Chapter 137: The "Friendly" Exhibition Match
After a four-hour bus ride to Centralis City, the team checked into the five-star Poseidon Grand Hotel. They had one day to rest and acclimate before the exhibition match began.
As a five-star establishment, the Poseidon Grand had it all, including state-of-the-art facilities for battling, entertainment, and relaxation. Inside one of the hotel's private battle arenas, Basalt and the others finally came face-to-face with the much-discussed team from Kyanite City.
They had one leader, a three-person think tank, and eight trainers—five boys and three girls. Every one of them had a haughty, defiant look on their face. They did not look friendly.
"Director Sterling, my old friend! I hear you're about to take over as the Metro City Gym Leader. Congratulations, congratulations," said the Kyanite City leader, a man in his fifties with a mustache and short, neat hair. His name was Director Falcone, and he had the dignified air of a seasoned master.
"I was just lucky. In terms of strength, I'm still no match for you, Director," Sterling replied with a practiced smile.
"Now you're just being too modest," Director Falcone said, pointing a friendly finger at him. "I'm just an old man. The future belongs to young talents like you. Keep working hard; I'm sure you have what it takes to reach the Master-level."
While the two leaders exchanged hollow pleasantries and buttered each other up, the rest of their teams just stared each other down. The air was thick with a tension that no amount of polite chatter could hide. No matter how friendly the leaders acted, it wouldn't change the fact that their trainers were about to go to war.
No one here actually believed this exhibition was about "friendship first, competition second." Director Sterling himself had given the Metro City team their orders before the match: not only were they to win, they had to win decisively. At the same time, he had also instructed the A-Group members not to reveal any of their trump cards.
They want us to have our cake and eat it too, don't they? Basalt thought. The leaders just had to give the orders; it was up to the trainers to figure out how to pull it off.
"Well, well, I'm sure these youngsters are tired of hearing an old man like me ramble on," Director Falcone said after about ten minutes of small talk. "Let's get this show on the road!"
"Agreed. We'll simulate the Regional Tournament format. Individual matches in the morning, and the Relay Battle in the afternoon," Sterling nodded, fully on board. If it weren't for Director Falcone's seniority, Sterling's personality was the type to skip the chatter and get straight to the action.
"Then let's begin!"
At the leaders' signal, Supervisor Hoffman and a member from the Kyanite team each stepped forward with four photos. They spread them out face down on a table. This exhibition match was a perfect simulation of the regionals, meaning the matchups would be completely random.
"You first," Hoffman said with a polite gesture.
The Kyanite representative didn't hesitate, flipping over a photo of one of the Metro City trainers. It was Skye.
Hoffman then drew one of their photos. It was a girl with a high ponytail who looked full of energy. And with that, the first matchup was set. A few moments later, the other three pairs were decided in the same fashion.
Match 1: Skye vs. Jenna.
Match 2: Yao vs. Slade.
Basalt was in the third match. His opponent was a tall, heavyset kid named Gus. As Basalt looked over, Gus happened to look back. Their eyes met, and the tension in the air intensified.
Match 4: Waylon vs. Heath.
The penultimate match, huh? Interesting, Basalt thought, a small smirk playing on his lips. He didn't feel the slightest bit of nervousness. With the massive amount of resources he'd received, Drilbur had undergone a fundamental transformation. Its strength had solidly entered the intermediate tier; he just hadn't had time to get its rank officially updated.
According to Director Sterling and Mr. Shane's predictions, Drilbur wasn't far from evolution either. If it could evolve in time, Basalt might actually have a shot at the championship. For now, however, it was still absorbing the nutrients from the metal fluids, meaning its energy reserves hadn't reached the saturation point needed to trigger the change.
Still, based on past results, Kyanite City was usually ranked slightly below Metro City. This should be a winnable fight.
"Go get 'em, Skye!" the Metro City team cheered. The outcome of the first match was crucial for team morale. The problem was, neither side had any information on the other. They would have to figure it all out in the heat of battle.
"Don't worry, I'll do my best," Skye said, slapping his cheeks to psych himself up before striding onto the field.
"Both trainers, please select your Pokémon and take your positions," the professional referee provided by the hotel announced.
"Go, Pidgeotto!"
"Come on out, Torkoal!"
At the referee's signal, both trainers sent out their Pokémon.
Jenna's Pokémon was a land tortoise with burning coal inside its body. Its shell was black and gray with five crimson indentations, and a small hole at the top billowed hot smoke. It was the Fire-type known as the "little Groudon"—Torkoal. As soon as it appeared, the smoke pouring from its nostrils and back completely shrouded its body, leaving only a swirling cloud of vapor visible on the field.
