"Did happiness come this suddenly?" Looking at the red-and-white Poké Ball in his hand, Hisoka felt a bit dazed. Just yesterday, he had been wondering how to get a Feebas, and now the little thing was in his possession.
When Daisy mentioned he could pick any unowned Water-type, Hisoka's first instinct had been the Feebas in the small pool. The process afterward had been very smooth. Although the three sisters were surprised that Hisoka would choose a "vase" with almost no combat power no, it couldn't even be called a vase, as Feebas's appearance was truly an affront to human aesthetics.
Regardless, the Feebas was just something their youngest sister had picked up from the beach, so they didn't mind giving it to him for free.
"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!" a hot-blooded young voice rang out within the Cerulean Gym.
"Feebas, use Splash!" Hisoka commanded calmly.
The Vine Whip tore through the air and struck the Feebas as it leaped from the water. Grass counters Water, and Feebas's meager stamina was as thin as paper before the Bulbasaur's Vine Whip.
"Feebas is unable to battle!" the referee's voice rang out immediately.
"Haha!" Seeing himself take the lead, the hot-blooded rookie who clearly hadn't been traveling long excitedly wiped his nose and said loudly, "Wow, the Cerulean Gym really is as weak as they say. I didn't believe it at first. Bulbasaur, let's keep this momentum up and take our first gym badge!"
"Bulba Bulba"
Hearing its master's voice, Bulbasaur also extended its vines and waved them excitedly in the air. Both trainer and Pokémon seemed to have completely stopped taking the rest of the match seriously after their easy opening win.
Hisoka took out his Poké Ball and withdrew the unconscious Feebas. Looking at the overexcited rookie opposite him, he almost felt bad for what came next. The following match was likely to be a nightmare that would shatter the confidence of a newly debuted trainer.
Puff!
A red light deformed in the air as Sneasel executed a stylish flip and landed steadily on the floating platform. It stood with its arms crossed, having lost some of its former wildness and gained a more mature bearing.
Hisoka noticed that Sneasel seemed to enjoy mimicking his own gestures, as he currently had his arms crossed over his chest as well. In this moment, the trainer and his Pokémon demonstrated a perfect sense of unity.
"Bulbasaur, let's finish this in one go!" Seeing a new opponent enter the field, the hot-blooded youth immediately commanded, "Continue using Vine Whip to attack the opponent!"
The Vine Whip whistled through the air. Sneasel didn't dodge or retreat. It reached out with its sharp claws and snatched the Vine Whip right out of the air. With Sneasel's excellent feline Dynamic Vision, catching a vine of that speed and power was child's play.
With a powerful tug backward, the massive force yanked Bulbasaur into the air, dragging it straight toward Sneasel at high speed.
"Bulba, Bulba!"
Bulbasaur cried out in terror as it flew through the air. The previously enthusiastic youth was now completely bewildered. How could the situation turn around so suddenly? Could a Bulbasaur's Vine Whip really be caught by hand?
Bulbasaur was pulled right in front of Sneasel. Holding a section of the vine, Sneasel lifted the Bulbasaur before it. With no way to leverage itself, Bulbasaur could only curl into a terrified ball. In that moment, it truly understood the meaning of horror; Dark-type Pokémon naturally possessed an aura that struck fear into others.
"Bulbasaur, don't be afraid! Hold that position and use Razor Leaf!"
For a rookie trainer, being able to react in such a situation was actually quite impressive.
Unfortunately, such an effort was futile against Sneasel. Before Bulbasaur could even prepare its move, a bone-chilling Ice Punch landed squarely on its face. With a pained cry, Bulbasaur was sent flying back.
The Gym referee immediately waved the flags and shouted, "Bulbasaur is unable to battle!"
"Bulbasaur, you'll be okay." The hot-blooded youth withdrew the unconscious Bulbasaur into its Poké Ball, then pulled another one from his pocket and threw it out.
"Oddish, I'm counting on you now!"
Hisoka watched as the Oddish landed on the floating platform, unable to even find its footing. The little creature was clearly uncomfortable being surrounded by water, acting timidly and refusing to move. It was obviously a Pokémon that had been captured recently.
While Grass counters Water, too much water will still drown the grass.
This kid didn't go and capture a bunch of Grass-type Pokémon just to challenge the Cerulean Gym, did he? The scene caused Hisoka's lips to twitch slightly. While such a method was direct, one had to admit it was often effective. If he hadn't been the one guarding the gym, the three sisters might have actually lost.
The rest of the match held no suspense. Before Sneasel's overwhelming strength, the newly debuted rookie didn't have the slightest chance to fight back. Oddish was instantly knocked out. By this time, Hisoka could see the opponent was becoming emotionally unstable, but the boy bravely threw out his third Pokémon. It was exactly as Hisoka had guessed another Grass-type, a Weepinbell.
"The match is over! All three of the challenger Xiaoyong's Pokémon from Celadon City are unable to battle. Therefore, the victory goes to the Cerulean Gym!"
With the referee's final judgment, the challenge match came to an end. The rookie trainer named Xiaoyong walked out of the gym doors in a daze, clutching his three Poké Balls.
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