Who needs a girlfriend when you have Pokémon?

Chapter 107 Who says you can only kill someone with a gun barrel?

"Come and experience... the power of electricity!!!"

With a burst of golden arcs of electricity, a figure emerged from the Poké Ball, the golden arcs spreading in all directions, revealing its saucer-like form to Rowe.

It was one of Grandpa Iron Whirl's trump cards, the self-destructing Magneton...

On Lowe's side, Masked Cat naturally went first...

Because Ibrahimovic is still gaining experience, it's still a two-on-two situation...

"In short, let's try it out first to see how it goes~"

Luo Wei didn't hold back, immediately unleashing a flurry of attacks to test his opponent's strength. Regardless of the opponent, he figured he could wait until they were unharmed before discussing the rest of the issue...

She raised her hand and threw a bouquet of flowers, which exploded into countless petals mid-air... instantly creating a storm of petals.

With repeated use of the technique, its power and effect have clearly increased considerably since its first use...

"Haha, well then, let's do it here~"

The Magneto opposite them had accumulated an astonishing amount of electricity. Its two horseshoe-shaped magnets were pointed in this direction, and as the two magnets spun rapidly, a golden beam of charging energy shot out with a "whoosh".

The flying petals collided with the incoming charging beam, and the seemingly delicate storm of petals dancing... actually resisted the charging beam all the way, forcefully pushing it back.

However, while pushing it back a few meters, the accumulated electricity exploded, crackling and transforming into an electric grid that covered the storm of flying petals, suppressing it completely.

However, Masked Meow had already chased after the petal storm all the way over. With a leap, she raised her heel high and then slammed it down hard, hitting Magneto's body squarely.

Those cat-like legs, covered in soft black fur, looked like a pair of long legs clad in black stockings, seemingly incredibly alluring. But only in that fleeting moment of power did it become clear... those legs were more than just pretty.

The kick landed squarely, and Magneton's body, which was half-suspended in the air, crashed to the ground with a loud "bang," creating a deep crater.

"Oh?"

Tie Xuan raised an eyebrow with interest; this was clearly some kind of skill.

Naturally, you don't necessarily need to have a certain skill to use the corresponding attack. Just like even if you don't know punching skills like Mega Punch or Thunder Punch, as long as a Pokémon has two arms, it can definitely throw punches.

However, a normal punch is just a basic attack, not a skill, so it has no attributes and its power is far from comparable to a skill.

Similarly, using skills like Outrage is an impact that gathers the power of the dragon attribute. If the opponent has an immunity attribute like Fairy, the dragon attribute power contained within it will be rendered ineffective.

Even without the Dragon-type energy, the physical impact itself doesn't cause any real damage to a Pokémon's physical constitution.

...Of course, if you are strong enough, even a basic attack can kill. Normal-type skills don't have any extra attribute bonuses, but they can still cause considerable damage. To put it bluntly, it's all about brute force.

Kroo's Masked Meowth type is clearly not powerful enough to overwhelm Magneton; in fact, Magneton's base stats are even higher in terms of physical defense.

Therefore, this is definitely a skill attack, not a basic attack...

To this, Luo Wei replied with a grin, "Yes, this move is a knockdown~"

"Eh?"

Hearing Rowe's explanation, Lillie was shocked...

Wait a minute, if it's about "slapping down," shouldn't the emphasis be on "slapping"? You clearly just kicked it hard, didn't you?

Iron Whirl, on the other hand, understood perfectly. "Haha, skills don't necessarily have to be limited to a single form of expression. As long as you understand the principles, you can adapt accordingly. This is the path you must take to become an excellent trainer!"

"Hmm~"

Just like Dujuan's electromagnetic barrier and Tengshu's earthquake wave, both gym leaders demonstrated this point to Luo Wei through their actual combat.

Trainers like them never confine themselves to the original form and pattern of skills. They fully explore the possibilities within skills, combining different skills or changing the original form of skills to create entirely new applications.

And Luo Wei's understanding of this is...

Who says only a spearhead can kill? Once I'm certain this move is a "slap," why do I have to use my hands? Can't I use my feet?

Of all the moves that Lowell's Masked Meow currently knows, this is the only Dark-type move that the opponent's Magneton can't resist. It landed a solid hit at close range, and it seems to have been quite effective.

Unfortunately, Luo Wei knew very well that Tie Xuan's strength was far superior to Du Juan and Teng Shu's, and he couldn't possibly be that simple; he must have his own special skills.

As expected, even though it was hit hard by a kick, Magneton quickly lifted itself up again with Masked Cat's heel on its back.

"...Retreat...Ugh."

However, once Masked Cat landed a successful blow, it should have immediately distanced itself from its opponent, since Masked Cat mostly employs guerrilla tactics.

However, after successfully landing the attack, Masked Cat was unable to separate herself from her opponent in time; it was as if her heels were "stuck" to the opponent's body.

"...Magnetic properties?"

This ability was originally intended to specifically target Steel-type Pokémon, immobilizing them by trapping them. However, Magneton's Magnetic ability is clearly more than just a simple Magnetism ability...

Luo Wei noticed that the masked cat frowned slightly, and its fur stood on end uncontrollably. The fur that had just been straightened was now in a mess again, which made Luo Wei's blood pressure rise.

But that's clearly not the point...

"...Using electric skills to release an electrostatic field, combined with magnetic properties, to form a prison?"

Moreover, it seems that this electrostatic field also has the effect of paralyzing the other party...

Masked Cat is now clearly paralyzed, which further hinders its actions...

"...This is troublesome."

