As an exhibition match, the goal was to "perform," making the outcome secondary. In fact, the line between winning and losing was intentionally blurred.
Still, perhaps by design, each participant used powerful moves with impressive visual appeal, especially Wallace. Although he was the Sootopolis Gym Leader, he was also trained by Adam the Coordinator, and thus his Pokémon moves had a stylish flair.
But to reduce Wallace to just a "trainer of beauty" would be an understatement. Wallace's battling skills were formidable.
After Steven stepped down from the Hoenn Championship title, it was Wallace who took his place!
Wallace held titles as the Sootopolis Gym Leader, Hoenn League Champion, and a Contest Master, showcasing his impressive abilities.
He and Steven were also very close friends.
In the first round, Steven's Aggron suffered a tough loss to Wallace's Swampert due to the type disadvantage. However, Steven's Skarmory was able to turn the tables with a "Substitute-Toxic" and "Iron Defense Dive" strategy, knocking out both Swampert and Walrein.
Skarmory even managed to set up a Stealth Rock trap that left Wallace's Milotic vulnerable when it entered the field.
When Steven's Shiny Metagross finally squared off against Milotic, it secured a clear victory.
Steven's edge over Wallace was undeniable. But Skarmory's tactics captured everyone's attention, reminding many of Johan's battle against Lance, indirectly adding to Johan's growing popularity.
After the match, both Steven and Wallace received thunderous applause from the audience, and they shook hands at the center of the arena, stepping offstage amidst the cheers.
The next match was Lance versus Lorelei.
Now, that was going to be an interesting face-off.
If Steven and Wallace's battle was a friendly spar between pals, Lance and Lorelei's was more… complicated.
To put it simply—
Lance: "Old lady, hello Auntie."
Lorelei: "Oh, look, the 'Dragon Master' using Flying-type Pokémon."
For some reason, Lance, normally calm and composed, turned into a bit of a brat around Lorelei. It was like those mischievous boys in school who pull a girl's braids just to annoy her.
As for Lorelei, the "Ice Queen," even she seemed a little rattled when dealing with Lance.
"Professor Johan."
Just as the match between Lance and Lorelei was getting underway, Steven and Wallace returned.
"This is the friend I wanted to introduce you to, Professor—Wallace, the Sootopolis Gym Leader," Steven said.
Johan had to break out of "spectator mode" for a moment and gave Wallace a warm handshake.
"I've heard much about you—the 'Artist of Water,' Gym Leader Wallace of Sootopolis," Johan said.
Wallace smiled, a warm and welcoming expression on his face. "Professor Johan, the tactics you taught Steven… well, he really beat me up with them."
Despite the words, Wallace didn't seem the least bit angry or disheartened.
"Actually," he continued, "Steven has mentioned you to me more than once. I've been hoping to consult with you but could never find the time with Gym responsibilities…"
"Oh?"
Johan initially thought this was just a bit of polite chit-chat.
To his surprise, Wallace actually reached for a Poké Ball.
"Would you mind taking a look at one of my Pokémon?" he asked.
Johan glanced around; the room was spacious enough, so he nodded. "Sure."
With a smile, Wallace released his Pokémon, cautioning, "It might be a bit rowdy… maybe even aggressive."
As the red light dimmed, a sharp, brutal-looking Pokémon covered in rough blue skin appeared in the room.
Sharpedo!
Sharpedo, the Water/Dark-type "Brutal Pokémon," was known for its violent nature and cunning. It was said that its teeth could bite through steel plates.
However, it also had a humorous nickname as the "Water-type that can't swim."
Seeing Sharpedo, Johan's brow furrowed.
This Sharpedo… it had an unusual number of scars.
True to Wallace's warning, the moment Sharpedo materialized, it appeared highly agitated. Its red eyes darted around, locking onto Johan with a fierce gleam.
"Rrrrawr!!"
Its razor-sharp teeth glinted darkly.
A Bite attack!
Wallace's expression shifted as he readied the Poké Ball to withdraw Sharpedo, calling out, "Sharpedo!"
"Ka-kah!"
Sensing the threat, Haunter, who had been lounging on the glass and watching the match with excitement, instantly materialized in front of Johan, a dark orb forming in its claws.
At the same time, Vulpix leapt out of Cynthia's lap. Though unfamiliar with Wallace, and visibly frightened by Sharpedo's menacing appearance, she braced herself to attack.
Tinkatink, meanwhile, reacted the most directly.
"Chu!!"
With a swing of her hammer, Tinkatink sprang from the sofa, aiming straight for Sharpedo's head.
Johan didn't even have time to stop her.
Sharpedo had dismissed the small Pokémon, figuring she was too small to bother with.
What a joke—she was so small, she wouldn't even be a bite-sized snack.
BAM!!
But as soon as Tinkatink's hammer connected with its head, Sharpedo knew it had made a mistake.
And a big one.
