Chapter 506: Sea Slug Pokémon
~Third POV~
[Sinnoh Region, Next Day, Pastoria City – Grand Pastoria Hotel (Battle Court)]
The morning sun over Pastoria City was filtered through a thin haze of coastal salt and the humid breath of the Great Marsh. Inside the Grand Pastoria Hotel, the atmosphere was considerably more electric.
The hotel's private Battle Court was a cathedral of competition: a vast, reinforced arena of polished stone and synthetic turf, surrounded by high-vaulted glass panels that offered a panoramic view of the sparkling Sinnoh Sea.
The day before had been monumental. The air still seemed to hum with the residual energy of three significant evolutions.
Platinum's Gloom had blossomed into a radiant Bellossom, Pearl's Exeggcute had shifted into the towering, multi-headed Exeggutor he called Coco, and Azure's Scyther had transcended its sleek metallic potential to become the obsidian-edged juggernaut known as Kleavor.
Azure stood at one end of the court, his posture relaxed but his eyes—sharp and calculating—missing nothing. He moved with the practiced ease of a man who had conquered challenges, a veteran of a thousand skirmishes.
Inside the breast pocket of his jacket, a small, sleeping Pichu (Mew) shifted slightly, dreaming of Oran Berries. Opposite him stood the three Sinnoh Pokedex Holders: Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.
They were huddled in a tight circle, their voices low and urgent. Pearl whispered, his eyes darting toward Azure, "We all agree, right? If we don't take him out first, we're just fodder. He's like a wall. A wall that hits back with Hyper Beams."
Platinum said, her voice refined but carrying an edge of iron determination, "I concur. Azure's tactical depth is far beyond a standard three-on-three. In a battle royale, his ability to manage the field is his greatest asset. We must neutralize him to have any chance of a fair contest among ourselves."
Diamond, who was currently chewing on a piece of slow-cooked Rice Ball, nodded slowly as he added, "Mmph. Right. He's the 'Boss' encounter. We gotta team up to see the second phase of the fight."
Azure watched them, a faint, knowing smirk playing on his lips. He didn't need to hear their whispers to know the plan.
It was the logical choice—the only choice. He welcomed it. Cooperation was the hardest skill for young trainers to master, and if his presence as a 'villain' forced them to synchronize, then he was happy to play the part.
However, his attention was momentarily diverted by a strange sound coming from the sidelines, "TESTING! ONE, TWO! IS THIS THING ON? OR AM I JUST SCREECHING INTO THE VOID?"
Azure's eyebrows twitched. At a mahogany commentator's table sat his Rotom, its plasma body vibrating with excitement as it hovered over a high-end microphone. Beside it sat his Gengar, her spectral form lounging in a chair that was not designed for ghosts. She wore a pair of oversized headsets and held a clipboard.
Azure's Gengar, her typically sinister grin widened into one of pure, unadulterated glee, held another mic, tapping it soundly. Gengar said, her voice clear, slightly raspy, and disturbingly articulate, "The resonance is perfect, Rotom! The acoustics of this hotel are divine. Almost as divine as the look of impending doom on those children's faces."
Gengar's voice, a surprisingly clear and articulate contralto, resonated through the court, "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and trainers of all ages! You are tuned into the exclusive, live broadcast of 'Battle Court Breakdown,' brought to you by your hosts, myself, Gengar, and the one and only, Rotom!"
A burst of electronic fanfare erupted from Rotom, who phased into Azure's Arc Phone, projecting a holographic logo that spun dramatically, "YO! YOO!! YOOO!!! IT'S YA GHOSTLY BOI ROTOM IN THE HOUSE!!"
The Dex Holders, mid-huddle, froze. Pearl's jaw dropped. He exclaimed, utterly incredulous, "Gengar can talk?! Like, actually talk? Not telepathy?"
Diamond, ever the calm one, blinked as he asked, "Since when?"
Platinum, ever the scholar, straightened and asked excitedly, "Azure, have you been training her in human phonetics?"
Azure sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he explained, "She took a series of online linguistics courses back home without my knowledge. She's surprisingly studious when it involves finding new ways to mock people."
Gengar chirped, waving a ghostly claw at the stunned trio, "It is the pursuit of higher education, darling! Now, positions! The audience—which is mostly me and this hyperactive toaster—is waiting!"
