Chapter 35: Cynthia vs. Brawly, A Clash of Tactics! (Two-in-One)

As the heat haze representing the Speed Boost effect rose from Combusken, the live stream chat plunged into confusion:

【Speed Boost?? What kind of Ability is that? Can Combusken even have that?】
【Wait, brother, is this Pokémon legal? How is it automatically speeding up?】
【Holy crap, in that case, won't it outspeed Ludicolo next turn?】
...

Amidst the chaotic chat, Cynthia, watching the scene, realized the gravity of the situation. As expected, a Gym Leader in this game would never make the amateur mistake of simply gifting her a win. The reason he dared to use Swords Dance while facing Ludicolo—a Pokémon with a type advantage—was that he clearly knew Combusken’s end-of-turn Speed Boost would allow him to reclaim the initiative in the second turn.

But... how could Combusken have "Speed Boost"? Wasn't its only Ability "Blaze"?

The current situation allowed no time for deep reflection; the countdown for her command was down to 15 seconds. Cynthia had to refocus on the game. The situation was clearly unfavorable; a Combusken with its Attack stat boosted by two stages, according to the game’s mechanics, meant the power of all its moves was effectively doubled. Furthermore, once the Speed Boost triggered, it would likely outspeed any Pokémon in her entire party. Not to mention, the Ability would trigger again at the end of every turn, granting it an additional speed boost.

Her gaze sharpened, and she made her decision, immediately selecting "Zen Headbutt" once more. It was fine; a full-health Ludicolo could potentially withstand one hit from Combusken. Ludicolo’s physical defense and HP at this stage were undoubtedly superior. As long as Combusken didn't have a Flying-type move, it would be taken out by Ludicolo’s counter-attack!

As Cynthia confirmed her choice, the turn began. Fortunately, Combusken did not use a Flying-type move like Wing Attack or Aerial Ace. Cynthia let out a sigh of relief; the worst-case scenario had been avoided.

However, the next scene defied her expectations once more. The powered-up Combusken used no attacking moves; a white light enveloped its body, a baton appeared in the air, and it was grasped by an invisible hand.

【Combusken used Baton Pass and was switched out!】

Combusken vanished in a flash of red light, replaced by a brawny, two-meter-tall Pokémon carrying a steel beam, its entire body rippling with muscle.

【The opponent sent out Gurdurr!】

The next moment, a dazzling red light swirled around Gurdurr’s body, accompanied by a powerful air current. A red system notification popped up:

【Gurdurr inherited Combusken’s stats!】

Watching this, the chat went wild:
【Wait?? What was that move? Why was there a baton?】
【Baton Pass... that’s for transferring stat boosts, right? Wait, what the hell?】
【Oh, wow.】
...

Cynthia’s expression was grave. The moment that baton appeared, she realized what the move was. Baton Pass allowed a Pokémon to transfer its current stat boosts to another teammate and actively exit the battle. In real-world battles, this move was rarely used because the setup time was long and the transferred effects were significantly diminished. Even when used by Champion-level Pokémon, the effect was reduced to less than a third, making it quite lackluster.

But in this game, the effect seemed much more potent! Gurdurr had inherited Combusken’s boosts at full health... and this Pokémon’s base Attack was terrifying. In her career, she had only encountered one trainer who used its evolved form, Conkeldurr, and that person had left a deep impression on her—or rather, the terrifyingly powerful Conkeldurr had.

Two stages of Attack and one stage of Speed... if that were on Combusken, it was like giving it a sharp sword. But on Gurdurr? It was like loading cannonballs into a machine gun!

As if things weren't bad enough, a worse development occurred. Facing the newly arrived Gurdurr, Ludicolo’s pink psychic energy manifested and slammed toward the opponent, but it missed entirely!

【Ludicolo used Zen Headbutt, but it missed!】

A critical miss! A new turn began. Cynthia didn't hesitate; she chose Zen Headbutt again. Even though it had missed, it was her only option. Despite the danger, she remained calm, searching for a path to victory. Gurdurr’s Speed was not its forte; even with one Speed boost, it might not outspeed Ludicolo. And Zen Headbutt, while having 95% accuracy, also carried a 20% chance to flinch the target! Ludicolo might not survive a hit from Gurdurr, but if it moved first and landed the flinch, she could turn the tables!

However... as the new turn began, a sudden change occurred. A deep red orb on Gurdurr’s chest erupted with dazzling flames, engulfing its body!

【Gurdurr’s Flame Orb activated!】
【Gurdurr is burned!】

This sudden change left Cynthia stunned. Flame Orb? Burning itself?? The viewers were equally confused:
【Holding an item to burn yourself?? What is this for?】
【This Gurdurr is a masochist, confirmed.】
【First Swords Dance and Baton Pass, now burning itself? This Brawly guy really has a lot of tricks, haha!】

Through Cynthia’s previous gameplay, the viewers already understood the effects of status conditions: a burn would halve a Pokémon’s physical attack and sap 1/16 of its HP each turn. For a physical attacker like Gurdurr, this seemed like cutting off one's own arm.

