Chapter 152: Vs. Rival Will!
~Azure S. POV~
[Johto Region, Olivine City – Outskirts]
The salt-laced wind whipped through my hair as I stood at the edge of Olivine City's outskirts, the vast, shimmering Johto sea stretching before me. Route 41 awaited – a challenging stretch of ocean crawling with Water-type Pokémon, a whole new world to explore.
For the upcoming ocean trek, I needed specialists. Blastoise, Lapras, Kingdra, and Dragonite were summoned from Daisy Oak, powerful Pokémon I'd trained meticulously in the past just for this occasion.
Alongside them, I decided to keep my trusty Shiny Gyarados and the ever-reliable Quagsire. Both Water Types will be useful to have in the open sea.
Gyarados' raw power and Quagsire's unique Water/Ground typing made them indispensable. But then I sighed inwardly as my plans didn't go the way I had originally planned.
Will. The Psychic-type specialist I'd faced earlier in my journey, a trainer known for his strategic mind and powerful, ethereal Pokémon.
He always carried himself with a quiet intensity, a focus that could be unnerving. He was also… a sore loser.
But he suggested a 2v2 Pokémon battle, which changed into a Double Battle. Seems like someone was salty facing me in that format.
A small part of me, the part that thrived on competition, perked up. A battle would be a good way to test the waters, so to speak, before diving into Route 41.
And shutting Will up wouldn't be a bad thing either. We walked to a nearby patch of clear ground, the sun beating down on us from the outskirts.
The air crackled with anticipation. Pikachu jumped off my shoulder, and Eevee jumped off my head, ready to cheer me on.
Celebi came out with prepared pom-poms seemingly out of nowhere. Hahaha… where the heck did it even get those anyway?
Shaking my head, I returned my focus to the two Pokémon on my belt. I said, reaching for two familiar Poké Balls in a calm tone, "Alright, Will. Let's see what you've got. Blastoise, I choose you! Kingdra, you're up!"
*Pop*
With twin bursts of light, the two titans of my team materialized. I've chosen these two against Will for this double battle.
Blastoise, its massive shell gleaming, stood solid as a rock, its cannons already swiveling, ready to unleash a torrent of water. Alongside it, Kingdra, the majestic Dragon-type, snaked through the air, its elegant form radiating power.
Will, unfazed, produced two Poké Balls of his own. He tossed them as he declared, "Alakazam, show them your strength! Xatu, let's see your future!"
*Pop*
Alakazam, its psychic spoons glinting in the sunlight, floated into the arena, its eyes gleaming with intelligence. Beside it, Xatu, the enigmatic Psychic/Flying-type, perched silently, its gaze seemingly fixed on some distant, unseen event.
Hmm… both their levels are around the 50 range. Mine are Lv.60 as they've trained hard, but compared to battle experience, only Blastoise is more experienced in combat.
Still, though, it would be a good refresher to see how strong Will is without him being an enemy, as I smirked. I commented, observing Will's Pokémon, "A seasoned team. Alakazam's Sp. Attack and Speed are going to be an issue. Xatu's combination of Psychic and Flying makes it a tricky opponent."
Will smirked. But he looked at my Blastoise and Kingdra with wariness, already noticing the power gap in levels as he declared proudly, "I know your team well, Azure. That Blastoise is a tank, but Alakazam can break through its defenses. And Kingdra, with its Dragon-type, is vulnerable to my Xatu's attacks."
I retorted, my competitive spirit fully engaged as I started the opening move, "We'll see about that. Blastoise, use Rapid Spin to clear the area for Kingdra!"
*Zoooom*
Blastoise retracted into its shell and began spinning at an incredible speed, a blue blur of power that sent dust and pebbles flying. The Rapid Spin created a whirlwind around the arena, disrupting Will's Pokémon and making it difficult for them to maintain their focus while increasing its speed.
