Chapter 11: Huo La vs Red

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Huo La has his own considerations: although Kabuto has good synergy, it is still in its cocoon stage and can only use Harden and Tackle; against Charmander's speed and flames, it will most likely be forced into passive defense.

Bulbasaur, though newly added, has the hidden ability Chlorophyll; with the sunlight now present, if it can seize the chance to trigger the ability, its speed doubles and it may be able to evade the flame attack; moreover, Bulbasaur also knows Poison Powder, and even at only 4% proficiency, as long as it lands, it can gradually wear down Charmander's stamina—an advantage Kabuto lacks.

More importantly, he wants to use this battle to observe Bulbasaur's real‑combat response. After all, he plans to develop it into a core combat force, and exposing problems early in high‑intensity battles allows targeted training sooner.

Even if he loses, he can still earn the system's achievement title, which isn't a loss.

"Choose Bulbasaur?" Red reacted, a hint of interest in his eyes, then crouched and patted Charmander's head: "Charmander, we'll take this seriously too!"

Charmander let out a howl, returned to the center of the arena, its tail flame burning brighter, and emitted a crisp cry toward Bulbasaur, as if issuing a challenge.

Bulbasaur immediately paced into the arena, stood steady, the seed on its head wobbling slightly, Vine Whip swaying gently at its side, ready for battle.

"It seems both have chosen their partners!" Professor Oak's voice rang out again, with a hint of anticipation, "Huo La versus Red, one‑on‑one, the Pokemon that loses its ability to fight loses! The match begins!"

As the referee's voice faded, Huo La inhaled deeply and issued the first command: "Bulbasaur, start with Vine Whip! Test the distance!"

Bulbasaur immediately swung two green Vine Whips, snapping quickly toward Charmander.

Its Vine Whip still had a hint of rawness, clearly at a 21% proficiency level needing refinement, but the speed was a bit faster than Huo La expected, likely a subtle boost from the Diligent nature.

Red's gaze hardened, and he immediately responded: "Charmander, use Ember on the Vine Whip!"

Charmander opened its mouth and spat a string of embers, flying toward the Vine Whip Bulbasaur had swung. The red sparks, scorching hot, traced fine arcs in the sunlight and collided with the Vine Whip.

The Vine Whip and Ember clashed at the arena's center; the green vines reached for the red sparks, which burned the vines, scattering tiny flame fragments that landed on the leftover grass at the edge, instantly igniting specks of fire.

"Well, that saved me the trouble of clearing the grass," Professor Oak said softly from the side, his tone teasing, yet his eyes shone remarkably.

The pace of this battle differed completely from Red's match against Xiao Mao, and the more variable confrontation clearly piqued his interest.

Huo La saw clearly that Red's tactics against him were entirely different from those against Xiao Mao.

Against Xiao Mao, Red relied on environmental use and tactical layout; but against him, he chose a direct, hard‑headed approach.

First, the Fire-type's type advantage over Grass-type is obvious; second, Charmander, having just finished a battle, is inherently weaker than a fresh Bulbasaur, so a quick, decisive strike is the optimal solution.

After several exchanges, the disadvantage of the type mismatch gradually became evident.

The Vine Whip Bulbasaur swung now bore several charred marks; the once vivid green had dulled, and the strike speed had slowed, clearly affected by the Ember's scorching.

Huo La's gaze shifted slightly—though he had prepared for a strategic surrender, he never considered outright capitulation.

This battle was not only for the achievement title but also to test Bulbasaur's combat potential; what must be displayed now is genuine strength.

He looked up at the sky; the sunlight was stronger than before, and the warmth on his body was clearly felt—this was the perfect moment to trigger the Chlorophyll ability!

Huo La shouted immediately: "Bulbasaur, retract the Vine Whip, charge at Charmander, use Poison Powder!"

Bulbasaur's reaction was lightning‑fast; the Vine Whip still tangled with the Ember in midair was instantly withdrawn, and its tiny body darted agilely amid Charmander's continuous sparks. Sunlight bathed it, and its emerald skin seemed to shimmer, moving nearly twice as fast as before!

This is the effect of the Chlorophyll ability activating, perfectly compensating for the Grass-type's speed disadvantage against Fire-type.

"What a speed!" Red was secretly startled, his gaze at Bulbasaur growing solemn; he hadn't expected this Bulbasaur to have a hidden ability, nor that Huo La could precisely seize the sunlight to trigger it.

He immediately adjusted the command: "Charmander, use Smokescreen to obscure vision!"

But it was still a step too late.

Charmander had just opened its mouth to spew black smoke when Bulbasaur lunged in front of it; the seed on its head quivered slightly, and a puff of pale‑purple powder instantly spread, with Poison Powder drifting precisely into Charmander's still‑open mouth.

Charmander's body froze abruptly, then its head began to shake uneasily, the flame on its tail flickered; it was clearly poisoned, a faint violet drool spilling from its mouth corner, and each breath caused a slight twitch.

"Poisoned?" Professor Oak raised an eyebrow, his tone full of surprise, "Huo La, that kid, managed to use Poison Powder during the type suppression, seizing a gap in Red's commands—quite a meticulous mind."

Red's brows furrowed slightly; he looked down at the poisoned Charmander, whose condition had clearly declined, then glanced at Huo La nearby. Huo La's face showed no trace of smugness, remaining calm, evidently still calculating his next tactics.

A sudden surge of fierce battle spirit rose in Red's heart, a feeling he had never experienced during his match with Xiao Mao.

Huo La's composure, Bulbasaur's agility, and the perfectly timed Poison Powder ambush made him feel this battle was no longer a 'type‑suppression guaranteed win' but a true contest demanding full commitment.

"Charmander, endure the poison and keep using Smokescreen!" He hesitated not at all, immediately adjusting his tactics.

Since Poison Powder was already in effect, dragging the fight out would disadvantage Charmander, so he used Smokescreen to create chaos and actively break the stalemate.

Charmander, gritting against the surge of internal toxins, suddenly opened its mouth and spewed a dense black smoke, instantly enveloping both itself and Bulbasaur.

Before the Smokescreen fully cleared, Red's command came again: "Charge into the smoke, attach Ember to your palm, and use Scratch continuously!"

This was an all‑or‑nothing offensive.

A Scratch bearing Ember not only boosts power but also uses Fire‑type damage to suppress the Grass‑type Bulbasaur; a few hits would swiftly end the battle.

Within the Smokescreen, orange‑red flames flickered continuously, accompanied by the "whoosh‑whoosh" of claws slicing through the air and occasional sounds of Vine Whip swaying.

Huo La stood at the side; though he couldn't see the specifics within the smoke, the system panel showed Bulbasaur's status changing bit by bit, "Healthy" turning into "Slight Burn", clearly damaged by Charmander's attack.

He didn't rush to call a stop, merely stared intently at the Smokescreen, wanting to see how far Bulbasaur could endure in a dire situation and to gauge just how ruthless Red's tactics truly were.