While Kurishimi had Pokémon capable of swimming and fighting underwater, Chad only had Pokémon that could battle on land. Some of his Pokémon might be able to defend themselves in still water, but for the most part an ocean battle would be near useless unless Wooper was able to battle in salt water as well as the fresh. To that end, Chad had brought his newest Pokémon acquisition along with him in case he found danger. It wasn't a water Pokémon, but based on the beating he'd received during the attempted capture he was quite certain it could fight back well enough to push away any attackers just long enough for them to reach the shore. It would be better than watching Nidorino struggle against the water currents with his stubby legs anyway. First of all he'd need to find a Pokémon to lure to the shallows where he would have a fighting chance.
He found a group of the crab Pokémon Krabby in a few places, but each group also had at least one Kingler for protection so he backed off from those prospects. He considered a clam Pokémon named Shellder for a moment before realizing it wouldn't be a Pokémon he could rely on to help him in the water, much less be an effective battler on dry ground. Just when he was about to give up he saw a white Pokémon further out that was swimming by itself. It had a short fat tail which could have been a fin and a dopey face with a single short horn on its head. It could have been an obese mermaid if that was possible. He quickly swam after it until it went down to weave between the rocks among the sands. Chad wasn't sure whether it had seen him yet, but it was the best Pokémon he'd found so far. After coming up for air he went back down to look for it among the rocks. He had to resurface a number of times before he found a tail resting on the ocean floor. It looked much different up close than it had farther away. For one thing he'd thought the tail had two separate fins on the end whereas this one was a single fin with a blue separator in the middle. This fin was also much thinner and very large, but Chad just assumed it was his fault for not noticing details very well and misjudging distance. He grabbed the tail and tried pulling the Pokémon out of its hiding spot in victory. His victory was short-lived however. The tail thrashed suddenly, throwing him up and almost to the surface of the water. He swam back up the rest of the way for a breath then looked back down to spot his find and only then did he realize how big of a mistake he'd made.
This definitely wasn't the Pokémon he was looking for. This one was a huge sea serpent covered in hard blue and yellow scales across its body. Its face conveyed fear with a frightening glare and a large fanged mouth. In the earliest days of Pokémon categorization it was among the top three Pokémon for size and weight, but was still considered so dangerous today that it was frequently named as a natural disaster instead of just a normal Pokémon. It saw Chad instantly and began swimming up toward him. Chad panicked and broke the surface again before swimming as quickly as he could to shore.
He noticed there were still some people on the beach so he called out to warn them. "Gyarados!" he yelled as loud as he could. Most people heard him and looked up to see him frantically swimming toward the shore just before the head of the Gyarados broke the surface of the water and roared loudly. The reaction of the people was instantaneous. After the initial screaming some people grabbed what they could before running back to the city. Others didn't bother to grab anything, opting to just outrun the others. Ponyta and Bulbasaur who were still on the beach began to run away on impulse, but quickly turned back to wait for Chad.
The distance was much too far to cover given how close behind him the Gyarados was. He looked back to see the Gyarados head coming down on him with a tackle attack. He sharply turned to the side before it hit and avoided the impact, but his leg scraped against the steely scales of the serpent which mangled some of the skin on his leg causing Chad to scream in pain. The attack also caused a strong current to push him further to the shore, but it still wasn't enough. He kept on swimming, but quickly grew tired and his shredded leg severely reduced his speed as the salt water burned his wound. The Gyarados roared again before firing a dragon type twister attack from its mouth. The small tornado launched Chad high into the air and toward the shore. As he fell headfirst toward the water he closed his eyes in bracing for the impact before he felt something tighten around his waist and yank him to the side. He opened his eyes to see Bulbasaur's vines set him down on the shore while his Pokémon sighed in relief. He thanked them then looked out at the ocean to see the Gyarados coming after him at top speed.
Unlike most other ocean dwelling Pokémon, Gyarados could move across land in much the same way as a snake. Fortunately the beach was empty of civilians now, but Chad only had a minute at most before Gyarados would be on the beach for battle. With no other apparent trainers in sight and with Kurishimi and Akuma gone, it was up to him to stop the Gyarados before it destroyed the city. He had a full team of six Pokémon with him which meant he was as ready as he could be at his experience level. He quickly went over his options in what little time he had.
