Satoshi and Uika pushed deeper into Poni Canyon, and the farther they went, the stronger the Pokémon they ran into.
They'd even spotted a Kommo-o, but it wasn't the Totem.
Satoshi didn't go looking for fights. Most wild Pokémon here kept to themselves. A few would challenge you just to test their strength, and in those cases, all you had to do was accept.
More importantly, this place was perfect for honing your own skills.
"Frogadier—watch Mienshao's feet, then use [CUT]!"
"Koga!"
Satoshi issued the command while eyeing the Mienshao up ahead. Frogadier answered and charged in, unleashing Cut.
Mienshao was a martial-arts Pokémon. Its movements were disciplined—tight, rhythmic, and heavy in a way that made each step feel deliberate. Exactly the kind of opponent that forced you to sharpen up.
For close-quarters training, it was basically a super bargain-bin stand-in for Urshifu.
Perfect for Frogadier at its current stage.
Mienshao snapped forward with a savage flying knee, the air shrieking as it came.
"Dodge!" Satoshi called. Frogadier's gaze sharpened, and it barely slipped past the attack.
Mienshao didn't stop. It carried the motion through—driving that knee straight into a massive boulder. The impact boomed, deafening, and the rock exploded into fragments.
"Now—[CUT]!"
"Koga!"
At that instant, Frogadier struck. A white flash flared like a blade, and the hit landed cleanly, sweeping in and knocking Mienshao to the ground.
Wild Pokémon were much simpler to handle than battles against Trainers. That made it easy for Satoshi to turn danger into training.
They continued inward at an almost leisurely pace—until they rounded a few more bends, and that ease drained away. Their nerves tightened, alertness snapping into place.
Up ahead, Rainbow Wing Academy Trainers and their Pokémon were slumped on the ground, sprawled and battered.
Team Skull, probably.
They were a gang made up of Trainers who never completed the Island Challenge—Alola's resident delinquents who existed purely to cause trouble. They stole Pokémon, made scenes at trial sites, and pulled all kinds of garbage.
A bunch of weaklings...
Go look at your predecessors!
Team Rocket, Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, Team Plasma, Team Flare—who among them wasn't stronger than you?
What did those guys do?
Conquer the world, that's what!
Sure, there were two washed-up idiots trying to expand land and sea, but at least they had ambition.
Meanwhile, Team Skull? This was just sore-loser behavior. If you're bad, train harder.
"Uika, call the police. I'll deal with him," Satoshi said, eyes locking onto the Team Skull grunt strolling over.
"Okay. I got it." Uika pulled out her phone and started dialing.
It looked like he was posted here specifically to stop anyone from calling for help.
Poni Island had so few people that there usually weren't any police around. Officer Jenny was only stationed on the other three islands. They could try to find Nanu, the island kahuna—he used to be an International Police officer—but he was lazy, and even if they called, help would probably arrive late anyway.
And Poni Canyon was huge. Trying to catch Team Skull in here was… absurdly difficult.
What a pain~~
Satoshi felt a flicker of resignation as the Team Skull guy approached with three Salandit.
"Hehehe~ If you wanna care so bad, why don't you go care about your Pokémon instead~? Why you gotta stick your nose in stuff that ain't your business, yo!" he said, slipping into a rap-like cadence as he crowded closer and closer.
Honestly, Satoshi was so annoyed he almost laughed.
What are you going to do with three Salandit? At least evolve first before you come at me!
…Wait. Male Salandit can't evolve.
Never mind, then.
"Satoshi?" Uika said.
Satoshi didn't care much. Uika did.
He was letting that guy get this close—why weren't his Pokémon stopping him?
The rap guy kept inching nearer, voice dripping with mockery.
"What's wrong~~ can't talk, yo~? Like this, I—"
"Shut up." Satoshi's eyes went cold. He swung his fist without hesitation, driving it into the thug closing in.
Crack!
"Wugh—!"
The grunt spun, suddenly airborne, pinwheeling out of control—then slammed into the ground, utterly miserable and motionless.
"Huh?" Uika tilted her head, violet eyes full of confusion as she looked at Satoshi's Pokémon.
What is up with your Trainer?
Frogadier and Rillaboom met her bafflement with the look of two Pokémon who were used to this.
"Koga~ Koga~ (We're used to it~)" "Rilla~ Rilla~ (Satoshi's pretty amazing, right~)"
This is our Trainer. Can't your Trainer do that?
"Frogadier—[WATER PULSE]. Take all three down."
Without even pausing for a breath, Satoshi gave the next order.
"Koga!"
Frogadier's Water Pulse swept sideways once, slamming into all three Salandit at the same time.
"Salandiii—!" The impact sent them tumbling, balance obliterated. They flipped through the air, crashed down, and went limp—knocked out.
So strong…
Satoshi really is… so cool.
Uika's gaze lingered on him. A second ago, she hadn't even taken that grunt seriously.
She hadn't expected a Trainer to drop another Trainer that fast.
She had to admit it—her heart fluttered.
From the footage of Satoshi saving Garchomp on TV, to his all-out battle with Aijo Karen, to the way he handled everything…
It all told Uika the same thing: Satoshi hadn't changed at his core—but in strength, he was completely different from before.
Too bad he and Saki were a match made in heaven. There was no room for her to squeeze in!
Misumi Uika would wholeheartedly support Saki's romance and help her keep it secure!
"I've called the police. Let's keep going, Satoshi," Uika said, taking his hand again. She smiled faintly and stepped closer.
To keep other women from getting close, Uika would protect Satoshi!
"Mm."
Satoshi didn't think much of it, letting Uika tug him forward.
As for the injured Rainbow Wing Academy student—one Potion spray and he'd be fine. Someone would come handle the rest.
From what Satoshi could tell, that student's full team of six Pokémon had already been knocked out. All Satoshi could think was: if your skills aren't there, don't come to the hardest trial.
If you're bad, train more.
They couldn't stop here—not if they wanted to clear the trial and deal with the Team Skull deeper inside.
Team Skull...
I'll handle them.
---
T/N: 4 chaps meeting this weeks quota, i was too focused on something elseeeeeeeeeeeee ive been playing 7daystodieeeeeeeeeee
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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