Chapter 36: Cute and Adorable? One Punch Will Take Care of That!

Although the Combusken had managed to increase its speed in the previous turn thanks to its ability, it now outsped the Ludicolo and held the advantage of attacking first. However, their last encounter had clearly proven that the Combusken did not possess any Flying-type moves to counter the Ludicolo. Cynthia guessed that beyond Baton Pass and Swords Dance, its remaining two moves likely corresponded to its dual typing: Fighting and Fire.

At this moment, having already lost a portion of its health to Fake Out, the Combusken dissolved into a red light and returned to its Poké Ball in the face of the incoming torrent of bubbles. Clearly, Brawly had realized one thing: if he left the Combusken on the field, it would be instantly knocked out by the Ludicolo. Thus, he chose to switch without hesitation.

The Pokémon that took its place was that familiar figure—the Gurdurr from before. It stepped into the spot where the Combusken had stood, and the dense Bubble Beam struck its massive frame. Because there was no type advantage, it didn't deal significant damage, shaving off only about a third of its health.

As the new turn began, Cynthia fell into deep thought while facing the Gurdurr. In their last battle, she had discerned part of its build: the Guts ability combined with a Flame Orb significantly boosted the Gurdurr's physical attack. However, without the boost from the Combusken's Baton Pass, its Mach Punch shouldn't be enough to one-shot her Ludicolo. Therefore, the best move now would be Zen Headbutt.

Yet, for some reason, she felt a lingering sense of unease.

As Cynthia input the command, the new turn commenced. A pink glow representing psychic power flickered above the Ludicolo’s head, and it lunged at the Gurdurr!

【It’s super effective!】

The Gurdurr’s health bar plummeted, dropping to less than a fifth and beginning to flash red! But seeing this, Cynthia’s expression turned grim.

It didn't faint!

Since the Gurdurr hadn't used Mach Punch to strike first, it must have used a different attack this turn. Knowing the nature of this game, could it be holding a move like Facade, which doubles in power when the user is afflicted by a status condition? Or perhaps another move that countered Ludicolo? Regardless, the Ludicolo would definitely not be able to withstand it.

Just as she was pondering this, a pink light shimmered over the Gurdurr’s sturdy body.

【Gurdurr tried to use Facade, but it flinched!】

This time, the goddess of luck was on Cynthia’s side! The Zen Headbutt had triggered its secondary effect, interrupting the Gurdurr’s attack! Facing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Cynthia did not hesitate to select Zen Headbutt again.

The pink light flashed, and the Gurdurr’s health bar was completely emptied. This meant that aside from the Combusken, Brawly was down to his final Pokémon.

The audience in the live stream should have been cheering. After all, Cynthia had defeated two of Brawly’s Pokémon without the Ludicolo taking any significant damage. Under normal circumstances, it would be time to celebrate. However, the mood in the chat took a sharp turn.

【Everything looks smooth, but why do I feel a chill down my spine?】
【Yeah, be careful, streamer...】
【Speed-boosting Baton Pass Combusken, self-harming Guts Gurdurr... I can't imagine what the last Pokémon is...】

Clearly, the performance of the NPCs in previous gym battles had traumatized the viewers. If things were this easy, they would actually find it suspicious.

The next moment, as the Gurdurr fell, Brawly sent out his final Pokémon. It was a yellow, gloved creature that looked like a boxer. It was a Makuhita!

Seeing this, the viewers in the chat breathed a sigh of relief. The reason was simple: Makuhita was still in its first evolutionary stage. Even with some devious build or strategy, it was like a kindergartner compared to the fully evolved Combusken and Gurdurr—the gap in raw strength was simply too vast.

Amidst the flying comments, Cynthia chose to have the Ludicolo use Zen Headbutt again after a brief hesitation. It was the perfect move against a Fighting-type. The next moment, a dazzling pink light shone above the Ludicolo, and it slammed into the Makuhita!

Logically, with the super-effective damage, this should have easily drained the Makuhita’s health or even one-shot it. But unfortunately, the Ludicolo’s attack missed! A 95% hit rate can sometimes be incredibly infuriating. However, the chat didn't seem to mind the miss.

【As we all know, there are only two hit rates in this game: 100% and 0%.】
【It's fine, a miss is a miss. No worries, there's plenty of room for error this time.】
【Exactly, it's just a Makuhita. Even if it’s buffed, it can't sweep the streamer's team!】
【The little guy is kind of cute, did he get lost?】

However, at that moment, a deep blue glow erupted from the Makuhita’s fists. It rushed straight toward the Ludicolo, striking it with a cold, piercing punch!

【Makuhita used Force Palm!】
【Makuhita's Choice Band increased the power of its physical move!】
【Critical hit!!】

In the next instant, amidst the icy glow, the Ludicolo’s health bar vanished entirely. The chat stalled, then refreshed frantically:

【???】
【Wait, where did my Ludicolo go??】
【Are you kidding me? Why this time??】
【Well, looks like Brawly wasn't holding back...】

After the Choice Band-equipped Makuhita one-shot the Ludicolo, even with the Grovyle and Teddiursa taking turns, the Makuhita was only finished off by the Grovyle at the very last moment. And the nearly full-health Combusken was certainly not something the Grovyle could handle. Thus, Cynthia’s second challenge ended in failure.

But armed with this experience, she immediately began her third attempt!

After several tries, she finally executed a perfect battle. The Ludicolo handled the Gurdurr without taking damage, and by switching to Grovyle at a critical moment, she successfully blocked the Makuhita’s attack, preserving the Ludicolo’s condition!

As the Combusken fell to a Bubble Beam, Cynthia finally cleared the second gym!

In front of the computer screen, Cynthia listened to the cheerful music of victory, a different kind of brilliance shimmering in her dark, beautiful eyes. She leaned back in her chair, took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and the corners of her mouth curled upward.

The satisfaction after such an intense battle... it was truly... nostalgic.