Rotom shrieked, having been offended, "I am NOT a toaster! I am a state-of-the-art Rotom (Arc)-Phone integrated poltergeist! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!"
The referee, Azure's Porygon-Z hovering above the center line, flashed a green light as it thought, 'How did those ghosts convince me to be a referee…'
With that the trio looked at each other. Then nodded solemnly.
Platinum shouted, "Go! Bellossom! Gible! Ponyta!"
Pearl yelled, "Ryu! Coco! Chimler! Let's show 'em!"
Diamond added calmly, "Branch, Hush, Tar... let's do our best."
*POP*
In an instant, nine Pokémon occupied the field.
On Platinum's side: Bellossom stood gracefully, the [Miracle Seed] around her neck glowing with verdant light. Beside her, the small but fierce Gible snapped his jaws, his [Muscle Band] tightening, while Ponyta's hooves sparked against the stone, the [Charcoal] it held infusing its mane with intense heat.
On Pearl's side: Ryu, the Dratini, coiled elegantly with a [Dragon Fang] tied to her tail. Coco, the newly evolved Exeggutor, towered over the field, its three heads scanning the horizon through [Wise Glasses]. Chimler the Infernape stood ready, his [Charcoal] smoldering.
On Diamond's side: Branch the Tropius flared her leaf-wings, a [Sitrus Berry] clutched in her beak. Hush, the Duskull floated eerily, the [Eviolite] tucked into his bandages, providing a ghostly sheen of defense. At the same time, Tar, the Larvitar, held a [Flame Orb], his body already beginning to radiate the angry, red glow of the Guts ability.
Azure didn't hesitate as he commanded, "Kleavor, Shellos, Tangela. Formation Delta and possibly Gundam."
His three Pokémon didn't just step forward; they merged into a singular unit. Shellos, the East Sea variant with its vibrant blue and green hues, secreted a viscous, purple fluid from its underside.
With a sudden burst of speed, it leaped onto Kleavor's broad, rocky shoulder, the sticky fluid acting as a biological adhesive. Simultaneously, Tangela extended a dozen thick, supple vines, lashing himself firmly to Kleavor's back.
The result was a monstrous, multi-limbed engine of war. Kleavor provided the mobility and raw power, Shellos acted as a rear-guard turret, and Tangela functioned as an organic shield and utility harness.
Pearl shouted, "They're... they're a threat! Focus fire! Don't let them move!"
Diamond commanded, "Branch, Razor Leaf!"
Platinum followed, "Bellossom, Magical Leaf!"
Pearl finished the opening salvo, "Coco, Bullet Seed!"
A tempest of sharpened foliage, glowing mystical leaves, and high-velocity seeds tore across the court. It was a wall of green death, enough to overwhelm almost any single opponent. But they weren't facing an ordinary opponent.
Azure's eyes narrowed as he ordered, "Tangela, intercept. Shellos, stabilize."
Tangela's vines whipped outward like a biological Gatling gun. He didn't just block; he wove a defensive web in front of Kleavor's face, catching the Razor Leaves and shredding them to ensure none touched it.
*WHACK*
*WHACK*
Shellos, perched on the shoulder, unleashed a Water Pulse not at the enemies, but downward, creating a localized force that disrupted the tracking of the Magical Leaves. It effectively covered Kleavor's weak spots.
Azure commanded, "Now, Kleavor. Stone Axe."
Kleavor didn't just swing. He spun. The massive obsidian axes that served as his hands caught the light of the hotel chandeliers. With a roar, he slammed the blades into the ground, "KLEAVOOOOR!!"
*CRACK*
*BOOM*
The floor of the court didn't just break; it erupted. Jagged pillars of stone burst from the earth, radiating outward in a shockwave. The sheer force of the impact sent the Nine-Man-Army scurrying back.
Rotom's voice blared over the speakers, "Look at that form! Kleavor is using the terrain to create a literal 'no-man 's-land'! It's like watching a mountain decide it doesn't like where the valley is!"
Gengar added cheekily, tapping her pen, "Efficient. He's using Tangela's Regenerator Hidden Ability and Shellos's Recover to ensure that even if they take a hit, the 'fortress' stays standing. It's disgusting. I love it…!"
The battle entered a grueling middle phase. The Dex Holders were learning, their coordination improving with every passing minute. They stopped throwing mindless attacks and started layering their strategies.
