenses.
Of course, the same could be said for their opponent against them.
After blocking its attack for more than 20 times, Riolu's defense had tripled. It reached a whopping 206! Facing Registeel's punches, he didn't even need the shield to take it head-on. And his faster speed allowed him to easily dodge Registeel's special attacks.
Thus, in this battle where neither side can cause any significant damage to the other, 30 minutes passed. In the end, Dante stepped forward and announced the match as a draw. If he lets these two continue, they would have to wait for hours for the result.
"Keep your head up, Riolu. You did great. It was just a bad match-up."
Dante comforted Riolu who was walking back with his head down.
"Yeah, brother Riolu! Although you didn't beat a Legendary like I did, tying against them is also an achievement!"
"Are you comforting me? Or praising yourself?"
"Ehehe, I mean, we're both awesome!"
Riolu finally smiled at Eevee's words. He charged into battle expecting an easy win. Seeing it end in a draw made him feel a little disappointed with himself.
"Riolu's done. How about you, Azumarill? You familiar with the sword yet?"
"...I don't think so. Dan, I really think it's best if I just absorb it inside me."
Dante turned to Azumarill. He stared at the golden sword in the Shiny Pokemon's hands with a look of pity. It seems his vision of a sword wielding rabbit wouldn't come to pass.
Just as he was about to agree to Azumarill's request, a voice sounded nearby.
"How about I try it? I think I can wield a sword better."
Mawile stepped in. This was a rare opportunity to show off her abilities to Dante again!
"You? But you already have the Mega Ston-"
Dante paused. Then, he groaned and banged his head against the ground.
He remembered. In the PMD world, Mawile's Mega Evolution gives lower stats than in the human world. But in exchange, it's permanent and allows her to hold another held item.
"A-are you alright, Dan? If you're really that against it, then forget what I-"
"No. I was just beating the stupidity out of me. You're right, Mawile. Let's have you test the Intrepid Sword."