NOVEL WEB Chapter 58: Chapter 58: A New Goal
As soon as Ron heard the name "Buggy," his first thought was of the infamous clown Buggy, a user of the notorious Luck Conqueror's Haki.
When Ron got a clear look at the other person, he was momentarily stunned.
Except for the absence of the distinctive red nose and the fact that he looked younger, this Buggy was almost identical to the Buggy in Ron's memories.
"Do you know Roger and Shanks?"
Even though the chances were slim, Ron couldn't resist asking.
"Roger and Shanks? Never heard of them," Buggy responded.
After thinking for a moment, Buggy confirmed that he had no recollection of these names.
Observing his mannerisms closely, Ron could tell Buggy wasn't lying, which left him somewhat disappointed.
"No worries. If you don't know them, forget about it. Earlier, you mentioned wanting to battle me? How about we find a spot nearby? I still have some unfinished tasks to handle."
"Just so you know, aside from this Nidoran, all my Pokémon are at the entry-level Elite tier."
Having confirmed that this Buggy wasn't the same one he remembered, Ron shifted back to their earlier conversation.
Since he had some time to kill, he figured a battle would be a good way to pass it.
"Perfect! Let's go. My Pokémon are also at the entry-level Elite tier," Buggy said, clearly excited after hearing Ron's confirmation.
Currently, Ron's reputation near Pewter City was sky-high.
Many trainers admired or respected him, while others saw him as a rival to overcome.
Some even hoped to use Ron as a stepping stone to gain fame.
However, Buggy wasn't overthinking it. He simply wanted to test his strength against Ron in a fair battle.
Finding a spot slightly away from the exchange point, Buggy released his strongest Pokémon—a Charizard.
"A Charizard, huh? This might be tricky," Ron muttered.
Facing a flying Pokémon like Charizard posed a challenge.
Although Machoke and the others had been training in aerial maneuvers like Moonwalk (Geppo) for some time, their success rate was far from ideal.
This skill, which enabled brief aerial mobility for humans and Pokémon, was far more challenging than techniques like Shave (Soru).
To make matters worse, Ron didn't have any Flying-type Pokémon in his team, putting him at a disadvantage.
That said, this disadvantage wasn't insurmountable. As long as the opponent wasn't at mid-Elite level, Machoke could handle it.
"Go, Machoke!"
With a flash of white light, Machoke appeared before Buggy and his Charizard.
"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"
Buggy commanded Charizard to launch an immediate attack.
Hovering midair, Charizard unleashed a blazing stream of flames straight at Machoke.
"Dodge it and use Focus Energy!"
Rather than attacking Charizard right away, Ron instructed Machoke to bolster himself with Focus Energy.
"Charizard, close in and interrupt him! Use Flare Blitz!"
Flapping its wings rapidly, Charizard leveraged its aerial advantage to close the distance with Machoke.
Its fiery body turned into a comet-like streak, scattering embers as it bore down on Machoke.
"Now! Use Shave (Soru) to dodge and leap up! Follow with Leer and Karate Chop—aim for its wings!"
Capitalizing on Charizard's speed during its charge, Ron quickly issued his next commands.
With Focus Energy active, Machoke used Shave (Soru) to evade the attack and leaped into the air.
Leer disrupted Charizard's rhythm, leaving both it and Buggy momentarily stunned.
In the blink of an eye, Machoke's Karate Chop struck Charizard's wing. Thanks to the critical-hit boost from Focus Energy, the attack landed with devastating force.
The sound of a bone cracking echoed as Charizard, though in pain, managed to glide to the ground to avoid a crash landing.
"Machoke, Leer, then Close Combat!"
"Block it with Fire Spin!"
Recovering from his initial shock, Buggy hurriedly commanded Charizard to encase itself in a fiery vortex for defense.
Flames danced wildly, forming a protective barrier around Charizard.
Despite his obscured vision, Buggy guided Charizard through the battle, acting as its eyes.
However, neither Ron nor Machoke seemed fazed by the flames.
The next moment, Machoke charged straight into the fire, locking eyes with Charizard and using Leer again.
Charizard's defensive stat dropped sharply, amplifying the impact of Machoke's Close Combat.
The force of the attack sent Charizard flying, dissipating the Fire Spin.
Though Charizard's Flying type gave it some resistance to Fighting-type moves, it was clear it couldn't endure much more.
With its HP down to a third, Charizard's Blaze ability activated, boosting its Fire-type moves.
Yet before Buggy and Charizard could launch a counterattack, Machoke was already in front of them, using Shave (Soru) to close the distance.
Once again, Machoke combined Leer with Close Combat, and with Charizard's defense weakened further, it couldn't withstand the blow.
"Charizard!"
Buggy rushed to his Pokémon's side, but Charizard was too drained to respond.
"Don't worry. He'll be fine," Ron reassured him.
Placing his hand on Charizard's back, Ron channeled a bit of Fighting Aura into it. Charizard stirred and regained consciousness.
Buggy sighed in relief but felt a little embarrassed by his earlier panic.
"This time, I lost. But I hope to battle you again at the tournament in Cerulean City next week. By then, I'll be stronger!"
Admitting defeat, Buggy's fighting spirit reignited.
"What's this tournament in Cerulean City?" Ron asked, his curiosity piqued.
"You don't know? Cerulean City hosts a regular battle tournament each year, divided into different tiers based on strength. The top three winners receive great prizes."
"This year, the champion of the entry-level Elite tier gets three TMs for moves with power no higher than 120."
"That's why Charizard and I are training around here while taking on exchange point tasks."
Hearing Buggy's explanation, Ron decided on the spot. "Cerulean City, huh? Got it. I'll be there. Looking forward to our rematch."
"You bet! I'll be much stronger by then!"
After exchanging a few more words, Ron left to check on his fossil restoration and prepare for his journey to Cerulean City.
He couldn't afford to miss the tournament or the chance to win those TMs.
As he quickened his pace, Ron regretted not asking Buggy for more details earlier, but it was too late to turn back now.
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