How should I battle Darkrai?
Blue's expression shifted between uncertainty and determination. Darkrai is a pure Dark-type Pokémon, but there are still Toxic Spikes on the field. Regardless of how he looked at it, clearing the field had to come first—otherwise, those spikes would be a huge problem, especially in critical moments when the poison could turn the tide.
Even if his opponent was a Legendary Pokémon, proud Blue would never give up! He was determined to win!
Without hesitation, Blue threw out his third Pokéball.
A flash of white light revealed Blastoise, who swiftly spun across the battlefield, its rapid rotation creating a gust of wind that blew away the Toxic Spikes before it landed in front of Blue.
"What a fierce-looking Blastoise," the Receptionist remarked with surprise. Normally, Blastoise wasn't exactly cute, but it wasn't supposed to be scary either.
However, Blue's Blastoise exuded an overwhelming, intimidating aura, its expression fierce and aggressive, almost unsettling. (This Blastoise is similar to the one from Pokémon Origins.)
"It's been very well trained," Selene observed, her eyes studying the Pokémon.
Not only was this Blastoise larger than usual, but its exposed limbs and head were impressively muscular, showing it had been trained exceptionally well.
Beep — Blastoise, Water-type, Turtle Pokémon.
Ability: Torrent.
Moves: Aura Sphere, Hydro Cannon, Iron Defense, Shell Smash, Aqua Tail, Tackle, Rapid Spin, Water Spout (egg move)…
Info: The powerful water jets it fires from its shell can pierce thick steel plates with ease.
This Blastoise was indeed strong.
On the battlefield...
"Darkrai, move closer and use Dark Pulse," Dylan ordered, eyeing the menacing Blastoise. It was likely stronger than Red's.
And rightly so—Blue prided himself on his training abilities. Plus, it had been nearly two weeks since Dylan's last battle with Red.
For most people, two weeks might not seem like much, but for prodigies like Red and Blue, it was enough time for significant progress, as both were still in a rapid growth phase, far from their peak.
Darkrai dashed toward Blastoise, black energy flickering between its claws like tiny spirits.
"Hydro Pump!"
Blue shouted suddenly.
Blastoise let out a low growl as the twin cannons on its back lit up with a bright blue glow, unleashing a massive torrent of water.
Water-type Hydro Pump!
The sheer volume of water was terrifying, as a tidal wave surged toward Darkrai.
But as the nearly overwhelming wave approached, Darkrai, expressionless, swung its right arm.
Dark energy pulsed outward, unleashing a Dark-type Dark Pulse! Boom! A massive explosion rang out as Dark Pulse tore a hole through the giant "wave," causing Blue's eyelid to twitch.
Darkrai's special attack power was incredible!
Darkrai sped through the opening it had created and closed in on Blastoise.
"Moving in close? You're too arrogant, Dylan!" Blue shouted confidently, swinging his arm.
If Darkrai had stayed at a distance, Blastoise would've struggled to land a hit, and Blue would've had to come up with a way to get close. But now, Darkrai had moved right into his trap.
"Blastoise, Body Press!"
Blastoise charged at Darkrai with ferocious power. Fighting-type Body Press! Darkrai, being a pure Dark-type, was weak to Fighting moves.
"You're the arrogant one, Blue," Dylan smirked as he saw Blastoise recklessly charging.
"Darkrai, Dark Void!"
Darkrai swiftly shifted backward, avoiding the full force of Blastoise's attack, and raised its right arm, forming a deep, dark energy ball in its claw.
Dark-type Dark Void! Darkrai's signature move.
With a flick of its arm, Darkrai launched the Dark Void toward the oncoming Blastoise.
"Wait! Blastoise!" Blue wasn't sure what this move was, but he sensed something was wrong.
But it was too late. As Blastoise made contact with the Dark Void, the sphere expanded instantly, enveloping the Pokémon completely. Now, only a pitch-black orb remained where Blastoise once stood, its figure completely obscured.
"What… what is this?!" Blue gasped in shock.
Where was his massive Blastoise? And hadn't it been in the middle of a Body Press? Even if there was a collision of moves, it shouldn't have been this one-sided. Blastoise didn't even manage to make a splash before being swallowed whole.
Dark Void: It drags the opponent into a world of darkness, putting them into a deep sleep.
"Darkrai's Dark Void is quite unreasonable, Mr. Blue. Did you really think I let my Darkrai, a special attacker, get close to your Blastoise without reason?" Dylan explained, shaking his head. As a proper gym leader, it was his duty to clarify such things for challengers—there was nothing to hide here.
Dark Void was indeed an overpowered control move. If you touched it, no matter what move you were using, it would drag you into its dark realm and put you to sleep.
The only downside to Dark Void was its accuracy.
Since it was a projectile, opponents could usually dodge it from a distance. But at close range, the hit rate skyrocketed.
As Dark Void dissipated, Blastoise's figure came back into view, but its eyes were closed, and it had fallen into a deep sleep.
"It's asleep now," Blue muttered with a furrowed brow.
Darkrai gazed at Blastoise, its eyes glowing with eerie black light.
