Chapter 41: Cut the Crap! Let Your Strength Do the Talking!

Because he had headed straight to Daisy Oak's office the moment he returned from Nagatsuki City, N had completely forgotten about this.

He didn't know how Hilda had found out he was leaving for Aoshin City so soon, but she had actually come all the way to the harbor to stake him out.

"About that..."

"Cut the crap! There's still time before you board, right? Then let your strength do the talking! Let me see just how much stronger you've gotten while you were off running away!"

Hilda gripped a Poké Ball with an expression of dead-serious determination. Her spirited face was clouded with annoyance; clearly, she wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily.

A Pokémon battle, it was the best way for Trainers to communicate.

"I understand."

N scratched his cheek, feeling a slight headache coming on. It seemed he wouldn't be able to get a word in edgewise until he defeated her.

The two chose a nearby clearing as their battlefield and took their positions on opposite sides. There was no referee for this match, but both were well-versed in the rules.

After a moment's hesitation, N reached for a Poké Ball toward the back of his belt. Hilda, however, didn't hesitate for a second and threw her Poké Ball first.

"Pignite! Get ready for battle!!"

Following the girl's spirited cry, an orange-and-red fire pig standing on two legs descended from the sky and landed firmly on the ground. Its body was stout and rounded, and the black skin on its chest resembled a martial arts singlet. Like its pre-evolved form, its body retained distinct yellow patterns.

[Pignite]

Strength: High Elite

Potential: High Grade

Snort!

Pignite grinned with a confident smirk as a plume of embers puffed from its nostrils. It flexed its arms, showcasing a physique brimming with power; it was clear that its strength had increased by more than just a little since evolving.

N hadn't expected her Tepig to evolve into Pignite in such a short time. It seemed both Hilda and Pignite had been working incredibly hard, as their rate of growth was blistering.

While Pignite's current strength was technically at the High Elite level, it was likely already at the peak of the Elite rank, with one foot already over the threshold of the Alpha level. With just a bit more experience, stepping into the Alpha rank was practically a done deal.

"Eevee, prepare for battle."

"Ee-vee!"

A petite, brownish-tan fox jumped out of N's Poké Ball. Upon emerging, it began vainly licking its fur, only for its expression to freeze the moment it laid eyes on the fierce Pignite standing opposite it.

Is the Master joking?! You expect me to fight THAT?!

As a Pokémon that had only just reached the Mid Elite level, its strength was roughly two sub-ranks lower than that of the fire pig. One solid hit from that thing and it would be lights out!

Because of a previous encounter with a Charmeleon, Eevee had developed a bit of a psychological complex regarding Fire-types. Being forced to face off against a Pignite that looked this powerful was practically a death sentence in its eyes.

N was well aware of this. In fact, that was exactly why he had chosen Eevee; it needed to defeat this opponent personally to dissolve the fear in its heart.

Besides, Eevee wasn't actually weak. It had a real path to victory.

"An Eevee?! Did you catch that while you were in Nagatsuki? It's so cute..."

Hilda's eyes sparkled slightly as she looked at the adorable little fox with envy, but her brow soon furrowed as she snapped back to reality.

She had been prepared to deal with Timburr; she never expected an Eevee. This was clearly a newly caught Pokémon, surely its strength couldn't compare to her Pignite?

Furthermore, Eevee was a Normal-type, while her Pignite was a dual Fire and Fighting-type. It had a clear type advantage! What on earth was N thinking?

"N, you aren't holding back on purpose, are you?"

"Not at all. You shouldn't underestimate this Eevee."

Hilda puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. Seeing the calm, slightly confident smile on the boy's face, she decided to trust him for the moment. If she found out later that he was throwing the match, she would be truly furious.

"Pignite, show them what we're made of! Use Flame Charge!"

"Baby-Doll Eyes."

Though Eevee was frightened, it executed the command without hesitation. Its eyes emitted a strange, shimmering light that washed over Pignite.

In an instant, the intensity of the flames manifested by Flame Charge visibly weakened. Furthermore, the move was executed with incredible speed, even though Pignite moved first, Eevee's move landed faster!

This was the Fairy-type move Baby-Doll Eyes. It had the effect of lowering the opponent's Attack power, and under equal conditions, it was guaranteed to strike before the opponent!

"Ignore it! Just ram through!"

Enveloped in scorching flames, Pignite's bulky frame suddenly exploded forward with the speed of a motorcycle, charging straight for Eevee. However, just before the impact, Eevee's body vanished from the spot.

"Dig?!"

Hilda looked stunned. This Eevee knew quite a variety of moves to be able to use Dig. While Pignite excelled in head-on combat, it didn't have much of a counter for a move like this.

Losing its target, Pignite looked around frantically. Just as Hilda was about to tell it to calm down and search for its opponent, Eevee launched its counterattack.

"Ee-vee!"

Eevee erupted from the ground, the force of the strike sending Pignite staggering back several meters. The Ground-type Dig was super effective against a Fire-type like Pignite, and the hit clearly took a toll.

"Don't back down, Pignite! Use Flamethrower!"

"Interrupt it with Swift."

Unleashing a Flamethrower required a split second to condense energy and strike a pose. Before Pignite could release its attack, Eevee's Swift pelted it like machine-gun fire, forcibly knocking Pignite's trajectory off balance.

At a distance of only a few meters, Eevee's Swift required almost no travel time, and the stars flew much faster than typical projectiles!

"Don't retreat! Push through and use Arm Thrust!!"