"So this is it, huh?"
Hop sent Corvisquire back into battle once more, his nerves tightening. From the look of it, Yuri's Appletun had taken a real hit from that Flame Charge. Its condition didn't seem too great.
But to be honest, Corvisquire's state was even worse. Drizzile had gone all out earlier. If his Corvisquire had been in any better shape, they might have already lost by now.
"Caww-!"
Corvisquire seemed fully aware of the situation. Both sides had only one Pokémon left, or rather, Hop did. Technically, Yuri still had Cottonee available, but in a standard match like this, she wasn't the kind to pull a four-versus-three advantage.
So in practice, it was one-on-one now, and both Pokémon were in rough shape. Corvisquire did have the type advantage, though.
"Yeah, you're right. Let's end this properly!"
With that, Yuri waved her hand and shouted confidently,
"Appletun, use Wing Attack!"
"Squeek-!"
Appletun responded quickly, flapping his wings and diving toward Corvisquire.
"Dodge it, Corvisquire! Then use Pluck!"
"Caww-!"
Compared to Corvisquire, Appletun's flying ability was clumsy. His attack was easily dodged. Seeing this, Yuri called out,
"Withdraw into your shell! Then use Dragon Breath!"
"Squee-!"
Appletun was quick to react. Realizing his attack had missed, he remained on high alert. The moment Yuri's voice rang out, he folded his wings tight, tucking himself into a defensive posture.
Thud thud!
Corvisquire's Pluck landed directly on Appletun's apple shell. But what had once been just a soft fruit had hardened significantly after evolution. The move didn't deal much damage at all.
The clash of attack and defense happened in a flash. Hop had hoped to pull Corvisquire back in time, but once Pluck had been unleashed, calling for a sudden change could have made things worse, potentially throwing off his Pokémon's rhythm entirely.
Still, as soon as the attack landed, he shouted,
"Quick, fall back, Corvisquire!"
"Caww-?!"
Corvisquire didn't even need the reminder. The moment his attack hit and failed to do the intended damage, he instinctively tried to retreat.
But Appletun wasn't about to let him go.
He had taken that hit deliberately just to land a clean shot in return. There was no way he was going to miss this chance.
"Squeek-!!"
With a fierce cry, Appletun burst open his wings mid-air, the Dragon-type energy he had been gathering now primed and ready. A breath of raw power erupted toward Corvisquire, who hadn't yet managed to pull away.
Boom!
The blast sent both Pokémon flying. They lost their balance and crashed hard to the ground.
"Squeek…"
Appletun rolled once across the dirt, then unfolded his wings and struggled to lift himself back into the air. His gaze darted toward the cloud of dust where Corvisquire had landed.
The dust cleared quickly, revealing Corvisquire's form at last.
"Caww… caww…"
He let out a weak cry. One wing drooped limp at his side. Though he could still barely stand, it was clear he wouldn't be flying again anytime soon. The injury to his wing was severe. At least for this match, Corvisquire was grounded.
Yuri looked quietly toward Hop. With Corvisquire grounded and exhausted, the battle was clearly over. A bird that couldn't fly had little strength left to fight.
"…You did great, Corvisquire. Really. You've earned a rest."
Hop kept his usual smile as he walked over to his Pokémon, gently stroking his head before pulling out a Potion and spraying it over the injured wing.
"This one's on me. My commands weren't perfect. Don't blame yourself, alright? Just rest for now."
After returning Corvisquire to his ball, Hop turned back to Yuri. His smile cracked just slightly at the edges.
"I give up. You win, Yuri. We both got the Grass Badge, sure… but this time, you were stronger."
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, his honesty plain on his face.
"I guess I just got lucky," Yuri said with a soft smile, shaking her head. "Didn't expect Drizzile to evolve mid-battle."
For Yuri, winning or losing against Hop wasn't something she took too seriously. What mattered was that both of them were improving steadily. That was worth celebrating, no matter who won.
"No, a loss is still a loss. You've gotten way stronger, Yuri. I've gotta pick up the pace now."
Hop bounced back quickly. They'd been rivals for a long time wins and losses between them weren't anything new. Losing this one just meant he had something to aim for next time.
Marie arrived then, her Pokémon in tow. She glanced at the Poké Balls on Yuri and Hop's belts and said,
"We should head to Hulbury soon. Your Pokémon need Nurse Joy's help."
"Ahaha, yeah, you're right. Gotta get to the Pokémon Center fast!" Hop chuckled, patting the Poké Balls at his waist. Yuri nodded worriedly in agreement and, almost without thinking, grabbed Marie's hand as the three of them walked toward the gates of Hulbury, now visible in the distance.
Even though Hulbury was a coastal town, the sea would have to wait. Right now, their minds were only on one thing: the Pokémon Center.
Once inside, Marie handed her Pokémon over to Nurse Joy. Then, reaching for Sirfetch'd to bring him over as well, she grabbed and lifted but only managed to lift his body while his feet stayed planted firmly on the floor.
"…"
"…"
They stared at each other for a long, awkward moment.
Marie eventually looked up and gave Nurse Joy an apologetic smile. Sirfetch'd's shield and leek sword were heavier than they looked. She really couldn't carry him alone.
"This Pokémon… doesn't like to return to his Poké Ball, does he?"
"Well… he's not actually my Pokémon. But never mind. Sirfetch'd, just head in yourself and let Nurse Joy give you a check-up."
"Quack. (Understood.)"
Sirfetch'd gave a small nod and followed the attendant in.
"He seems pretty strong. Miss Marie, you're not planning to catch him?"
From behind the counter, the front desk Nurse Joy asked casually.
"Huh? Nah. That Sirfetch'd doesn't care for trainers. We're just traveling together because it works for both of us."
"Marie-chan, want something to drink?"
Yuri called out from across the room. Marie turned and nodded before glancing back at Nurse Joy, giving her a small bow.
"Thanks for taking care of our Pokémon."
"No trouble at all. Go on ahead."
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