The next moment, Blastoise's face contorted in pain as it let out a tortured cry, as if suffering from something terrible.
"What's happening now?" Blue was utterly confused, but then he remembered the rumors about Darkrai.
"Darkrai's ability, Bad Dreams, causes any Pokémon near it and asleep to suffer damage from nightmares. The longer they remain asleep, the worse the damage," Dylan calmly explained to Blue. As a responsible gym leader, he took it upon himself to educate challengers, and this was no secret.
"How nasty!" Blue's handsome face darkened.
Even sleep couldn't be peaceful around this evil Pokémon?!
"I'll take that as a compliment, Mr. Blue," Dylan replied with a bright, unaffected smile.
He was used to hearing words like "nasty," which didn't bother him in the slightest.
Blue was exasperated, but before he could think of his next move, Dylan issued another command. "Darkrai, Thunder."
Darkrai's body crackled with electric energy as a golden bolt of lightning shot toward the sleeping Blastoise.
"Return, Blastoise!" Blue's face changed, and he quickly withdrew Blastoise into its Pokéball.
The recall beam hit Blastoise just before the thunderous bolt of electricity, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Smart move," Dylan raised an eyebrow, impressed. That was fast.
"Tch!" Blue clicked his tongue in annoyance. He couldn't stand Dylan's condescending attitude, like an elder evaluating a junior, despite the fact that Dylan didn't seem that much older than him.
But there was no denying this guy was strong, and how in the world had he even caught this Darkrai? It was absurd.
"Machamp!" After pondering for a moment, Blue threw out his fourth Pokéball.
Machamp appeared in front of Blue, flexing its four muscular arms, glaring at Darkrai menacingly.
Darkrai's expression remained unchanged, its blue eyes calmly observing Machamp.
"Mr. Blue, using Machamp against Darkrai may not be the best choice," Dylan remarked, glancing at Machamp. It was a powerful and imposing Pokémon, to be sure, and it had a type advantage over Darkrai.
"Hmph! We'll see about that once the battle begins," Blue scoffed defiantly.
"I see," Dylan nodded, clearly aware that Blue had a strategy.
"Machamp, Bullet Punch!"
Without hesitation, Blue gave the command.
Machamp roared, its four fists gleaming with a metallic sheen as it charged toward Darkrai at impressive speed.
Steel-type Bullet Punch! It was a priority move.
So it inherited Bullet Punch. Now it made sense why Blue chose Machamp for this battle.
Dylan immediately understood the plan. Machamp was a beast in close combat, and all it needed was a way to get near its opponent.
Even Darkrai would have a hard time dealing with Machamp up close.
"But Mr. Blue, you've also given Darkrai an opportunity," Dylan's lips curled slightly. Blue's plan was solid, but it wouldn't work.
Machamp closed in on Darkrai, its Bullet Punches raining down with precision, giving Darkrai no room to escape.
"Darkrai, Psychic," Dylan calmly commanded.
Darkrai's blue eyes lit up with a deep, intense glow as Machamp's body froze mid-punch, its whole frame outlined in the same eerie blue light.
Psychic, a powerful control move!
Machamp's struggles came to a halt, and its massive body slowly began to lift off the ground, floating into the air under Darkrai's psychic control.
"Machamp!" Blue's face twisted in shock.
Machamp strained to break free, but the grip of Darkrai's Psychic attack was surprisingly strong.
Darkrai raised its arm slowly, and as it did, Machamp's body floated higher and higher. The strain was evident—Machamp was powerful, but controlling it wasn't easy.
Clearly, Blue's Machamp had high-level strength, perhaps even stronger than Darkrai. At level 50, Darkrai was likely below Machamp in raw power.
And this was after Dylan had trained Darkrai a bit. When he first captured it, Darkrai had only been level 41, which explained how Team Rocket had managed to catch it.
"Machamp! Use Rock Slide!"
Blue immediately shouted at Machamp.
Machamp's face bulged with veins as it roared, and massive rocks materialized in front of it. As long as there wasn't a significant power gap and the Pokémon wasn't completely immobilized by a strong psychic hold, some controlled Pokémon could still use moves.
The boulders from Rock Slide plummeted toward Darkrai.
Darkrai immediately retreated to dodge, but the Psychic control lost its effect.
"Machamp, Cross Chop!"
Machamp landed safely and immediately let out a loud battle cry as it charged at Darkrai, the two arms on its back glowing with white light in a cross shape.
Fighting-type Cross Chop!
"That's why I said Pokémon that only rely on brute strength and have nothing but muscles in their heads are the easiest to deal with," Dylan sighed softly.
Instead of retreating, Darkrai advanced. Between its claws, a black energy sphere condensed.
Dark Void!
But Darkrai didn't throw it; instead, it held the Dark Void in its claws and met Machamp head-on.
"Machamp!" Blue frowned.
Machamp and Darkrai rushed toward each other, the distance between them closing rapidly.
Five steps, three steps, one step!
Machamp's two arms suddenly swung down toward Darkrai, the howling wind as sharp as a blade, a testament to how heavy this Cross Chop was.
