Doctor Doom approved of the posture that Gladiator II had taken. It promised misery for his adversary. “Avoid using electrical attacks, Gladiator, it will simply make your opponent stronger,” Doom advised Gladiator II seriously. After he received a faint nod Doom added. “Strike.”
The Hitmonchan blurred from sight and appeared in front of of the Electabuzz throwing a set of crisp punches. If the Electabuzz was shocked by the sudden aggression it did not show as it dodged most of the blows, parrying the ones it could not dodge with its own hands. Gladiator II swung his left hand too wide which allowed the Electabuzz to dodge underneath it and expertly plant an electrical punch right in his ribcage. Gladiator II grunted as the electrical shock wormed its way through his system.
“Show him how we box, Electabuzz!” Surge shouted.
The Electabuzz suddenly got a gleam in its eye as it began to counterattack. The punches were almost as sharp as Gladiator II's and the fighting type was unable to avoid all of them, taking two clean shots to its head.
Doom watched the fight intently. Surge's Pokemon was did very well minimal instruction. Doom now saw that Gladiator II was not as far along as he had been expecting if these exchanges were any indication. Doom would deal with his failed expectations later, for now he would give his minion proper guidance. “Agility, Gladiator.”
The Pokemon heard its master's command and sped its movements up just as the Electabuzz was going for a hay-maker.
Doom made a mental note that Gladiator II listened well. Perhaps there was something he could work with here. “Mach,” Doom instructed.
“Block, Buzz!” Surge shouted out immediately. His warning came too late though as the Hitmonchan buried its fist into the electric Pokemon's face and caused it to smash into the wall.
“Comet,” Doom said.
Gladiator II rushed forward and and stopped just short of his dazed enemy and clenched his fists even tighter. His gloves began to glow a bright white just before he began his assault. The Electabuzz tried to block but its guard was ripped apart against the flurry of punches. Gladiator II spent several seconds landing many vicious blows to various parts of the body before finishing with a devastating uppercut to the Electabuzz's chin which knocked it off of its feet. Gladiator II flashed back to his master's side, believing its job done.
“I must say, Doom finds your boxing technique wanting,” Doom said smugly. Gladiator II had gotten off to a slow start but it wasn't so pathetic that it could not succeed with Doom's guidance.
The ref stepped forward. “Electabuzz cannot-”
“Hold it” Surge shouted suddenly.
The Electabuzz, which was bleeding from its mouth, slowly pushed its way off of the ground and stood up with a look of rage in its eyes. It had several huge bruises covering its body and its legs were shaking from the internal damage it had suffered. It looked like it could fall over at any second. Just as Doom was about to issue an order to finish it electricity surrounded its body until the Pokemon began to glow white.
Doom raised his eyebrow. This looked remarkably familiar to him. Perhaps this would be more fun than he had anticipated.
After several seconds the light faded and the Electabuzz had been replaced with a much bigger, more fierce looking Pokemon. The bruises on the body and the blood coming from the mouth were gone. Its legs which had been shaky before now held firm. The rage in its eyes had not changed, however.
“Vire,” the new Pokemon said menacingly while looking directly at Gladiator II.
Doom chuckled quietly. Finally, a Pokemon with pride. Perhaps this one would deserve a proper burial when Doom was done killing it.
--
"What I'm saying is mind over matter only works when there's not much of a matter to mind. " - Lopen
The Cult of Personality.