"A Torkoal with the White Smoke ability," one of the Metro City advisors noted, already taking down information. "The smoke protects it from having its stats lowered. And judging by the heat radiating from it, its Fire-type affinity is very high."
The Kyanite team's advisors were doing the same, analyzing Skye's Pidgeotto. "Keen Eye ability. Its wings are long and powerful, indicating a focus on speed..." They noticed Pidgeotto's eyes were locked onto a single point within the smoke cloud, its vision clearly unhindered.
Though it was just an exhibition, both teams were treating it with the utmost seriousness.
"Let the battle begin!"
At the referee's command, the first match officially started.
Whoosh!
With a powerful flap of its wings, Pidgeotto summoned a gentle breeze that lifted it into the air, swirling around its body. It was Tailwind—Skye's standard opening move to boost its speed.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
From within the smoke, seven or eight chunks of rock shot out like lightning. It was Rock Tomb. But with its boosted speed and agility, there was no way Pidgeotto would be hit by such a basic attack. It zipped to the side, easily dodging, then began flapping its wings furiously, launching a series of crescent-shaped, translucent blades of wind at the smoke cloud.
Air Cutter!
"Torkoal, Rapid Spin!"
Though she couldn't see, Jenna's command was precise. The Torkoal inside the smoke began to spin rapidly. The wind blades struck, but they were easily deflected. Between Torkoal's natural defenses and the added protection of Rapid Spin, Air Cutter was completely ineffective.
But Skye was quick to adapt. "Pidgeotto, Round!" If a physical attack wouldn't work, how would it handle an invisible sound wave?
"Pidgeo-o-o-ottooo~" A beautiful, melodic cry, like a bird's morning song, echoed through the arena, transforming into waves of sonic energy that washed over the smoke.
"Tooor!" A pained cry came from within the cloud. Torkoal had nowhere to run.
"Nice one!" the Metro City team cheered. With Pidgeotto's speed, especially with Tailwind active, Torkoal would never be able to land a hit. All Pidgeotto had to do was keep its distance and chip away with Round.
"Looks like the first match is ours!" Mr. Shane clenched his fist, a grin on his face.
"Is it really?" While everyone else was celebrating, Basalt frowned. He noticed that the trainers on the Kyanite City team didn't look panicked or frustrated at all. Something wasn't right.
"Torkoal, Smokescreen!"
Just then, Jenna gave a command that no one on the Metro City side expected. Smokescreen was a move that lowered the opponent's accuracy. But Pidgeotto's Keen Eye ability made it immune to accuracy drops.
A thick, black smoke billowed out, rapidly spreading to cover the entire battlefield, including the air above.
"Whoa, that smoke is hot! I feel like the temperature in here just went up ten degrees!" Forrest muttered from the sidelines, wiping sweat from his brow.
Pidgeotto, confused but undeterred, continued to use Round, trying to wear down its opponent. Skye felt a growing sense of unease.
"Pidgeotto, use Gust to blow the smoke away!" To be safe, he decided to clear the field. This Smokescreen was clearly more than it seemed.
But to everyone's shock, the Gust had no effect. The wind blew into the smoke and right out the other side. The cloud of smoke wavered violently, but it did not disperse.
"What's going on?" the Metro City trainers exclaimed. Smoke that couldn't be blown away by wind? It defied logic.
"It's Torkoal's White Smoke ability," Mr. Shane said, his eyes wide. "That girl has somehow fused her Pokémon's ability with its move!" As a veteran professional, he saw the truth instantly. A Pokémon with White Smoke was always shrouded in a mist that was difficult to blow away. By developing that trait and integrating it with a move, the Smokescreen had inherited the same property.
"Pidgeotto, full power on Round!" Feeling the pressure, Skye decided to end the battle quickly.
But just then, Jenna's clear voice rang out. "Torkoal, Lava Plume!"
"TOOOOORKOAL!"
A furious roar came from within the smoke. A terrifying amount of Fire-type energy gathered, then erupted in waves of scorching heat. The energy was conducted through the dense smoke, instantly spreading the intense heat to every corner of the enclosed arena.
The spectators scrambled back, shielding themselves from the heat. But Pidgeotto, trapped inside the smoke, had nowhere to go.
"PIDGE!" A piercing, agonized cry filled the air. Pidgeotto had taken a massive hit. The enclosed space had been its downfall. In a larger stadium, it could have simply flown higher to escape.
