Chapter 134: Call Me Husband
Under Lorze's manipulation, Tang Ming finally decided to let his Quilava act as a sandbag for Mawile.
But Lorze didn't need a stationary target; he wanted to use this Fire-type opponent to test Mawile's various capabilities.
So, he allowed the "sandbag" to fight back, but only using physical moves—an area where Quilava was notoriously weak.
After all, Mawile was a complete novice with zero combat experience and low move proficiency.
She was also facing an opponent with a type advantage over her.
Lorze's goal wasn't to win the match, but to measure Mawile's performance metrics.
Under the curious gazes of the onlookers, this completely unfair battle began.
Honestly, Mawile's current level was only "Outstanding," and her raw stats couldn't compare to the "Excellence" rank Quilava.
However, Quilava barely had any viable physical moves; only Flame Charge, with a measly 50 power, was even worth mentioning.
To make matters worse, it took a hit from Mawile's Intimidate right at the start, dropping its Attack by one stage.
It was only by relying on the Fire-over-Steel advantage that it could even hold its own against Mawile.
With the speed boost from Flame Charge, the fire-cloaked Quilava moved with blistering speed.
It used that velocity to temporarily suppress Mawile and keep her on the defensive.
There was no helping it; Mawile's species already had a low Base Stat Total, and her Speed stat was the bottom of the barrel.
Facing the accelerated Quilava, she couldn't even touch its exhaust fumes.
So, she simply stopped chasing and performed a fake Swords Dance to bait the opponent into an opening.
Then, she waited for the chance to counter-attack with a "Strength-boosted" Focus Punch.
Even though she didn't actually know how to use Swords Dance...
This girl is actually quite clever.
Unfortunately, her proficiency with both "Strength Exertion" and Focus Punch was still too low.
Sometimes the Focus Punch would come out, but the "Strength Exertion" would fail, leaving her with just a fist of raw Qi.
Other times, the Strength would trigger, but the Qi wouldn't gather in time, forcing her to switch to Power-Up Punch to meet the collision.
Only in a few rare instances could she perfectly execute the combined move, sending Quilava howling in pain.
The scene on the field looked bizarre.
Mawile's attack pattern never changed, yet sometimes she would send Quilava flying, while other times she'd just get burned and look miserable.
The teammates wondered: What the hell is Lorze actually testing?
As time dragged on, however, Mawile eventually took the upper hand because her Power-Up Punch had reached max stacks.
With her stats fully buffed, Mawile achieved an absolute dominance in raw strength.
Even if Quilava switched back to its superior special moves, it would have just been a one-sided beating.
At this point, the test had served its purpose. Lorze called a halt and beckoned Mawile back to his side.
Through this spar, he had measured Mawile's primary combat data.
He even got a rough estimate of the trigger rate for Power-Up Punch during a direct clash.
The move requires a clean hit on the body to trigger the buff reliably.
But in a clash, the opponent is usually wrapped in energy, which doesn't count as a "clean body hit."
Because of this, the trigger rate was a matter of luck.
Currently, it seemed to fluctuate between 30% and 50%.
As the opponent's energy intensity increased, the trigger rate dropped accordingly, but it wasn't a deal-breaker.
He wasn't worried about Focus Punch or "Strength Exertion" either.
Even though she was clumsy now, total mastery was only a matter of time and repetition.
The only problem training couldn't solve was her Speed.
This was a natural biological disadvantage for the Mawile species that hard work alone couldn't fix.
Mawile's speed was so slow she had practically given up on moving, which made her a sitting duck in a real fight.
If she couldn't catch the enemy, her devastating punches would only hit the air while she got kited to death by ranged moves.
Solving her mobility was the most urgent priority.
Lorze didn't have many ideas yet; maybe teaching her Sucker Punch for some "rock-paper-scissors" mind games?
Or have her use Copycat to set up her own Trick Room?
But those were future plans; what could he do right now?
Lorze stood there, lost in deep thought, completely forgetting about Quilava and Tang Ming.
He didn't snap out of it until Tang Ming spoke up.
"Wait! My Quilava's Blaze hasn't even triggered yet! Don't just stop!" Tang Ming shouted.
Did you forget about researching my Blaze? I played sandbag for you, now it's your turn to help me!
The match had been incredibly frustrating for him and his partner.
He had a powerful Fire Blast he wasn't allowed to use, and he had to fight through a debuff with weak physical moves.
It was uncomfortable from start to finish.
But he could handle the discomfort if it meant triggering Blaze. Stopping halfway was a total rip-off!
Lorze looked up, shot him a wink, and then put on a face of pure, condescending mockery.
"Are you two actual idiots? I just tricked you into being a sandbag for a bit."
"I don't have the energy to test your garbage Blaze. Did you really think you could trigger it at full health?"