Platinum commanded, "Ponyta, use Fire Spin to trap the vines!"
Pearl followed up, "Chimler, follow up with Mach Punch!"
The flames swirled around Azure's trio, but Shellos was ready. With an Agile Style Mud-Slap, the sea slug doused the flames with a high-pressure spray of wet earth, the speed of the attack leaving Chimler stumbling in the mud.
Platinum muttered, adjusting herself to the ongoing frustrated battle, "Kleavor's experience as a leader of a swarm is evident. It coordinates with its partners instinctively, covering blind spots."
Pearl grumbled, watching Ryu futilely try to land a Dragon Breath on Kleavor, only for Tangela's vines to whip out and deflect it, "And those blind spots being blocked are usually Tangela and Shellos, aren't they? It's like they're one giant Pokémon!"
Diamond, however, remained thoughtful as he muttered, "That's it. They are one Pokémon. They're working as a unit. We need to break that unit apart, or at least create an opening where they can't cover each other."
*WHACK*
Pearl retorted, as Chimler's Flame Wheel was intercepted by a quick, Agile Style X-Scissor from Kleavor, knocking Infernape back, "Easier said than done, Dia!"
Dia commanded, "Branch, use Ingrain to secure your position, then Energy Ball!"
Branch rooted itself, then launched a powerful orb of grass energy. Pearl added, aiming for Kleavor's legs, "Coco, Seed Bomb!"
Platinum directed, hoping to paralyze the swift Kleavor, "Bellossom, Stun Spore!"
The combined attacks flew, but Azure's trio was relentless. Tangela intercepted the Stun Spore with its own Vine Whip, blowing the spores away. Kleavor, with a burst of Agile Style Quick Attack, sidestepped the Seed Bomb, then used Agile Style Fury Cutter to deflect Branch's Energy Ball into the floor, where it exploded harmlessly.
*BOOOM*
Rotom observed with a mischievous expression, commenting on the battle gleefully, "Such agility from a Pokémon of Kleavor's stature! The Agile Style really makes a difference against multiple opponents!"
Gengar chuckled, observing the ongoing battle with a gleeful expression, "It's like watching a dance… a very violent, destructive dance."
Pearl and Diamond ordered together, "Ryu, Twister! Tar, Rock Slide!"
*RMBL-WHOOOSH*
Pearl and Diamond synchronized perfectly. The Dratini conjured a localized gale, picking up the rocks Tar launched and turning the arena into a centrifugal blender of granite. Azure felt the pressure.
This was what he wanted. His eyebrows twitched—not in frustration, but in excitement as he countered, "Kleavor, Agility. Tangela, use Rage Powder!"
*POOOOF*
Tangela released a thick, irritating crimson spore that caught the light. Suddenly, every Pokémon on the field felt an uncontrollable urge to target the Tangela. The Twister and the Rock Slide veered off course, homing in on the vine Pokémon.
*WOOOOSH*
But Tangela was anchored to a Kleavor who was now moving like a blur. Using Agility, Kleavor danced through the gaps in the falling rocks, the weight of his companions seemingly non-existent.
Pearl gritted his teeth in frustration as he ordered, "He's too fast! We need more power! Ryu, you must push past it!"
*FLASH*
As if answering the call of its trainer's burning spirit, Ryu the Dratini began to glow. The light was blinding, a brilliant cerulean white that filled the Grand Hotel's court. Her body elongated, her fins smoothing out into elegant, pearl-like orbs at her throat and tail.
Rotom screamed, "Evolution! Ryu is becoming a Dragonair!"
But she wasn't the only one. The intensity of the battle and the proximity to Azure's overwhelming aura served as catalysts.
*FLASH*
Hush, the Duskull, let out a haunting wail as its single eye glowed with a ghostly fire. His form expanded, his bandages thickening into a sturdy, grey-shrouded body. He evolved into a powerful Dusclops, the [Eviolite] he held now pulsing with an even greater defensive resonance.
*FLASH*
Tar, the Larvitar, roared—a sound far too deep for his small frame. His rocky hide cracked and hardened, sealing him into the armored pupa of a Pupitar. The [Flame Orb] he held sizzled against his new shell, his Guts ability flaring to life with a terrifying increase in physical power.
