NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 148 – Evolution: Battle!
Le Mai Linh, with determined eyes, was already in the thick of the action. She had fed her Tyrogue all her pokeblocks, a deliberate strategy to strengthen it for the impending battle. She stood ready to spar with Tyrogue, her stance revealing her readiness for the challenge.
The air was thick with tension, the crowd around them whispering and murmuring, each person speculating on Tyrogue's potential evolution. The sense of anticipation was palpable.
The battle ensued with Tyrogue exerting every ounce of his strength against Le Mai Linh. Despite his valiant efforts, the struggle was evident in his movements.
Then, after a few intense moments, a significant change occurred. Tyrogue's body began to radiate a brighter light, signaling the onset of a transformation.
The onlookers held their breath, their murmurs fading into a hushed silence, all eyes fixed on the evolving Pokémon. The glow intensified, enveloping Tyrogue in a luminous cocoon of energy, hinting at the emergence of a new and powerful form.
As Tyrogue evolves, he emits a soft glow, heralding the start of his transformation. His legs lengthen dramatically, gaining muscle perfect for powerful kicks, while his feet sharpen into points. Tyrogue's body becomes more slender, his skin turning rubbery to enhance flexibility.
The coloration darkens on its extremities as his arms grow thinner, ending in padded hands. His head rises on a more defined neck, and his eyes narrow, reflecting a fighter's focus.
Finally, as the glow subsided, the figure of Tyrogue was no longer there. In its place stood a fully evolved, 150 cm tall Hitmonlee, ready and poised for battle.
"Hitmonlee!" the newly evolved Pokémon announced its presence.
"Awesome!" The scouts around them expressed their amazement and envy at witnessing their captain's Pokémon evolve. Linh had become the first member of the batch to successfully evolve a Pokémon to its final form, a feat even Floyd had not yet achieved.
"Hitmonlee!" With a gesture of respect and gratitude, Hitmonlee kneeled on one leg, bowing his head to Linh. Linh, taken aback by this display of reverence, was visibly moved. She reached out to gently touch Hitmonlee's head, her mind echoing Floyd's words, 'As long as you treat your beasts with respect and care, they'll treat you the same way.'
In this moment, Linh truly felt the deep respect and bond that had formed between her and Hitmonlee, a testament to the journey they had embarked on together.
"You've grown so much, almost as tall as me now, and look so strong," Linh remarked to Hitmonlee, her voice filled with pride.
While Hitmonlee's appearance might not have been conventionally attractive, to Linh, her Pokémon was the most handsome of all.
Her eyes brimmed with tears of joy and pride, witnessing what felt like the rapid growth of her own child.
She held back her tears, understanding that these moments of change were part of being a Pokémon trainer, a journey of continuous adaptation and growth.
Hitmonlee, feeling the warmth of Linh's hand, closed his eyes, savoring the moment. He reminisced about the past, the days when he and Mankey were bound by iron rings around their necks.
Linh had always treated them normally, a stark contrast to the treatment they had seen other Pokémon receive. And the day she released them from their shackles was a moment that deeply touched both him and Mankey.
Linh's other Pokémon, including the two Mankeys and Machop, watched with a mixture of envy and determination. They too, aspired to evolve and become as strong as Hitmonlee.
Floyd, who had been observing the heartwarming scene, began to clap his hands in appreciation. His applause caught the attention of the other scouts, prompting them to join in, offering a round of applause for Linh's achievement.
"Oh, youngest, you're here," Linh said, noticing Floyd among the crowd. She greeted him with a warm smile.
"Congratulations, Sister Linh," Floyd offered his congratulations with genuine happiness for her success.
Linh responded modestly, "Thank you, but there's still a long way to go. Let's wait until Hitmonlee evolves again, reaching even greater heights." Her expectations were now set even higher, looking forward to the further growth and evolution of her Pokémon.
Floyd was momentarily taken aback by Linh's remark about Hitmonlee's future evolution. 'She doesn't realize there's no further evolution for Hitmonlee,' he thought, but chose to keep this realization to himself. He didn't want to dampen her enthusiasm with this fact.
"Youngest, how about a one-on-one battle?" Linh suggested, her excitement palpable.
Floyd, a bit embarrassed, replied, "I don't have my beasts with me right now."
Linh, undeterred, quickly responded, "I know where your Pokémon are training. Let's go there!" She was eager to see how Hitmonlee would perform in a battle, especially after its recent evolution.
Floyd, concerned about her responsibilities, asked, "What about your duties? Won't this interrupt your work?"
Linh waved off the concern. "Don't worry, it won't take long," she assured him.
With a resigned nod, Floyd agreed, "Okay, let's do it."
A few minutes later, Floyd and Linh faced each other in an open area, ready for the battle. The scouts, gathered around with curiosity, their excitement evident. Even Tianyi, who is usually distant, was curious to see how the battle would unfold, secretly comparing his own strength to that of Linh and Floyd.
"Are you sure about this?" Floyd asked, his tone laced with skepticism. He was aware of the significant gap in strength between Hitmonlee and his Fraxure.
"It doesn't matter. I want to gauge the difference in strength between my Hitmonlee and your Fraxure," Linh replied, her determination clear despite understanding the challenge ahead.
Floyd called out to Fraxure, giving him a look that conveyed a silent message: 'Go easy on Hitmonlee.' Fraxure nodded, understanding Floyd's intent.
Linh turned to her Pokémon. "Hitmonlee, I won't give any commands this time. I want to see how you fight on your own and what new moves you've learned," she said, giving Hitmonlee the freedom to showcase his skills.
Hitmonlee nodded solemnly, focusing on Fraxure. He remembered their past encounters; he had never won against Fraxure, even when it was an Axew. Now, with both of them evolved, Hitmonlee felt a mix of apprehension and a renewed sense of determination. This was his chance to test his new capabilities.
Floyd, sensing the readiness of both Pokémon, took out a coin. "I'll start the battle with a coin toss," he announced.
He flipped the coin into the air, and as it landed with a clear "Pong," the signal was given, and the battle began.
"Hitmon-" Hitmonlee, anchored his sturdy legs firmly into the ground. With a swift and powerful motion, he propelled himself forward towards Fraxure, a dragon-like Pokémon with a formidable stance.
As he closed the distance, Hitmonlee executed a dynamic roundhouse kick.
"Lee!" His right leg sliced through the air with incredible speed and precision, aimed directly at Fraxure.
Fraxure, anticipating the oncoming assault, prepared his defense. He brought both of his robust arms together, forming an impenetrable shield in front of him. This was the Protect move.
The moment Hitmonlee's foot connected with Fraxure's arms, there was a sharp, resonant 'Pak', echoing the collision of force and defense.
Remarkably, Fraxure remained steadfast and unaffected by the powerful strike.
Hitmonlee had anticipated this outcome. As his right leg recoiled from the blocked attack, he expertly shifted his weight, crouching low to the ground.
In one fluid, sweeping motion, he unleashed a secondary attack, aiming to destabilize Fraxure. His right leg, charged with full force, swung low, targeting Fraxure's legs with the intention of knocking them out from under him.
Caught momentarily off guard, Fraxure stumbled slightly. However, his battle instincts kicked in. He quickly regained his composure, using his hands to grip the ground firmly.
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