After defeating the Malamar, Maki took out the malfunctioning Poké Balls. While they weren't completely broken, they were unreliable—sometimes they would randomly fail, or worse, trap a Pokémon inside indefinitely.
Maki wouldn't dare keep his own Pokémon in such defective Poké Balls, but for the Malamar, it didn't matter as much. Leaving it here was not an option either—if it somehow recovered after he left, it might return and cause more trouble.
He found one that still worked and captured the defeated Malamar, then continued deeper into the area with his Florges. The battle had caused quite a commotion, and if the other Malamar noticed, things could get messy.
With a group of Florges following closely behind, Maki couldn't shake the feeling that he resembled the cunning fox from the old fable, The Fox Borrows the Tiger's Might.
...No, surely that was just his imagination.
The Malamar they had just encountered had likely been out foraging for Berries on behalf of the others, much like the one Maki had encountered yesterday. It seemed that Malamar in this area took turns gathering food.
The one from yesterday had been lucky—it had only run into Maki. But this one? It had suffered a full-force assault from a squad of Florges.
Well, no matter. To ensure fairness, Maki decided he would take on all the Malamar. After all, once he had them all in one place, communication would be much easier.
...
"Ma!"
The Malamar Maki had battled the previous day clutched a Berry in one tentacle, grumbling to its companions. Getting beaten up by that strange human and his Pokémon had been humiliating. Hopefully, they wouldn't cross paths again—otherwise, it would make sure to get revenge!
Of course, it would need backup. Just in case.
"Ma!"
Another Malamar patted its back, signaling its support. If that human ever showed up again, they would gang up on him and settle the score.
The group then turned their attention to their next task: raiding the Florges' territory. It had been a while since their last raid, and their stock of nectar had long been depleted—it was time to gather more.
"Ma?"
One of the Malamar suddenly paused, looking into the distance with uncertainty. It had heard something strange coming from that direction… wasn't that where their foraging scout had gone?
It dismissed the thought. Probably just another wild Pokémon wandering into their territory and getting a beating from their comrade. No Pokémon dared challenge them around here.
"Ma!"
But another Malamar, the strongest of the group, pointed toward the source of the noise. Its heightened senses told it that something was off.
"Ma~"
The first Malamar waved a tentacle dismissively. It was probably just paranoia. There was nothing to worry about.
Then another Malamar poked it.
"Ma?"
"Isn't that the weird creature you ran into yesterday?"
"Ma?"
The Malamar stiffened. Following its companion's gaze, it saw a familiar figure approaching. After a moment of stunned silence, it instinctively nodded.
Then it snapped back to reality.
Good. That human had relied on his Pokémon to win yesterday. But today, it would be different. Today, they would see who had the bigger army!
It immediately signaled its companions to prepare for battle and charged forward.
…Only to stop dead in its tracks moments later.
Wait. Weren't there way more Pokémon behind that human today?
Maki, leading his Pokémon, blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected the Malamar to charge at them so confidently despite the sheer number of Pokémon on his side.
He started to doubt the reliability of the information his Absol had provided.
Who gave this Malamar the confidence to attack so recklessly?
Then, as expected, the Malamar skidded to a stop as soon as it noticed the overwhelming numbers on Maki's side.
Maki grinned.
"Cottonee, Sunny Day!"
Now certain that there was no mistake in his intel, Maki didn't hesitate. He ordered Cottonee to summon Sunny Day.
Sunny Day wasn't just useful for boosting Charmeleon's Fire-type moves—it also enhanced the abilities of Florges.
As the sun intensified, Maki gave his next command almost immediately.
"Growth!"
Growth increased both Attack and Special Attack, but under strong sunlight, the effect was doubled—essentially the same as using both Swords Dance and Nasty Plot at the same time.
As the name suggested, the move was mainly exclusive to Grass-type Pokémon, making Florges one of the rare exceptions capable of learning it.
The Sunny Day + Growth combo was also part of Maki's long-term training plan for Cottonee. Both were status moves that complemented each other perfectly.
The Florges had been prepared in advance. Bathed in the intensified sunlight, they seemed to grow even larger and more formidable.
"Go! Just like before—don't hold back, use your moves freely!"
Once Growth had taken effect, Maki issued his next order.
"Cottonee, Charmeleon, Absol, and Mawile—you guys find your own opponents!"
Maki glanced at the four Pokémon beside him. It was rare to have such ideal—ahem—training opportunities. He wasn't going to waste this chance to help them improve.
As for Absol, it had personally requested to fight.
Maki had noticed that his Absol was similar in temperament to Charmeleon and Mawile—seemingly calm on the surface, but deep down, fiercely competitive.
Pairing Mawile with Absol made sense. Both excelled in close-quarters combat and complemented each other well.
Meanwhile, Charmeleon and Cottonee had been training partners for a long time. Their teamwork wouldn't be an issue.
On the opposing side, the leading Malamar hesitated, but its allies charged forward with unwavering determination, ready to avenge their fallen comrade.
And then…
They witnessed twenty Florges simultaneously using Growth.
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