The Graveler leader was furious.
It spun around, letting out a low, rumbling growl in the direction of Nidoking and Mudkip. Its four heavy arms shook with rage. What was this? Was this some kind of joke?
If Nidoking had stepped forward to battle it directly, the Graveler could have accepted a loss. It had already sized up the large Pokemon standing a short distance away. Nidoking's level was close to its own, and the opponent was clearly stronger. A defeat against a Pokemon like that would have been easy to swallow. It could have said: Look at what they brought against us, and look at what we had. The others in the group were swept aside like they were nothing. What was I supposed to do?
But that was not what was happening.
Nidoking was simply standing back and watching. Instead, it was this little pup and that tiny blue thing that were coming forward to pick a fight. If the Graveler had to put up with that, then what couldn't it put up with?
It was going to crush both of them. Right now.
After several weeks of training, Growlithe had reached level 24. Mudkip, who had only recently joined Nova's team, was sitting at level 18. Together, their combined levels still fell short of the level 58 Graveler standing across from them.
And yet, Nova had set things up exactly this way. He was sending his two youngest Pokemon against the strongest opponent on the other side.
Battles like this, where the level gap was this large, were rare. If they won, the experience points alone would be enormous. But more than that, there was something that couldn't be measured in numbers: the confidence a Pokemon gained from winning a fight it had no business winning. That kind of confidence was something no amount of easy victories could ever build.
Nova's Corviknight was the best example of this. It had grown at an almost alarming pace, and it was now pushing toward a level of strength close to Nidoking's. That hadn't happened by accident. From the moment it had joined Nova's team, Corviknight had never fought a battle that was easy. Cross-level fights were just a part of its everyday life.
For Growlithe and Mudkip, this was their version of that challenge. This Graveler, this mountain standing in front of them, was something they had to climb and knock down on their own. Only then would the road ahead become worth travelling.
Mudkip moved first.
She had been riding on Growlithe's back until just before they cut off the Graveler's escape route. She had slipped off early, while Growlithe pushed forward to block the Graveler from retreating and force it to turn and face them. Now Mudkip was positioned off to the Graveler's side, just slightly in front of it.
With Nidoking nearby, watching like a Braviary eyeing its prey, the Graveler didn't dare make a careless move. That hesitation was exactly the opening Mudkip needed.
Seele gathered the Ground-type energy rising through her small body and launched a ball of thick, heavy mud straight at the Graveler's face.
Mud Shot.
The Ground-type move dealt double damage against the Rock-type Graveler. On top of that, the thick mud splattered across the Graveler's eyes and lowered its ability to aim. It shook its four arms wildly, trying to claw the mud away from its face.
That little brat fights dirty.
Growlithe was not going to waste a second of this.
The moment the Graveler's vision was blocked, Growlithe spotted his chance and launched himself forward. His body became a streak of orange and white, skimming just above the ground at full speed.
Double-Edge.
It was a Normal-type move, but with a base power of 150 and the full force of STAB behind it, the impact was devastating. And thanks to Growlithe's Rock Head ability, he took no recoil damage at all. What looked from the outside like a small dog charging full speed into a boulder was, in reality, something closer to a wrecking ball.
The Graveler had not taken the threat seriously. Its body was made of solid rock, shaped and polished through years of rolling through harsh terrain. What could a little dog possibly do to it?
Just let me get this mud off my face. Then I'll deal with all of you.
But when Double-Edge connected, the Graveler's confidence shattered along with the corner of its body that took the blow. Growlithe hit like a battering ram. Every edge it struck cracked. Every corner it caught broke clean off. The Graveler let out a sharp cry and stumbled forward from the force of the hit.
What? Did the big one come down himself?
When the Graveler finally blinked the last of the mud from its eyes, it saw Growlithe already pulling back, regrouping beside Mudkip. A faint trail of steam was still rising from the dog's body where the violent impact had built up heat. The Graveler stared. It still could not quite believe that the hit which had seriously injured it had come from something that small.
Double-Edge was not a move Growlithe could throw around freely. The physical toll it took on his body was enormous. In a single battle, he could use it three times at most before his stamina gave out and he needed to rest. Even across a full day, five uses was about his limit.
That was already only possible because of two things: his Huge Power trait, which gave him a substantial boost to physical strength, and his Iron Fist trait, which reinforced his body's toughness. Without those, the numbers would have been even lower.
Simply put, Double-Edge asked a great deal from any Pokemon that used it.
While Growlithe caught his breath, it was Mudkip's turn to draw the Graveler's attention.
This was technically Mudkip's first real battle. But her mind was sharp and quick. She already knew exactly what her role was and what she needed to do.
Mudkip was a true Philosopher, through and through.
Ancient Power.
A mass of pale, glowing energy condensed in front of her and shot forward, slamming hard into the Graveler's already cracked body. It was a Rock-type Egg Move, and while Mudkip didn't get a STAB boost from it, it was still far more reliable than the alternative.
The reason Mudkip chose this move over Water Gun was simple. She had only been with Nova for about a week. Her Water-type energy reserves weren't fully built up yet, which meant her Water-type moves were not at full power. Ancient Power, on the other hand, was ready and strong.
The Graveler swatted the glowing ball apart with a Mega Punch.
Then it pulled in its power and drove it into the ground beneath it.
Stone Edge.
Jagged stone pillars burst up from the cracks in the earth, one after another, rising like a sudden mountain range pushing out of the valley floor. The attack spread fast, reaching all the way to where Growlithe and Mudkip were standing in seconds.
Growlithe did not move. He stayed right where he was and kept resting.
Because he had already seen what Mudkip could do. He knew she would handle this.
Mudkip stepped forward. She faced the rising pillars of stone bearing down on her, and she did not flinch. Not even a little.
She had already seen it all coming.
Detect.