It had a large, blue, dome-shaped head with two large, watermelon-sized agate-like orbs on either side and a smaller, egg-shaped one in the center of its forehead.
Below its strange black head was a pair of fierce eyes. Blue, pincer-like protrusions grew from its mouth and the back of its head, resembling sharp scimitars from a distance. Approximately eighty vine-like tentacles fanned out from the center of these pincers.
This was Tentacruel, the evolved form of Tentacool. A dual Water and Poison type, it lived primarily in the deep oceans far from land, making it a rare sight in inland rivers.
Sometimes, information was the key to winning a match. Hisoka knew everything about his opponent's Pokémon, while Luchi knew nothing about Kirlia. From the very start, this knowledge gap put Luchi at a severe disadvantage.
It was true that Tentacruel was in its element in the pool, but as a Psychic type, Kirlia held a massive attribute advantage. Psychic moves were super effective against Poison types, dealing double damage.
Furthermore, Lulu didn't rely on raw speed; with her ability to Teleport, she didn't care what kind of terrain they were fighting on. Even if there were no floating boards, she could simply use her mental powers to hover in the air.
Luchi pointed forward and shouted, "Tentacruel, strike first! Use Poison Sting!"
Psh! Psh!
Tentacruel's tentacles flailed wildly, sending a barrage of sharp, black, venomous needles whistling through the air.
Teleport.
Hisoka's expression didn't change, and he didn't utter a word. Working with Kirlia was a dream because of their mutual Telepathy. He could issue commands directly to her mind, and since he didn't have to speak, his commands moved at the speed of thought.
This silent command method provided numerous advantages for his side while leaving his opponent completely baffled.
Seeing that Kirlia made no move to dodge, Luchi couldn't understand it. Why wasn't that guy telling his Pokémon to move or defend? Was he really just going to stand there and let Tentacruel's Poison Sting hit her full force?
The sky full of venomous needles reached Kirlia. Just a second before impact, a ripple appeared in the air. Without a sound, Kirlia vanished from the spot.
"It's a Psychic-type Teleport!" Chōji shouted from the sidelines. "So that unknown Pokémon is a Psychic type!"
The realization dawned on everyone present. Of course, it was Teleport. No wonder she had suddenly vanished.
However, hearing this sent a drop of cold sweat down Luchi's forehead. Type advantages were basic knowledge for any trainer, and he knew very well that Psychic types countered Poison.
The vanished Kirlia reappeared on the opposite floating board, standing directly behind Tentacruel. The distance between them was now less than an arm's length.
Lulu raised a small hand. Her powerful mental energy formed a tangible, pale red Confusion that instantly enveloped Tentacruel's body. Ignoring the jellyfish's painful shrieks, she yanked it bodily out of the water.
The pervasive mental energy acted like a million needles, invading Tentacruel's body and wreaking havoc on its internal systems.
"It's over!" Luchi lowered his head in despair. The outcome of the match seemed to have been decided the moment it began.
Lulu used her Confusion to slam Tentacruel into the wall beside the pool. With a loud bang, the match was officially over.
The second match featured Chōji against another young trainer from Cinnabar Island. This trainer seemed to specialize in Fire-type Pokémon; his Magmar had performed well on the earthen field the day before, but he looked completely lost now that the battlefield had switched to a pool.
This was the disadvantage of specializing in a single type. While it was easier to build a focused combat force and simpler to care for them, it made the trainer extremely vulnerable to being countered.
Take Lance, the Dragon Master of the Kanto and Johto regions he was widely considered the strongest member of the Elite Four. Yet, even he usually found himself in a stalemate when facing Lorelei, the Ice-type Elite Four member from the Orange Islands, often losing more than he won.
Hisoka had seen videos of their few battles. Lance's overall strength was arguably a step above Lorelei's, but when faced with a complete type disadvantage, even a recognized genius like Lance struggled to find a way through. This wasn't a match between rookies; both were at the Elite Four level, so the gap in raw strength was never vast.
Regardless, back on the field, the trainer from Cinnabar Island didn't bring out the fiery Magmar from yesterday. Instead, he released a Flareon, the Fire-type evolution of Eevee.
Though it was still a Fire type, it was significantly more agile than Magmar, with a smaller frame and lighter weight that gave it more room to maneuver on the floating boards.
No one was an idiot. If you knew your opponent only had Fire types, you wouldn't hesitate to bring out something to counter them. Chōji's Golem would have fared even worse than the Flareon; its weight was so terrifying that the floating boards never would have supported it.
"Hehe, lucky I kept a trick up my sleeve!" Chōji chuckled self-importantly. "Seadra, you're up!"
Wu!
In a flash of red light, an icy-blue, seahorse-like Pokémon appeared in the pool. It had a cylindrical, cannon-like snout and a back covered in menacing, jagged spines.
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