Nidorino was currently the strongest and most experienced Pokémon he had on hand. If he could poison Gyarados early in the battle it would give him a big advantage in the long run. Bulbasaur was a grass type so it would be resistant to any water attacks Gyarados used, but as the youngest member on his team he couldn't rely on it too much or Bulbasaur would quickly be exhausted. Pidgey was the weakest battler he had and he almost didn't consider using it. However because it was a flyer it might be able to use pester attacks to draw away Gyarados's attention from the ground attacks. Because Gyarados was water and flying typed he could definitely rely on Elekid for very effective attacks. Surge had also trained with them earlier that day to assist with Elekid learning the shock wave attack which ensured a guaranteed hit every time. Ponyta, being a fire type, would probably be outmatched early in the battle. He could use Ponyta's agility to avoid Gyarados's attacks since it was probably after him primarily and with his wounded leg there wasn't much he could do on his own either. As to his final Pokémon, he wasn't sure how to use it yet. Based on its frenzied attacks from the day before though, he could expect it to be a nuisance attacker at the right time.
In all honesty there probably wasn't much he could do if the opponent was at a much higher battling level than he thought. If nothing else he could at least keep it occupied until help arrived from his companions or inside the city. This would probably be a stall battle like he had done with Akuma before they left Saffron City. To begin the battle, he called out Nidorino and Pidgey. He commanded Pidgey to fly ahead and use a gust attack to slow it down while Nidorino and Bulbasaur stood out in front. The Gyarados snapped at Pidgey with a bite attack until Chad called it away for later. When the winds finally died down enough, Bulbasaur fired a leech seed toward Gyarados though it missed every time. Chad would either have to slow it down or attempt a sneak attack to ensure a hit. Because they had waited until the winds calmed before using the long range attack, Gyarados has closed the distance significantly in that time. Based on its speed and distance Chad estimated fifteen seconds at that pace before it reached the shore. He climbed up on Ponyta so he would be ready to run if he had to.
Now Chad had Nidorino move forward to strike at the first opening it got. Chad released Elekid to give Nidorino support just as Gyarados fired at twister at their location. Upon impact, Pokémon flew everywhere. Before the dust settled Chad called out for Elekid to use the shock wave attack on Gyarados. Even though everyone's vision was initially obscured the electric attack headed straight for Gyarados and caused it to stop its advance on the shore. Taking the opportunity, Bulbasaur again used a leech seed and this time it was successful in taking root around Gyarados's neck like a collar. Gyarados tried in vain to get rid of the plant by thrashing and biting until it was struck again by Elekid's thundershock attack. With the Gyarados stunned and distracted Nidorino moved in for a horn attack. When the attack connected Nidorino clung to Gyarados and struck it repeatedly with its poison barbs until Gyarados was poisoned which happened just before Gyarados shook it off. Chad recalled Nidorino in midair then placed the poké ball back on his belt to conserve its energy and health until Gyarados came onto land. Not wanting to risk Bulbasaur's vines getting caught in Gyarados's bite all Chad could do now was wait until it came ashore. He could continue to fight back with Elekid's electricity, but if Gyarados withdrew too far into the ocean the electric current could course throughout the water and hurt the Pokémon under the surface. Unfortunately for Chad's team, Gyarados were more dangerous in close combat than they were at long distances.
Taking a chance, Chad hurled his last poké ball in the Gyarados's direction as hard as he could. As the poké ball started to fall it opened up and the Pokémon inside kicked the ball back down to Chad before latching onto Gyarados's face. It was a familiar Pokémon to Chad mostly because of the strategy Akuma had used to fight one with his former Nidoran. It was the pig monkey, Mankey.
When it had a good grip on Gyarados, Mankey began to furiously scratch at its face with unbridled energy. Chad sighed in relief when he saw that the Gyarados couldn't easily shake off his Mankey. In addition to the attacks, Gyarados's health was also being steadily drained by the poisoning and leech seed effects. Depending on its constitution the battle might not last for too much longer, or so he thought. His mind changed when Gyarados used its tail to slap Mankey into the water. Not one to be defeated so easily, Mankey swam so fast toward Gyarados it looked as if it was crawling on top of the water, then climbed up its back and dexterously avoided the attacks from Gyarados while it clawed away at the beast.
"Okay, new plan, new plan, new plan, we need a new plan," Chad said hurriedly to himself. When Gyarados finally dislodged Mankey it would knock it away and then head straight for the shore or just skip the middleman. He tried hard to remember what Akuma had taught him when facing larger opponents.
All Pokémon, no matter their experience, have potential. You only need to learn how to draw it out.
Learn about your Pokémon and you can use their uniqueness to gain the advantage in any battle.
Trainer ingenuity plays a part in winning.
If you can't hold your own against a Gyarados, wild or otherwise, your best bet is to just run from dragons.
A dragon Pokémon? Gyarados wasn't a dragon type, but it was strong enough to fight on equal terms with dragons. Akuma had fought at least one dragon Pokémon before and it seemed to have left a major psychological impact on him. Chad wanted to be the very best trainer in the world, not second or third best. If Akuma could beat a dragon, then he could take down a Gyarados. It was decided then. He would pull the Gyarados onto the beach and bring it down in victory!
"Okay Pokémon, listen up!" he said to his teammates after calling out Nidorino and Pidgey once again. He made sure to speak loud enough that Mankey could hear him too. "We seem to be the only trainers able to keep this dragon from the city at the moment so we're going to have to fight until we drop it. We're not going to fall back into the city because that Gyarados will not cross this beach. We are going to fight as hard as we can because we won't be expecting any help from Kurishimi, Akuma, Surge, or anyone else. The seven of us are going to bring him down together!"
Chad's Pokémon gave various cries of agreement, then Pidgey, Bulbasaur, Elekid, and Ponyta flashed a brilliant white as energy began to surround their bodies. At first Chad thought their enthusiasm was giving them a burst of energy, but then he remembered the same thing had recently happened to his Nidoran.
"No way, you're all evolving at once!" he exclaimed.
Chad was right. Bulbasaur grew to the same size as Nidorino and the bulb on its back partially opened to reveal a closed flower bud. Ponyta also grew, but this time was much larger then Chad. She sprouted a horn on the top of her head and the flames of her mane and tail grew more intense as well. Unsurprisingly, Pidgey grew as well. The tuft of feathers on its head grew out wildly while its wings became stronger and more muscular. As expected, Elekid also shot up in height, but more so than all the others. It continued to grow even after the others had finished until it was a head taller than Chad. Its once weak arms were now muscular and electrical energy coursed across its arms to its strong fists. Elekid also sprouted a distinguishable head with electrical nodes on top. Chad and Nidorino couldn't stop staring.
"Okay so, let me figure this out," Chad started after his Pokémon had finished their evolutions. "Bulbasaur is now Ivysaur, Pidgey is now Pidgeotto, Ponyta is a Rapidash, and Elekid is a…."
"Electabuzz!" his Pokémon finished for him.
"Right, this is going to take a bit to get used to it seems. Okay… everybody, attack Gyarados. Watch out for Mankey though!"
Gyarados and Mankey had stopped their scuffle to watch the rare moment until the various attacks began. Electabuzz used a thunderbolt, Ivysaur fired a razor leaf, Rapidash unleashed a fire spin, and Pidgeotto darted in close for a quick attack. Mankey panicked as it tried to avoid the attacks. Most dodges were successful until some of Ivysaur's razor leaves sliced dangerously close to Mankey, causing it to lose its grip on Gyarados. Pidgeotto quickly swooped in to catch its teammate then proceeded to bring it atop Gyarados's head where it could attack more easily. Not willing to be outdone, Nidorino fired a weak long distance poison sting attack from the spines along its back. The damage was minimal, but would have an effect in the long run.
Chad was sure he would win the battle and drive Gyarados away until the serpent turned toward him and his beached Pokémon with sudden determination. With new fury, Gyarados reared back as a ball of energy grew outside the front of its mouth. Chad sensed this attack would be even more brutal than the twister attack Gyarados seemed to favor up to this point. Fearing the worst, Chad recalled Nidorino, Pidgeotto, and Mankey since they were the most vulnerable. He then commanded Electabuzz, Ivysaur and Rapidash to use their strongest attacks at full power before Gyarados could attack as well. Gyarados was bombarded by powerful attacks just before its own attack went off. A swirling ball of energy rushed towards Chad's Pokémon at high speed. Chad was able to hurriedly recall Ivysaur, but Electabuzz and Rapidash were struck by the powerful dragon rage attack resulting in all three being tossed away like rag dolls.
After the attack, and in addition to his leg being badly wounded, Chad could hardly stand up anymore. He found it very hard to breathe as well and when he tried to get up he found that he'd broken one of his ribs. Adding insult to injury, the Gyarados had reached the shoreline and was advancing across the beach toward him. In his condition, Chad couldn't get away and couldn't breathe well enough to call for help. He noticed however, that despite the powerful attacks and its resiliency to damage the Gyarados was still taking damage from the effects of poison and the leech seed collar. Since he'd been fighting with all six Pokémon at once and was still taken down in the way he was, Chad couldn't help being impressed by the Gyarados's power.
"Okay you," he said to the beast that towered over him, "I'll admit that you're without a doubt the toughest Pokémon I've ever encountered, aside from those Akuma trained of course, and I certainly know that I'll probably never be able to defeat you. Despite this, I will ensure that you do not reach the city even if I'm permanently damaged." With those words Chad released Ivysaur, Mankey, Pidgeotto, and Nidorino between the two of them. "Ivysaur, restrain it with your vine whips. Pidgeotto, stop its progress and wound its accuracy with a sand attack. Mankey, climb up and strike any weak point you can find where the others cannot reach. Nidorino, you do what you do best. All of you bring this beast down."
Pidgeotto and Mankey quickly did as they were commanded. Gyarados was quickly blinded by Pidgeotto's continuous sand attacks while Mankey used karate chops on Gyarados's weak points between its scaled armor. Nidorino ran around and over Gyarados's tail end, attacking any target it could find with various attacks from horn attack and double kick. Ivysaur wrapped its vines around Gyarados's head and pulled it down to the ground hard. From further off, Electabuzz and Rapidash used thunderbolt and fire spin respectively in their weakened states. Chad expected Gyarados to resist, but it was too weakened to do so. However, it was not weak enough that it couldn't attack. Even as it laid crumbled on the beach another dragon rage began to take form from inside its mouth. Chad was too hurt to move and his Pokémon couldn't help him away in time without risking being caught in the blast. Finally he was pressed to use his last resort.
"I was hoping to use this to catch a strong water Pokémon someday in the future when I bought it in Saffron, but I suppose you're better than any water Pokémon I'll ever come across." So saying, he pulled out an aqua green colored poké ball with a black pattern on it; a net ball. It was a specially designed poké ball meant for catching water and bug type Pokémon more successfully. Before Gyarados could fire the dragon rage, Chad weakly threw the poké ball against its body and the sea serpent was sucked inside quickly.
Despite the higher capture success the poké ball had a hard time containing the viscous creature. It shook violently while Chad stared it down along with his Pokémon while Rapidash helped Electabuzz over to the group. All of Chad's Pokémon were tense as they waited for the poké ball to complete the capture. Based on the tenseness of his friends Chad knew that if the Gyarados should break free his Pokémon would instantly attack it without waiting for a command. He was grateful for their willingness since he was too exhausted to think anymore, much less command his Pokémon in battle again. Finally their efforts were rewarded as the capture light faded and sounded the capture tone. Chad sighed with relief and a smile as the poké ball faded away, teleporting to its storage containment, just before he lost consciousness.
Kurishimi walked silently up the beach with her Vaporeon toward the boy and his Pokémon. After she'd surfaced she had to swim around to a place where the Gyarados wouldn't see her to join the battle successfully as well as hide the dome fossil away from prospectors. However, when she saw how efficiently Chad had been able to hold his own she stayed back and let him fight the battle alone. When the first dragon rage attack struck, she'd rushed in to help but Chad subdued the serpent in his weakened state and had managed to capture it before she arrived. Chad's Pokémon noticed her approach and allowed her to approach him willingly except for Mankey who was comically kicked away by Electabuzz before it let her come closer. She checked the boy's wounds and determined they weren't overly severe before a gust of wind sounded from behind her. She knew it was Akuma with his Fearow and that he'd watched the whole battle.
"You were late to step in this time," she said without turning around.
"For once I agree with you entirely," Akuma told her without coming closer. His distance was also encouraged by Chad's Pokémon who stared at him suspiciously. Most of them hadn't met the veteran just yet while the rest knew of his less than sympathetic nature.
"You could've stepped in at any time though, but you kept your distance."
"That I did."
"You could've stopped both of those dragon rage attacks too I bet."
"I tried, but I miscalculated my distance," Akuma replied. The tension between those present was almost visible from being so thick.
"Why didn't you step in to help him like you helped me with the Camerupt?"
"For the same reason you kept your distance, I'm sure."
"For the same reason, or more than you're letting on?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're still upset by dragons, aren't you?"
"I am, but that's not why."
"You just wanted to watch him battle?"
"I did."
"No other reason?"
"Just the one, as you said."
Kurishimi sighed to herself. "He's broken at least one of his ribs. His leg is also very badly wounded. We need to get him to a hospital quickly."
"Let me take a look," Akuma said, though it was more toward Chad's Pokémon than Kurishimi. He stepped closer and looked over Chad's leg carefully. "This is bad. His skin is cut halfway to the bone. He needs medical attention immediately or he'll lose his leg. We can't walk him to the hospital; we need to teleport him or fly him there. Do you have Abra with you?"
"Yeah, I've got it with me." Kurishimi released Abra as she spoke.
"Good. I picked up your gear and the boy's before I came over. Use Abra to teleport him to the hospital. Pokémon, you'll need to go inside your poké balls now. Abra can only teleport one other individual at a time. Abra, when you're finished come back for the rest of us."
Vaporeon, Fearow, and all Chad's Pokémon retreated quickly into their poké balls while Chad and Abra vanished into the air. After two more trips Akuma and Kurishimi rushed Chad into the emergency care center.