Charmander, despite having the Water Absorb ability, could only nullify Water-type moves of the same level.
If faced with a higher-level Water Gun, it couldn't fully negate the damage—at best, it would only resist slightly.
And because of its arrogance…
Charmander paid dearly for it!
"This power is on a completely different level! Charmander, fall back!" Yozora quickly called out.
Though reluctant, Charmander was in no condition to continue. That last Water Gun from Psyduck had left it heavily injured, unable to fight any longer.
"Beedrill, it's your turn!" Yozora sent out Beedrill as Charmander returned.
"Buzz! Buzz!"
The Shiny Psyduck showed no mercy. It immediately spat out two sharp bursts of Water Gun in quick succession.
"Dodge them."
Yozora ordered calmly.
Thanks to Beedrill's speed, dodging Psyduck's attacks was effortless. Yozora smiled in satisfaction. "Good. Now, use Agility and close in on the target."
"Zzzzzzip—!"
Beedrill shot forward like lightning, its speed skyrocketing as it rushed toward Psyduck.
Unable to land a hit, Psyduck grew increasingly agitated. Its eyes flushed red as it sucked in a deep breath, then unleashed a torrent far stronger than before—
Yozora froze.
There was no doubt. That wasn't just Water Gun.
It was Hydro Pump.
"Tsk, tsk… Hydro Pump? This Psyduck really is a prodigy." Yozora praised inwardly.
High potential didn't directly equate to strength.
But Pokémon with extraordinary potential could often unleash power beyond their current level.
Not only that—because of their gifted nature, they tended to learn new moves much faster than ordinary Pokémon.
And this Shiny Psyduck was a perfect example…
Hydro Pump was among the strongest Water-type techniques!
Though Psyduck was still only at the Junior Elite stage, it had already mastered Hydro Pump. That was genuinely terrifying!
"Unfortunately for you, no matter how strong Hydro Pump is, it won't touch my Beedrill." Yozora smirked.
Sure enough, Beedrill's figure flickered and easily slipped past the raging torrent.
Psyduck's Hydro Pump had raw power, but against Beedrill, its speed was far too slow.
"Psy! Psy-yaaah!"
Failing to hit again, Psyduck became furious. Under the moonlight, its eyes suddenly glowed with a deep blue light.
In an instant, its aura exploded. A torrent of Psychic energy surged outward, causing the once-calm lake surface to churn with violent waves.
Amidst the rippling waters, Psyduck stood like a king, radiating overwhelming pressure.
With a single glare—
Beedrill froze midair, body locked by an unseen force.
No—this wasn't mere Taunt.
This was Psyduck's Psychic move—Disable!
"So it's Disable this time? Not bad at all…" Yozora's eyes gleamed with admiration.
After years of battling side by side, Yozora and Beedrill had forged a bond so strong that their hearts moved as one.
At this moment, Yozora could clearly feel the weight of the psychic bind suppressing Beedrill.
Yes—Disable was restricting it.
But…
Yozora also knew Beedrill's strength was more than enough to break free.
That was why he remained calm—almost like a senior trainer watching a junior showcase their power.
Otherwise, Beedrill could have ended this fight instantly.
Bang!
Bang!
Crack!
With a single flex of its arms, Beedrill shattered the psychic bind completely.
The backlash struck Psyduck hard. Its stamina plummeted, sweat dripping down its face.
Now drained and vulnerable, Psyduck stood no chance as Beedrill lunged forward, striking it down in a single blow.
"Go, Poké Ball!"
Yozora didn't hesitate. He hurled the ball, hitting Psyduck squarely. The Shiny Pokémon was sucked inside, and after a few shakes—click!—the capture succeeded.
The Psyduck's companions panicked at the sight of their leader caught. They scattered in all directions without a second thought.
Meanwhile, Charmander happily swam out, retrieved the Poké Ball, and brought it back to Yozora.
Though it was a little annoyed that Psyduck had proven stronger, Charmander was still genuinely glad Yozora had gained a new partner.
"Thanks, Charmander. I've captured Psyduck!"
Taking the Poké Ball from Charmander, Yozora smiled and praised it, before releasing Psyduck again in excitement.
[Pokémon]: Psyduck
[Type]: Water
[Ability 1]: Swift Swim (Speed doubles in rain)
[Ability 2]: None
[Level]: Junior Elite
[Potential]: Champion
[Moves]: Water Gun, Hydro Pump, Psychic, Disable, Screech, Fury Swipes
[Profile]: This Psyduck is a natural-born leader of its species. Alongside outstanding Water-type aptitude, it possesses unusually strong psychic powers.
…
Swift Swim was Psyduck's Hidden Ability.
In rainy weather, its speed doubled—an excellent trait indeed.
"If I could pair this with the Drizzle ability… it would be perfect." Yozora thought to himself.
Pokémon with Drizzle could summon rain effortlessly.
In fact, some of them were even stronger at weather control than legendary Pokémon said to command the seas and skies.
But Drizzle was incredibly rare.
Currently, only three Pokémon species could have this ability.
The first was Kyogre.
Yozora immediately ruled that out.
Defeat Kyogre for its ability?
What a joke…
If he had the strength to take down Kyogre, he wouldn't need such an ability at all.
…
The second was Pelipper, the evolved form of Wingull, a Hoenn native. In Kanto, spotting one was next to impossible.
The third was Politoed, evolved from Poliwhirl with a King's Rock.
But King's Rock was both rare and precious, making Politoed scarce as well.
And even then, Drizzle was its Hidden Ability—meaning only a tiny fraction of Politoed actually possessed it.
Already rare, Drizzle Politoed was rarer still.
"Looks like the most realistic choice is making a trip to Hoenn to catch a few Pelipper…"
"For now, I'll assign Psyduck the second ability, Volt Absorb. That'll patch up its biggest weakness. As for Drizzle, I'll make that the third."
With a small smile, Yozora slotted the new ability in.
[Volt Absorb]: Negates Electric-type damage and restores a small amount of HP instead. (Effective against equal or weaker opponents; the stronger the foe, the weaker the effect.)
Volt Absorb was much like Water Absorb—one negated Water, the other negated Electric.
For a Water-type like Psyduck, its greatest weakness had always been Electricity.
Now, that weakness was gone. Its practical battle strength had risen to a whole new level.
…
…
(End of Chapter)