"Question. Is it fine to let such a rare Pokemon in public, like in the Pokemon center?"
"It's not a big deal, I mean I'm almost done with finishing the procedure and I'll leave introducing Squirtle to her teammates."
But then again, I understood why Courtney reminded me about letting Squirtle out in a place like this.
Having a rare Pokemon was guaranteed unwanted attention, which is what I am currently experiencing now.
"Wow, is that a Squirtle?"
"No way, aren't they supposed to be rare even in the wild?"
"I wish I could get one for myself! Look at that Squirtle, he's so cute~!"
… Yeah, I think I should have returned Squirtle sooner than I thought. Even he looked uncomfortable with how much people were gushing about him while throwing some looks.
But before I even did that, a loud boisterous voice suddenly echoed directly at my place, coupled with a loud thud as people were getting dispersed because someone walked through the crowds with his Pokemon following him.
"This is… could it be?" One voice spoke out loud from the crowd, causing most people to shift their eyes to the approaching teenager dressed in flamboyant clothes with his Rhydon walking alongside him. The moment his eyes gazed upon Squirtle, he widened his eyes before spreading his arms out. "I almost can't believe it with my own eyes as well, it is indeed a Squirtle!"
'Who the hell is this guy?'
I quickly turned my attention to the teenager, while also staring at the hulking figure of Rhydon who stood protectively beside him. Probably that Rhydon is his starter Pokemon, given that he let it out to be some sort of bodyguard. "What can I do for you?"
Meanwhile, Courtney was behind me, watching the guy with narrowed eyes.
"I was around in this town for a little side trip. I was on my way to get my fourth badge, that is until I heard the news about a rare water Pokemon that is in the Pokemon center." answered the flamboyant guy while flipping his hair. "Never in my eyes have I laid upon this magnificent Pokemon."
The boy said while gazing at Squirtle, who was uncomfortable at the boy's gaze. Even an idiot would notice the gaze this guy had shown to my Pokemon, which I took offense to by stepping forward to stand directly in front of my newly acquired Squirtle.
"That was nice, I am glad for the appreciation," I said with a smile. "But I think my Squirtle is a bit uncomfortable, so may I ask to keep your distance?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry about that." The boy replied to me, shaking his head with a sheepish expression. Though his tone is unapologetic as it seemed he just brushed my words away like it was a pest. "It's just once in a lifetime, as you don't get to see Squirtle anywhere in the region. Isn't that right Rhydon?"
"Don." his Pokemon nodded his head in agreement.
'Even a liar would do better to mask that suspicious look.' I mentally berated this guy but didn't say it out loud.
"Thank you for the compliment." I smiled back at him. "Well, it's nice to meet you, mate. But I gotta go soon."
"Oh no! There is no need to rush." The boy stopped me from leaving, quickly getting in front of me while Rhydon was glaring down at me. "I was just wondering, have you ever read anything about Squirtle?"
I raised my eyebrow.
'Did this guy seriously try to stall for time while asking about something trivial? And what's with this Rhydon's poor attempt to intimidate me?' I inwardly sighed at this blatant behavior.
Meanwhile, behind my back without my knowing, Squirtle immediately took a defensive stance while Courtney took out her Pokeball from her belt when they both saw Rhydon's posture.
"Not much, but I do know that Squirtle is pretty smart for his species."
"Well, it just so happens my cousin is a Pokemon professor. He specializes in water-type Pokemon, he has studied and learned lots about their habitats, even Squirtle." The boy said to me while taking a step forward. "If you want, I can trade you one of my Pokemon for your Squirtle." He takes a Pokeball out from his pocket, an ultra ball before lifting it. "My rare Pokemon for your Squirtle. I'm sorry to say that most water Pokemon don't adapt well to their environment. If you leave it to experts like me, I can guarantee that Squirtle will show its full potential under my guidance."
My eyes twitched for a second for his blatant disregard for my capability, but before I even said anything, Squirtle quickly snuggled against my hands, while cooing in distress.
Seeing that, I immediately know that if I ever let my newly acquired Pokemon on him with a shady trade, not only would I let down Squirtle by doing such a thing, but it would also get me in trouble with Wallace since it's not the matter of Pokemon itself, but it is also a matter of trust.
"Thank you for your kind offer, but I am afraid that I must refuse that," I said while petting Squirtle's head to ease him a bit. "Not to mention, this Squirtle is a gift from my mentor, it would be the same as spitting on my mentor's kind gesture to give this girl to me by trading her."
"Oh, I'm afraid I must insist." The boy's tone became a little bit darker and deeper when his eyes slowly narrowed. "How can you train a rare Pokemon without having any experience or learning anything about water-type Pokemon? They don't adapt well in the desert. They can't live one second out of the sea water and they are weak to Electric and Grass types."
I raised my eyebrow at his blatant accusation.
Not only is the idea of releasing a water Pokemon in a sandy environment already ridiculous enough, but he also said that Squirtle needs to constantly be on the sea while mentioning the basic weakness of water Pokemon only.
Good Arceus, this guy was a joke.
