Ash's Story (Part 5: Modern Sinnoh)

Chapter 88: Uncalculated Bite

By the time the League narrowed again, the island no longer felt like a place we had just reached. The Trainer Village had become a rhythm of announcements, meals eaten too quickly, and battles that left someone's dream outside the next bracket.

I had made it through another round and reached the quarterfinals, but that did not make the day easier. Lillie's match against Conway was next, and Conway was the kind of opponent who made waiting feel like walking through spider silk.

He was not the strongest-looking trainer left in the League. He did not glare like Paul, shout like Barry, or carry a legendary shadow like Verity and Emily's father. That was exactly why he was dangerous. Conway made people underestimate the battle until the trap closed.

Lillie knew that too. She had been calm through most of the morning, but every time Conway appeared in the distance, she checked where he was standing and how long he had been watching. He noticed that, of course, because Conway noticed everything.

We used one of the practice fields before the battle. Bastiodon stood across from Lillie's Infernape, braced like a metal wall, while Lillie kept her eyes on both Pokémon with careful focus.

Lillie called the opening command clearly. "Flame Wheel."

Infernape spun forward in fire, striking Bastiodon's guard. Bastiodon dug in and absorbed the hit, the metal plates on his face glowing with heat but holding firm.

"Again," Lillie said. "But do not just spin harder. Push through the center."

Infernape nodded and charged again. This time the flames burst wider, wrapping around him in a blazing rush that carried more force than Flame Wheel. The impact made Bastiodon slide back several steps, and Infernape stumbled afterward, one hand against the ground.

I stared. "That was not Flame Wheel. That was Flare Blitz."

Lillie hurried closer. "Infernape, are you all right?"

Infernape lifted his head, breathing hard but steady. His meaning came fierce and honest. "The fire answered harder than my body expected."

Tox stepped forward at once. "Recoil damage. Stronger impact, but the body pays for the force."

I nodded, still watching the scorch marks on the field. "It is powerful, but we need to use it carefully."

Move Dex Updated — Ash and Lillie's Shared Sinnoh Record

Flare Blitz — Fire. The user cloaks itself in intense fire and charges the target, dealing heavy damage while taking recoil from the impact.

Barry ran over from the next field, practically vibrating with curiosity. "So, Ash, are you and Lillie training for Paul already?"

"I do not even know if my next opponent is Paul," I said. "Right now, I want to help Lillie prepare for Conway."

Verity watched Infernape with interest. "Are you going to use Infernape in the match, Lillie?"

Lillie looked at Infernape, then toward the stadium. "I do not know. Conway expects obvious answers. If I choose only power, he may already have the trap ready."

Gladion crossed his arms. "Then make him calculate the wrong battle."

Daniel nodded. "Controlled uncertainty. Not randomness."

Lillie looked back at Honchkrow, Mamoswine, and Gabite, who waited near the field. Gabite bit at a training post until Dawn gently pulled Piplup farther away from the danger zone.

Gabite's meaning came restless. "Hard thing. Bite first. Think after."

Lillie sighed, but her smile did not disappear. "That might be exactly why Conway cannot fully predict you."