Because Misty had given them advance notice—
From the very beginning, the Sensational Sisters treated Yozora with great respect, mentally preparing themselves for defeat.
But none of them had expected Yozora to be this strong.
At this moment, a single question flashed through their hearts… Was he really just a Rookie Trainer who had only recently started his journey?
Why is it that despite raising our Pokémon for so many years, we still can't defeat the Pokémon of a newcomer?
With Lily defeated and retreating, the second sister, Violet, stepped up and sent out her partner—
Pokémon: Vaporeon
Type: Water
Level: Senior
Potential: Gym Leader Level
Background: A Pokémon chosen by the sisters' elders, given to Violet when she was young. It has outstanding potential, but she has never been able to fully bring it out.
Just like Lily's Pokémon, Violet's Vaporeon also had Gym Leader-level potential.
Clearly, the elders of the Cerulean Gym hadn't played favorites—they had granted each sister a Pokémon with remarkable promise.
That it hadn't been developed was simply their own failing.
"Vaporeon, show them your gift! Dive into the water!" Violet commanded.
Splash!
Vaporeon leapt gracefully from its floating platform, slipping into the pool below and raising a spray of glittering droplets.
Official League water arenas usually had somewhat murky water, so that when a Pokémon submerged, it could easily conceal itself.
But the pool of the Cerulean Gym… Whether because the sisters loved cleanliness or for some other reason, the water was crystal clear.
So clear that the bottom could be seen at a glance. In such conditions, submerging should have made hiding impossible.
And yet—Vaporeon vanished.
It was as if it had melted into the water and disappeared entirely.
This was Vaporeon's special ability—it could merge with water itself, concealing its body completely.
"Well, Yozora? Pretty good, right?" Violet winked proudly at him.
But Yozora remained unmoved.
Because he could "see" Vaporeon. Not with his eyes, but with his heart.
More precisely—he saw Vaporeon's Aura.
Vaporeon could blend into water, but it couldn't hide its Aura.
That was why Yozora could still track its position.
Unfortunately—
That knowledge was his alone. He had no way to communicate it to Psyduck.
If Beedrill had been here, things would have been different.
After years of fighting side by side, Yozora and Beedrill had reached the highest level of intimacy, their bond so deep it allowed them to share thoughts.
When Yozora focused on Vaporeon with his Aura, Beedrill would see a vivid image appear in its mind. Even without Aura itself, Beedrill would know exactly where Vaporeon was.
But that bond belonged only to Yozora and Beedrill.
With Psyduck, they were nowhere near that level.
At that moment, Yozora even found himself reflecting. He hadn't even known Psyduck liked pretty older women. Could someone this oblivious really become a true Pokémon Master?
"Vaporeon, attack freely!" Violet called.
Even she didn't know where her Pokémon was. She could only shout into the pool and hope it heard.
The scene was almost comical—Violet's ornamental role in battle laid bare.
Whoosh!
Three seconds later, Vaporeon burst from the water behind Psyduck, lunging to strike with a powerful body slam.
"Jump—now!"
Psyduck had sensed something, but in the moment its mind went blank, unsure how to respond.
Then Yozora's command cut through the panic. Psyduck's eyes lit up, and it leapt high into the air. Vaporeon's strike hit only empty space.
"So fast!"
Not just Violet, but Daisy and Lily too—they all widened their eyes in disbelief.
It wasn't Psyduck's reflexes that stunned them. It was Yozora's.
Or perhaps—this wasn't mere reflex. It was prediction.
Could this be what people called a genius?
A Rookie Trainer, and yet he had foreseen that Vaporeon would attack from behind?
The three sisters could only bow inwardly in awe.
And suddenly, in their eyes, Yozora looked more dashing and gallant than ever before.
"Psyduck, use Fury Swipes!" Yozora commanded.
Vaporeon had just missed its strike and was still midair, unable to dive back into the water.
Psyduck locked onto it, dove from above, and unleashed a wild flurry of claw swipes.
Though Psyduck wasn't especially skilled at Fury Swipes—and Yozora had never trained it specifically in the move—
Even so—
Psyduck was still an Elite-level Pokémon. Its raw strength was more than enough. After that frenzied assault, Vaporeon collapsed instantly, limbs spread wide as it floated unconscious on the water.
"Sigh…" Violet shook her head, recalling her partner before stepping down to make way for her eldest sister, Daisy.
"No wonder Misty warned us. Yozora, your strength is truly remarkable," Daisy admitted with a sigh of admiration.
Then she released her own Pokémon—
A graceful Dewgong.
Pokémon: Dewgong
Type: Water/Ice
Level: Senior
Potential: Elite Level (a step above Gym Leader potential)
Background: A Pokémon chosen by the elders and given to Daisy when she was young. It had outstanding potential, but she too had never developed it.
Elite potential!
And yet, despite such promise, Daisy's Dewgong had only reached the level of a Senior Pokémon…
She was clearly the biggest flower vase of them all.
"Dewgong, dazzle them with your speed! Use Agility!" Daisy commanded.
Dewgong zipped through the pool at dazzling speed, weaving back and forth so quickly it was nearly impossible to track.
"Psyduck, use your psychic power—cover the entire field!"
The moment Yozora spoke, Psyduck's eyes bulged as it released a wave of overwhelming psychic power.
Dewgong froze mid-swim, its body shuddering as if it had struck an invisible wall, unable to move another inch.
In the next instant, Psyduck locked onto it completely. Its psychic grip tightened, dragging Dewgong helplessly from the water and suspending it eerily in the air.
"..."
Daisy was stunned speechless.
She had never imagined Yozora's Psyduck could wield psychic power—and with such overwhelming strength.
(End of Chapter)