"First of all," I said while straightening my pose, which made me much taller than him. "Releasing water-type Pokemon in a desert, are you mad? Second, while Squirtle is a water type Pokemon, despite with his weakness, he could counter them if trained well. Also, I cannot understand why you said that Squirtle needs to be constantly around the seawater when Squirtle practically can live in any water environment and adapt quite well to land environment. If you need a direct example, look at my Squirtle. Does him have some difficulties without any water source at all?"
As if supporting my statement, Squirtle cooed loudly while swinging his tiny arms.
"Statement. What the opposite party suggests is nothing but basic information that doesn't support any of his passive-aggressive behavior to force Zale for a Pokemon trade." Courtney also added her thoughts in a rather loud voice, which drew a ruckus from nearby crowds.
"Yeah, his logic doesn't make sense at all."
"Look at how Rhydon is practically trying to intimidate the Squirtle' owner!"
"Have some manners, freak!"
The boy began to growl as the people began to insult him, I can see he wasn't the only one who was affected by this. His Rhydon was mimicking his actions, his Pokemon was becoming angrier with each second.
Same as his trainer, a complete waste of time.
"All of you please calm down! As if any of you had any studies about Pokemon!" the boy shouted out loud at the pedestrians. "And you!" He pointed at me. "I tried to be nice and offer my help to you and instead you rather hold your precious Pokemon's potential back?!"
"I don't think you can hold your word without any proof," I said calmly while holding Milotic's ball who was shaking quite violently to calm her from outright assaulting this retarded trainer. "Also, I don't think you could do that with that temper, as my Squirtle is quite sensitive with how loud you are."
As if to prove my word, Squirtle then began to chirped with an angry tone, which I can perceive that he was directly insulting this guy and his Rhydon.
"A sensitive problem you say," The boy lowered his head for a second before he put his hand in his pocket for a second and took out a Pokeball. "If reasons cannot be applied, then unreasonable means must be taken." He expanded his Pokeball to the size of a yoga ball, causing me to raise my eyebrow in surprise.
"I challenge you to a Pokemon battle! Let me show you how an elite mentality can prove themselves against a countryside like you!"
Under normal circumstances, most people would agree with the challenge of being insulted.
"I refuse."
But I am not such a person.
"What? Are you refusing a Pokemon fight?!" The boy stepped back in surprise. "But no one refuses a challenge! Why would you refuse a Pokemon fight?!"
'Is he even serious about that poor attempt to gaslight me? What kind of idiot does he think I am?' I mentally facepalmed for such an illogical question.
"Of course I refuse, it doesn't benefit me at all. You are trying to justify your action of harassing, insulting, and threatening someone to accept a Pokemon battle in your favor. Not to mention, you challenged me only to mend your wounded ego." I explained it by glaring at him.
"He's right!" One trainer yelled from the crowds. "You're just trying to bully him!"
"Are you even a Pokemon trainer!? What kind of trainer blatantly insults another trainer in public like this!"
"Get lost, idiot!"
"Yeah, just get lost!"
"Get lost!"
Upon hearing my reasoning, the crowd seemingly agreed with me, as they rained this guy with a bunch of deafening insults.
But even with overwhelming odds against him, this guy just didn't give up as he pressed his way through.
"Then how about we make a wager! Since your slow thinking about my previous offer of trade doesn't reach your bird brain, even after I challenged you in a Pokemon battle out of goodwill, then let's wage our Pokemon!" said the arrogant guy grinning. "Your Squirtle for my Pokemon!"
He then plucked the previous Pokeball from the pocket of his jacket and tossed it out to reveal a Pokemon which I didn't think he would have.
It was a small quadrupedal Pokémon with pale gray fur with a bushy tail and a large white-colored fur in her collar. Big, black eyes with long pointed ears, and a small black nose, alongside short legs with three small toes and a pink paw pad on each foot.
What caught my eye the most was the coloring.
It's a shiny Eevee.
"What do you think now? You could get this Eevee if you won against me in a two versus two match. But if you lose, then I will take that Squirtle with me!"
I narrowed my eyes, catching something weird from his wording. 'Did he seriously bet a Shiny just for winning my Squirtle?'
I also noticed that Eevee's eyes widened upon hearing what this guy just said, looked at her trainer in sheer betrayal. She didn't get any chance to protest as the guy returned her without ever bothered to heard her complaint.
This was also noticed by other trainers as well, as the protest quickly raged once again.
"That's bullshit!"
"You're trashing your relationship with your Pokemon!"
"Look at that Eevee! Her eyes showed how much she's being betrayed!"
"Let me face him, asshole! He doesn't deserve to be a trainer with that shitty attitude!"
But despite all of that, I had to commend this guy's mentality for being able to shrug off all of these jeers without even panicking.
"Shut up! If you wanted to get thrashed that badly, then wait for your turn after I finished with this countryside nobody!"
… Okay, forget it.
"Courtney, is waging your Pokemon legal?" I cannot help but ask Courtney underneath the crowd's screams.
Courtney, who didn't look happy about it, just nodded her head. "It is. Despite being frowned upon by Kanto and Johto, Hoenn mainly allowed it as long as there were officials from the league here to oversee things. Other than that, it wouldn't be legal otherwise without any league representative to make sure everything was according to the rule, including the transfer of ownership carried out without any hitch."
