Chapter 288: Roba Tribe Secret Medicine
"Marshtomp!" Basalt's heart skipped a beat.
Those burns looked severe. This Camerupt's internal flames were definitely much hotter than an average one's. It might be related to their unique training methods.
And smoke, in some ways, was even more terrifying than fire. Fire usually only hit you head-on, but smoke could spread out and envelop your entire body, and the burning sensation lasted longer. It was like the difference between being scalded by boiling water versus 100-degree steam – the steam burn was much worse and harder to treat.
"Marsh-tomp!"
This time, it was Marshtomp's turn to cry out and retreat, its eyes half-closed in pain. Even though it was a not very effective Water-type move, the actual damage was no less than a super-effective hit.
But just then, Basalt saw a flash of determination in Marshtomp's eyes.
Vzzt!
Suddenly, a bright light flashed on Marshtomp's body. A strange energy began to flicker across its surface. Its skin shimmered like a mirror under the sunlight.
Not only that, but the scorching energy on its body began to gather, quickly forming a flashing red energy orb that shot towards Camerupt.
"That's... Mirror Coat!" Basalt recognized the move.
Enduring the pain from the Eruption, Marshtomp had counter-attacked.
The red energy orb flew rapidly and struck Camerupt head-on, exploding into a storm of fire.
"Cam-erupt!"
But unfortunately, even though the Eruption's power was doubled, it still had minimal effect on Camerupt.
On the contrary, Marshtomp, heavily injured and having just used a new move, seemed to have exhausted all its strength. It no longer had the energy to use Refresh.
"Camerupt, Earthquake!"
The tables had completely turned. Amuyar pressed his advantage, ordering an Earthquake that finally took Marshtomp down.
"Alright! Amuyar finally won!"
"Of course! Camerupt is one of our tribe's ace Pokémon, and Amuyar's Camerupt is the best of the best. It's always been his main powerhouse."
Seeing Amuyar win, the Roba youths cheered. He had finally won back a round.
In stark contrast to their celebration was Basalt.
"You worked hard, Marshtomp." Basalt looked at the severely burned Marshtomp, his heart aching with regret. He knew Camerupt was trouble; he should have recalled Marshtomp. Then it wouldn't have had to suffer like this.
"Wait!"
Just as Basalt took out a Pokéball to recall Marshtomp, Amuyar unexpectedly stopped him.
He quickly ran over to Marshtomp, took a small, rough-textured bottle from his waist, uncorked it, and evenly applied the white powder inside to the blisters, sores, and swelling on Marshtomp's body.
Before long, the red, ulcerated skin stopped looking inflamed. The blisters quickly deflated, and the fluid inside was absorbed by the powder, turning into a white paste.
"This is..." Basalt's eyes widened.
A burn this severe... treating it with a Full Heal would take at least a day. Even taking it to a Pokémon Center would likely require several hours of treatment.
But the white powder in Amuyar's hand had suppressed Marshtomp's burns in just a few minutes? The healing effect was unbelievable – one bottle was better than six. It was miraculous!
"This is our tribe's special burn medicine. It's very effective," Amuyar said, putting the bottle away. He grinned, showing his white teeth. "Every Roba family has camels. Numel and Camerupt are partners that grow up with every child. But their body temperature is too high. Whether battling or playing, we often get burned, so we developed this medicine."
"Amuyar, thank you," Basalt said, nodding solemnly. He had been a bit angry at Amuyar for being reckless, but if he had a special remedy, then perhaps his actions weren't so excessive after all.
"Don't mention it!" Amuyar laughed heartily, then shook his head. "Your strength is impressive. You've earned my respect. But if you want to beat me, you'll have to give it your all. My Camerupt is very, very strong!"
"Your strength has earned my respect too," Basalt smiled back. "So, next, I'll send out my real main Pokémon to battle you."
"Then bring it on!"
They looked at each other and both burst into laughter.
"Come on out, Bronzong." Basalt released Super Bell.
Among his three main powerhouses, Excadrill was currently ridiculously strong, his undisputed ace. Plus, its fur color was changing, showing signs of becoming shiny, so Basalt didn't want to reveal it casually.
Choosing Cradily would likely cause a stir too, given its status.
So, for now, Bronzong was the best, most low-key choice.
But even what Basalt considered "low-key" was still quite exaggerated to others. Bronzong's body was just too massive.
And so, a commotion went through the crowd. Even Finn was shocked.
Amuyar, however, was pleased with Bronzong's size. It meant his opponent was definitely not simple.
"Camerupt, Curse!" Amuyar struck first. His tactic was enhancement. Curse sacrificed Camerupt's negligible speed but boosted its physical Attack and Defense – a trade that was always profitable.
