"Blegh—"
A second round of dry heaving shattered the silence of the early morning forest.
Caesar lay sprawled across a thick tree trunk, feeling as if his entire dragon body was about to split apart. It wasn't a lingering effect of [Teleport]; that dizziness had long since vanished. He was nauseous now purely because he had been disgusted.
Disgusted by a bunch of Garlic Turtles.
He snapped his eyes open, the cold System notification from last night still echoing in his mind.
[Challenge failed. Consciousness forced to eject.]
He, a veteran pokémon player familiar with all sorts of strategies, had actually been flattened on the very first floor of the Legacy space. And the opponent was none other than the Bulbasaur family, Pokédex No. 001!
This was an absolute humiliation!
"Little Earth Dragon... are you okay? Are you still dizzy from the teleportation?"
Cecilia, who had been startled awake beside him, leaned over with sleepy eyes, her silver head full of worry.
Caesar waved a claw feebly; he didn't even have the strength to complain right now.
Last night, with an excited heart and trembling hands, he had begun his tower-climbing game.
The first opponent—
No. 001, Bulbasaur.
Looking at that green toad with a garlic bulb on its back, Caesar's expression at the time had been one of confidence.
A mere first-generation starter, in its initial form, with a base stat total of only 318... what kind of waves could such a little thing make?
Was he supposed to avoid its edge?!
What a joke.
As the battle began, Caesar opened with a textbook combo.
He set the stage with [Sand Tomb], the Ground instantly collapsing into a shifting sandpit, followed immediately by a [Bulldoze] that kicked up a cloud of dust into the sky!
This was his absolute Domain. In this environment, his [Sand Veil] ability activated, hiding his form to prevent being locked onto by Moves like Poison Powder or Sleep Powder.
Caesar's logic was clear: he planned to close the distance and end the fight before the opponent could scatter any powders.
However, the Bulbasaur opposite him didn't play by the rules at all.
It didn't run or hide; the seed on its back suddenly shook, and a burst of pink, sickly-sweet gas exploded outward.
[Sweet Scent]!
The fragrance felt almost physical as it forced its way into Caesar's nasal passages, making his head spin and his mind go into a daze.
To make matters worse, the System notified him that Caesar's evasion rate had been drastically reduced!
His [Sand Veil] ability was neutralized by this single, airy Move—
Caesar started cursing right then and there.
What kind of decent person brings Sweet Scent to a fight? Isn't that a Move for catching wild pokémon?!
Before he could react, the opponent followed up with Acid Spray to zone him, spreading a large amount of poisonous water that could corrode dragon scales around the area, constantly blocking his path of advancement.
Caesar maneuvered through the dust, only to step into a [Leech Seed]—
Yes, this Move could actually be used as a trap!
Green energy vines instantly coiled around his ankle...! The sensation of mana being continuously drained set off alarm bells in Caesar's head.
And sure enough.
The garlic bulb on that Bulbasaur's back began to shake violently, and pale yellow powder drifted out like dandelion seeds... [Sleep Powder]!
The powder spread rapidly within the special air currents created by [Sweet Scent], and it was soon about to cover the entire battlefield—
He had to settle this quickly!
Ignoring the mana-draining debuff, Caesar forcibly launched a Bulldoze! But the opposing Bulbasaur, despite its small body and 318 base stats, actually tanked the damage head-on.
Caesar's heart sank.
Something's not right, woah... that tankiness is wrong, woah!
This little thing is definitely holding an [Eviolite]!
(※ When held by a pokémon that is not fully evolved, Eviolite raises both Defense and Special Defense by 50%.)
By now, the Sleep Powder had completely dispersed. Caesar's [Dragon Breath] required him to inhale; using that Move in an environment filled with Sleep Powder was practically walking into a trap.
His only long-range option was neutralized too!
Fortunately, his previous [Heavy Stomp] had also torn the battlefield apart, similarly compressing the Bulbasaur's room to maneuver.
Now!
Caesar seized an opening. An eerie light flashed on his claws as [Shadow Claw] swung out with the sound of whistling wind—
"Pshhh!"
It was a critical hit, woah.
Luck was on his side. The Bulbasaur finally dissolved into motes of light and vanished... [Victory. Experience +200.]
It was a pyrrhic victory. Caesar's health bar had dropped by nearly forty percent.
Before he could catch his breath, the second battle followed immediately.
The opponent was No. 002, Ivysaur.
Having learned his lesson from the last round, Caesar got smarter. He decided to maintain distance and use [Dragon Breath] for long-range sniping before the opponent could fill the air with Sleep Powder.
In response, the opponent took the opportunity to use [Swords Dance]. A red light surged over its body, and it instantly entered a berserk state.
Immediately after, green light spread beneath its feet. The original sand and soil on the ground were suddenly covered by green turf, and lush grass began to grow like crazy.
It was one of the four major terrain effects.
[Grassy Terrain]!
"Wait... no way, right?" Caesar suddenly had an ominous premonition.
And sure enough.
The next second, that Ivysaur flattened itself against the grass. Utilizing the slipperiness of the leaves, the whole... no, the entire toad transformed into a bolt of green lightning—!
What the heck, [Grassy Glide]!
Under Grassy Terrain, this Move had priority. It was so fast it was a blur—!
Caesar only saw a flash of green before taking a heavy hit.
The opponent was like a green demon with grease on its feet, carving bizarre arcs across the grass while using [Power Whip].
Comparable to a certain Captain known for slaying monkeys, it slid around Caesar frantically. Its two vine whips moved so fast they left afterimages, lashing him until his scales split and his flesh was exposed!
Caesar tried to aim with Dragon Breath, but the opponent was too fast to lock onto.
He tried using Heavy Stomp to slow it down, but the turf of the Grassy Terrain was too thick, cushioning most of the vibrations.
He tried using Sand Tomb, but the sand was suppressed by the wild grass as soon as it emerged—
The situation was extremely passive for a time!
However, there is always a way out for a dragon. [Grassy Terrain] had an effect that provided continuous healing for all pokémon on the Ground.
Caesar relied on his thicker health bar and the terrain's healing effect to endure the Ivysaur's fierce assault, gradually adapting to the opponent's attack rhythm.
In the end, he resorted to a trick.
He intentionally left an opening, letting the opponent entangle him to trigger his [Rough Skin] ability, reflecting damage back.
Seizing the moment Ivysaur flinched from the pain, Caesar's two Shadow Claws gripped the vine whips tightly. Forgetting about specific Moves, he turned himself into a giant spinning top, using centrifugal force to swing the Ivysaur in a wide circle and smash it into the Ground.
He didn't stop until the fellow's eyes were spinning in circles, barely securing the win.
[Experience +400]
By the end of this round, Caesar had only consumed ten percent of his life. He even intentionally stalled for a while, using [Grassy Terrain] to heal back to about ninety percent.
But his heart was already a bit weary.
These Garlic Turtles... each one was dirtier than the last!
The third battle, begin!
The opponent, naturally, was No. 003, Venusaur.
Caesar took a deep breath, having fully prepared himself mentally. He felt that Ivysaur's "Grassy Glide Captain" routine was already the limit of dirty tactics.
As it turned out, he was still too young.
As the battle began, the opposing Venusaur immediately let out a roar toward the sky and used the weather Move [Sunny Day].
Blinding sunlight instantly illuminated the entire space!