I frowned as I tried to think about this.
While part of me wanted to accept the challenge not just due to the shiny Eevee, it was also the matter of how I hated how this jerk treated his Pokemon like they were some sort of expendable…
But still, I also don't like the idea of betting members of my team on the outcome of a battle.
"I'm sorry but…" I was about to reject his offer, but once again the guy interrupted me again.
"What? You didn't like it? Typical countryside nobody like you always backed off when faced with a challenge from someone who had been paving his way with absolute confidence such as me!"
The guy snorted as he put his Pokeball back into his belt. "A guy like you who only got something that was merely gifted by your mentor will never understand how people like me are working hard to be a Pokemon trainer!"
'What the hell is this guy talking about?'
"I've trained for a long time with many prestigious mentors hired by my parents! Striving to be the best by spending much of my precious time learning how to be a Pokemon trainer so I can return it with achievements!"
'... Is he doing a freaking humble bragging?'
"On top of that, I've built my team from the best of the best, while also catching any Pokemon worthy enough to grace their presence in my superior team! Everything has been prepared for me so I can dominate everyone in my generation, proving my worth to be the next Pokemon champion after Steven Stone!"
'Yeah, this guy is simply losing it.'
"And even after hearing that, you believed that you're more worthy than me for having such a rare Pokemon at your disposal!?"
I sighed.
This guy was a nutcase that only thought of himself and never looked back or anyone below him.
"... Anybody knows this sassy, lost child? He seems to have wandered off from his parents."
The guy in front of me then flushed red in anger and before he started spluttering any nonsense again, I'm cutting him off.
"Joking aside, who even are you? You came out of nowhere picking a fight with me because I got Squirtle and you feel that you're entitled to it?"
"That's rich coming from you who just got a Squirtle which was handed by your mentor!" The guy retorted with an enraged expression. Even his Rhydon didn't like what I said and stomped his sturdy feet in a threatening manner.
"That's rich coming from a person with a deep pocket like you, bud. Do you think that I got this privilege because my mentor is spoiling me? Buddy, my first Pokemon was a Pokemon that people told me to release because it was a 'trash Pokemon' which I didn't do. After all, I believed in her. My mentor saw it and decided to train me alongside my starter not because I was entitled to it, but because he saw how I built chemistry with my Pokemon, unlike you who are buying your way to what you're now."
It was clear that he was spoiled like many of the other rich kids that I'd beaten before, likely never traveled a day in his life, and probably didn't train his Pokemon. And the way he talked about his Pokemon was like a necessary tool for him to rake in his achievements.
By looking at this guy alone, I am confident that I could easily beat this sorry excuse of a trainer, especially with Milotic and Red. Alas, the idea of waging any of my team even on a sure-win battle just doesn't sit well with me.
But before I tried to refuse again, suddenly I felt shaking from my belt, more specifically from Milotic's Pokeball.
"Girl?"
Another shake, which showed how much she wanted to do this Pokemon battle.
"Quirtle!"
Even Squirtle also voiced his opinion as he cried beside me with narrowed eyes while showing a bunch of hand gestures to the snobbish and then back to Me.
I arched an eyebrow "Do you want me to accept the battle?"
"Tle!" Squirtle nodded his head in confirmation.
Courtney decided to add her thoughts. "Statement. I don't think Squirtle liked how this guy was talking about you, and neither am I. People like him who treat Pokemon as if they're a tool for him to achieve his goal just don't sit well with my principle as an aspiring Pokemon professor."
Hearing that, I recalled how this guy had treated his Eevee as a mere token of exchange. And yes, I could agree with Courtney that it wasn't something a decent Pokemon trainer would do.
"... And especially Milotic," I muttered while feeling another shake from her Pokeball.
Given how much Milotic adored me, hearing someone just standing there while insulting me all day just got him on her bad side. My Milotic was pretty much a vengeful Pokemon.
Another shook from a different Pokeball almost made me spluttered in surprise, because I didn't expect that even the usually calm Red even showing a reaction.
I guess it was inevitable with this Pokemon battle.
"You know what, fine. I accept your wager," I said after a moment of thought. Which both of Milotic and Red's Pokeball shook once in response.
'... I can only pray that both shows some courtesy later in the Pokemon battle," I inwardly thought while shuddering of thinking about any chance that Red would lose his cool.
IT was downright terrifying prospect to even think about.
The guy smiled victoriously upon I agreeing with the Ante-Pokemon battle, as if he was already winning the match.
"Excellent, then how about we make this in another place since I don't want to get on Nurse Joy's bad side." The guy smirked. He said that while later leaving alongside Rhydon to the podium which is mostly used as an area for doing Pokemon battles.
Indeed like he said, Nurse Joy had been giving both of us a dark look ever since the commotion started. I guess we're disturbing the Pokemon center and it is also disturbing her from doing her job.
I didn't see any reason to deny it.
"Sounds good to me," I said while following the guy. "I hope you didn't regret this."
"Oh believe, me, I am not regretting it." The guy smiled victoriously while signaling his Rhydon for being the first battler. "Because there's nothing that could ever stop me now from getting your Squirtle."
