Chapter 156: Doubles Battle, Special Combination
With Shaymin's situation resolved, Wally took everyone to his home. There, Ryan met Wally's cousin, Wanda, a girl who bore a striking resemblance to Wally. He also learned that Wanda's boyfriend, Tunnel, lived in Rustboro City and planned to dig a tunnel connecting Rustboro City and Verdanturf Town.
Wanda, knowing Ryan's group's itinerary, assured them that they would be able to return to Rustboro City through the tunnel when they came back to Verdanturf Town.
After a short rest at Wally's house and lunch, Ryan and his group bid farewell to Wally and Wanda, preparing to head to Lavaridge Town. Gladion also left, curious about the dimension Shaymin had entered, and was heading for Sinnoh.
Ryan couldn't stop him, so he told him not to risk his life and to call him if he found anything.
Gladion nonchalantly replied, "I understand. We'll see when the time comes," and rode away on Silvally. Ryan and his companions watched him leave before continuing on their journey.
A few days later, Ryan and his companions were having lunch in a forest when a man with a Misdreavus ran over from a distance. He ignored Ryan and the others, grabbed a piece of bread, broke it in half, and swallowed it in one gulp, both human and Pokémon nearly choking to death.
Ryan looked at the pair speechlessly and offered them some water. They quickly drank it, then gasped and said, "That was close! I almost choked to death!"
"Who are you?" Sapphire said angrily.
After all, no one would be happy if someone rushed over to grab your food while you were eating.
The man finally realized what was happening. He looked at Lillie and Sapphire, knelt on one knee, and said in a gentlemanly manner, "Two beautiful ladies, I am the noble Aarune. Allow me to protect you. Let us enter the sacred bond together and create a beautiful and bright future!"
"No, you're too forward," Sapphire said, turning away.
"Rejected," Lillie said coldly.
Aarune fell to his knees, deflated, his whole demeanor gloomy. Ryan and Ruby cracked their knuckles, saying, "Kid, let's talk about your life choices. We need to teach you what consequences are!"
Aarune immediately jumped up and said, "I oppose violence! If you're brave enough, challenge me to a Double Battle!"
"Double Battle?" Ryan and Ruby frowned.
"Yes, Double Battle!" Aarune said confidently. "I'm not afraid to tell you—my Double Battle record is 300 wins in 300 matches! Not a single loss!"
Is this guy for real? That was Ryan's first thought. But he was also quite interested in Aarune's 300-win streak, so he said, "Okay, then let's have a Double Battle. Win and we'll let you go. Lose, and you can't escape this beating!"
"Fine! Go, Misdreavus, Skarmory!" Aarune released his Pokémon without hesitation.
But the next moment, Skarmory slumped to the ground, completely exhausted from not eating. Aarune scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Um, can we finish eating before we battle?"
Ryan and his group were practically dumbfounded!
While eating, Ryan glanced at Aarune's Pokémon: Heliolisk, Scyther, Skarmory, Ninjask, Swampert, and Girafarig. They were all very well-trained, earning Ryan's respect for him.
After dinner, the match began. Aarune chose to send out his own Heliolisk and Skarmory, while Ryan and Ruby sent out Altaria and Gardevoir, respectively.
"Heliolisk, Skill Swap!" Aarune said without hesitation.
Seeing Heliolisk and Skarmory complete their Skill Swap, he immediately recalled Skarmory and sent out Ninjask, then used Skill Swap again.
Seeing his breathtaking maneuver, Ryan instantly understood: he was trying to swap Skarmory's Sturdy ability with Ninjask's Speed Boost, then swap Speed Boost to Shedinja.
Ryan shook his head. This guy's idea was clever. Shedinja, already at one HP, gains the Sturdy ability, making it practically invincible. Furthermore, Skarmory already has relatively good resistances, with only weaknesses to Fire and Electric types. This makes it practically an impenetrable wall!
In the games, this ability swap combination was powerful, but in reality, it did allow the Pokémon to retain that ability for a while, effectively creating the same effect by using Heliolisk as a transfer point.
"Haha, you actually let me complete the ability swap! Then let me show you what despair is!" Aarune laughed heartily. "Skarmory use Steel Wing! Shedinja use Shadow Ball barrage!"
Ryan and Ruby looked at the attacking Skarmory and Shedinja, exchanged glances, and smiled in tacit understanding.
"Altaria, Flamethrower!"
"Gardevoir, Thunderbolt!"
Two attacks launched directly at the spinning Skarmory. Flames and lightning merged, striking it directly, sending it flying backward. As Altaria's feathers instantly puffed up with Cotton Guard, it blocked Gardevoir's path, blocking dozens of incoming Shadow Balls.
Aarune remained calm as he watched Skarmory collapse instantly. After all, Shedinja with the Sturdy ability was invincible!
"Altaria, give it some Embers," Ryan said with a smile.
"Shedinja, Bug Buzz!" Aarune said nonchalantly.
Bug Buzz was still blocked by Altaria's fluffy cotton feathers. The faint Ember barely scorched Shedinja. Ruby, observing the flame, instantly understood and immediately instructed Gardevoir to use Psychic, but very weakly.
The Psychic acted on Shedinja, and Aarune felt puzzled. He said casually: "Shedinja, another Bug Buzz!"
Shedinja was about to attack, but the next second, it was hit by Dragon Pulse and Psychic and fainted.
"Impossible! How could you defeat my Shedinja?" Aarune roared, unable to believe his eyes.
The Shedinja with the Sturdy ability had helped him win countless Double Battles! This invincible ability combination hadn't failed him since he'd conceived it!
"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Ryan laughed. "Shedinja with the Sturdy ability, combined with its inherent Wonder Guard, is indeed nearly invincible. But don't forget—Shedinja theoretically has one HP, and weaker attacks deal less damage but can still break through the Sturdy ability's protection."
After hearing Ryan's explanation, Aarune instantly understood: theoretically, one HP could be considered a threshold, but weaker attacks with reduced power could chip away at it, thus breaking through the Sturdy ability's protection.
"As for your Swampert, it should be paired with Girafarig," Ryan said. "Swampert has no weaknesses other than being four-times weak to Grass. Girafarig's Sap Sipper ability completely covers that weakness."
Aarune's eyes widened. "Thank you for your insight. It's just as you said."
He was about to thank Ryan for the advice, but the next second, two fists connected with his face, and Aarune collapsed to the ground, clutching his face and wailing.
"Since you lost, then take your beating!" Ruby smirked and lunged at him, then launched into a barrage of punches and kicks.
"Ow, stop!"
"Not the face!"
"Wait, not there!"
As Aarune howled, Ryan and Ruby felt their motivation waning. This felt wrong somehow. Why didn't they want to keep hitting him?
(End of Chapter)
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