Kingdra was already ready into position, its eyes gleaming with pure focus. Will commanded, "Hmph! Alakazam, protect yourself with a Psychic Barrier! Xatu, use Air Slash!"
*Shiiii*
Alakazam quickly erected a shimmering barrier of psychic energy around itself, deflecting the spinning debris. Xatu launched a volley of razor-sharp blades of air towards Kingdra.
But my Dragon Pokémon wasn't lying around. I countered, "Kingdra, dodge and use Agile Style Hydro Pump!"
*Wooosh*
Kingdra gracefully dodged the Air Slash attacks, weaving through the air with surprising agility. It then unleashed a powerful blast of water from its mouth, aiming directly at Alakazam.
*SPLASH*
The Hydro Pump slammed into Alakazam's Psychic Barrier, causing it to flicker and waver. Alakazam staggered back, but the barrier held, preventing serious damage.
Will shouted, seizing the opportunity, "Alakazam, use Psychic!"
*Shiii*
Alakazam focused its immense psychic power, and Kingdra was suddenly lifted into the air, struggling against an invisible force. The pressure on Kingdra's mind was immense, and it cried out in pain.
Not good, better react. I yelled, my heart pounding, "Kingdra, break free! Use Strong Style! Dragon Pulse!"
*SHIIII*
Kingdra, despite the immense pressure, concentrated its energy and unleashed a powerful beam of dragon energy from its mouth. The Dragon Pulse slammed into Alakazam, disrupting its concentration and breaking its psychic hold.
Kingdra plummeted back to the ground, panting heavily. Hmm… seems like I should introduce Kingdra to more battle experiences later.
I suppose years of peace have dulled her senses. But then Will commanded, "Xatu, use Future Sight!"
Xatu closed its eyes, a strange aura enveloping it. I knew what Future Sight was capable of – a devastating Psychic-type attack that would strike after a delay.
But still, I made it a point to protect my Pokémon. I ordered, thinking fast, "Blastoise, protect Kingdra with Water Pledge!"
*SPLASH*
Blastoise unleashed a massive torrent of water from its cannons, creating a swirling wall of water around Kingdra, shielding it from Xatu's future attack. Of course, that's assuming it would attack Kingdra, that is...
Analyzing Will didn't allow me to react as he roared, "Alakazam, use Shadow Ball on Blastoise!"
Alakazam conjured a ball of pure darkness and hurled it at Blastoise. The Shadow Ball struck with a deafening explosion, sending Blastoise stumbling back.
*BOOOM*
The attack was effective against Blastoise's bulky defenses. But frankly, it tanked the hit, looking more annoyed than in pain as I urged, my voice laced with annoyance, "Blastoise, hang in there! Use Ice Beam!"
*PEW*
Despite the damage, Blastoise rallied and fired a beam of freezing energy from its mouth, aiming at Alakazam. The Ice Beam struck Alakazam, encasing it in a thick layer of ice.
Alakazam stood frozen, unable to move. Will shouted desperately, "Xatu, break Alakazam free with Heat Wave!"
*Sssss*
Xatu unleashed a wave of intense heat, melting the ice encasing Alakazam. However, the sudden shift in temperature left Alakazam weakened and vulnerable.
It was now or never. I commanded, seizing the opportunity, "Kingdra, use Hydro Pump on Alakazam while it's recovering!"
*SPLASH*
Despite its earlier exhaustion, Kingdra unleashed another powerful blast of water, targeting the weakened Alakazam. The Hydro Pump slammed into Alakazam, and the psychic Pokémon collapsed, defeated.
*Thud*
I announced victoriously, a surge of adrenaline coursing through me, "Alakazam is unable to battle!"
Will glared at me, his face reddening with frustration. But then he smirked.
*Swf*
Xatu unleashed a powerful psychic attack on Kingdra, sending it reeling from a nearby psychic portal as it shot at Kingdra in the head. I widened my eyes, alarmed, till I muttered, realizing the attack, "Future Sight… Tch. It's the most useful and annoying move that one can't predict easily."