I sincerely hope that you can keep that confidence later. Because Milotic's Pokeball just shook violently for several times.
Even I don't want to deal with angry Milotic, given her temper.
After walked a bit, we arrived on a rather spacious arena which located just behind Pokemon Center.
"Hope you are ready, 'cause you're about to get a beating of a lifetime!" the rich guy jabbed in a confident smirk while pointed his index finger at my direction.
I simply ignored his taunt.
Fortunately, I didn't need to search for any judge, since one guy is volunteering himself to be one. Meanwhile, crowds are quickly gathered to spectate the battle, with the majority hugely on my side.
"C'mon, dude! Beat that shitty guy!"
"Teach him a lesson!"
"Just clap this asshole man!"
And the guy doesn't like how many people are jeering at him.
"Shut up!" he yelled while stomping his feet on the ground repeatedly in a heated tone. "After I'm done with this nobody, you guys are next! Nothing will stop me from getting what I deserve!"
As for me, I merely waited for the commotion to be dismissed. After all, people would rather cheer for me in the end because they couldn't stand to keep trashing each other, especially with how huge this guy's ego was.
The commotion took quite a while before it finally ended with crowds beginning to cheer louder towards me, as the tension reached its peak with many people wishing for the prick to get trashed badly, evidently from the entire shout that reverberated on the entire stadium.
Unsurprisingly, the guy remained confident as he smirked as if taunting me.
"The sooner I finish this fight, the faster I can get away from these uncivilized folks!" said the guy while pointing his finger at me. "And you will be my stepping stone for my greatness!"
I choose to not respond to him, merely taking Milotic's Pokeball. "I am ready anytime."
Seeing that everything was getting underway, the attending referee stepped forward and looked at both of them before nodding as he raised his hand, "Begin!
"Choosing to ignore me huh? How uncouth," sneered the prick arrogantly while moving his eyes in disgust. "Fine, if that's how you wanted, then don't blame me if I end up thrashing you so badly! Rhydon, take the stage and bring me victory!"
His Rhydon roared as it stood menacingly with his red eyes narrowed in glee.
Unfortunately for them, both are gonna deal with unpleasant reality checks. Milotic's Pokeball is now literally shaking so badly that I could even feel the raw anger emanating from her even when I haven't released her yet.
"Milotic, do as you wish."
With that, I released my starter, who appeared in a flash of multicolored lights.
I grimaced.
From what I saw in her eyes alone, the girl is thirsty for vengeance more than I thought. Even some seasonal trainers also felt the same thing, as they flinched from the sheer rage in Milotic's expression.
"Holy shi-! That's Milotic!"
"Shit! So he's the Zale that is infamously known for having that particular Milotic?"
"Man, this guy's toast if the rumor about how protective this Milotic is true! I mean look at her eyes! It screams bloody murder!"
"Toast? You mean burnt into crisp! And the best part is, I don't even feel bad for that prick!"
"Yeah! He deserved it!"
While the crowds are both hyped and cautious by Milotic, the prick, unfortunately, has to open his mouth once again.
"Magnificent! Simply magnificent!" The guy is shaking in excitement at seeing another rare Pokemon. "Finding one is already a blessing for me, but two!? Arceus surely blesses this encounter for showing me the path to greatness! Hey you nobody! Forget about Squirtle alone, I demanded that you give Milotic as we-!"
"MILOOOOOO!"
Unfortunately for him, his words fell short as Milotic roared and unleashed a devastating Ice Beam without my order. The bluish beam went at an incredible speed towards Rhydon who widened his eyes, as he attempted to dodge it but was too slow to even move right in time, causing the quad-effective move hitting him dead-on while also causing a huge explosion.
"What the-!" exclaimed the guy while shielding his eyes from any debris that scattered across the field.
"LOTICCCC!"
And Milotic doesn't even stop yet.
She continued with gathering a huge volume of water around her, swamping its surroundings as she rode the water which now turned into a giant wave, sweeping the entire area without any mercy without even caring if Rhydon was still conscious or not. Though, I am pretty sure Rhydon would have been down from the previous Ice Beam alone.
When the smoke subsided, the figure of Rhydon was lying in the middle of the arena, eyes closed as he was knocked unconscious from getting hit by Ice Beam head-on.
Damn girl, you should cut some slack there because you are just one-shot a freaking Rhydon without mercy.
And for a while, there was silence.
Until the referee broke it by announcing the result, albeit a bit shaken by the unexpected result.
"R-Rhydon is unable to battle! Green trainer, please select your next Pokemon!"
Then, the crowd exploded.
"Holy shit! Did you see that?"
"Arceus, damn! That Rhydon got washed, hard!"
"He got sacked hard, bro! Damn! Talk about overkill with that Ice Beam and Surf combination!"
"Fuck yeah! Eat shit sucker!"
Meanwhile, the prick just stared at his unconscious Rhydon in sheer disbelief. Unable to comprehend that his Pokemon just got beaten most embarrassingly. "W-w-what just happened!?"
"Green trainer, please select your next Pokemon!" announced the referee without caring about his meltdown.
