Manectric, who had just rushed out of its Pokeball, was immediately struck back into the Sand Tomb by Gabite. The attack was swift, and before the Electric-type Pokemon could regain its bearings, it found itself trapped within the twisting sands once more.
Gabite remained next to the Sand Tomb, its cold gaze fixed on Manectric until it was entirely engulfed. The Sand Tomb with double damage was a brutal move for Manectric, leaving the Pokemon unable to escape.
Had it not been for the referee's timely announcement that the battle had ended, and had this not been a game, John wasn't sure whether Manectric would have survived the hellish quicksand, especially with how powerful Gabite's attack had been.
Back in his dorm room, the Gameboy suddenly buzzed with an update, signaling John's rewards for the battle.
[Defeat Manectric LV37, gained 2010 experience]
[Gabite level increased, level 35!]
[Defeated Mauville Gym Master Wattson and received a bonus of 6200 Pokedollars.]
[Wattson: I can only give it to you, the proof of defeating Mauville Gym "Dynamo Badge". With it, your Rock Smash will be upgraded to "Secret Rock Smash".]
[Wattson: This "Shock Wave" skill TM and my breeding experience with Electric Pokemon are given to you as a little thought. I hope we meet again at the future Pokemon Championships, and I hope when facing a battle, you can laugh and laugh, and keep your original intention!]
John let out a sigh of relief, smiling as he looked over the results of his victory.
The last time he had challenged the Mauville Gym, he could only make it to Wattson's second Pokemon with his three Pokemon. But now, he had managed to push the gym to its limit with only one Pokemon.
It was clear that the type advantage played a major role in this. With a Pokemon like Gabite, immune to Electric-type moves, the battle had become much easier. Gabite's strength was certainly a factor, but it was the attribute advantage that had truly made this battle a cakewalk.
Mauville Gym was known for its Electric-type Pokemon, but with Pokemon like Electrode, Magneton, and Manectric, who relied heavily on Electric-type moves, John had a huge advantage. The fact that Gabite could resist Electric-type attacks made it almost unfair, effectively removing their claws and fangs. The battle difficulty had dropped from a 10 to a 3, and John was almost certain that even if Combusken had faced off against Manectric, it would have been an incredibly challenging fight.
As he mused about the battle, Gabite suddenly jumped out of its Pokeball, eagerly awaiting some recognition for its victory.
John chuckled at the eagerness in Gabite's eyes. "Alright, let's have dinner!" he replied, reaching into his bag and pulling out a box of Pokeblocks he had prepared earlier.
Gabite, with swift claws, grabbed the box, flipped it over, and without hesitation, gulped down the entire contents in one go. Before John could even blink, Gabite had finished the whole box, leaving him staring in amazement.
Gabite blinked a couple of times, clearly stunned by its own speed.
John couldn't help but laugh. It was like watching a funny emoji in motion: happy, pop, gone.
He decided to reward Gabite's enthusiasm with a few more Pokeblocks. "You did well today, these are extra rewards, but there's no next time."
Gabite, delighted, used its claws to carefully handle the three Pokeblocks, savoring them slowly, clearly enjoying the extra attention.
John smiled and turned back to look at the new information he had received from the battle. There was still a lot to go through.
[Dynamo Badge: The power of all Electric-type Pokemon moves in the team is increased by 10%, and Rock Smash is upgraded to "Secret Rock Smash"]
John pondered over the details. "Each Badge seems to increase the power of moves by 10%," he thought. "I wonder if I can stack these bonuses from all the Gyms."
He began to visualize the potential of collecting Badges. If he could conquer all eight Gyms across the regions, he'd gain a 10% bonus from each Badge, totaling 80% increase in damage across various attributes. And that's not counting the Gyms from other regions.
What if they could be stacked? That would mean seven regions and at least fifty-six Badges, yielding a 560% increase to all attributes! Dividing that across 18 attributes, each would see more than a 30% boost. The thought of it excited John as he realized just how powerful his future Pokemon could become.
But first, he turned his attention to the rest of the rewards.
The Shock Wave skill TM was useful, but since John didn't have an Electric-type Pokemon at the moment, he decided to put it aside for later. The skill had a must-hit effect, so it would certainly come in handy when he finally acquired an Electric-type.
Next, he reviewed the breeding experience Wattson had provided. The three Pokemon listed were the same ones Wattson had used in the battle: Electrode, Magneton, and Manectric.
None of them were particularly interesting to John. He wasn't eager to train Electric-type Pokemon unless they were something special. In fact, even if Shiny (which was unlikely), John would have used it as a controllable grenade, at best. As for Magneton and Manectric, he knew Magneton could evolve into Magnezone, and Manectric had a MEGA evolution, but it wasn't enough to excite him.
What John truly wanted was to find a Mareep and raise an Ampharos. There were no Mareep in sight, though, so for now, there was no need for an Electric-type Pokemon. The upcoming Gym was the Fire-type Lavaridge Gym, and an Electric-type wouldn't be particularly useful there.
Still, Wattson's advice had provided some solid strategies. John carefully noted down the five valuable moves that Wattson recommended for Electric-type Pokemon: Electromagnetic Levitation, Electric Terrain, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, and Wild Charge. These were excellent moves, but they weren't of immediate use to him.
Finally, John focused on the main event: the change to Rock Smash, which had now become "Secret Rock Smash."
[Secret Rock Smash: Power 70, ignores the target's defense increase when attacking, and reduces the target's level 1 defense by 100%.]
John's eyes widened as he saw the changes. 'This is overpowered!' he thought, taking in the details.
Rock Smash's base power had been increased from 40 to 70, a significant boost. But the real game-changer was the effect. It now ignored any defense boosts the target might have, which made it ideal for smashing through defensive strategies. The attack would also guarantee a 100% defense drop, whereas before, there was only a 50% chance.
John had to admit, Secret Rock Smash was a terrifying move. He could already imagine how it would work in battle.
Curious, he ran downstairs and released Aron from its Pokeball.
"Aron, use Rock Throw!"
Aron raised its head, letting out a soft roar as it launched a massive rock from the sky.
John quickly swapped to Combusken. "Rock Smash!"
Combusken leaped up, its right hand glowing brightly as it struck the rock with precision.
The sound of the strike was different from before. The rock didn't just break apart; it was shattered with pinpoint force. The pieces scattered like shotgun pellets.
John took in the sight, impressed by the changes in the attack. The power wasn't just a raw increase—it was more focused and concentrated, delivering a stronger impact on a single point. Where Combusken had previously destroyed the entire rock, it now focused its energy in one area, delivering a more efficient strike.