Chapter 10: First Battle
The scene changed once again.
This time, it showed the battlefield inside Cerulean Gym. However, the person standing on the field was not Misty, but Raina.
Raina’s long orange hair hung loosely behind her, and her expression was far more serious than one would expect from a child her age.
Standing opposite her was a boy several years older, wearing a disdainful expression.
"Are you sure you want to battle me, little girl? I already have two Gym Badges."
Raina nodded.
"I’m sure."
"Don’t start crying when you lose."
"...You’ll only receive the Cascade Badge if you defeat me."
The boy scoffed.
"Then don’t blame me for what happens."
Raina took a Poké Ball from her waist and threw it onto the field.
"I’m counting on you, Wartortle!"
A flash of red light appeared, and a Wartortle noticeably larger than average materialized on the battlefield.
The moment Wartortle landed on one of the platforms floating across the pool, it quickly adjusted its stance. Its gaze remained calm and steady.
The boy opposite her also threw a Poké Ball.
"Let’s go, Jolteon!"
A well-trained Jolteon landed on another floating platform. Its fur stood on end as countless tiny currents of electricity crackled across its body.
The boy grinned confidently.
"I prepared thoroughly for this match. Jolteon, use Quick Attack!"
Jolteon transformed into a streak of yellow lightning and rapidly dashed between the platforms, moving so quickly that only afterimages remained.
"Wartortle, use Protect!"
Wartortle crossed its claws before its chest, and a pale-green barrier formed in front of it.
Jolteon slammed into the barrier with a dull bang and was thrown backward. It flipped through the air before landing on another platform.
"Not bad."
The boy snorted.
"But how many times can you block it? Jolteon, use Charge!"
Electricity surged around Jolteon, growing increasingly intense as it gathered power.
Raina frowned.
After using Charge, Jolteon’s next Electric-type move would become twice as powerful. If Wartortle took the attack head-on, it would be severely injured even if it did not immediately lose the ability to battle.
"Wartortle, withdraw into your shell! Use Rapid Spin!"
Wartortle quickly retreated into its shell and began spinning rapidly across the water. However, instead of charging toward Jolteon, it circled the outer edge of the battlefield.
The boy froze for a moment before shouting:
"Jolteon, ignore it! Use Thunderbolt!"
Jolteon raised its head as the electricity surrounding its body gathered above it. A thick pillar of golden lightning erupted toward Wartortle.
"Use Water Gun on the pool beneath you!"
Wartortle poked its head out of its shell and fired Water Gun directly into the water below.
The attack struck the surface, instantly creating a curtain of water.
Thunderbolt crashed into the water curtain. The powerful electrical current tore the spray apart, but failed to hit Wartortle.
"What?!"
The boy’s eyes widened.
"You can’t win a Gym challenge by relying entirely on a type advantage," Raina said calmly. "It doesn’t matter how powerful your Electric-type moves are if they can’t hit their target."
The boy gritted his teeth.
"Stop talking! Jolteon, use it again—"
"Wartortle, use Ice Beam!"
Wartortle opened its mouth and fired an icy-blue beam across the surface of the pool.
Jolteon leaped aside, but Ice Beam struck the floating platform and instantly covered it in a layer of ice.
The moment Jolteon landed, its paws slipped, causing its body to stagger.
"Now! Use Water Gun!"
The stream of water struck Jolteon head-on and launched it backward into the pool, soaking its entire body.
"Jolteon!"
The boy panicked.
"Are you all right?"
"Now that it’s soaked, it’ll have a much harder time controlling and aiming its Electric-type moves."
Raina took a deep breath.
"Wartortle, finish it! Use Water Pulse!"
Wartortle turned and whipped its blue tail forward. A rotating sphere of glowing water formed and slammed heavily into Jolteon.
Jolteon was sent tumbling backward, its eyes turning into spirals.
"Jolteon is unable to battle! Wartortle wins!"
The referee’s voice echoed across the battlefield.
The boy recalled Jolteon. The disdain had long since vanished from his face, replaced by frustration.
He remained silent for a moment before finally walking over to Raina.
"You’re strong. I lost."
Raina smiled softly.
"You were strong too! I could tell that your Jolteon has been trained really well. It should be capable of performing much better than it did today."
The boy froze before smiling as well.
"Are you trying to comfort me?"
"I’m not just comforting you. I really mean it!"
Raina spoke earnestly.
"Your Jolteon is extremely fast. If this battlefield hadn’t restricted its movement, Wartortle might not have been able to hit it at all."
The boy looked into her eyes and confirmed that she was not merely being polite.
He nodded.
"Thank you for the advice. I’ll come back and challenge you again."
"Okay! I’ll be waiting!"
[VIP Chat Group]
[Ash]: She won! She defeated a Trainer with two Gym Badges when she was only eight years old! That’s incredible!
[Brock]: It certainly was. Did everyone notice how clear her strategy was? First, she used the water curtain to block the powered-up Thunderbolt. Then she used Ice Beam to freeze the platform and restrict Jolteon’s movement before finishing it with Water Pulse. She gave her opponent almost no opportunity to react throughout the entire sequence.
[Gary]: Hmph. It was acceptable, I suppose. But that challenger was far too weak. Did he really think he could win just by relying on his type advantage? Give a Trainer like that ten Badges and they would still be useless.
[Ash]: Hey! Do you have to be so harsh? He was taking the battle seriously too!
[Gary]: What good is taking it seriously if he refuses to use his brain? Effort without thought is nothing but brute force.
[Ash]: Who are you calling brute force?!
[Gary]: Whoever responds to it.
[Misty]: Both of you, shut up! This is a battle taking place in my family’s Gym! Could you show some respect?!
[Misty]: Still... Ahem. Raina did battle quite well.
[Daisy]: Oh my, Misty. Are you praising your own daughter?
[Misty]: Daisy!
[Violet]: All right, all right. We’ll stop teasing you. But seriously, for an eight-year-old child to execute tactics and combinations like that would make her an undeniable prodigy in our world.
[Lily]: That means it’s only natural for her to inherit Cerulean Gym later, doesn’t it? Misty, this is the perfect opportunity for Cerulean Gym to reclaim its former glory~
[Misty]: You three...
[Lorelei]: Wait. Did any of you notice how little time passed between each of Wartortle’s moves? It reacted almost the instant Raina issued a command. That means the understanding between them has already reached an exceptionally high level.
[Bruno]: Exactly! That is trust! Absolute trust between a Pokémon and its Trainer!
[Lance]: Bruno, must you relate everything to trust?
[Bruno]: But that’s exactly what it is! Look at Wartortle. It never hesitated for even a second. Whatever Raina told it to do, it immediately followed her command. That kind of coordination cannot be developed through training alone.
[Professor Oak]: The bond and understanding between a Pokémon and its Trainer truly require a great deal of time and affection to develop. Wartortle has accompanied Raina since she was four years old. After spending so many years together, they must have formed an exceptionally deep emotional bond.