Pokémon: Master of the Rain Team

”Well, this is interesting.” Reiji saw Venusaur and immediately called to Gyarados. ”Hurricane.”

”Gyara!” Gyarados gathered a mass of dark clouds, and fierce winds tore across the battlefield. If Venusaur had not already rooted itself down, it would have been blown away.

”Saur!” Venusaur fought against the wind with everything it had until Tania ordered Solar Beam.

”Gyarados, Ice Beam.”

”Gyara!” Hurricane was still raging as Gyarados opened its mouth and gathered a terrifying beam of cold.

Ice Beam and Solar Beam fired almost back-to-back and collided in the middle of the field. The blast sent hats flying through the stands.

On Reiji’s side, Eevee used Protect to block the shock wave. Tania had another Pokémon guarding her too.

But Ice Beam could be fired again and again. Solar Beam could not, especially on a cloudy day.

”Gyarados, Hyper Beam.”

”Gyara!” Terrifying energy gathered in Gyarados’s mouth again. This time, it could finally throw out big moves without holding back.

Venusaur used Protect and blocked the Hyper Beam, but the blast carved two deep trenches across the battlefield before fading.

Venusaur’s counterattack came right after. Its body glowed green, and several thick, thorny vines burst from the ground, whipping toward Gyarados with brutal force.

Frenzy Plant. A Grass-type ultimate move with 150 power. After using it, the user would be unable to move, use items, escape, or switch on the next turn.

”Gyarados, burn them all with Flamethrower.”

”Gya!” Gyarados saw the vines bursting up and trying to wrap around it. It opened its mouth and poured fire over the plants, burning them clean.

”Gyarados, Hyper Beam!” Reiji saw the vines go up in flames and immediately pushed the advantage. Venusaur could not move next turn. This was the perfect chance to attack.

”Gyaaa!” Gyarados gathered another destructive beam and fired it at Venusaur.

This time, Venusaur had no way to dodge. It could only stare as the beam swallowed it.

After Pidgeot cleared the field, everyone saw Venusaur still standing in the center. It had taken the full Hyper Beam.

Then a light breeze passed over it, and the body shattered into dust.

The ground beneath it collapsed, revealing a huge flower below. Only then did Reiji see the real Venusaur hiding underneath.

”A Substitute.” Reiji understood at once. Venusaur had been underground from the start. Even Frenzy Plant had come from below. The Venusaur aboveground was only there to draw fire.

”In that case… Gyarados, Ice Beam!”

Just as Gyarados prepared to fire, the ground shook again. The thick, thorny vines from earlier burst up once more.

”Gya!” Gyarados shifted Ice Beam downward, freezing the ground and every vine that had emerged.

Then it roared.

The frozen vines shattered into ice chips and scattered across the field.

At that moment, Reiji saw Venusaur’s flower light up again.

Solar Beam.

The Frenzy Plant vines left behind just now had been meant to buy time. Ingrain could also pull vines from the ground, but it no longer mattered which move had done it.

”Gyarados, Hyper Beam!”

Tania’s pupils shrank when she heard that command again.

Impossible.

That was the third Hyper Beam in a row. What kind of monster was this Gyarados?

Hyper Beam and Solar Beam collided again, triggering a blast even stronger than the last one. This time, the audience had learned its lesson. Anyone who had just found their hat clamped it down and ducked until the explosion passed.

Before the smoke even cleared, Hurricane swept in.

Venusaur was not blown away because it had Ingrain, which it had used during the first beam clash. Reiji had expected that. Tania liked Ingrain, so he knew he had to break it quickly, or Venusaur would keep recovering.

Gyarados followed the wind with Ice Beam, striking Venusaur directly and freezing it in place.

Its tail hardened like steel. It slammed the battlefield, sending shock waves straight toward Venusaur. The impact cracked the ice around Venusaur and split the ground beneath it, dropping it into a fissure.

More shock waves followed. Rocks broke loose and buried Venusaur inside the crack. Gyarados kept hammering the ground with its tail, then fired Ice Beam into the fissure, freezing the rocks and the opening shut.

”Venusaur? Venusaur!” Tania shouted, trying to get a response.

None came.

Venusaur could not climb out on its own. It did not know Dig.

Ten seconds passed.

Then half a minute.