*FLASH*
And finally, Platinum's Gible, inspired by the sheer scale of the conflict, underwent its own transformation. His stubby limbs grew, his fins sharpened, and he stood tall as a magnificent, but menacing Gabite.
Gengar shouted, standing up on her chair, "A quadruple evolution! The narrative tension is palpable! The tropes are being fulfilled! It's a miracle in Pastoria!"
The Dex Holders stood tall, their newly evolved Pokémon breathing heavily, their power levels spiking. They looked at Azure with renewed hope. They had the numbers, and now, they had the raw evolutionary might.
Azure, however, just smiled knowingly as he said proudly, "Impressive. Truly. You've reached the threshold."
He looked down at the small sea slug on Kleavor's shoulder as he asked, "What do you say, Shellos? Want to join the party?"
Shellos gave a determined cry, "Shellooo!! (YES I AM!!)"
*FLASH*
A soft, sea-green light enveloped the slug. Her body expanded, her soft skin hardening into a robust, bipedal-adjacent form with decorative head-crests.
She hopped off Kleavor's shoulder, landing with a heavy thud on the court. She had evolved into Gastrodon.
Azure said calmly with a satisfied expression, his voice dropping into a tone that signaled the end of the lesson, "And there's the fifth. Gastrodon, Sandstorm. Kleavor, finish it. Stone Axe—Strong Style."
*WHOOOOSH*
Gastrodon let out a low-frequency hum. Suddenly, the humidity of the coast was sucked out of the air, replaced by a localized, howling desert gale. Sand whipped across the court, stinging the eyes of the Dex Holders' Pokémon and triggering Gastrodon's Sand Force Hidden Ability.
In the middle of the whirling sand, Kleavor became a silhouette of pure destruction. He didn't move fast this time…
He moved with the inevitable weight of a falling star.
*ZOOOM*
He lunged toward the center of the gathered Pokémon. He didn't target one; he targeted the ground beneath them all.
Azure commanded, "STONE AXE!"
The obsidian blades hit the floor with the sound of a mountain splitting in half. Because it was Strong Style, the impact was delayed by a fraction of a second, allowing the kinetic energy to build to an impossible peak.
*KRA-BOOOOM*
A dome of jagged, razor-sharp rocks exploded upward, catching Ryu, Coco, Chimler, Branch, Hush, Tar, Bellossom, Gabite, and Ponyta all at once. The 'Stealth Rock' effect of the move didn't just set a trap; the initial impact was a coordinated strike that sent all nine Pokémon flying backward, crashing into the reinforced walls of the court.
Silence fell over the Grand Pastoria Hotel...
*Whooosh*
The sand settled. The dust cleared.
Azure's trio stood in the center. Kleavor was breathing steadily, his axes resting on the floor. Tangela was retracting its vines, looking slightly ruffled but otherwise healthy thanks to its [Leftovers]. Gastrodon was happily puddling in a small crater, her own [Leftovers] glowing as she recovered from the exertion.
On the other side, the Dex Holders' Pokémon were a heap of exhausted limbs and swirling eyes. They had fought valiantly, they had evolved, but the gap in command and veteran experience was still a chasm.
Rotom declared, sounding uncharacteristically somber, "Match over! Winner: Azure Sky. Analysis: Total dominance. Lesson: Don't bring a knife to an axe fight. Or nine knives, for that matter."
Gengar sighed, clicking her pen as she commented, "A tragic end for our protagonists. But what a spectacle! I'll give it a 9.5. The ending was a bit rushed, but the mid-season power-ups were top-tier."
Pearl was the first to move. He slumped against the guardrail, staring at Ryu—now a beautiful Dragonair—who was slowly shaking her head clear as he muttered, "We... we actually thought we had him for a second there."
Diamond sat down on the floor right where he was, reaching into his pocket for a spare Malasada added, "He stayed one step ahead the whole time. Even the evolutions... it felt like he was waiting for them."
Platinum walked over to her Bellossom and Gabite, kneeling to offer them Revives and Potions. She looked up at Azure, her eyes reflecting the sunset beginning to bleed through the glass windows as she asked, "You pushed them to evolve, didn't you? You weren't just defending. You were creating the exact conditions of stress and necessity required for their growth."
Azure walked toward them, returning Kleavor and Tangela to their Poké Balls but leaving Gastrodon to waddle beside him. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a handful of high-quality berries, tossing them to the tired Pokémon.
