The battle began.
Cain unleashed all the psychic power he could, connecting with all of his Pokémon on the field.
Now, Cain no longer needed Slowking's psychic abilities to fully direct the battle.
The light drizzle in the sky began to intensify, showing signs of becoming a downpour.
Water-type Pokémon felt particularly comfortable in these conditions. For example, Swampert, Milotic, and Gastrodon seemed revitalized by the rain.
On the other hand, some Pokémon—like Garchomp—were not as comfortable.
At their trainers' command, the Pokémon began to move.
Slowking floated in the air, and its psychic power gradually expanded from its body, distorting the raindrops that fell near it.
It was as if Slowking had created its own psychic domain in the air.
Gengar slowly sank into the ground. Before disappearing, it gave a mocking glance, as if it had a particularly fun trick prepared for its opponent.
Drapion moved to the front, its strong and sharp legs leaving deep, uniform marks in the ground as it ran.
Swampert pushed off forcefully, splashing mud everywhere. For him, this was the perfect terrain.
Florges, completely white, looked even more vibrant under the rain. Her flowers glowed with an emerald green hue as she changed her attribute to Grass-type.
Politoed, although the lowest-level Pokémon on Cain's team, showed no fear. He positioned himself next to his trainer, moving his arms rhythmically in a peculiar dance. His movement wasn't random; as he danced, the rain continued to intensify.
The water energy brought by the rain seemed to be controlled, flowing quickly toward Slowking and Swampert, empowering them.
Cain's Pokémon quickly spread out into formation.
Cynthia's Pokémon didn't stand still. Although Cynthia didn't have telepathy like Cain, her vast battle experience allowed her to command her Pokémon with great skill, ordering them to form their own defensive strategy.
Garchomp, being a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, was somewhat limited by the sudden change in weather. Although he couldn't use his usual sandstorm advantage, the rain benefited Milotic and Gastrodon, who flanked Garchomp as he faced Drapion.
Milotic and Gastrodon felt agile and in their element in the rain.
Roserade stayed close to Cynthia, the flowers on her hands pointing upward while roots slowly extended into the ground.
Spiritomb, with his shadowy face, seemed to be scanning the terrain, as if searching for a hidden shadow.
Lucario released an imposing aura, surrounded by a current of energy that repelled raindrops before they could touch his body. His fur remained completely dry as a pale blue glow concentrated on his forehead.
Lucario's mastery over aura power was as natural as blinking—an innate skill he handled as easily as his limbs.
"Chaaa!"
"Rooar!"
At their trainers' command, Drapion and Garchomp roared simultaneously and charged at each other.
From above, Slowking began focusing its psychic power. This technique, which it had learned on a mysterious island, allowed it to expand and maintain its energy, enabling quick move execution.
The rain falling around them was manipulated by Slowking, turning into water arrows that flew toward Garchomp, following Drapion as backup.
Florges waved her hands, releasing a purple mist that covered the field, deploying the move Misty Terrain. This tactic was crucial for countering a Dragon-type like Garchomp, since without it, Drapion would be at a disadvantage.
After setting the Misty Terrain effect zone, Florges continued creating small patches of green grass in strategic points of the field, following Cain's instructions.
Florges also had other tasks: blessing her allies with Lucky Chant, switching between Grass and Fairy types, and using Energy Ball to attack Gastrodon and Garchomp while maintaining control of Misty Terrain.
Swampert, under the rain, moved almost like a fish in water. Although it didn't have Swift Swim, the fins on its head and tail gave it a notable speed boost.
It moved just behind Drapion, ready to face Garchomp.
Boom!
Drapion and Garchomp clashed violently in the center of the field, right on one of the grass patches created by Florges.
The impact of their attacks caused the surrounding raindrops to scatter due to the force of the generated airflow.
Both Pokémon stared fiercely at each other, their heads separated by only a few centimeters. In terms of strength, Drapion wouldn't back down from anyone.
Slowking's water arrows reached Garchomp, causing immediate damage. However, Milotic quickly intervened, deflecting the next arrows with an elegant spin of her water-covered tail.
Meanwhile, Swampert pushed forward through the mud and accumulated water, focusing Ground and Fighting energy into his fists. Without hesitation, he threw a direct punch toward Garchomp's head, ignoring the fact that it was a pseudo-legendary.
Garchomp barely glanced at him before focusing back on Drapion, trusting his allies.
Gastrodon leapt from the ground, attempting to crush Swampert with its weight.
Elsewhere on the field, Lucario moved swiftly, leaving a shadow trail behind him. His target was Florges, who posed a key threat to Cynthia's team.
However, Gengar emerged from Lucario's shadow, with two dark energy spheres in his hands. He laughed as he hurled them at his target.
Before the spheres could hit, a psychic attack intercepted them, injuring Gengar and forcing him out of hiding. Ice shards formed where he was attacked.
Spiritomb, who had been watching, seized the moment to attack Gengar.
Due to the presence of Politoed, Cain had been at a numerical disadvantage from the start, putting him in a tight spot.
The battle had just begun, but Cain was already losing ground.
(End of Chapter)