With a tremendous force, accompanied by a scattering of ice crystals, Sharpedo hit the ground hard.
Thud!
A large lump formed on its head.
"Raaawr…"
Tinkatink looked at the quivering Sharpedo, tilting her head in confusion, her lavender eyes filled with questions.
"Chu?"
Did her "Hammer Nap" fail?
She inspected her hammer and then looked down at her hand.
Her expression turned serious.
It must be… that her strength was too low.
Johan quickly scooped her up, stopping her before she could go for another swing. He signaled to Haunter and Vulpix to stand down as well.
Steven and Wallace, who had witnessed the entire episode, now looked at Tinkatink in stunned amazement.
Was this little one's strength a bit… extreme?
Steven was sure Tinkatink had only recently hatched.
Cynthia, on the other hand, wasn't surprised.
If Steven and Wallace knew how Tinkatink trained, they wouldn't be shocked either.
Tinkatink loved smashing things, so Johan arranged for her to hammer away at the sturdy snowmen Vulpix crafted every day.
This kind of training, blending passion with exercise, was the best way to maximize a Pokémon's potential.
Of course, Tinkatink also had an impressive natural strength.
Still, potential alone wasn't enough; it was the trainer's approach that made all the difference.
Sharpedo, eyes tearing up, suddenly felt something odd in its mouth and spat it out.
It was… a tooth!
"Rraaaw! Σ(дlll)"
Clink!
Tinkatink spotted it immediately. She jumped down from Johan's arms, stomped on the tooth, then casually struck a dramatic pose, looking up at the ceiling and whistling innocently.
"Chu (whistles)…"
Johan, Steven, Wallace, and Sharpedo: "…"
Did she really think that tiny foot could hide such a massive tooth?
Did she think people were fools?
Johan covered his face, picking up Tinkatink with an embarrassed smile.
"Ah… I'm very sorry," he said sincerely.
"Chu."
Tinkatink chimed in with her own apology.
Wallace seemed even more embarrassed, waving his hand dismissively.
"No, it's my fault. I thought it was ready to interact with people… I didn't realize it was still so wary. And it's currently in the middle of its tooth-shedding season, too…"
Sharpedo, glancing at Haunter, Tinkatink, and Vulpix, straightened up, nodding earnestly.
That's right—it was shedding season!
Tinkatink had merely helped knock out a tooth that was due to fall out anyway. Perfect!
Johan handed Tinkatink over to Haunter, gesturing for him to take her away.
With a chuckle, Haunter swallowed the Shadow Ball he'd been holding and led Tinkatink away.
From afar, their conversation drifted back to them.
"Chu?" (Why didn't my 'Hammer Nap' work?)
"Ka-kah~~" (That guy's tough; it's normal. Plus, you're still small, not strong enough yet.)
"Chu…" (So… is it okay?)
"Ka-kah~~" (It's fine. It tried to hurt us first! If it does it again, we'll knock out all its teeth!)
"Chu Chu!"
Sharpedo: "…"
Wallace turned to Steven again.
Earlier… did Haunter actually swallow the Shadow Ball?
Steven could only smile; he didn't have an explanation either.
These were Pokémon raised by Professor Johan. Each one unique and impressive, Wallace thought to himself.
He hadn't missed the Vulpix now back in Cynthia's lap either.
"Milotic, Life Dew."
Just then, Cynthia spoke up.
"Milooo~~"
Her Milotic materialized, waving its tail as a gentle stream of water surrounded Sharpedo. The revitalizing aura eased Sharpedo's pain immediately.
Even the missing tooth had already begun to grow back.
It really was shedding season, after all.
"This Milotic…" Wallace murmured with surprise, gazing at Cynthia's Milotic.
"Milooo~~"
Milotic immediately
recognized Johan, approaching him to nuzzle affectionately, then turned its gaze on Sharpedo, eyes blazing.
This time, Sharpedo completely surrendered.
Johan, who had seen Sharpedo's reaction when it prepared to use Bite, received a prompt in his Pokédex.
[Sharpedo]
Type: Water/DarkAbility: Rough SkinKnown Moves: Slash, Feint Attack, Aqua Jet, Leer…Mood: Defensive, Timid (Previously attacked by humans for its dorsal fin)Status: Excellent (Apart from some head pain, all is well)Friendliness: 5 (previously -30)
A timid Sharpedo? That was unusual.
After seeing the reason for its timidity, Johan finally understood why Wallace had sought him out.
At one point, Sharpedo in Hoenn had been hunted nearly to extinction due to overfishing. It was only after the League enacted the Pokémon Protection Act that their population began to recover.
As Johan studied Sharpedo with a serious expression, Wallace couldn't help but ask, "Professor Johan… Sharpedo, is it…?"
Johan stepped forward, to Wallace's surprise, and placed a gentle hand on Sharpedo's head.
"Don't worry."
[Friendliness: 15 (It senses your kindness)]
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Powerstones?
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