"Shut up, damnit!" the guy responded by yelling at the acting referee while clutching his hair in sheer frustration. It got another series of jeers from the crowds as they sent him dirty looks, even the acting referee looked at the prick with a dark expression.
"Damn it! It wasn't supposed to be like this! How!? How did you defeat my Rhydon easily!? You must have cheated! You're just jealous of me and then sent your parents' Pokemon instead of your own!"
'... The sheer delusion of this guy is simply unbelievable.' I mused inwardly while keeping my silence.
"MILOOOOO!"
In response, Milotic screamed while slamming her tail on the ground, creating a brief shake over the entire arena.
It took an immediate effect by shutting the prick up, which I am sort of glad about because he really started getting on my nerves the more he talked.
The acting referee decided to add a bit of salt to his wounded pride by announcing the second call.
"Green trainer! Please select your next Pokemon or you will be disqualified from the match!"
"Shut up! Shut up! Who do you think you are ordering me around like that, you peasant!" The prick took offense at that, as he yelled back at the acting referee like a crazed animal.
"Who the fuck are you telling me to shut up, prick!"
"Yeah, you are nothing!"
"Look at Zale, man! He has such a strong Pokemon that can intimidate this prick! I am so jealous yet I didn't envy him because he got it on his own!"
"Man, wish I had a Milotic on my own so I can use it to order assholes like this bastard to shut up!"
"Yeah, like you had luck finding one!"
"What do you say!?"
The prick didn't like how crowds were jeering and mocking him, but before he even retaliated, this got him another loud slam from Milotic's tail, which freaked the shit out of him, and to the crowd's joy.
Huh, I haven't done anything yet, but it's like the entire situation is akin to a block of dominoes falling apart one by one on the prick, damaging his pride and arrogance even further.
Yet I didn't feel bad for him.
He deserved that after trying to steal my Pokemon.
"Green trainer! Last warning or I will disqualify you for real! For your information, I have an official license to do so! Be glad that I didn't outright disqualify you from your previous attitude!" the acting referee yelled for the third time, and this time he went to threaten the prick.
Oh, that was new. Glad I got an official referee to backing me up.
Gnashing his teeth in frustration while tears began to flow from his eyes, the prick then recalled his Rhydon. He glared at me with a hateful expression, as he took another Pokeball that I noticed for its design.
It's an ultra ball.
"I am trying to be nice, by asking politely for what is rightfully mine…" the guy growled with teeth gnashed, as he quickly threw the ultra ball into the open air. "But enough is enough! I will show you the proof of an elite by my ace Pokemon!"
The ultra ball unleashed a brilliant flash of light engulfing a Pokemon stored inside of it. As the light subsided, I was greeted by something unexpected.
It is an avian Pokemon with a prominently bluish color and slightly black on the tip of its wings. His beak and feet are gray colored, with sharp, black talons that are nearly as big as my arms. The avian's red eyes are observing his surroundings while later gazing at Milotic with a calculative look. Realizing this opponent needs to be taken seriously.
"A Corvisquire, no-" I narrowed my eyes at the unusual size of this Pokemon and quickly realized that it had the same thing that Red had. "-it's an Alpha Corvisquire."
The prick sneered at my sentence. "Good to know that a peasant knows about the elite's Pokemon. But unfortunately, this is the end of your stupid charade! As my Corvi will end your pathetic Milotic who dared to threaten me with her brutish behavior!"
The crowd is astonished by the unexpected Pokemon that the arrogant prick has.
"Holy shit! An Alpha Pokemon!"
"This is the first time I've seen one!"
"Look at the size of this thing! It's as big as his final stage of evolution!"
"Statement, the size is 0.2 meters smaller than a regular Corviknight."
I sweatdropped at the last reaction, knowing exactly who was talking.
Hearing the crowds made the prick smile arrogantly, as he enjoyed every single of their reactions. "Yes, this is what you guys are supposed to do! Praise an elite one like me with this elite Pokemon!"
But as soon as they began to praise the arrival of the Alpha Corvisquire, it also quickly disappeared as someone from the crowds yelled loudly about something which I immediately knew what she was talking about.
"Hah! It may be a big bird, but it cannot be compared with Zale's Gargantuan Red Gyarados!"
Immediately after that, the crowd's opinions quickly shifted.
"Wait, that is real? I thought it was nothing but a mere baseless rumor!"
"Surely you jest! I've seen that beast by myself! And this bird is nothing compared with that monster!"
"Dude, I remembered that time! I almost pissed on my pants seeing it myself! It was so big that its mouth probably could swallow several people at once!"
"Hey, Zale! Bring out your Gyarados! Show him the real Alpha!"
"Yeah, show us Red!"
"Red! That's a fitting name for that monstrous Pokemon!"
"Yeah, he's right! Bring us the Red one!"
"Bring us Red!"
""""Bring us Red! Bring us Red! Bring us Red! Bring us Red! Bring us Red! """"
The roaring voice of the crowds flocking to the arena has now begun to overwhelm the entire section. The sheer hype and adrenaline from the crowd this time was enough to completely deafen even me and the prick, who looked confused by the sudden cheers. "What's going on with these guys!?"