Then a full minute.

Venusaur still did not come out.

”Ahem. We have an unusual situation. Requesting outside assistance.” After the announcer spoke, the stadium’s Ground-type rescue Pokémon entered the field, dug down, and dragged the unconscious Venusaur back up.

The referee saw Venusaur had fainted and raised the flag.

”Venusaur is unable to battle. Contestant Tania, please recall Venusaur.”

”Come back, Venusaur. Rest well.” Tania recalled it. She had not expected Venusaur to lose. It had beaten Gyarados before, so why had it failed this time?

Right.

Last time, Gyarados had knocked itself out with its own electricity. It had not used Earthquake. It had not used Hyper Beam either. It had even fought Venusaur up close, giving Venusaur the opening it needed.

She had underestimated Gyarados’s raw destructive power.

If Gyarados had gone all out back then, the Gym might have collapsed. No wonder Reiji had not used these moves in that battle. This loss was on her. Venusaur had not even gotten the chance to trigger Overgrow.

”Go, Jynx.” Tania sent Jynx out again, hoping it could at least trade with Gyarados.

Gyarados had used so many huge moves, but it was only breathing harder. It still had strength left.

”Jynx, Psychic!”

”Jynx!” Jynx raised both hands, blue light spreading over its body and covering its eyes as it locked onto Gyarados’s massive frame. It was trying to lift Gyarados with Psychic.

”Gyarados, Dark Pulse.” Reiji did not recall Gyarados. With Moxie, taking down Venusaur had raised its Attack.

”Gyara!” Gyarados sensed danger and immediately gathered a ball of dark energy in its mouth, firing it at Jynx.

The dark energy exploded in midair as if it had struck something invisible.

”Gyaaa!” Gyarados twisted its huge body and charged through the smoke. Dark-type energy filled its jaws, and when Psychic slammed into it, Gyarados bit through the force with its massive mouth.

”Not good. Jynx, Double Team!”

”Jynx! Jynx!” Jynx cut off Psychic and split into eight copies, scattering in every direction.

”Gya!” Gyarados stopped its charge as seven extra Jynx appeared around it. It lowered its head and looked around.

Tania shouted, ”Mean Look!”

”Damn it, this again?” Reiji had heard that move way too many times today. ”Gyarados, Stone Edge!”

The moment Mean Look struck Gyarados, its tail slammed the ground. Sharp stone spikes burst up and stabbed toward all eight Jynx.

The real Jynx had to dodge, exposing its position.

”Gyaa!” Gyarados rushed in and bit down where Jynx had been standing, but it only caught a mouthful of dirt. The image vanished.

”Teleport!” Reiji saw Jynx reappear in the distance and warned Gyarados at once.

Tania followed immediately.

”Perish Song!”

”Seriously? You’re just going to keep milking the same dirty trick?” Reiji understood the problem at once. Teleport plus Perish Song meant Gyarados would not catch Jynx quickly, and Mean Look stopped him from recalling it.

Then there was only one answer.

Clear the field.

”Gyarados, Thunder!”

”Gyaaa!” Gyarados roared toward the sky, calling dark clouds over the entire battlefield. Lightning flickered inside them. With another roar, it fired a bolt into the clouds, and the whole mass lit up with crackling electricity.

Thunder crashed down across the battlefield with no target and no pattern. Even Gyarados had to retreat to the edge of the field to avoid the strikes.

”Jynx!” Jynx stared at the lightning blasting the ground beside it. The impact scorched the battlefield black. After finishing Perish Song, it could only run in panic, dodging bolt after bolt.

As more lightning fell, Jynx used Psychic to block some of it.

But what happened when its Psychic ran out?

Gyarados kept firing Hydro Pump too. Water spread across the battlefield, and when the lightning hit the wet ground, the current ran through the puddles. Jynx spasmed and collapsed.

Gyarados was fine. It had already used Ice Beam to freeze a corner of the field and took shelter there. It felt some numbness, but the lightning did not hit it directly.

Jynx was not so lucky. Paralysis locked its body up, and it could not get back on its feet. It lay there twitching until it finally fainted.

”Gya… Gyaa…”

Right as Jynx went down, Perish Song took effect. Gyarados seized up and collapsed too, losing consciousness with it.

