The Intimidate Ability lowers the opponent's Attack upon activation. If used strategically, it can even exploit the opponent's momentary hesitation to launch a counterattack.
Arbok had relied on this tactic many times while hunting its prey, leading it to believe that this battle would be no different.
Boom!
However, just as it lunged forward, a scorching blaze surged toward it. Suspended mid-air with no foothold or wings to aid its escape, Arbok had no way to dodge and was struck directly by Charmeleon's Flamethrower.
"Hmph~"
Charmeleon snorted, releasing two streams of white smoke from its nostrils. It gazed at Arbok with a look of disdain. Did this snake even realize the kind of Pokémon it usually trained alongside? No matter how strong Intimidate was, it could never compare to the sheer presence of Dragonite!
Moreover, after evolving, Charmeleon's personality had shifted slightly, though it rarely showed when around Maki and Cottonee.
Even though Intimidate had successfully reduced Charmeleon's Attack, it was nowhere near enough to scare it off.
And besides, lowering Attack had no effect on a move like Flamethrower, which relies on Special Attack!
"Parss~"
After landing, Arbok glanced at its scorched scales. Surprisingly, it did not launch an immediate counterattack. Instead, it hesitantly shifted its gaze between Charmeleon and Maki, its tail twitching slightly.
Arbok wanted to flee!
Pokémon like Arbok were naturally aggressive but ultimately bullies—preying on the weak without hesitation. However, when faced with a superior opponent, they would often choose to retreat immediately.
"Trying to run?"
Maki raised an eyebrow. He had finally found a suitable training opponent for Charmeleon. There was no way he would let it escape so easily.
Not to mention, Arbok was listed among his recent mission targets. Turning it in to the League would earn him more BP (Battle Points) than Pidgey.
The three Pidgey he had captured earlier had netted him a total of 10 BP—not much, but every little bit counted. BP was essentially a measure of one's contributions to the League, and accumulating it would benefit Maki's future actions within the organization.
After all, aside from arena battles, the best way to earn BP was by completing League-issued missions.
"Charmeleon, chase it down and use Flamethrower again. Don't let it escape."
After evolving, Charmeleon's overall capabilities had improved drastically. Even without activating Dragon Dance, its current speed already surpassed that of its previous form after using the move once.
The same level of improvement applied to all of its stats. Maki even suspected that the sudden power boost was linked to Charmeleon's exposure to a Fire-type Plate fragment during evolution.
Seeing Charmeleon charging at it, Arbok hastily spewed a glob of poisonous sludge from its mouth, attempting to intercept the attack.
However, the difference in power was too vast. The Acid attack was instantly incinerated by the oncoming flames. The remnants of the toxic liquid sizzled as they dripped onto the grass, instantly withering the plants they touched.
It was clear just how corrosive this venom was. Arbok often used this technique to ambush and devour weaker Pokémon.
But Charmeleon was far from weak.
Perhaps due to the influence of the Fire Plate fragment, Charmeleon's newly learned Flamethrower was abnormally powerful. After being hit twice consecutively, Arbok collapsed, losing its ability to battle.
Maki wasted no time and captured it with a Poké Ball.
"Char~meleon!"
Charmeleon proudly picked up the Poké Ball containing Arbok and trotted over to Maki, seeking praise. Cottonee rolled its eyes at the display.
Sure enough, while Charmeleon's body had grown larger and stronger, its desire for approval remained unchanged.
"The move's power has increased significantly, but you need to work on control."
Maki took the Poké Ball from Charmeleon and chuckled.
Raw power wasn't enough—if a move lacked precision, even a slight dodge from the opponent could render it ineffective.
"Char~meleon!"
Charmeleon obediently nodded in understanding.
"Cotton…"
Cottonee tried to imitate Maki's lecturing tone but was immediately pushed back down by him.
"Don't worry. You'll be starting your own training soon."
Maki glanced at Cottonee, who let out a weak sigh.
—
Hoenn Region.
On an uncharted, uninhabited island unknown to the Pokémon League, a middle-aged man with red hair, clad in a red-and-black uniform, held a small box in his hands. His eyes gleamed with excitement.
Sitting directly across from him was a cloaked figure, shrouded in shadows that obscured his face.
The red-haired man needed no introduction—he was Maxie, leader of Team Magma, one of Hoenn's two major underground organizations.
Maxie opened the box. If Maki were present, he would have immediately recognized its contents—another fragment of the Fire-type Plate!
However, this fragment was notably smaller than the one he had obtained from Arcanine earlier.
"The item is yours now. You've confirmed it yourself, so there shouldn't be any issues, correct?"
The cloaked elder remained unfazed by Maxie's actions, showing no concern over any potential betrayal.
"Relax. Team Magma always keeps its word. Your payment will be delivered in full."
Despite acquiring such a priceless treasure, Maxie maintained his composure, his excitement barely surfacing.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way. You know the drill—make sure the payment reaches my account."
The cloaked elder stood, ready to leave, but Maxie stopped him once more.
Lightly tapping his fingers on the table, Maxie spoke calmly.
"Hold on a moment."
"What's this, Maxie? Do you think I should fear you just because we're on your turf?"
The elder's eyes gleamed menacingly beneath his hood. Wrinkled fingers emerged from his cloak, gripping a Poké Ball tightly, prepared for battle.
"Hahaha! No need for hostility. I'm not like Archie, who lacks credibility. I just want to confirm something—are you certain this is a complete fragment?"
Maxie chuckled, quickly clarifying his intentions. The last thing he wanted was to create unnecessary enemies.
The elder sneered coldly before responding.
"What? Do you doubt me?"
"If you say so, then of course I believe you. With your reputation, I doubt you'd resort to deception."
Despite the elder's arrogance, Maxie showed no irritation. Instead, he politely stood up to see him off.
"Hmph!"
With a final scoff, the elder swiftly departed.
Though confident in his abilities, he had no intention of provoking Maxie on his home turf.
-----------------------
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