'... Dammit, I cannot back off from this…' I thought in a grimace as the people were hyping about Red's appearance.
Even worse, I felt another shake from my belt. Which directly came from Red's Pokeball as if he agreed to participate after hearing about these crowds.
'... Should I use him?'
"Milo!"
I looked at Milotic who stared at me with a serious expression which was unusual for her. It took me immediately to realize that even She also agreed with the crowds, which completely took me off guard.
"Are you sure about this?"
Milotic nodded, eyes filled with the same desire as the crowds.
To crush this guy completely, and mentally. Destroying his pride and ego to pieces until nothing remained.
I smiled wryly and simply obeyed her request as I returned Milotic to her ball while taking Red's Pokeball from my belt. Seeing that, the crowd is exploding in a sheer frenzy that I didn't think would be possible in this moderated-size arena.
"He's gonna bring it out!"
"Yeah! Show him the true monster!"
"Man, I am shaking right now, damn it!"
I smiled Even though I never liked crowded places, let alone being the center of attention like this.
It was not a bad feeling at all.
As I released the Pokeball, the entire place was covered by a brilliant flashing light in an enormous size.
The light subsided and the gargantuan form of Red took a huge section of the entire arena. Showing his glorious form to the world, who responded to his arrival with an incredible display in the form of a hyped crowd that screamed at the top of their lungs upon seeing the visage of Red I didn't think that humans could be capable of producing such an incredible scream.
"IT'S HUGE!"
"Damn it! It's freaking monstrous like the rumor said!"
"Holy shit, it exists! This size of a Gyarados exists!"
""""Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red!""""
Unlike the crowds who were hyped beyond belief for Red's appearance, the thing happened oppositely to the prick, as he was scared shitless which showed how sweat poured from his rapidly paled expression.
But on the other hand, I found an interesting sight.
Unlike his trainer who is frozen in fear at the sight of Red. The Alpha Corvisquire gazed at my Gyarados with such intensity. It even began to squeak several times at Red, who responded in a dignified manner.
Red then looked back at me. His huge eyes stared at me as if he wanted something so that I could get a bit of gist about what he was trying to convey.
"You wanted to fight him by yourself?" I asked Red.
Another growl and a nod are the replies I got from Red.
"Why?"
He then growled and nodded his head several times, much to the confusion of the crowd.
All except for me.
I understood what he meant even if he didn't explicitly explain it. He wanted a fair fight, against a fellow who also shared the same evolution as him. Even though he knew that Corvisquire was way weaker than him, he still accepted it regardless.
Having a gigantic Pokemon like him begged to be allowed to fight another Pokemon in such a manner, that I couldn't even refuse it.
I nodded at Red, who nodded back gratefully, as he turned his gargantuan head to meet face to face against the opposite Corvisquire, who squawked in glee.
"W-what are you doing Corvi! Get back in this instant!"
The prick's plea fell deaf ears, as both Alphas were preoccupied with their clash, clearly wanting to test their strength against each other without caring about any orders.
"Damn it! You're my Pokemon and I am your master, so listen to me!"
"He is no longer acknowledging your order, not in this battle at least," I cut in, interrupting the prick who looked at me with an enraged expression.
"Who do you think you are!? Daring to interrupt me like that-"
"Doesn't matter whatever you say or how many insults you speak, it will not change anything for this battle," I replied to him indignantly, which upset him even further as he began to spew numerous insults which I ignored, as I rather focused on the battle between two Alphas.
It was a battle of those who were bearing the status of the strong one.
They battled to prove their dominance against each other. Proving their status as Alpha with or without their trainer's permission
They didn't even wait for the referee to begin the fight, as Corvisquire immediately went for the first move by spreading his wings, launching a razor-sharp Air Cutter made by a single flap towards Red, who responded by opening his mouth, launching a huge blast of Flamethrower.
The intense heat quickly dispersed the Air Cutter, as it went straight towards Corvisquire, who quickly maneuvered and dodged it.
Corvisquire launched himself forward, blitzing at a breakneck speed as its body began to glow in white light. Before Red could even respond, the Aerial Ace struck directly at his chin, making him growl in surprise.
Opening his huge maw, a dark glow of Crunch is about to swallow Corvisquire whole, but not before he suddenly disappears, before striking Red again, this time on his lips, which leaves a tiny scratch mark. Red tried a different strategy by gathering a huge volume of water in his mouth, before spewing condensed water directly into Corvisquire. But, the sheer speed of Corvisquire once again helped him dodge the Water Pulse in an instant.
But much to Corvisquire's apparent shock, he didn't expect Red's gigantic body to suddenly crash at him, as my Gyarados successfully hit the agile Corvisquire with a simple, but devastating tackle. That doesn't deter the black bird's vigor, as he quickly whipped his wings repeatedly to gain his momentum back from Red's surprise attack.
Corvisquire then looked as if he began to repeatedly swipe his claws together, creating some sort of blackish aura surrounding his body.
'He's using Hone Claws,' I observed Corvisquire's movement, recognizing the status buff move. 'He realized that he doesn't have enough strength to dish a decent amount of damage against Red, so he opted to increase his strength, not bad at all.'
