The moment the words left Shiro's mouth, Growlithe no longer hesitated. Flames burst from every part of its body, spreading swiftly across the ground. When it reached the base of the rocky wall, the fire surged upward, rolling like a wave colliding against stone, before crashing back down to join the flames below.
In seconds, the small rocky clearing was engulfed. Fire swept in all directions, and the surge rushing toward Shiro was blocked by Drakloak's Light Screen.
Some startled gasps came from behind.
The TV crew resting against the rocks had also noticed the sudden blaze. Most had been dozing with their eyes shut, but a few had been watching Shiro as he released his Pokémon for training.
"What's going on? Is there a Gym-level Fire-type here?"
"It's Shiro's Growlithe. It's battling his Haunter."
"Growlithe against Haunter…"
They muttered briefly, then fell silent. Those who didn't care much simply closed their eyes and went back to pretending to sleep.
The cave, which had been chilly before, now grew warmer with the heat of the flames. The rising temperature actually made it easier to rest. After all, they had just come from the frigid Circhester, and a bit of warmth was more than welcome.
Meanwhile, inside the burning clearing, Haunter was forced out from a crack near the top of the rock wall. Six shadowy spheres, each the size of a basketball, instantly formed around its body and shot downward.
Growlithe's sharp eyes caught the movement, and its agile body responded. It darted and leapt through the clearing, slipping past every one of the Shadow Balls without a scratch. Yet the fire it had spread earlier was fading fast. Flames clinging to the rocky walls had nothing to sustain it, and once Growlithe stopped feeding energy into the blaze, it vanished quickly into the air.
Seizing the chance, the Ghost-type's figure blurred, ready to unleash another move.
Growlithe's heart skipped a beat. It opened its jaws and spat out a thick stream of fire.
But Haunter's body twisted unnaturally before vanishing from sight.
"It used Sucker Punch," Shiro said with an approving nod.
The move was quick. It lets the user dodge an opponent's attack while striking back at the same time. The catch, however, was that it only worked if the opponent's move was an actual attack. Otherwise, Sucker Punch would fail.
It was one of Shiro's favorite tactics, and Haunter knew it well. For the ghost, pulling it off was very easy.
While Growlithe was still startled, Haunter materialized behind it. A wide grin split its face, and from its body surged a mass of inky black shadow.
"Haun!"
It was Night Shade.
The strike landed square on Growlithe's back. The impact drove the dog stumbling forward, nearly knocking it flat.
"Groowl!"
Growlithe howled in pain and spun around. Seeing Haunter's mocking grin and raised claws filled it with anger. With a snarl, it lunged and snapped at the ghost.
Flames coated its fangs, forming the fiery shape of Fire Fang. This time, Haunter didn't dodge. It let the burning fangs close around its spectral form.
The searing pain hit, but the Ghost-type also released its own move to counter.
Payback.
If the attack landed right after the opponent's strike, its power doubled.
"Haun!"
Black mist flooded off Haunter's body, and its form glowed with a strange, dark brown light. The counterattack shattered the fiery bite and sent Growlithe flying across the clearing. It hit the stone wall hard.
"Haunhaunhaun!" Haunter cackled triumphantly.
Its prediction had been correct. After enduring Night Shade and then following with Payback, it was unlikely the dog could continue fighting.
"Grooowl…"
Growlithe groaned, pushing against the pain as it struggled to its feet. Its body leaned against the wall, unsteady but still refusing to fall. It could force itself to keep going if it had to. But this wasn't a battle it needed to win. The outcome was already decided.
"Haun~"
Haunter floated overhead, looking smug and unharmed.
On the surface, it looked like it had taken the full force of Fire Fang, but the truth was different. It had timed its counter perfectly, launching Payback the instant the flames reached its body. Instead of damage, it had come out victorious.
"Growlithe…"
Shiro hurried over, pulling out a few sprays and medicines from his bag. He treated the Fire-type quickly, making sure its bruises wouldn't worsen. After he finished, he beckoned Haunter closer as well.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Haun?"
Haunter scratched its head, confused.
How could a single battle or two tell them much?
Shiro rubbed his temples, realizing he had been overthinking. Then another thought struck him. He looked around and spoke quietly.
"A, can you come out and take a look? No, stay hidden. Let's just use telepathy."
A moment later, the familiar voice of Unown A echoed in his head.
'What is it?'
'Check for me. How far are Haunter and Growlithe from Gym-level? Did fighting help them improve?'
'Of course it did,' Unown A replied at once. 'Their strength is progressing rapidly. But repeating the same drills and routines can only take them so far. They can control their energy fairly well, but their bodies haven't fully adapted to the higher level yet. What they need now is real combat, not endless repetition of the same moves.'
'Is there a simple way to measure that progress?' Shiro asked again.
Unown A went quiet for a while. Then an invisible thread of psychic power linked with his mind.
Flashes of white light shimmered before his eyes, fading into illusions. When he looked at Haunter and Growlithe, faint symbols and numbers hovered above their heads, shifting constantly until they settled into simple ratios.
Haunter: 67/100
Growlithe: 35/100
'This is…' He paused, unsure of what to call it. 'Their… proficiency? Battle experience?'
The numbers seemed to be a direct measurement of their growth.
'Call it whatever you like,' Unown A said. 'I just used my psychic power to give a reference for reaching Gym-level. When the number reaches one hundred, it means they're basically ready. All they need is more battles.'
Shiro turned his eyes toward Vibrava hovering quietly nearby.
Vibrava: 11/100
Just as he thought. The lowest. It had been through the fewest battles.
He scratched his chin and glanced at Haunter, who was drifting back and forth along the rocky wall. The Ghost-type felt his gaze and shivered.
* * *
Three hours later.
Other than Rhyperior and Corviknight, Shiro had released all his Pokémon for feeding. He ate dinner himself, sitting by the fire.
Only Haunter had no peace.
"Haun…"
It whimpered, eyes wet, trying to slip into a crack in the rocks. But before it could, a blue-green dragon tail whipped out, wrapping tight around its body and yanking it back.
Drakloak narrowed its eyes, tail snapping. With a stern look, it began smacking Haunter across the butt.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!