A soft emerald glow wrapped itself around Smoliv, reflected clearly in Peter's eyes.
Across the battlefield, Roark frowned as he studied the unfamiliar Pokémon before him.
He felt like he'd seen this species somewhere before—but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't place it.
Still, one thing was obvious.
If it can use Growth, then it's almost certainly a Grass type…
Which meant—
It hard-counters my entire lineup.
"But still," Roark muttered, glancing up at the thin rainclouds overhead, "what's the point of Rain Dance against a Grass type?"
Peter answered calmly, decisively:
"Smoliv—Weather Ball!"
"What?!"
Roark's heart skipped a beat.
Above Smoliv's head, a massive sphere of compressed rainwater rapidly formed, gleaming as it spun violently through the drizzle before screaming straight toward Geodude!
In rainy weather, Weather Ball transforms into a 100-power Water-type special move, further boosted by rain itself by 50%.
Add in Growth's Special Attack boost, and then factor in 4× type effectiveness—
This single strike reached a terrifying 900 effective power.
Even with three lives, Geodude wouldn't survive that.
BOOOOM—!
The water sphere detonated on impact, soaking the entire battlefield.
At the same time, it felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped straight over Roark's head.
"Geodude is unable to battle! Gym Leader, please send out your next Pokémon!"
The referee's call snapped Roark out of his daze. He recalled Geodude, then looked at Peter with a mixture of disbelief and admiration.
"So that's the tactic…" Roark said slowly. "Honestly, battling you feels like going up against a veteran tactical specialist."
Peter simply smiled—saying nothing.
…
In the stands—
"Did you hear that, DJ Mary?! Roark said Peter's amazing!"
Whitney grabbed Mary's arm and shook it excitedly—along with everything else beneath her clothes.
Mary winced. "Stop—stop shaking! I'm going to fall apart!"
…
Back on the field, Roark threw his second Poké Ball.
"Onix, let's go!"
With a thunderous roar, the massive Rock Snake emerged—only to immediately be pelted by the sharp edges of Stealth Rock, crashing down on it the moment it entered the battlefield.
[Onix Lv.25 (Intermediate)]
Peter didn't hesitate.
"Keep going—Weather Ball!"
"Smoliiiv—no!!"
Another massive water sphere formed.
Onix's enormous body, usually an advantage, became a liability. Even though Roark urgently ordered Dig, the Pokémon wasn't fast enough.
The Water-type Weather Ball slammed down—
Onix collapsed instantly.
"Onix is unable to battle! Gym Leader, please send out your next Pokémon!"
"Whoa! Peter's insane!!"
Whitney hugged DJ Mary again and started shaking her.
Mary: "...…"
…
Roark recalled Onix, his expression now completely serious.
"Next one… you'd better be careful."
He threw his final Poké Ball.
"Cranidos—battle ready!!"
BOOM—!
A blue-gray dinosaur Pokémon burst onto the field, powerful hind legs planted firmly, its reinforced skull radiating raw force.
[Cranidos Lv.31 (Advanced)]
Peter narrowed his eyes.
"Smoliv—Weather Ball!"
The water sphere formed once more.
Roark shouted sharply, "It won't work this time! Cranidos—Flamethrower!"
Instead of aiming for the Weather Ball, Cranidos twisted its head and unleashed a blazing inferno straight toward Smoliv.
Roark was trading damage for damage—planning to take Smoliv down no matter what.
…
Peter lowered the brim of his cap.
"I won't make the same mistake twice."
BOOOOM—!
The water sphere and the pillar of flame struck almost simultaneously.
Smoliv was swallowed by fire—
while Cranidos was smashed into the ground by the Water-type Weather Ball, letting out a pained roar.
"The rain still has a few seconds left," Peter said quietly, voice steady and clear.
"Fire-type moves are weakened by 50%.
Cranidos has only 30 base Special Attack, and no STAB on Flamethrower."
His eyes shone brighter with every word.
"So this hit… my Smoliv will absolutely survive it."
Through the fading flames, the small figure became clearer.
Peter smiled.
"Smoliv—Giga Drain!"
"What?!" Roark shouted in disbelief.
Brilliant green energy burst from Cranidos's body, flowing like a river back into Smoliv.
The fire vanished.
The blackened scorch marks on Smoliv's body faded away—replaced by fresh, vibrant green.
"Graaa—!"
Cranidos let out one final cry and collapsed.
"Cranidos is unable to battle! The winner is Peter!"
As the referee waved the flag, Peter let out a quiet breath.
"The sweep… complete."
"Smoliiiv~!"
Smoliv leapt into Peter's arms, the seed on its head releasing a soft, sweet fragrance.
"Well done, Smoliv," Peter said warmly, hugging it close.
…
Suddenly—
A gentle white light burst forth from his arms.
Not blinding, but radiant—
like a precious gem polished by time itself, finally revealing its brilliance.
"This is… evolution?!"
Peter's pupils reflected the light, his voice trembling with excitement.
When the glow faded, a new Pokémon rested in his arms.
A Grass skirt draped elegantly around its body.
The seed atop its head had split into two, tied together by a four-leaf clover.
Slender arms merged seamlessly with its leafy dress, and its posture was tall and graceful.
The once tiny Smoliv had grown into a refined, dignified figure.
Dolliv.
[Dolliv ♀ Lv.24 (Intermediate)]
Ability: Early Bird (Sleep duration reduced by 50%)
Total Talent: 354 (Species Maximum Reached)
HP: 60
Attack: 30
Defense: 80
Sp. Atk: 74
Sp. Def: 80
Speed: 30
Friendship: 168
Newly Learned Moves: Giga Drain, Grass Knot
Mastered Moves: Sweet Scent, Growth, Strength Sap, Synthesis, Memento, Weather Ball, Sunny Day, Leech Seed
Proficient Move: Grassy Terrain
Description:
A Dolliv that evolved early due to deep resonance with its Trainer.
With perfectly pre-allocated talents and exceptional lineage, it has reached the absolute limits of its species.
Its favorite thing is sitting in Peter's bike basket and softly singing "Sunny Day."
Unmatched talent.
Perfect stat distribution.
Near-triple-digit defenses.
Without question—Dolliv could now stand on its own as a core pillar of Peter's team.
Suppressing his excitement, Peter crouched down, smiling at the Pokémon now nearly 70 cm tall.
"Congratulations, Dolliv."
"Dollii~no~"
Dolliv smiled with closed eyes and dove back into his arms.
The sweep was complete.
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