CIATB Chapter 22 - 22
Chapter 22 - 22
Hikaru was momentarily stunned as thoughts flooded his mind.
Gaining experience and Effort Values through battle—was this information also visible?
Regardless, this was a good thing!
"Phew, I thought it was going to get back up and continue fighting."
Hikaru sighed in relief.
That Gible was unbelievably tenacious. Even with its Defense lowered by four stages and taking a critical hit from Psycho Cut, it still managed to stand up, albeit unsteadily.
Luckily, it finally collapsed again—otherwise, it would have been ridiculous.
However, in an informal battle, there were no move restrictions. If necessary, Honedge could still use Rest to recover HP, though sleeping meant it would be vulnerable to attacks.
Of course, mastering more moves meant having more choices during battles. Even in official battles with a four-move limit, there was no such thing as "move preparation."
In other words, if a Pokémon had learned dozens of moves, the Trainer still had options before revealing all four selected moves. They could adjust their strategy based on the situation—unlike in the games, where moves had to be pre-set before entering battle.
At this moment, Volo was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected his Gible to lose in such a manner. After recalling Gible into its Poké Ball, he stared at it for a long time before asking Hikaru:
"What happened? How did Sand Tomb fail to trap your Pokémon? And why did its attack speed suddenly increase afterward? My Gible should have been faster than your Pokémon!"
"Even Rough Skin didn't take effect? This is... unbelievable!"
Honedge floated up in celebration, marking the victory for itself and Hikaru. Hikaru reached out and high-fived its blue ribbon-like cloth—though it felt light as a feather—before approaching Volo:
"Looks like I won. My luck wasn't bad. So, according to our agreement, next time I shop at your place, everything's 20% off."
"Wait!" Volo had now taken a strong interest in Hikaru . "What exactly happened just now? I never expected that outcome!"
Hikaru gave a concise explanation:
"Well, Shadow Sneak is a contact move, but Psycho Cut isn't. And while it looks like a special move, Psycho Cut is actually a physical attack."
"Also, Substitute can free a Pokémon from Sand Tomb. As for the increased attack speed, that was because of an item."
"The Lansat Berry—it activates when a Pokémon is in a crisis, allowing it to move first if the priority of the move is the same."
Hikaru pointed at himself. "I'm a craftsman. Even though I haven't battled much myself, many people come to me for battle items."
"Each Pokémon has its own personality, stats, and strengths. Some items enhance their advantages, while others compensate for their weaknesses. In some cases, they can even turn a battle around."
"The key is to save your finishing move for the right moment. You have to create the conditions for victory—revealing your trump card too early just gives the opponent an opening."
In the Pokémon world, many Trainers and even Professors couldn't always distinguish between special and physical moves. This sometimes led to bizarre move sets. Understanding this distinction was just the first step in move re
Of course, losing some tactics meant gaining new ones—unexpected move combinations emerged, keeping Trainers on high alert.
"Come to think of it, I didn't have to win. Volo only asked for a battle—losing wouldn't have mattered, right?"
Hikaru muttered while stroking Doduo's feathers.
However, Honedge immediately objected.
"Yo!"
What nonsense! A battle must be won!
We are a Knight and a King—the strongest team!
"Well, still… I'm not a registered League Trainer."
Hikaru scratched his head.
Like Mr. Iron, many craftsmen didn't own Pokémon—they relied solely on their craftsmanship to make a living. The original owner of his body was the same.
Without a Pokémon, one wasn't considered a Trainer. Not registering with the League wasn't a big deal—at most, it just meant no free meals at Pokémon Centers.
Of course, battles were the heart of this world. Every region had Pokémon Trainer Schools to train future Trainers—the academy-trained Trainers.
But the ones who shone the most in tournaments were still the "wild-trained Trainers"—like Ash Ketchum.
Textbooks had their limits. Some things could only be learned through real battles. A Trainer could master game battles, but in real-time combat, they might get overwhelmed and lose to someone who had more hands-on experience.
"Yo~"
Honedge squinted its single eye, letting out eerie noises:
Stop lying to yourself. That battle just now proved it—you have the desire to win deep in your blood!
Hikaru: "..."
"Fine, next time, let's practice Sacred Sword Canceling."
?
(End of Chapter)
====
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]