"Brr I know this place is called Ice Path but it is freezing down here"
Togetic hovers to my shoulder shivering
"I'd go back in your ball Toge, you'll be warmer in there" I say before returning her
Since her evolution she had spent a lot of time outside of her ball, she would flutter in and around the environment before returning back to my shoulder. She had also won 4 battles since including being part of the team that had beaten Pryce to get my seventh badge. His Piloswine had been a pain taking out Typholsion and Togetic after they had beaten his Seel and Sneasel. Feraligatr had then come in and dealt with things effectively. On large the team was doing great, the three starter were all pretty powerful while Sudowoodo, Lapras and Togetic had been picking up important wins. There was only one issue and that was Chinchou. Since I had caught it, it had only managed to pick up one win even though it had participated in 10 battles. I had originally planned to use it against Pryce's Seel but due to its poor record I had chose Togetic over it. It had been tough, Chinchou wants to battle but it just getting it to be consistent is the issue, its move pool is also pretty shallow. Dazzling Gleam and Discharge are good moves however I wanted to replace Whirlpool and add a fourth move.
"This might be a good place to try it out again, it cold so the air might help" I mumble to myself as we come out onto an icy open area of the path
"Chinchou come out!"
I throw its ball up and It flashes, Chinchou appears and plops down on the floor. It look around to spot me before beginning to hover with it electricity, it floats over and calls out happily.
"Hey buddy, do you wanna do some training on Icy Wind?"
"Chin!" It calls out happily
I nod and it moves out into the open space
"Okay so like before, it says the easiest way to master the technique is to focus the cold energy similar to how you focus your water for those attacks, where do you focus that"
It shakes its to lanterns on its head
"Okay lets try that then, I want you to focus your water energy there like how you use Whirlpool"
It nods and closes its eye as it lanterns glow a deep blue
"Now stop and focus on the cold let the water turn solid"
"Chin…." it mumble in concentration
It focuses hard and a small orb of water appears, it warbles and contorts before beginning to freeze over
"Thats it" I mumble feeling my eyes light up
"Holt there!" comes a shout, it disrupts Chinchou as the orb falls to the floor
I turn around full of anger before being caught off guard by the person shouting. Standing at the opening of the path is a tall man, he stand on wooden sandals and dressed in a deep blue kimono. I can see on his waist is a wooden kendo sword in a hilt which has 3 Pokeballs adorned on it.
"Uh who are you?"
"Are you the Master Dustin!?" He shouts to me
"Depends on whose asking" I shout back as Chinchou hovers over to me
"I am Inuzaki, of the water clan. I have come to find the trainer Dustin"
"That is me" I say confidently
"You! You who was the victor in the latest Whirl Islands tournament, the one who beat the magnificent Lotus in combat with a disgusting electric type too" He says grabbing his hilt
"You will battle me, I will win back the honour of the water clan" he says pointing it at me
"Chin Chin!" Chinchou calls out aggressively
"Uh Chin I'm not sure on this" I say after scanning his trainers profile
He a very high level Water type trainer from the whirl islands, he more accustomed to the senior battle scene but he seems determined to battle me
"Okay, lets do this" I shout to him
I shuffle over to the far side of the cavern as Inuzaki takes up his position, Chinchou hover over following me as our opponent takes a ball from his hilt. He throws it up and emerges is his Pokemon
"Azu!"
The familiar figure of Azumarill emerges roaring out toward us, Chinchou flinches a little
"It okay Chin, we'll beat them together" I say giving it a thumbs up, it call out happily in response
"Azumarill, lets ground these into the cave wall, Play Rough!"
Azumarill hand glows pink and it flies forward
"Block it Chinchou, Discharge!"
Chinchou lights up and fires off streams of electricity but Azumarill deftly dodges and slams it in the face sending Chinchou crashing to the floor, it pulls itself up groggily
"Are you okay?" I shout as it shouts back in confirmation
"Azumarill, dig down!"
Azumarill jumps up before burrowing down into the icy floor
"Okay Chin, floats up so it gives you sometime to dodge"
It nods before floating up high
"Azumarill, Superpower!"
The flurry of rocks are fired up from the ground, they pepper Chinchou who attempts to dodge before it hit square and sent flying into the ceiling. Azumarill then pops out as it ears glows a bright red
"It used it ears?!" I shout
"There no way you can defeat my Azu, she is the peak of a battler, Azumarill Liquidation!"
"Chinchou dodge get out of there!"
Chinchou attempts to dart away but Azumarill is too fast hitting it fully sending Chinchou flying down to the floor in front of me
"Chin!" I shout anxiously as it lies still on the ground
"Ha, you are defeated, to think such a weakling could defeat Lotus, perhaps she was feeling the pressure on that day" He laughs while Azumarill mirrors him
"Chin its okay, I believe in you" I murmur to Chinchou as it pulls itself up
"Young man, you should quit I hate the electric types but I don't wish to cause pain to this little weakling"
"Hey! Chinchou not weak, he as strong as the rest of my team, it may not have shown it as much as it would like since we partnered up but I believe in it. It can win this!"
Chinchou manages to hover upwards before roaring out in retaliation
"A pitiful roar of a losing competitor, Azumarill Bulk Up!"
Azumarill glows white as it body seems to plump up
"Chinchou, now the time, you gotta use Icy Wind"
"Chin" it looks round confused
"Just trust me okay?"
It scowl changes to a smile and it nods, it focuses its bright yellow lanterns changing to icy blue
"Finish it Azumarill, Liquidation!"
Azumarill glows bright blue and flies forward
"Wait for it let it pool" I shout as Azumarill comes forward
Chinchou lanterns becomes solid blue and it eyes flash open
"Now!" I shout
Chinchou lanterns smack together bringing forth a huge blast of ice cold wind, it contorts and washes over the oncoming Azumarill freezing it completely solid.
"Azumarill, break yourself free!"
Azumarill stays still stuck completely in the ice
"Now Chinchou, use Discharge but fire it into the ceiling!"
Chinchou glows bright yellow and slams stream of electricity into the ceiling which rains down rocks onto the field, it pummels Azumarill who is partially broken out of it icy prison
"Now Scald!"
Chinchou fires off a huge stream of boiling water that pummels Azumarill sending it flying out of the ice and into the rocks on the floor. Azumarill pulls itself up but is enveloped in flames as it is burnt
"No, how dare you burn my Azumarill"
"Chinchou lets show who is the real weakling! Finish this up with Discharge!"
Chinchou lantern glow bright as it then enveloped in the light. It warbles and contorts in shape before emerging as its evolved form
"Lanturn!"
"You evolved, that's amazing, well then give it all you got Discharge!"
Lantern's whole body crackles with yellow energy before it sends a single bolt flying toward Azumarill who is hit directly, it fires it target before ending, Azumarill is left slight singed before falling to its back unable to go on
"You did it!" I shout sliding out and jumping on Lanturns back
"Azumarill how could you be defeated!" Inuzaki snarls before returning it to its ball
"This isn't the last you have seen of me Dustin, I will defeat you next time" He shouts before rushing off, I can hear the clacking of his wooden sandals off into the distance
"What an asshole" I mumble to myself as Lanturn floats around happily
"Great work Lanturn, that was amazing, you master Icy Wind and evolved, this is great. Especially seeing as Blackthorn is next and we will be facing off Oscar soon"