Finished with his preparation, Corvisquire then moved.
No, it's like he just instantly appeared in front of Red, whose eyes widened as he couldn't react in time when Aerial Ace suddenly slammed against his body. And this time, Red growled, feeling the pain from Corvisquire's assault.
Corvisquire didn't let his momentum go, as he quickly flew at even greater speed to the point where his visage was nothing but a black blur that repeatedly struck my Gyarados with a couple of Aerial Ace. Every time Red was about to retaliate, Corvisquire quickly dodged due to his smaller size, then struck back at the area where Red's blind spot was, employing hit-and-run tactics to wear the red serpent down.
But his tactics didn't last long enough, as Red quickly engulfed himself with a swirling purple cloud of energy as he spun around several times, which I recognized as a Dragon Dance. The energy then shoots up from the ground surrounding him, empowering him while knocking Corvisquire backward due to the amount of energy.
The gray bird switched his position by maneuvering above Red, trying to get some distance from his opponent.
Unfortunately, it was a bad decision on his part, as Red looked upward, spotting Corvisquire around several meters away from his place. Red then engulfed himself in a torrent of spiraling water, as he moved his gigantic body which was covered by Waterfall, straight towards the unsuspected Corvisquire. The bird managed to dodge the red serpent who suddenly lunged towards him without any warning, but he was not prepared against the second wave when during the last second the serpent's gigantic body passed him, much to the crowd's disappointment.
But what happened next completely threw people's minds away.
To the crowd's disbelief, Red suddenly turned back with incredible ferocity, tearing the winds apart as Red's gigantic body launched downward with terrifying speed, which was quickly followed by a sickened crack and a pained screech as Corvisquire got slammed by Red's nearly one-ton gargantuan body, as his damaged body hitting the ground, which made dust and smoke cover the entire arena.
"Holy shit, that's nasty!"
"Damn, Red ain't hold back on that one!"
"Fucking hell dude! He just literally moved his gigantic body nearly 360 degrees at the exact moment to slam that bird with Waterfall! Calling this beast incredible doesn't even match what he just did!"
As the smoke and debris slowly subsided, the crowd looked in amazement that the impact from Red's latest attack had created a huge crazing crack in the middle of the arena, where Corvisquire's silhouette lying in the middle of it, groaned in weak chirping sound as his body is completely battered, unable to move at all.
Seeing that Corvisquire was unable to continue any further, the referee then announced the result. "Corvisquire is unable to battle, the winner of this fight is Red Trainer!"
"This cannot be happening!" the prick yelled in despair, but his scream went unnoticed as the crowds once again exploded with my complete victory against him.
"Take that prick!"
"Don't you dare to run from the wage, shithead!"
"Yeah, give him your Eevee, it's part of the agreement!"
"Shut up! This battle is rigged! He's cheating for now using Squirtle! I didn't owe him anything!" The prick tried to deny it vehemently.
But under pressure from the crowds who jeered him with slurs and insults for being unsportsmanlike, alongside the acting referee who also warned him that he would take this on the official records, he couldn't do anything but glare at me hatefully.
"Fine then," The prick stomped his foot in frustration, snarling under his breath before he returned his fallen Pokemon. He then took his Pokeball, tossing it towards me "Take him! Like I care about losing a weakling like him! Don't think I'll forget this!" he hissed before walking off angrily.
But before he could even leave the arena, suddenly one of his Pokeballs opened up without any warning, and a figure of another Pokemon appeared, glaring at the prick with a livid expression.
"Cro! Croconaw! Conaw!"
It was a bipedal blue crocodilian Pokémon with rounded jaws with visible two fangs on her yellowish lower jaw, with a yellow-and-blue pattern around its chest. Her eyes were red with black markings around them. She had three clusters of red spikes on her body with different shapes on her head, back, and tail.
And she was completely livid.
"W-what is the meaning of this? Why did you suddenly get out of your Pokeball without any permission and yell at me like this!" said the prick impatiently, clearly annoyed that his Pokemon showed such behavior.
"Crow! Cro! Conaw!" Croconaw didn't care about her trainer's complaint as she pointed at me, specifically at Eevee's Pokeball which was currently on my hand, while repeatedly pointing her finger at the prick.
"Is this Croconaw… close to Eevee?" I wondered in a low voice.
A sudden shake emanates from Eevee's Pokeball as if he answered my question.
"Oh, I didn't realize that you were hearing me," I replied Eevee while releasing him from his Pokeball. "The situation is kind of a mess, but I guess I am your new trainer."
Eevee looked glum, but she still managed to smile back at me.
"Sorry for you to be the victim of your previous trainer's arrogance, I didn't want to take you away from him, but both of my Pokemon kind of forced me to go with it."
Eevee shook her head, while still smiling.
"You… are used to getting abused by him," I said while looking at him with a forlorn expression. Even Courtney, who rejoined back at my side, was understandably shocked, as she looked at the prick who was currently arguing with his Croconaw with disgust.
Eevee only smiled back at me, as if answered my question.
"I see," I nodded while smiling at him. "I know we're just meeting each other, but I promised that I would treat you fairly like I did with Milotic and Red," I said to reassure him, only to get a protest from Squirtle who went back to my side. "Yeah, you also included Squirtle."
