Although Graveler had a quadruple weakness to Grass-type moves, Cottonee had yet to learn any high-power Grass-type attacks. Instead of relying on Absorb, it was far more effective to repeatedly unleash Nature Power, transforming into Earth Power to deliver consistent damage.
On one side of the battlefield, Mawile's Iron Head struck Graveler with pinpoint accuracy once again. Given Graveler's sluggish speed, dodging was almost impossible.
Without the Rollout momentum from the start, Graveler was completely outmatched by Mawile in terms of power. To break through the opponent's defenses more effectively, Mawile aimed precisely at Graveler's previous injuries.
Already heavily wounded, Graveler's condition worsened. The force of the impact sent it flying, crashing against the rocky wall.
Despite their usual disregard for others' safety when rolling around, the other Graveler—bound by the solidarity of their kind—quickly rallied at the sight of their injured companion.
One Graveler struggled to break free from Leech Seed, aware that its energy was being steadily drained. If this continued, it would lose its ability to fight without even taking another hit.
Before it could escape the vines, however, Charmeleon had already charged forward.
"Charr!"
Charmeleon narrowed its eyes, trying to spot a weak point in Graveler's rocky exterior. However, with its entire body encased in stone, finding a vulnerable spot proved difficult.
Realizing there was no weakness to exploit, Charmeleon opted for brute force, sinking its fangs into Graveler. The sheer power behind the Crunch attack cracked parts of Graveler's stone shell.
"Graveler!"
Graveler roared in fury, stretching out its longer arms to grab Charmeleon—but only grasped at empty air.
With no hesitation, Charmeleon followed up with Dragon Rage, unleashing a blast of draconic energy at point-blank range into the crack it had made. The blast sent Charmeleon flying backward, using the force of the attack to propel itself out of danger.
As Charmeleon retreated, Cottonee's Earth Power erupted beneath Graveler, splitting the ground and draining its remaining strength.
The entire sequence flowed seamlessly. After so much time working together, Charmeleon and Cottonee had built up strong teamwork.
"Cottonee!" Cottonee let out an excited cry—this Graveler was her victory, no doubt!
But the battle was far from over. Cottonee alone couldn't restrain all of the enemies. One Graveler had already broken free from Leech Seed, charging straight toward Mawile.
Having witnessed the earlier skirmishes, this Graveler recognized Mawile as the biggest threat and targeted her first.
"Flamethrower!"
With the enemy no longer restrained, Maki no longer held back. Charmeleon spewed scorching flames, engulfing Graveler.
Initially unfazed by the fire, Graveler soon realized something was wrong—this heat was far hotter than expected.
Parts of Graveler's stone armor blackened, making it resemble its distant cousins from the Galar region.
All the while, Cottonee's Helping Hand boosted her allies, offering invaluable support.
Cottonee had been the busiest Pokémon in the fight, casting support moves non-stop. Although the constant exertion was draining, Leech Seed's gradual siphoning helped her recover little by little.
Another Earth Power erupted beneath Graveler, with Cottonee snatching another knockout from Charmeleon's grasp.
With her opponent defeated, Mawile rushed back to Maki's side—but her speed was far from impressive.
Mawile's kind was known for their raw power, not their swiftness—a frustrating trade-off. Even Mega Mawile's immense strength was hindered by its lackluster speed.
Maki made a mental note to incorporate speed drills into Mawile's training. Alone, Mawile couldn't outpace most foes—but with Cottonee setting up Tailwind, the difference would be night and day.
The remaining three Graveler—driven by rage—freed themselves from Leech Seed simultaneously. They raised all four arms and began gathering stones around them, hurling them toward Maki in a storm of Rock Blast.
Mawile intercepted the attack, raising her small fists.
Power-Up Punch!
One by one, the rocks shattered against her strikes, not a single one reaching Maki. Instead, each punch boosted Mawile's strength further.
Already blessed with incredible power, Mawile's rising attack stats made her all the more terrifying. Maki could hardly imagine how strong she'd become with the boosts stacked.
Though it couldn't match the perfect four-stage boosts from the games, her strength had likely doubled or tripled.
With newfound might, Mawile charged forward, landing another Power-Up Punch. She cut through the battlefield like a juggernaut—reminiscent of the legendary Mega Mawile, unstoppable and unmatched.
By this point, neither Charmeleon nor Cottonee needed to intervene. Mawile dispatched the remaining Graveler with swift, decisive punches—one after another.
Once the last enemy fell, Maki pulled out several Poké Balls, capturing them all.
In this world, the six-Pokémon limit didn't exist—every Poké Ball stayed in Maki's possession.
-----------------------
Want to read ahead of schedule?
Join here for advance chapters: PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON