"I knew it... Floette, you really went overboard," Julian muttered, rubbing his forehead with a palm.
Floette wasn't even looking at the opponent. She was hovering near Julian's ear, her emerald eyes darting around nervously. She wasn't reveling in her victory; she was deathly afraid that Julian was still mad about the "Mommy" incident and was trying to buy his forgiveness with raw, overwhelming violence.
Julian sighed. He had already guessed this would happen. Reggie was a veteran of two regions, yes, but he hadn't mentioned winning a single Championship. Julian estimated that Reggie's current team hadn't even cracked the Elite Class yet—they were likely hovering around the high-end of the "Official Circuit" level.
In the world of Pokémon, the gap between levels isn't just a number; it's a physical law. Unless a Pokémon is a specialized defensive wall, a move like Protect has a high probability of shattering when faced with an opponent whose raw energy output is significantly higher.
[Reggie's Bibarel was probably just shy of the official peak,] Julian mused. [Otherwise, that shield wouldn't have folded like a paper umbrella in a hurricane.]
Reggie rushed to Bibarel's side, checking its pulse. Once he confirmed she was only stunned and not seriously injured, he let out a long, shaky breath. He recalled her to her Poké Ball and turned to Julian with a gaze that was no longer patronizing. It was dead serious.
"Thank you for holding back at the last second," Reggie said, though his voice was still tight with shock. "I didn't expect a New Trainer to possess that kind of explosive combat power. Are you sure you've only been traveling for two months?"
Julian scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Uh, I really am a rookie in terms of travel time, but... my team's strength isn't exactly 'entry-level.' That's what I was trying to tell you earlier, but you hit me with the 'Eyes meet, we battle' rule before I could finish."
Reggie winced. He remembered being quite insistent. For a moment, the sharp, arrogant Trainer was replaced by a young man who looked like he'd just walked into a glass door.
"Uh... should we keep going? Or do you want to call it a day?" Julian asked, genuinely worried he might have crushed Reggie's morale so hard he'd go straight to the breeding center a year early.
"No! Please, continue!" Reggie stood up, his purple ponytail whipping around as he shook his head clear. "I was careless. I treated this like a tutorial. From this moment on, I will give you everything I have. Please... let me see the true power of the Fairy-type. I beg you!"
Julian was surprised. This Reggie had a bit of Paul's intensity, sure, but there was a shadow of a different spirit there—something more like Ash Ketchum's stubborn refusal to quit.
[What exactly happened in that battle with Brandon to change him so much?] Julian wondered. [Did he lose his joy, or did he just decide that being 'gentle' wasn't enough to win?]
Reggie returned to his trainer box and pulled a specialized Heavy Ball from his belt. "This is my strongest partner! The one who cleared the Hoenn Gyms for me! Go, Drapion!"
The light exploded, revealing a monstrous, purple-armored scorpion. Drapion stood on four sturdy legs, its body encased in a shell that looked like it could deflect tank shells. Its massive claws clicked menacingly, and the stinger on its segmented tail dripped with a faint, glowing liquid.
"Drapion, huh? Poison and Dark. A perfect counter for Fairy-types," Julian noted. "Alright then. Since you've already seen a Kalos native, let's show you what a local evolution can do. Floette, take a break. Sylveon, step up!"
"Fly-ah! (My turn! Time to sparkle!)" 🎀
Sylveon trotted onto the field, her pink ribbons dancing in the wind. She looked like a plush toy compared to the brutal, prehistoric Drapion, but the air around her was shimmering with static Fairy energy.
"A new Eevee evolution?!" Reggie's eyes narrowed. "I won't let you get the first move this time! Drapion, use Poison Fang! Strike now!"
Drapion roared, its mandibles glowing with a sickly purple light as it lunged across the grass with surprising speed for its size. Reggie knew his type matchups. Poison was the natural predator of the Fairy-type.
"You've done your homework on Fairy weaknesses, I see," Julian said, unmoved. "But Sylveon has a unique trick up her sleeve. Sylveon, use Swift!"
"Fly-ah~!"
Sylveon flicked her ribbons, and a spray of golden stars erupted. But as they flew, the stars began to glow with a vibrant pink aura, pulsing with a melodic hum.
"Drapion, ignore the stars! Knock them down with Pin Missile and keep moving!"
Drapion's tail fired a barrage of glowing green needles. Usually, Pin Missile would shred a move like Swift. But as the needles hit the pink stars, the stars didn't vanish. They exploded into fine, sparkling dust that clung to Drapion's armor, burning like acid.
"What's going on?!" Reggie shouted. "Swift shouldn't be dealing that much damage to a Poison-type! And why is the energy pink?"
"This is the unique ability of the Sylveon line: Pixilate," Julian explained calmly. "It works similarly to the 'Normalize' ability found in the Skitty family. It converts all of Sylveon's Normal-type moves into Fairy-type moves, and then boosts their power. You're not fighting a Normal-type move, Reggie. You're fighting a Fairy-type barrage with a 30% power buff."
"Is that so?" Reggie's eyes burned with fascination. "Fairy-type conversion... what an incredible evolution. But we aren't done! Drapion, use Toxic! Fill the field!"
Drapion unhinged its jaw, firing a high-pressure stream of purple venom toward Sylveon.
"Blow it back, Sylveon! Use Fairy Wind!"
Sylveon didn't even move her feet. She just twirled her ribbons in a circular motion, creating a localized gale of pink air. The wind caught the Toxic stream, swirling the purple poison into a vortex and flinging it right back at Drapion.
Drapion crossed its heavy claws, taking the 'Poisonous Fairy Wind' head-on. The venom splattered against its own armor, harmlessly sliding off, but the concussive force of the wind made the heavy Pokémon skid back several inches.
"A defensive wind that incorporates the opponent's attack..." Reggie muttered, his mind racing. "The Fairy-type... it's not just about raw power. It's about flow and manipulation."
"Precisely," Julian smiled. "But that wasn't just the type. That was a bit of Coordination technique mixed in. Do you want to keep going, or have you seen enough?"
"Don't mock me, Julian! We're just getting started!" Reggie's competitive fire was fully lit now. "Drapion, if we can't hit from a distance, we'll go in close! Use Encore to lock her down, then finish it with Poison Fang!"
Drapion let out a rhythmic, booming clap with its claws, the sound waves meant to force Sylveon into repeating her last move.
"Sorry, Reggie, but Sylveon has a beautiful voice. She doesn't need an encore. Sylveon, Disarming Voice!"
As Drapion lunged, Sylveon let out a high-pitched, melodic cry. The sound waves were visible—shimmering rings of pink energy that bypassed Drapion's armor and vibrated directly into its nervous system, causing the giant scorpion to stumble and hiss in pain.
"I have to say, Reggie, battling you is a real treat," Julian said, though he was secretly checking his watch. [Man, these bonus chapters are intense. I really hope the readers appreciate the extra work I'm putting in here!]
"Everyone, please remember to leave a five-star review and a tip if you're enjoying the battle! My fingers are killing me from all this typing! o(╥﹏╥)o"