The gates of the Azurebay Gym opened slowly.
A massive battlefield revealed itself—
Water platforms floated across a deep pool.
Currents shifted constantly.
The battlefield was alive.
At one end stood Elior.
At the other—
Nerion.
The tension was immediate.
"3 vs 3 battle. No substitutions," the official announced.
Elior took a breath.
"…I'm ready."
Nerion's gaze was calm.
"Show me how much you've changed."
Nerion moved first.
"Go… Tidereef."
A coral-like Pokémon emerged, glowing with soft blue light.
The water around it immediately stabilized.
Elior reacted:
"Riolu, let's go!"
Riolu landed lightly on a shifting platform.
"Tidereef—Aqua Bind."
Water rose instantly, forming traps around Riolu.
"Jump!" Elior shouted.
Riolu escaped—
But the platform shifted again.
It lost balance.
Nerion spoke calmly:
"You're still thinking like it's land."
Then—
Elior closed his eyes briefly.
"…No."
He opened them—focused.
"Riolu—don't resist. Move with it!"
The next wave came—
Riolu flowed with it.
Perfect timing.
"Aura Strike!"
A clean hit landed.
Tidereef staggered.
One final attack—
Tidereef fell.
"First Pokémon—down!"
Elior smiled slightly.
"…Good start."
Nerion nodded.
"You've improved your foundation."
"Now… Deepcoil."
Deepcoil emerged, twisting through the water like a shadow.
Fast.
Unpredictable.
Elior reacted instantly:
"Thundrion—go!"
Thundrion appeared, electricity sparking across the arena.
"Deepcoil—Aqua Dash!"
It vanished—
Then struck instantly.
Thundrion barely blocked.
"…Fast," Elior muttered.
Pressure Builds
"Thunder Strike!"
Lightning crashed—
But Deepcoil used the water to redirect it.
The entire battlefield became unstable.
Water conducted everything.
Nerion's voice remained calm:
"Speed without awareness… is weakness."
Elior Adjusts
"…Then we change."
Elior focused.
"Wait for the current."
A wave rose.
"Now!"
Thundrion moved with it—
Lightning struck cleanly.
Deepcoil took damage.
Even Match
Both Pokémon stood, breathing heavily.
The tension rose.
The arena felt tighter.
Nerion stepped forward.
"…Enough testing."
He slowly raised his hand.
The water in the entire arena began to rise.
Not violently—
But overwhelmingly.
Elior's eyes widened.
"…This feeling…"
A deep pulse erupted—
From Nerion's chest.
A resonance.
Ancient.
Oceanic.
Alive.
Water spiraled upward around him.
The entire battlefield responded.
His voice echoed—
calm…
but overwhelming:
"Now…!"
The water surged like a rising tide.
"I will show you… the power of the tide."
Far beneath the arena—
A massive shadow began to move.
And the journey continues.....