"Your Quilava can't even beat my Mawile. You're delusional. Are you stupid or what?"
Tang Ming: "..."
Tang Ming saw the wink and realized Lorze was using reverse psychology.
But is this childish method really going to work?
Your words are annoying, sure, but my Quilava isn't a moron!
"ROOOAAAR!!!"
Just as Tang Ming thought that, Quilava erupted with a furious roar.
The sound clearly translated to: You can insult me, but you don't insult my Trainer!
Tang Ming facepalmed... Right. I forgot how temperamental this species is.
The evolved form of Quilava is Typhlosion—the "Volcano Pokémon." Its name alone screams "short fuse."
Coupled with the frustration from the previous fight, the rage inside Quilava finally hit its boiling point under Lorze's insults.
You say I can't beat a Mawile? Come and say that to my face!
In an instant, pure rage hijacked Quilava's brain, drowning out its logic.
Under this extreme emotional pressure, its true potential was forcibly dragged to the surface.
The flames on its back exploded, roaring like the exhaust of a heavy rocket, shooting high into the air.
It was a localized inferno, far more intense than its usual Blaze state.
But Lorze's first thought was... Rocket exhaust?
Wait, I can use that concept to solve Mawile's speed problem!
His lips curled into an excited smirk.
In the eyes of the irrational Quilava, that smirk was the ultimate insult.
It looked like Lorze was laughing at its new power.
The Pokémon threw its last shred of logic into the fire as fuel, making the flames burn even hotter and brighter.
Holy shit. A literal Berserker? Sacrificing sanity for raw stats?
Suddenly, a massive Fire Blast erupted from Quilava's mouth.
Under the influence of such extreme rage, the Fire-type move was boosted to a catastrophic level.
If that hit Lorze, the only outcome would have been his harem members attending his funeral.
But Kirlia would never let that happen.
As her Master's knight, she would sacrifice her life before letting a single spark touch him.
Kirlia Teleported in front of Lorze, her eyes cold and indifferent as she watched the incoming fire.
She activated the Adaptability Ability she had copied from one of the harem members earlier.
A single Psychic wave shattered the Fire Blast into harmless embers.
Then, she used her mental energy to bind Quilava's body in an invisible vise, making it impossible for the creature to move.
Even with the extreme Blaze boost, Quilava's power couldn't touch Kirlia's ceiling.
If she could bully a Frogadier, a berserk Quilava was just another Tuesday.
"See? I told you. Blaze can be triggered regardless of HP, and it's way stronger than the normal version." Lorze looked at Tang Ming triumphantly.
"I see that, but look at him! He's completely lost it! He attacked without an order!"
Tang Ming was shocked by the power, but if the partner doesn't listen, it's useless.
"Why do you think I told you to cuddle with your Pokémon? It was to deepen your 'Bond Power'."
"Quilava is currently drowned in 'Angry' Emotional Energy. If your bond isn't deep enough, you can't wake him up."
"Just wait for him to tire himself out." Lorze shook his head.
"Bond Power... are you sure this isn't just some metaphysical bullshit?" Tang Ming was skeptical.
"Go ahead and try to wake him up then. If you succeed, I'll give you a free year's supply of Pokéblocks."
"Challenge accepted."
Tang Ming didn't believe in the "power of friendship" and ran over to call out to his partner.
The result... was absolutely nothing.
Drowned in rage, Quilava was deaf to the world. Physical shouting couldn't reach him; only a mental soul-link could soothe that fire.
You two are miles away from a real bond. Go back to cuddling.
If that's too hard, buy some Qualot Berry Pokéblocks to boost your Friendship stats. You won't master this power any other way.
Lorze ignored Tang Ming and turned to Mawile.
He had thought of a way to boost her speed that didn't involve the headache of Trick Room or Copycat. He wanted to test it immediately.
However, much to his surprise, Shi Fan approached him.
After seeing the raw power Lorze had drawn out of Quilava, Shi Fan couldn't sit still anymore.
That version of Blaze was a direct threat to his #1 ranking.
He had to learn something new before Tang Ming mastered that power, or he'd be the one dropping to 4th place!
Shi Fan had to accept reality: he couldn't catch Lorze anytime soon. He had to settle for maintaining his lead over the others.
He dropped his pride and humbly asked Lorze to design a training plan for him too.
Captain, please give me the 'Cheat Codes'!
Hu Wenjun also looked over. Seeing her teammates "evolving" their strategies, she didn't want to be left in the dust.
Captain, I want a 'Cheat Code' too!
Lorze: "..."
Lorze looked at his suddenly enthusiastic teammates and his face darkened.
"Stop calling me Captain."
"The guys call me Boss. The girls... call me Husband~!"