”Come back, Gyarados.” Reiji sighed helplessly. Two of his main Pokémon had been dragged down by Tania’s tricks. Dirty didn’t even begin to cover it.

At least Gyarados had only run out of HP from Perish Song forcing it out. It could rest and return for the finals. If it had to withdraw from the tournament here, Reiji would have lost another key Pokémon.

”Jynx, come back.” Tania sighed too and recalled the unconscious Jynx.

Gengar, Misdreavus, and Jynx were her three biggest cards. No one in her earlier matches had forced her to reveal both Misdreavus and Jynx. Only Reiji had taken down all three.

She had only one Pokémon left now, and the Poké Ball was already in her hand.

”Go, Butterfree!”

”Go, Ludicolo!”

”It’s Ludicolo! Contestant Tania’s final Pokémon is Ludicolo, and it will face Contestant Reiji’s Butterfree!”

The moment the match resumed, everyone knew Tania was in trouble. Reiji still had his sixth Pokémon hidden.

For Tania to advance, Ludicolo had to beat Butterfree and then take down one more Pokémon. No one understood that better than she did.

”Ludicolo, Rain Dance!”

”Butterfree, Quiver Dance!”

The referee’s flag fell, and both Pokémon moved. Ludicolo clapped and danced, calling in rain clouds. Butterfree danced through the air.

For Ludicolo, Rain Dance doubled its Speed through Swift Swim.

Quiver Dance boosted Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed at the same time, but only by one stage. It was still slower than Ludicolo.

Even so, Reiji had no idea what Tania was thinking.

In rain, Hurricane would not miss. Could Ludicolo really take that hit? Was that speed boost worth it?

”Butterfree, Hurricane!”

”Free!” Butterfree beat its wings, whipping up a tornado that tore toward Ludicolo.

”Ludicolo, dodge!” Tania saw the tornado and immediately ordered it to move.

There was nowhere to dodge. Hurricane was a field-wide attack. Ludicolo had no Ingrain either. The moment Rain Dance finished, the tornado swept it into the air.

Butterfree pressed the attack, pouring more power into Hurricane and giving Ludicolo no chance to recover. Ludicolo rose and fell inside the storm as wind blades cut across its body again and again.

The Hurricane lasted a long time. Only when Butterfree’s small body started to struggle did the tornado finally fade.

Ludicolo dropped out of the air like a broken doll. Its body was covered in cuts, and it lay unconscious on the battlefield.

The match ended almost too easily.

It was not that Tania had not considered having Ludicolo use Solar Beam or Hyper Beam to break the tornado trapping it.

But even if Ludicolo broke one Hurricane, Butterfree could make another with a flap of its wings. Ludicolo, on the other hand, would be left stiff from the move’s recoil and get swept up all over again.

This was a complete mismatch. With both type and moves working against it, Ludicolo had no real way to fight back. Butterfree overwhelmed it with Bug Buzz and Hurricane until it finally went down.

It proved the old saying true. There was no strongest opponent, only the one that countered you hardest. No matter how strong a Pokémon was, the wrong matchup could make it fall.

On the big screen, Ludicolo’s icon went dark.

The match was over.

Reiji — Tania

Scyther [out] — Gengar [out]

Butterfree [recalled] — Venusaur [recalled, out]

Staryu [out] — Arcanine [out]

Slowpoke [out] — Misdreavus [out]

Gyarados [out] — Jynx [recalled, out]

— Ludicolo [out]

”Ludicolo is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Contestant Reiji! Congratulations to Contestant Reiji for advancing to the next round!”

The stadium erupted.

”Reiji! Reiji! Reiji!”

As Reiji won the match, countless people stood and cheered. The gamblers who had bet on him were even more excited. They kept shouting for the dark horse who had taken one more step toward the championship. Everyone wanted to see how far he could go.

Reiji recalled Butterfree, waved to the crowd, and stepped down from the platform into the competitors’ tunnel.

The moment he entered, he saw reporters blocking the exit like a swarm of sticky pests.

Annoying.

He did not want an interview, and he definitely did not want to stand in the spotlight. Instead, he slipped from the tunnel into the restroom near the competitors’ lounge, adjusted his disguise, and headed straight for the Pokémon Center.

Getting his Pokémon treated came first.

[End of chapter]

[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]

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