But Darkrai's blue eyes remained calm and unaffected. It had already predicted Machamp's attack, and its body sidestepped gracefully at close range, effortlessly avoiding Machamp's Cross Chop.
"Brick Break!" But Machamp had two more arms.
Machamp raised its head and gave a low growl at Darkrai, transforming its hands into blades and slashing horizontally toward Darkrai.
However, Darkrai was faster. The Dark Void it held in its right hand slammed directly into Machamp's face.
One move: Dark Void Rasengan!
The moment it made contact with Machamp, the Dark Void expanded rapidly, swallowing Machamp entirely.
Thud~
Machamp's incredibly muscular body crashed to the ground, and a thunderous snoring echoed through the arena.
Yes, Machamp had fallen asleep.
Blue: "..."
Watching Machamp sleep soundly, even drooling, Blue was left in a daze.
Machamp was enjoying its sleep now, but soon, under the Bad Dreams ability, it would be in agony.
No, that wasn't the point right now. With Machamp asleep and Blastoise still knocked out, how was he supposed to fight? Was he just supposed to sit and wait for defeat?
For the first time, Blue felt lost in battle. The real problem was, he hadn't taught them Sleep Talk or Snore!
Should he just give up? This battle was already over.
But wouldn't that be embarrassing? Blue pondered.
"Pfft~ That expression is so funny."
Seeing Blue's confused and dazed look on the battlefield, the receptionist covered her mouth, trying hard not to laugh out loud.
Selene was also thoroughly entertained, sneaking glances at Gary nearby. Ever since Arcanine had been knocked out, Gary hadn't uttered a word, seemingly retreating into himself.
The following battle didn't need much explanation. Blue clung to his pride and didn't immediately surrender.
Darkrai knocked out Machamp with three Psychic attacks, then took down Blastoise with two Thunderbolts and Bad Dreams.
Darkrai successfully defeated three Pokémon in a row.
"You performed excellently, as expected of my Darkrai."
After the referee announced the result, Dylan walked up to Darkrai on the battlefield, smiling as he praised it.
Darkrai's blue eyes showed a hint of joy and a slight smile as it nodded at Dylan.
On the other side, Blue stared at the Pokéball in his hand containing Blastoise, his eyes vacant and filled with disbelief.
"I… actually lost?" Blue's usually proud face now bore traces of shock.
He lost? And to a gym leader? A complete defeat.
This wasn't how the script was supposed to go…
Blue scratched his head vigorously, messing up his hair. No, this was completely wrong!!
How could he lose to a gym leader? It didn't make sense.
"It's unfortunate, Mr. Blue, you didn't manage to defeat me."
Dylan approached Blue with a smile.
Blue: "..."
"But through the battle, I've come to personally understand, Mr. Blue, your strength is remarkable, and your Pokémon are exceptionally well-trained."
Blue: "..."
Blue's face wasn't looking good. Although this was praise from an opponent, as the loser, Blue's strong sense of pride made it difficult to accept.
Noticing Blue's expression, Dylan's lips curled slightly, and a special idea came to him.
"It's no surprise that Red mentioned you. After today's battle, I can see he wasn't lying—Mr. Blue, you're indeed strong."
Blue was startled and immediately frowned.
"You know that guy, Red? Did he also challenge you?"
As expected, Blue quickly responded, having noticed Dylan's mention of Red. What kind of relationship did these two have?
"Yes, although it wasn't in this gym, I did have a battle with Red."
"That guy Red definitely couldn't beat you, right?"
Blue was certain. If he couldn't beat Dylan, there was no way Red could! Absolutely no way!
"Actually, yes. I also had a 4v4 battle with Red, and it was the first time I faced such a strong challenger. He defeated two of my main Pokémon. If it weren't for—"
"Wait a second!"
Blue, his face darkening, interrupted Dylan's 'reminiscing.' Did he hear that right?
"What is it, Mr. Blue?" Dylan asked with feigned curiosity.
"Gym Leader Dylan, did Red beat two of your main Pokémon?"
"Yes."
"That's impossible!"
Blue's expression cracked. How could that be?! He himself had only managed to defeat one of Dylan's main Pokémon, so how could that Red guy defeat two?!!
"Um… but that's the truth. You can still find the video of my battle with Red online; it was recorded."
Dylan tilted his head slightly, looking a bit troubled.
"Perhaps you've misunderstood Red? In fact, he's incredibly strong."
You don't need to tell me that, I already know!
Blue gritted his teeth. He knew very well how strong his childhood friend and rival was.
But it was unacceptable! How could he be worse than that guy? Unacceptable!
"Gym Leader Dylan! You have a Pokémon transfer machine here, right?"
"Yes, Mr. Blue, but why?"
"I have other main Pokémon stored at my grandfather's lab! Please let me continue to challenge you! I can still fight!"
"Well… it's getting late…"
"Please! I beg you!!!"
"Even though you're asking so earnestly…"
"This is a gym battle where I'm betting my dignity! Please, I beg of you!!"
For the first time, Blue was pleading so sincerely with someone, and all because of that quiet childhood rival.
(End of Chapter)