(A/N : Here's a bonus Chapter, hope you enjoy it!)
[Knuckle Badge: The power of all Fighting-type moves in the team is increased by 10%, and the Flash technique is upgraded to "Secret Flash."]
John carefully slid the Knuckle Badge into his pocket, the cool metal settling against the fabric. He couldn't wait to test out the changes that came with the Flash move's upgrade.
In the game, the effects were simple: Flash still lowered the opponent's accuracy, but now it dropped it by two stages instead of one. Easy to spot, but John knew this was the real world—he needed to see it for himself.
Turning to Kirlia, who was peacefully nibbling on an Oran Berry, John called out to her. "Kirlia?"
"Kirlia~" she replied, looking up with a mouth full of berry and a curious tilt of her head.
Kirlia paused for a moment, as if contemplating whether a battle move or finishing her snack was more important. Then she sighed, putting the berry aside, and raised her hands as if preparing to cast the move.
But John raised a finger, halting her. "Hold on, I need my sunglasses first."
He pulled a pair of shades out of his bag and slipped them on, nodding to Kirlia. "Now, go ahead."
With a graceful flick of her wrist, Kirlia conjured a dazzling ball of light the size of a football. The room was instantly flooded with a blinding brilliance, so intense it almost felt like standing too close to a miniature sun. John immediately squinted and fought the urge to look away.
"Wow, that's... intense," he muttered, struggling to keep his eyes open. Even with the sunglasses, it felt like staring directly into the sun.
Kirlia, seemingly unfazed by the radiant light, played with the ball, flickering it between different colors. The hues shifted in a mesmerizing display, turning the room into an impromptu light show.
The difference between Secret Flash and the regular Flash wasn't just about the intensity of the light—it was about control. With Secret Flash, Kirlia could adjust the brightness, the colors, and the intensity at will, creating an effect that could blind an opponent or simply dazzle them into confusion. It was as if she had gone from a ballet dancer to a DJ, her sparkling light ball accompanying the rhythm of her movements.
John thought about it for a moment. "I could use this to save on electricity at home... Just give Kirlia a little more effort, and we could turn this room into a mini rave."
It was clear that Secret Flash's upgrade didn't make it more powerful in terms of sheer damage, but its versatility was unmatched. Flash, being the only non-aggressive move in the moves list, didn't need to be overpowering—its subtler nature worked perfectly for disrupting opponents without dealing direct damage.
He put the thought aside and turned his attention to the other aspect of his prize: the Bulk Up TM and Brawly's Breeder experience notes.
Bulk Up, a move that raised both attack and defense, immediately made John think of his Combusken. In the game, the benefits of such a move were clear, but John knew that outside of battles, buff moves like Bulk Up (or Dragon Dance, for that matter) could be honed with consistent training. The kind of physical prowess Brawly's Machoke had wasn't built in a single fight—it took daily dedication.
John imagined Brawly's Machoke—its bulging muscles a result of years of focused training. If he could apply that same method to his own Pokemon, he could really see some growth.
Flipping open the Breeder notes, John began to pore over the detailed training methods Brawly used for his Pokemon: Meditite, Machoke, and Hariyama. Meditite didn't particularly interest him, but there was plenty to learn about Hariyama—especially for his own Makuhita.
Curious, he also skimmed through the Machoke section, focusing on Bulk Up training. Although Combusken's fighting style didn't exactly match Machoke's, the concept of training to enhance strength and defense was universally beneficial. Frogadier couldn't learn Bulk Up, but any improvement to power and defense would certainly be valuable for his team.
One part of the Meditite notes caught his attention: Fake Out + Force Palm. The combination seemed simple but effective. Once Fake Out made contact, it triggered Force Palm, dealing additional damage. What made this combo intriguing was its versatility—Fake Out could be replaced with other contact moves.
John's mind immediately raced with possibilities. For Combusken, what about Double Kick + Force Palm? He could imagine Combusken landing a Double Kick, immediately following up with a quick Force Palm, effectively doubling the damage output.
"Hmm... though landing Force Palm with a foot instead of a hand might be tricky," he mused. "But it's worth testing."
He also considered Force Palm + Cut for Frogadier. It wasn't the cleanest combo, but it'd be explosive, like detonating a talisman on a kunai.
'Wait. Close Combat makes a Pokemon blow itself up... Could this work with Force Palm?'
The possibilities were exciting, but John knew that he'd have to wait until Frogadier evolved into Greninja before experimenting with more advanced combos like Force Palm + Water Shuriken.
As he kept reading, John found more useful training techniques—like Calm Mind, which could boost both Special Attack and Confusion, making it perfect for Kirlia. He even found notes on Aura Sphere for Hariyama. Though it'd be hard to teach the move without the right "waveguide powers," it was something worth trying with Combusken and Frogadier, especially since moves like Vacuum Wave were prerequisites.
The rest of the notes were filled with tips on techniques like Defense Curl and Rock Polish for Geodude, Rock Slide and Harden for Onix, and even Thunder Wave for Nosepass. While not immediately relevant for his current team, John knew these techniques would be invaluable for his future plans, especially when he eventually worked with Rock- and Electric-types.
Reading through Brawly's Breeder notes was like uncovering a treasure chest of knowledge. Every page was packed with practical methods that could significantly improve his Pokemon's abilities. It was clear to John that this wealth of information would pay off down the road, and he couldn't wait to put it all into practice.