Raboot's kick came in fast. The swirling water vortex hadn't even fully taken shape before he powered through it with brute force and landed a solid blow on Sobble.
"Sobble-!"
As Sobble flew backward from the impact, Hop wasn't about to let the momentum slip. Raboot's Blaze ability had activated, boosting his firepower. It was a double-edged sword powerful, but risky.
Punching the air with excitement, Hop shouted, "Flame Charge! Let's finish this!"
"Raboot!"
Though Raboot usually preferred using kicks, he trusted his Trainer's judgment. The explosive fire surrounding him filled him with confidence.
"Sobble! Protect, then Water Gun!"
Yuri called out her commands with urgency. Only now, seeing the overwhelming flames bursting from Raboot, did she realize how dangerous this power spike really was. The earlier whirlpool had concealed it, but now the intensity was undeniable.
Pop!
Once again, a sharp sound like a bubble bursting rang out the unmistakable sign that Sobble's Protect had activated just in time to nullify the incoming attack.
"Sobble-!"
Immediately after blocking, Sobble countered with a Water Gun. The stream shot out fast and fierce, but Raboot, who had already boosted his speed three times, pivoted effortlessly and dodged the blast with a nimble sidestep.
But then, something unexpected happened.
"Raboot! Behind you dodge!"
"Ra-what?!"
Raboot, just about to take off running again, heard his Trainer's urgent warning. He reacted purely on instinct, rolling sideways in a desperate tumble.
A surge of swirling water Sobble's Whirlpool rushed past him, narrowly missing his heels. It had been a sneaky move from Sobble, who had only meant to try her luck with a surprise attack. But seeing how close it had come, she didn't press her luck. She knew the Whirlpool couldn't keep up with Raboot's current speed.
So she smartly redirected the vortex, curving it back around to her side, where it swirled protectively around her.
"Whew close one! Yuri, your Sobble really keeps surprising me. The way she manipulates her moves... it's incredible!"
Even Hop, usually unshakable, was startled by the ambush. Who would've thought that the incomplete Whirlpool from earlier had actually remained on the field, quietly creeping toward its target? And then, right at the last second, it had exploded with full force.
If he hadn't called out in time and if Raboot hadn't trusted him enough to act without question that move could have cost him the second match.
"No, this was all Sobble's doing."
Yuri smiled, brushing her fingers against the Poké Ball still warm in her hand. She had noticed the lingering puddles on the field too, but in such a short time, there hadn't been any chance to plan such a precise sneak attack. That had been entirely Sobble's judgment, all on her own.
Hop watched as Sobble stood within the swirling vortex of water, completely shielded. He knew Raboot couldn't force his way through again. All of Raboot's moves required close contact, and rushing in now would mean both sides getting knocked out.
Besides, the constant strain of boosted speed and sustained firepower had to be taking a toll on Raboot. If they kept this up, his stamina wouldn't last.
After a brief pause, Hop let out a reluctant breath and took out Raboot's Poké Ball.
"Come back for now, Raboot. You've done enough."
He recalled his partner, then reached for his third Poké Ball.
"Alright, it's your turn!"
With practiced ease, he released his next Pokémon onto the field. A sleek, sharp-eyed Corvisquire emerged, its glossy feathers gleaming in the light.
If only he had invested in that Baton Pass TM back then. All those speed boosts Raboot stacked up had gone to waste. Hop let out a silent sigh.
"Caww!"
Yuri bit her lip as she looked at the field. Another evolved Pokémon. Both of Hop's Pokémon had evolved, while on her side, only Appletun who evolved simply by eating a special apple had reached the next stage.
"Sobble sob?" (Yuri?)
Sensing her shift in mood, Sobble glanced back at her, eyes filled with concern.
Yuri stared at her for a moment, then suddenly broke into a smile. So what if she hadn't evolved? If Sobble didn't want to evolve, then she didn't have to. Simple as that.
"Don't worry about me, Sobble. I'm fine."
She unhooked Sobble's Poké Ball and spoke softly.
"Come back for now. You did amazing out there. Thank you."
"Sobble!" (No! I can still go on!)
But Sobble shook her head firmly. She wasn't willing to switch out. After spending so much time with Yuri, she had picked up on the basics of type matchups and she understood what they were up against.
That Corvisquire was a Flying-type. Thanks to Rookidee's constant squawking, Sobble was already familiar with what it meant. And she also knew that both of Yuri's other Pokémon Eldegoss and Appletun were Grass-types, meaning they were at a disadvantage here.
Sobble had just witnessed how hard it was to fight against a type disadvantage. Raboot had pushed through, but only barely.
Even if Raboot was exhausted, Appletun could likely turn the tide with her aerial control and Dragon-type moves. But this wasn't just about logic.
As the first Pokémon Yuri ever chose, Sobble felt it was her responsibility to pave the way to give the next Pokémon a better chance.
Marie, standing quietly nearby, watched the exchange and soon pieced together Sobble's intent. She looked down and exchanged a brief glance with Eiji, then nodded slightly. It was a bold move but not without heart.
Sure, Appletun wasn't weak by any means. Even against a type disadvantage, her Dragon-type moves could hit hard. Strategically, it made more sense to have Appletun face Corvisquire, keeping Sobble as the trump card against Raboot.
But battle plans weren't just about numbers. They had to take the Pokémon's will into account. Their feelings, their choices those were part of the Trainer's responsibility too.
"So that's it. You want to keep fighting for the others?"
Even though she couldn't understand the words, Yuri understood the meaning in Sobble's eyes.
She knelt down, smoothing her skirt, and gently placed a hand on Sobble's trembling head. Her touch was warm and steady, even though she could feel how much Sobble was shaking.
Despite the fear, she still wanted to protect those who would come after her.
Marie called over Rookidee, whispered something while pointing toward Appletun. Rookidee fluttered over, perched atop Appletun, and chattered away.
Appletun seemed to understand what was happening. With a little flutter, she landed beside Yuri and called out to Sobble.
"Chu-chu!" (Go for it!)
"Sobble…" (Th-thank you…)
Sobble turned toward the round, apple-shaped Appletun, and suddenly, a brilliant light burst from her small body.
She was evolving.
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