Suddenly, Pidgeotto cried out again as a bright flash of fire erupted on its body.
"Looks like it's been burned," Jenna said, a smirk playing on her lips. Her Smokescreen and Lava Plume was a combination she had practiced for a long time. Furthermore, her Lava Plume was a special technique with a high chance of inflicting a burn.
The Kyanite team smiled. The Metro City team looked like they had just attended a funeral.
"Pidgeotto, Air Slash!" With the burn draining its health and crippling its physical Attack, Skye had no choice but to go on an all-out special offensive. They couldn't afford to drag this out.
But Torkoal's defenses were just too high. A second Lava Plume was all it took. Skye had lost.
"Pidgeotto is unable to battle! The winner is... Jenna from Kyanite City!"
As the referee made the call, Director Sterling's face turned grim. Director Falcone, however, casually poured him a cup of water. "It seems Kyanite City has taken the first round, my friend."
Sterling took a sip, saying nothing. The second match was about to begin.
Yao and his opponent, Slade, stepped onto the field and released their Pokémon.
"GROOOAR!" Yao's massive Onix appeared, its tail coiled and its head held high. But its roar of dominance was quickly drowned out by an even louder, more ferocious one.
It was a large, powerful Pokémon, mostly purple with a white underbelly. The massive horn on its head was sharp and poisonous. It was Nidoking.
The Metro City team's faces fell. Onix's main advantage was its immense size and strength. Against a fellow heavyweight like Nidoking, that advantage was gone. Not only that, as a fully evolved Pokémon, Nidoking was superior in almost every stat except defense.
"Looks like Kyanite City is on a roll today," someone on their side commented with a grin.
The battle began with a clash of heavyweights. After an initial exchange of Bulldozes, the two behemoths charged, engaging in a brutal, physical brawl. Nidoking unleashed a flurry of Brick Breaks, Dragon Tails, and Horn Attacks, while Onix countered with Dragon Breath, Iron Head, and Rock Slide, managing to set up a Sand Tomb to weaken its opponent.
The two giants roared and slammed into each other again and again, neither willing to back down. Both Pokémon were accumulating damage, but thanks to its superior defense, Onix was taking the hits better.
"Thank Arceus, this Nidoking seems to be a purely physical attacker," Supervisor Hoffman said, a rare look of hope on his face. "Onix is about to gain the upper hand!" On the field, Onix had used its larger body to encircle Nidoking, preparing to use Bind. Once trapped, Nidoking would be helpless against a barrage of Slams and Thrashes.
"Nidoking, now!"
Just as the Metro City team thought they had it, the tables turned once again. With a mighty roar, Nidoking used Brick Break to push Onix back, then suddenly gathered a sphere of blue energy in its mouth and fired it at the ground.
"Water Pulse!" Slade yelled.
The blue orb burst on impact, erupting into a massive wave that crashed down on Onix. Hit with a four-times super-effective attack, Onix was knocked out instantly.
"Holy crap! That guy was hiding it the whole time," Forrest swore. He had deliberately let himself be pushed into a corner, baiting them into thinking his Nidoking was a one-trick pony, only to unleash a decisive special attack at the critical moment. The opponent's patience and cunning were far beyond their expectations.
Director Sterling's hand trembled slightly as he held his teacup. Metro City had lost two matches in a row. The best they could hope for now was a draw.
He watched Basalt stride confidently onto the stage, and some of his anxiety subsided. Basalt's Drilbur can't lose. The key to a draw lies with Waylon's match. Given Waylon's skill, he surely... wouldn't lose, right?
On the field, Basalt and his opponent, Gus, took their positions. Despite the two losses, Basalt wasn't bothered. This was an individual competition; all he had to do was worry about himself.
His opponent, however, had other ideas. "Hey, buddy," Gus said with a smirk. "Looks like your Metro City team isn't all that great. Lost two in a row. You feeling nervous?" He was trying to get into Basalt's head.
"Nervous? Please," Basalt scoffed. "I'm the captain of the Metro City team. Are you the captain of Kyanite City? You don't really look the part."
"You're a seeded competitor?" Gus's confidence faltered. Basalt's mind games had backfired, and now he was the one feeling rattled. If his opponent was the captain, he had to be strong. Was he about to get crushed?
But when both trainers released their Pokémon, Gus's confidence came flooding back.
Because his Pokémon was the perfect counter to a Ground-type like Drilbur.
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