Azure said bluntly, his voice softening as he lectured them, "A battle isn't just about winning. It's about the 'why.' You three wanted to win so badly that you synchronized your hearts with your partners. Evolution is just the physical manifestation of that bond. If I had made it easy, they wouldn't have felt the need to change."
He looked at his new Gastrodon, who nudged his leg affectionately as he added, "Besides, I needed the practice too. Handling nine opponents at once is a good way to keep my reflexes from rusting."
Pearl yelled, standing up in disbelief, "Rusting? You just nuked the entire court! If that's 'rusty,' I'm a Magikarp!"
Azure laughed, a genuine, warm sound as he said casually, "Take a break, everyone. The hotel has a world-class spa and a buffet that Diamond has been eyeing since we checked in. We'll go over the battle footage tomorrow—Rotom recorded everything from six different angles."
Rotom chimed in mischievously, "Including the slow-motion replay of Pearl's face when Ryu evolved! Comedy gold-zzt!"
Pearl chased after the hovering phone, "Delete that right now!"
As the Dex Holders began to bicker and laugh, the tension of the battle melting away into the camaraderie of the journey, Azure stood by the large glass window, checking his Gastrodon's info.
[Gastrodon the Sea Slug Pokémon. In its West Sea form, it has a pair of large tentacles on its head that curve upward and a smaller, straighter pair on its neck. Its underside is pink, while its mantle is brown, with three pink spots on each side of its back. There are also two lumps on its back, resembling the cerata on real-life sea slugs.
In its East Sea form, it retains the head tentacles it had as a Shellos, which are now fully green and angled slightly further upward. Its underside is turquoise, while its mantle is forest green with two turquoise spots on each side. It has a pair of yellow, fin-like cerata on its back and a wavy yellow line bordering its side and rear.
Gastrodon and its pre-Evolution Shellos are examples of allopatric speciation, although the two forms can still breed with each other. It is also a relative of Shellder and Cloyster. When threatened, it oozes a purple liquid and flees. While not poisonous, the fluid is very bitter and sticky. Its mucus-coated body is soft and squishy yet surprisingly resilient, and it leaves behind a trail of sticky slime when moving on land.
It also has strong regenerative capabilities that allow it to recover from injuries or dismemberment within a few hours. In ancient times, it had a shell on its back, which gradually became a thin yet hard vestigial plate.
Gastrodon lives in shallow tidal pools, beaches, and rocky shorelines. Its diet consists mainly of plankton, but it is occasionally known to move onto land to look for other foods, such as beach sand. When it finds prey, it melts it with mucus before eating it. While Gastrodon cannot stay out of water for too long due to its body being highly vulnerable to dehydration, it becomes more active during cloudy or rainy weather.
It has been found on far-off mountains during times of constant rain. The two forms of Gastrodon are known to engage in heated conflict with one another. West Sea Gastrodon was much more numerous in the past than it is in the present. Conversely, East Sea Gastrodon's population has visibly increased as of late.]
|Name: Gastrodon (S) (East Sea Variant) (Sea Slug Pokémon)
|Type: Water/Ground
|Tera: Water
|Level: 30
|Gender: Female
|Held Item: [Leftovers]/[Rocky Helmet]/[Earth/Splash Plate]
|Ability: Sand Force (Hidden Ability)
|Nature: Relaxed
|Moves: Mud Sport, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Recover, Harden, Water Pulse [A][S], Water Gun [A][S], Hidden Power [A][S], Mud-Slap[A][S], Earth Power [A][S], Mud Bomb[A][S], Ancient Power [A][S], Body Slam [A][S], Dive [A][S] (HM), Surf [A][S] (MH), Whirlpool [A][S] (MH), Mirror Coat (IM), Counter (EM) (4 Moves left to learn)
Azure smiled happily at the progress being made for his Pokémon. Then to the Sinnoh Dex Holders, as he thought, 'They're growing fast. Faster than I expected. At this rate, they'll catch up to my Sinnoh Team strength in no time flat…'
He felt a tiny weight shift in his pocket. The Pichu (Mew) poked its head out, let out a tiny, high-pitched yawn, and nuzzled Azure's thumb, "Piii…"
Azure whispered knowingly, looking at the sleeping Mythical, "Yeah… We've still got a long way to go."
/////
A/N: Hope you liked the chapter!