But the next moment, a surge of red light erupted from Gurdurr!

【Gurdurr’s Guts Ability activated!】
【The Attack reduction from the status condition has been nullified!!】
【Its Attack stat has risen!!!】

The chat went crazy:
【Ah???】
【No, dude, how is your Attack going up instead of down??】
【Gua!!! What is this!!】

Cynthia bit her lip. She had realized it might be the "Guts" Ability, and she was right. Now, there was no way Ludicolo could survive a hit. This meant her next Zen Headbutt absolutely had to land and cause a flinch!

But just then, Gurdurr, surging with red light and terrifying energy, moved before Ludicolo!

【Gurdurr used Mach Punch!】

A brown blur flashed. Ludicolo’s HP bar vanished instantly!

【Ludicolo fainted!】

As Ludicolo fell to the Mach Punch, Cynthia chose to restart the game without hesitation. She knew that a Gurdurr with two stages of Attack could easily one-shot her remaining team. Coupled with the priority of Mach Punch, this battle was unwinnable.

The chat was still reeling:
【Brawly, no, Master Brawly. My apologies, I shouldn't have doubted you. I'm kneeling now...】
【How can such a sunny, cheerful guy be so broken in actual combat?】
【It felt like Gurdurr’s punch was going to knock Ludicolo’s hat into orbit...】
【Cynthia, can you analyze what just happened? Why did Gurdurr suddenly become so strong?】

After a moment of thought, Cynthia explained to the chat:
"Brawly’s strategy is truly brilliant. First, Combusken covers Fire and Fighting types. If it encounters a difficult opponent, its Speed Boost and Swords Dance allow it to pass those boosts to Gurdurr. If I’m not mistaken, Combusken is holding a 'Focus Sash,' ensuring it survives even a super-effective hit to pass those boosts on."

"As for Gurdurr... after inheriting those boosts, its already formidable Attack reaches an exaggerated level. Furthermore, its 'Guts' Ability allows it to gain an Attack bonus while suffering from a status condition, while also ignoring the burn’s penalty. Combined with the priority move Mach Punch... it easily sweeps the endgame."

Cynthia paused, her gaze drifting. In the scientific community, Gurdurr was known for having "Sheer Force" or "Guts." She had never seen anyone actively use the latter to boost power like this. It was a clever strategy, and in Pokémon battles, utilizing every advantage was exactly what a trainer should do. It wasn't just that the game's Brawly had a strong team; it was that the game's author had an absolute, peak-level understanding of Pokémon. Otherwise, they couldn't have designed such an NPC!

Despite her surprise, her eyes burned with determination. The greater the challenge, the more seriously she would take it! She restarted the game, entered the Dewford Gym, and stood before Brawly. She had found a solution!

Cynthia didn't challenge him immediately. She opened her team menu and went to Ludicolo’s move configuration. Unlike reality, in this game, a Pokémon could only carry four moves at once, and new moves had to replace old ones. However, she could swap in any move they had previously learned!

She scanned the list, her eyes landing on one move. Her face lit up.

"Good... this is it."
"The battle is just beginning..."

She whispered with a slight smile. Ten seconds later, the battle was underway. Ludicolo and Combusken faced off again.

【Starting with Combusken again? Brawly is too sneaky, probably the same old trick, right?】
【Yeah, isn't it unsolvable? With the Focus Sash, you can't one-shot it... and then it just Baton Passes away, right?】
【Looks like we have to rely on a Zen Headbutt flinch... but what if it misses? And even if it hits, the flinch chance is only 20%...】

However, while the chat discussed, Cynthia’s Ludicolo didn't use Zen Headbutt or Bubble Beam. She used a brand-new move!

Ludicolo leaned forward, and a palm made of dark energy slammed into Combusken!

【Ludicolo used Fake Out!!】

The power was low, barely shaving off 1/5 of Combusken's HP. But the power wasn't the point. Combusken, ready to use Swords Dance, suddenly froze in place, unable to move!

【Combusken flinched!】

Fake Out only worked on the first turn a Pokémon entered the field, a strict condition. But it had high priority and guaranteed a flinch!

Cynthia smiled. The Focus Sash activated only if a Pokémon was at full health when hit by a fatal blow. If it took even a tiny bit of damage beforehand, the sash would be rendered useless. Just like this!

She hit the interaction button and commanded firmly:
"Ludicolo, use Bubble Beam!!"
"Gaga!!"
A torrent of bubbles erupted from Ludicolo, surging toward the stunned Combusken!