Lu Ming stared suspiciously at the masked teenager in front of him.
Even without seeing his full face, it was obvious—
This kid wasn't even twenty.
"You're the one challenging me?" Lu Ming laughed. "Little brother, go train for two more years."
The receptionist, Yinuo, frowned immediately.
"Lu Ming, that's rude. If this gentleman wants to challenge you, as a Gym apprentice you should accept properly."
Lu Ming shrugged.
"I'm saying it for his own good. Fighting someone far above your level won't help him. It'll just crush his confidence."
Yinuo looked apologetically at Oliver.
"Sir… would you like to challenge an Advanced-level apprentice instead?"
Oliver smiled faintly.
"No need. I know exactly who I'm challenging. And who says he'll definitely beat me?"
That smile—
To Lu Ming, it looked like provocation.
"Oh? Looking down on me? Fine. I'll teach you the difference between amateurs and real Trainers!"
Yinuo, uneasy, handed the front desk to another apprentice and hurried to the battle room.
The Battle Begins
They released their Pokémon.
Oliver: Gabite.
Lu Ming: Pidgeot.
Yinuo gasped softly.
"His ace…"
Pokémon: Pidgeot
Level: Senior – Mid Stage
Potential: Gym Level
Oliver relaxed inwardly.
Senior–Mid was enough.
Flying-type resistance was far lower than Electric-type resistance for Gabite.
Starting at Senior-level was the safest approach for absorption.
Lu Ming laughed loudly.
"You've got a Gabite? Impressive. But don't you know Flying-types are immune to Ground-type moves? I'll give you a lesson today!"
Oliver said nothing.
"Yinuo, please officiate."
She sighed.
"Both sides ready?"
"Ready."
"Okay."
"Battle—start!"
First Clash
Surprisingly—
Neither side moved at first.
Lu Ming grew impatient.
"Not attacking? Fine!"
"Pidgeot, Quick Attack!"
"Gabite, block."
Senior-level Pidgeot moved like a streak of light.
But—
Gabite calmly raised an arm and stopped the talons.
"Blocked?!"
"Actually blocked?!"
Lu Ming's eyes sharpened.
"Senior-level, huh. Not bad. But that was just warm-up."
"Pidgeot—Aerial Ace!"
Pidgeot twisted midair and struck from a blind angle.
Gabite didn't move.
The hit landed squarely on his back.
Only after the strike did Gabite lazily swing backward—
Too slow to connect.
"Too inexperienced," Lu Ming smirked.
"Gabite, you okay?" Oliver called.
"ROAR!"
To others, it sounded like concern.
Only Oliver understood.
He wasn't asking about injury.
He was asking:
Did it work?
Gabite's answer was clear.
Yes.
The Flying-type energy had begun integrating.
No resistance. No rejection.
But the amount was small.
The improvement was minimal—for now.
The hypothesis was correct.
Electric alone caused imbalance.
Balanced elemental intake allowed smooth conversion.
Pain and Growth
"Pidgeot—Agility! Wing Attack!"
Pidgeot's speed skyrocketed.
It circled Gabite so fast his body couldn't track it properly.
Each pass—
Another Wing Attack from behind.
Gabite could only endure.
Unlike Electric-type attacks, Flying-type moves hurt.
But simultaneously—
Gabite felt strength building.
Converted energy partially fed back into his body, repairing minor injuries.
Pain.
Growth.
Conversion.
A vicious cycle.
"Gabite, can you still hold on?"
"ROAR!"
Whether it was answer or scream didn't matter.
Lu Ming didn't stop.
As long as Gabite stood—
The battle continued.
Five Minutes Later
Pidgeot was panting.
Its high-speed assault had drained stamina.
Meanwhile—
Gabite staggered.
Seemingly on the verge of collapse.
Occasional cries echoed in the arena.
But something began to feel wrong.
Lu Ming frowned.
Why…
Is it still shouting so loudly?
At this attack intensity—
Even a Senior-level Ground-type should've fallen by now.
And yet—
Gabite's "pained" roars were strangely… energetic.
Almost theatrical.
The Truth
Oliver watched calmly.
His Gabite—
Was acting.
Exaggerating weakness.
Extending the battle.
Maximizing Flying-type absorption safely.
The longer it lasted—
The more balanced his internal storm became.
Lu Ming didn't realize—
He wasn't dominating.
He was assisting.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 60 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/SwipeSage