Both Magneton and Nosegater manipulate magnetic fields, but there are clear differences between them.

The Great North uses magnetic field manipulation to form an electromagnetic shield, which, combined with its own strong defensive capabilities, allows it to fight steadily and reliably, while its hardness makes it durable and resistant to damage.

It is undoubtedly a defensive tactic.

In contrast, Magneton is used to restrain and capture its opponent, using magnetism to restrict its movement. So, the purpose of doing so is obviously to better launch a proactive attack on the enemy.

...It's coming!

Luo Wei clearly realized that if this was part of the opponent's tactics, then Tie Xuan was definitely more adept at "attack" than Du Juan, who was good at "defense"...

So, the next move is...

"...Got it, 100,000 volts!!!"

Chapter 108 Railgun

One hundred thousand volts...

...A super classic electric-type skill, basically a powerful move that can be used to execute and finish off enemies, even with background music. Although its actual power is not as great as a bunch of moves that cost over 100, it is so classic that it has been fully developed.

Many players who specialize in attacking will choose to pair it with Thunderbolt to cover their weaknesses. Because so many people use it, the skill's effectiveness has been fully developed.

For example...

Magneton, whose Special Attack had been boosted by Charge Beam, unleashed a power close to that of "Thunderbolt" with Thunderbolt!

In an instant, the entire arena was filled with crackling electric arcs. Masked Cat, restrained by the electromagnetic field, was unable to dodge in time and was about to be hit squarely.

At the critical moment, Luo Wei raised his hand and made a gesture, and the surging lightning dispersed, but the Masked Cat's figure was nowhere to be seen in the light.

"Oh?"

Tie Xuan looked towards Luo Wei and saw a crimson light appear within the lightning strikes. Kirlia used her psychic barrier to block the incoming lightning.

"...Rapid reversal, teleportation, and telekinetic barriers?"

Tie Xuan saw through Luo Wei's strategy at a glance. Under those circumstances, Masked Cat would be severely injured if it took a hit from that enhanced Thunderbolt, so it simply used U-turn to switch itself out.

Because it's a skill swap, it's faster than a direct Poké Ball swap. Kirlia used Instant Transmission to create distance as soon as she entered the field, and then used Psychic Barrier to resist the Thunderbolt.

Because of the increased distance, the attack's power was slightly reduced, and with the resistance of the psychic barrier, it was barely blocked.

It was truly a very difficult situation. The enhanced Thunderbolt Masked Meowth dared not take it head-on, and Kirlia's body was even more fragile than Masked Meowth's. If it weren't for the defensive power of the Psychic Barrier, Kirlia would probably have been knocked down even faster if she had taken the hit.

However, this was only a barely manageable block. After catching his breath, Rowe immediately replaced Masked Cat with Masked Cat.

Masked Cat reappeared, but the dazzling psychic ripples attached to her body, forming a structure resembling armor.

"Oh, the lingering effect of the psychic barrier?"

Lowe replaced Masked Meow not just to let Kirlia take the field and block an attack, but also to keep the psychic barrier in place...

...Luo Wei had been training Kirlia's telekinetic abilities, and skills like Light Wall and Reflection Wall also had the effect of leaving an area in place.

Building on this, Loewy added further changes, allowing psychic barriers like Light Screen and Reflect to be directly attached to the Pokémon that switches in, forming a close-fitting protective barrier.

Lowe had used this change once before when facing Nihilego, and Ralts used psychic powers to enhance Neoleaf's claw attack. Now, on that basis, an even more refined change has been made.

Of course, the field effect cannot be continuously enhanced. In wild battles or doubles, Kirlia can continuously enhance the barrier with her psychic powers, but this is a singles match, so the field effect naturally cannot be replenished.

Once the barrier is exhausted, or its duration expires, the psychic barrier will disappear...

However, this at least provides an extra layer of protection. In the previous two gym battles, Rowe used a strategy of combining existing Pokémon abilities and moves.

Now, he has begun to explore the variations in the skills themselves, as well as more combinations and applications...

The skills he learned from Du Juan and the application of "qi" he learned from Teng Shu—each attempt was a steady step forward.

Of all the people who felt this most deeply, it was Lillie who was here. Not long ago, she had witnessed Rowe fighting against Nihilego, and now, even though not much time had passed, Rowe's strength had increased dramatically.

"Well then, let's continue. But... does Grandpa Tie Xuan have even more powerful moves up his sleeve?"

After all, while Electromagnetic Prison is troublesome, the following Thunderbolt... is simply a power-up move that relies on the Special Attack boost from Charge Beam, without much of the expected change in skill level.

Admittedly, being able to unleash a 100,000-volt attack with power comparable to a lightning strike is already quite remarkable, but it's still not enough, because the enhancement from 100,000 volts to lightning strike is completely insufficient for Luo Wei to demonstrate the true strength of Iron Whirlwind.

He couldn't possibly be limited to this level; there must be even more powerful moves he hasn't used yet.

Even now, the manipulation of magnetic fields to construct electromagnetic prisons, the charging beam's energy, and even the final 100,000 volts may all just be "prelude"...

"Hahaha~" At that moment, the old man opposite him laughed heartily, "...Truly remarkable young man! Fighting against such interesting young people like you is truly exhilarating! However, Luo Wei, you're wrong about one thing~"

"?"

Tie Xuan stopped laughing, raised his hand and picked up an electric guitar from beside him. With a sharp tremolo, a golden arc of electricity swept across the electric guitar. The old man stomped his foot on the ground, and a burst of electricity swept across the arena beneath his feet.

"!"