Xatu's Future Sight finally hit where we least expected. The attack was effective, and Kingdra crashed to the ground, unable to battle.
*Thud*
I declared, a wave of disappointment washing over me, "Kingdra is unable to battle!"
Note to self, have ALL my Pokémon learn the move Protect. And they need some battle experience outside of spars with the main crew.
The battle was now down to Blastoise against Xatu. A test of endurance and strategy. I called out, "Blastoise, use Rain Dance!"
*RMBL*
Blastoise unleashed a cloud of water into the air, creating a torrent of rain that drenched the battlefield. The rain would boost the power of my Water-type attacks, giving Blastoise a significant advantage.
Will knew this as his eyes narrowed. Will commanded, "Xatu, use Air Slash!"
Xatu unleashed a volley of Air Slash attacks at Blastoise, but the rain hampered their effectiveness. Blastoise stood firm, weathering the storm as it tanked the attacks, as it subtly used Aqua Ring and Withdraw.
The attacks hit, but didn't leave lasting damage. I smiled as my time training the Kanto Trio was good, having Tapu Koko guide us where the Totem Pokémon were as EXP bags for them to learn and adapt.
Narrowing my eyes, I had had enough playing around. I shouted, "Blastoise, use Strong Style! Hydro Pump! Finish this!"
*SPLASH*
Blastoise unleashed a devastating Hydro Pump, the rain amplifying its power. The torrent of water slammed into Xatu, sending the enigmatic Pokémon soaring through the air before crashing to the ground, defeated.
*THUD*
I might've smiled lightly, seeing this as I announced, relief flooding through me, "Xatu is unable to battle! Blastoise wins! I win!"
A cheer erupted from Pikachu, who jumped up and down with excitement. Eevee barked along with Celebi, finishing its little jingle.
Blastoise roared in triumph, the rain washing over its massive shell. Will stood in stunned silence, his face a mask of disbelief.
He recalled Xatu and Alakazam, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He muttered, finally breaking the silence, "You... you got lucky,".
I shook my head. Patting Blastoise and Kingdra, healing their wounds with the Viridian Force, I replied bluntly, "Luck has nothing to do with it, Will. It's about strategy, teamwork, and knowing your Pokémon. You have a powerful team, but you need to learn how to use them effectively."
Despite him being an annoyance, he was a good battler. I extended my hand towards him, being a good sport, saying cheerfully, "Good battle, Will. I hope you learned something from this."
Reluctantly, Will shook my hand. His eyes narrowed as he declared seriously, "I will get stronger, Azure. I will defeat you someday."
Oh? Seems to me I have a rival now.
Rivals are good to have to sharpen each one's own skill. By having a worthy rival, one can proceed to reach unbelievable heights.
Happy that I had a rival and one that will reach Elite Four level someday. I said, a small smile playing on my lips, "I have no doubt you will. But today wasn't that day."
I turned to Blastoise, scratching it under its chin. I praised my Pokémon greatly, "Great job, old friend. You were amazing."
Blastoise rumbled contentedly, nuzzling against my hand, "Blast! Blastoise…"
I remembered Blastoise and Kingdra and thanked them for their hard work. Will then left as he muttered, continuing his training and strategy against me.
Is it wrong for me to hope they have something against me? Or is it bad that I simply want problems rather than enjoy simple peace?
Then, I turned towards the sea, the ocean mist swirling around me. Route 41 awaited, and I wait for no one now that the path ahead is free. I said, my voice filled with anticipation, "Let's go, guys! Adventure awaits!"
Pikachu leaped onto my shoulder, its cheeks sparking with excitement. Eevee hopped over my body, claiming her spot on my head. Celebi took its time taking my other shoulder as our eyes set towards the sea of Route 41.
After healing my team, I walked towards the shore. I knew that the journey ahead would be challenging, but with my trusty Pokémon by my side, I was ready for anything.