Roxanne took out her second Poké Ball. With a flash of blue light, a Nosepass appeared before Natsui.
This Pokémon was unusual. It looked like a giant, living blue rock with arms, legs, and a huge red nose.
As a pure Rock-type, Nosepass's magnetic nose always points north. If someone gets lost in the mountains, they just need to find a Nosepass and follow its nose to find their way. That's how it got its name.
Another interesting fact: because their magnets repel each other, two Nosepass can't face one another. Wild Nosepass are said to move only 1 centimeter per year, but in danger, they spin and instantly burrow underground to hide.
It hunts by staying motionless, using its powerful magnetism to attract prey. The colder the season, the stronger its magnetism—though sometimes this backfires and draws in its natural enemy, Metagross!
Natsui recalled Eevee and studied the Nosepass.
He remembered from the games that Roxanne's Nosepass left a deep impression on him; it was her signature Pokémon.
It was strong. If your level wasn't high enough or you lacked a good counter, it could take several Pokémon to defeat it.
Like Geodude, a glance at Nosepass's cold, stone body showed it was a tough, defensive opponent. Eevee's power likely wasn't enough to even scratch it.
So, facing such a tough opponent, Natsui hesitated, then decided to meet strength with strength.
But just as he was deciding, he felt something brush his leg. He looked down and saw Eevee looking up at him eagerly.
He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What? You still want to fight?"
Eevee nodded hard and chirped.
Although this big rock was much larger, and Eevee's claws and teeth couldn't break it, Eevee was still fearless.
Seeing this, Natsui let it battle again, even though he knew Eevee couldn't win.
After all, winning badges was only one part of it; the most important thing was to train these Pokémon.
Even knowing it would lose and get hurt, Eevee had to learn something from the defeat.
Seeing him nod, Eevee ran back to the center of the field.
Roxanne saw this clearly and understood Natsui's intention. She didn't say anything, just smiled slightly.
When the battle began, she didn't hold back, focusing on her commands. Natsui, in contrast, was much more cautious.
At his command, Eevee gave its all, darting around the rocky field, trying to defeat its opponent. But the matchup was just too lopsided. In the end, Nosepass hit it with Rock Tomb, and Eevee fell.
The student acting as referee raised his flag. "Eevee is unable to battle! Nosepass wins the second round!"
With Eevee's defeat, the score was 1-1.
Misty, watching from the sidelines, didn't look worried. Eevee was at a type disadvantage, hadn't evolved, and had few options to hurt Nosepass. She knew this loss was inevitable, and that Natsui would now use a stronger Pokémon to win the match.
From his position, Natsui took out his Poké Ball and recalled the unconscious Eevee.
Although the battle was short, it wasn't without gain.
At least Eevee gained experience, and Natsui learned more about Nosepass, which would help in the next round.
Returning his focus to the field, Natsui didn't hesitate this time. With a grand wave of his hand, he sent out his Tyranitar.
As soon as it appeared, just like Red Gyarados and Crystal Steelix before it, Tyranitar threw back its head and let out a deafening roar!
ROAR!
The sound made several of the more timid students turn pale and take a few steps back. Even Misty in the stands couldn't help but cover her ears.
Seriously, she thought, no matter how many times I see these hot-tempered Pokémon, they're still terrifying...
Strength aside, that aura alone was impressive.
Seeing Natsui send out Tyranitar, Roxanne nodded.
Unlike the disadvantaged Eevee, Natsui had now sent out Tyranitar, which had an advantage. Its move Earthquake would deal super-effective damage, and its armor-like body wouldn't be at a disadvantage against rock. It was an excellent choice.
But while she acknowledged it, Roxanne knew this battle wouldn't be easy.
Having seen Natsui's matches, she knew this Tyranitar had performed spectacularly in the Silver Conference.
Battling a Pokémon of that caliber, she wasn't very confident. If she used her strongest Pokémon, maybe she'd stand a chance, but Nosepass...
Although it had some strength and had helped her defeat many challengers, facing this Tyranitar, Roxanne knew the odds were bad.
This wasn't pessimism, just a rational conclusion based on experience.
As the referee raised the flag again, the third round officially began.
If Natsui won this, he would get his first Hoenn badge. If he lost, he'd have to come back and challenge again tomorrow.
On the field, Nosepass stood motionless, while Tyranitar stomped its foot. Energy gathered, and a dozen sharp stones erupted from the ground, thrusting towards Nosepass!
Almost simultaneously, Nosepass on the other side also used Stone Edge. Instantly, one wave of stones from the east and one from the west collided!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two Stone Edge attacks crashed into each other, sending rock shrapnel flying everywhere. The debris shot into the air and rained down, pinging off Tyranitar's and Nosepass's bodies.
When the dust settled, both Pokémon, almost at the same time, opened their mouths and unleashed their second attack!
-------------------------------
Unlock 400+ chapters across 7+ different novels on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/LEYI396
This Pokémon novel alone already has up to chapter 670 available right now on Patreon, so if you want to support the project and enjoy even more exclusive content, I'll be waiting for you on Patreon!
We're currently in one of the most intense and ambitious stages of the Pokémon project — every region, every legendary, every team and every character is finally colliding in one massive storyline.
These days we're aiming to push all the way to chapter 800, so it's the perfect moment to catch up and enjoy the adventure while it grows 👀