This cheered my newest water Pokemon as she glomped at me affectionately much to my amusement.
Eevee, who saw the whole scenery, seemed to sigh in relief as she spoke softly while getting closer to me with a big smile on his face.
"What are you doing Croconaw!?"
But while I was enjoying this moment with my two newest Pokemon, a sudden shriek from the prick made me turn my attention back at him, who was now looking at the broken Pokeonll on the floor while literally screaming bloody murder at his Croconaw, who showed nothing but resentful towards her trainer.
"Telling. That Croconaw just suddenly broke her Pokeball after a heated argument with that prick. I must say that Croconaw deliberately broke it to free herself from it, while also severing her ties with that man."
I looked at the whole scene in disbelief.
And even more when the Croconaw, who is now without a trainer, suddenly approached me pointing at himself then pointed back at me. "Croconaw! Cro! Naw!"
"Statement. She wanted you to capture her. I'm guessing he's upset because his friend is being taken away from him as a bargaining tool."
"W-wait a minute! Y-you cannot do this to me! I am your trainer, Croconaw!" The prick yelled frantically as he took another Pokeball from his belt and then threw it towards the strong jaw Pokemon, who unsurprisingly decided to break the Pokeball before it even touched him, much to the prick's hysterical cry.
"Zale, please accept her sincere request. Croconaw is a Pokemon who's notoriously loyal to her trainer. For her to be disobedient like this is showing how much loyalty she has for his friend Eevee."
I looked at Eevee who was beside me.
She looked back at me with an expression that begged for me to take Croconaw. Squirtle even asked me softly by nudging my clothes while pointing at the Croconaw who looked at me with a hopeful face.
Heck, even the crowds now began to voice their agreement with Courtney, as several of them even stepped forward to block the prick from throwing another Pokeball, much to his further desperation.
"You're not stepping any further from this, prick!"
"Zale, hurry up and bag that Croconaw from him!"
"Damn it, I am jealous that you got two additional Pokemon easily like that! But I'd prefer you took both of them than this asshole!"
I know that technically, I didn't do anything wrong by taking Croconaw to be my Pokemon, as she left on his own. But I still feel bad about taking two of the guy's Pokemon, as I feel like I crippled his team even further.
But then again, I knew that these two were inseparable.
And it would be very cruel for me to separate them like this when they're this close.
With that, I made my decision.
Taking my empty Pokeball, I gently offered it to Croconaw, who looked at me gratefully, as she pressed the capturing button, allowing herself to be captured without any resistance, much to the prick's anguished shriek for losing another one of his Pokemon to me. But once again, his despaired shriek fell deaf ears as the crowds once again exploded, cheering at me. Some even jumped forward and quickly restrained him when they saw him about to leapt toward me.
"You can do this to me! That's my Pokemon!" The prick screamed hysterically as he was getting dragged by the security from Pokemon Center along with a couple of people from crowds.
"Justice has been served!"
"Yeah! Good job Zale!"
"Save those Pokemon away from this prick!"
I sighed. Trying to ignore the crowds as I gently welcomed both of my newest additions to the team by releasing Croconaw back.
"Welcome to the team, both of you."
A smile from Eevee and a sharp bow from Croconaw is the answer from both of them.
-To Be Continued-
Author Note: Another chapter down
Same rules as before, this fic is decided by roll and votes, so I can pick Pokemon in Hoenn available later for the vote.
Another chapter down. And trust me, this is probably one of the cringiest chapters I've ever made, but also one of the most satisfying ones for me.
Feel free to woe me, this young master deserved nothing. Boohoo!
Anyway, Zale is finally doing his first battle (Sweep), and also gained two additional Pokemon which also gives him a good coverage with Ghost/Poison and Flying/Fighting at once.
Anyway, leave me some review for making me a happy guy.
Next update will be dropped soon, And hopefully I can write Valiant for real this time. I hate family drama, for real.
Well, I guess that's it.
See you in the next chapter.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Due to a slight change of plan in where I want to bring Dripping Dice, Now Fortune of the Seas to be a Mono Water and with some consideration, I've decided to replace Lapras, Gastly, and Hawlucha with Squirtle, Eevee, and Croconaw. I am sorry if this decision may caused some disappointment, but this was much better than releasing or writing them off.
Thank you for your kind understanding and once again, my apologise for this circumstances.
Milotic
Gender: Female
Type: Water
Height/Length: 8.8 M
Weight: 220.4 Kg
Ability: Marvel Scale
Move: Rain Dance, Aqua Ring, Toxic, Life Dew, Dragon Dance, Protect, Disarming Voice, Ice Beam, Water Pulse, Surf, Mist (Egg move)
[Red] Gyarados (Alpha/Shiny)
Gender: Male
Type: Water/Flying
Nature: Calm
Height/Length: 30 M
Weight: 15.680 Kg
Ability: Moxie
Moves: Rain Dance, Rest, Tackle, Waterfall, Fly, Bite, Flamethrower, Water Pulse [New], Ice Beam [New], Protect [New], Dragon Dance