Using a boosting move was Amuyar's way of showing respect to Basalt. Ordinary opponents weren't worthy of forcing him to use enhancement techniques.
"Bronzong, Hypnosis!" Basalt's eyes narrowed.
While Camerupt was boosting, a sharp light flashed in Super Bell's eyes. Powerful psychic energy clouded Camerupt's consciousness, making it drowsy, its eyes struggling to stay open.
Seeing this, Amuyar wasn't alarmed but pleased, a slight smile on his face. After taking hits from Marshtomp's Aqua Jet and Mirror Coat, Camerupt's stamina wasn't full. He had used Curse first partly with the intention of having Camerupt use Rest afterward to recover. Now, Bronzong's Hypnosis had just helped him out, making it easier for Camerupt to fall asleep quickly.
"Snore... Snore..."
Before long, Camerupt knelt down, closed its eyes tightly, and loud snores erupted.
"Hypnosis successful!" Basalt thought, shaking his head slightly. Amuyar's move wasn't wise.
"Wait, this Camerupt's stamina is recovering rapidly." Just then, Bronzong's warning sounded in Basalt's mind.
"What?" Basalt was shocked.
So this Camerupt hadn't been put to sleep by Hypnosis, but had actively used the move Rest?
"Dream Eater!" Realizing he'd been tricked, Basalt quickly pressed the attack. You choose to recover? Then I choose to drain your stamina. Makes sense! And Dream Eater, unlike other attack moves, was subtle and wouldn't easily wake the opponent.
But Amuyar wasn't about to sit back and watch. "Camerupt, Sleep Talk!"
Hiss... Hiss...
Scorching hot gas erupted again, filling the entire area. Many of the surrounding plants withered and melted instantly upon contact.
"Heh heh!" Amuyar rubbed his nose smugly. Eruption was his Camerupt's best move. When it used Sleep Talk, this was the move it used eighty percent of the time. And conveniently, Eruption countered Bronzong.
But strangely, Bronzong seemed completely unfazed. It adjusted its orientation, tanked the Eruption head-on, and then drained a significant amount of stamina from Camerupt. A dim light flashed over Camerupt's body.
"How could this happen?" Amuyar, and everyone else present, was shocked. It was a super-effective move. Why did Bronzong act like it felt nothing? This wasn't logical!
"Zen Headbutt!" Basalt smiled, victory assured.
"Sleep Talk!" Amuyar, on the other hand, looked grave.
Eruption activated again, this time at point-blank range, but Bronzong still showed no reaction, pushing through the intense heat and slamming into Camerupt, sending it flying.
Yes, flying. The massive, heavy Camerupt was sent flying!
"This..." This scene left not only Amuyar and the Roba youths speechless, but even Finn was dumbfounded. "That Bronzong's attack power... isn't it a bit too strong?"
BOOM!
Camerupt landed with a heavy thud, covered in wounds. The massive impact finally woke it up. Unfortunately, its healing tactic hadn't worked. Its stamina hadn't increased; in fact, it was now even lower. Luckily, its Attack and Defense were still boosted.
"Camerupt, Yawn!"
A white cloud of gas drifted from Camerupt's mouth towards Bronzong.
"As long as Bronzong falls asleep and lands, I can still win," Amuyar thought hopefully. Besides Fire moves, Camerupt's Ground moves were also quite powerful. And conveniently, Bronzong was a Steel-type, weak to Ground. Of course, that was only if it landed.
But unfortunately for him, Bronzong promptly activated Safeguard, rendering the Yawn ineffective.
And so, Bronzong used Zen Headbutt again, pushing through the heat and striking Camerupt, sending it flying once more.
This time, Camerupt finally fell, its eyes spinning.
"I lost." Amuyar lowered his head, looking dejected.
Basalt actually walked over and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "To have this kind of strength at your age is already very impressive. Even at our Centralis University, you'd be an outstanding talent."
Among the freshmen at Centralis, the vast majority were still at the Intermediate rank, many just recently promoted. But Amuyar's Camerupt was solidly at the Advanced rank. Plus, its internal temperature was incredibly high, and Eruption was an area-of-effect move, making it extremely tricky. If it weren't for Bronzong's fire resistance, Cradily or Excadrill would likely have been burned. Especially Excadrill – if it got burned, its Attack would plummet, which would be disastrous.
"Mm." Amuyar nodded solemnly, then looked hopeful. "I've already talked to my parents. When I turn eighteen, I'm going to go study at a university outside too."
"Huh?" Basalt's pupils suddenly constricted. "You're not even eighteen yet?"
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