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On the battlefield, Shelly's opponent faced a unique challenge: a floating Sharpedo.
To clarify, it wasn't flying—it was suspended in a swirling cloud of water, hovering mid-air. The water current enveloped Sharpedo, allowing it to move freely even outside its aquatic environment. This technique was a vital skill for fish Pokémon that couldn't naturally traverse land.
However, mastering this ability required exceptional water control, which most trainers cultivated through training moves like Water Sport. At Dragon University, combat department freshmen were introduced to these techniques as part of their military training. Even aquatic Pokémon like Sharpedo would hone this skill to enhance their water-flow control and amplify the power of their Water-type moves.
Similarly, moves such as Mud Sport could help Pokémon practice controlling Ground energy. This was why Chris didn't stop Tyra from playing in the sand at the beach. In fact, he encouraged Garchomp and Steelix to join in, seeing it as beneficial for their training—even if Tyranitar, a non-Ground-type Pokémon, wasn't exactly practicing in the traditional sense.
Garchomp: (▼Ware▼#) "Only kids play with sand!"
Tyranitar: "Sand? Where? (☆→☆)"
On the battlefield, yellow sand swirled chaotically. Tyranitar towered over its surroundings, its immense size forcing it to duck slightly to avoid scraping the ceiling. Chris found himself reflecting on the drawbacks of having such a colossal Pokémon in battle.
Shelly smirked, her confidence apparent. "Heh, Tyranitar? Against my Sharpedo, all you can do is tremble in fear!" She laughed triumphantly. With Water being strong against Rock, the advantage seemed to be hers.
Chris, however, slowly typed a "?" on his PokéNav.
He observed Shelly's Sharpedo—LV47—and then glanced at his own Tyranitar—LV55.
"Who gave you the confidence to taunt me?" Chris muttered. "Was it a singer? Or just Attribute matchups?"
"Sharpedo, use Surf!" Shelly called out, making the first move.
The water surrounding Sharpedo erupted in a powerful surge, merging with streams that burst forth from beneath the floor. Within seconds, a towering blue wave, over three meters high, rushed toward Tyranitar with immense force.
"Earthquake," Chris commanded with calm ease.
Tyranitar glanced down at the oncoming wave, then at Sharpedo. It raised its muscular right leg and stomped lightly on the ground.
"BOOM!!!"
The Earthquake reverberated through the battlefield, cracking the ground and sending shockwaves rippling to the walls. The entire Weather Institute trembled as though it might collapse at any moment.
A professor observing the battle looked on in horror. "Please! Stop fighting here! I'll answer all your questions—just don't destroy the building!"
But neither Shelly nor Chris paid any attention.
The shockwave tore through the battlefield, breaking the water's momentum and slamming into Sharpedo. The force launched the Water-type into the air before it smashed against the wall, leaving a deep dent.
[Defeated Sharpedo LV47. Tyranitar gained 3387 experience points.]
Chris returned to his room afterward, leaving Shelly stunned. The battle had been decisively one-sided: despite Sharpedo's Water-type advantage, it had been defeated by Tyranitar's Earthquake, a Ground-type move. The match was simple, direct, and entirely one of domination.
"That's it?" Chris raised an eyebrow, disappointed. He had been expecting Shelly to follow up with a higher-level Water-type Pokémon, perhaps something above LV50. But instead, she had only used a single LV47 Sharpedo.
"So, are you looking down on me?"
Shelly glared, gritting her teeth in frustration.
"As expected of someone even our leader respects!" she snapped. "I'll let you go this time, but next time, you'll pay for offending Team Aqua!"
With that, Shelly and her Team Aqua members fled the scene in a rush.
Chris casually dug his ears. That line Shelly had thrown at him—"I'll let you go this time"—sounded oddly familiar.
"Wasn't that exactly what Tabitha from Team Magma said last time?" he muttered to himself. "I'm starting to think both of your organizations downloaded the same 'villain dialogue pack.'"
With the Team Aqua defeated, Chris strode forward to greet the Professor.
[Chris: Professor, I've driven the bad guys away. Everything's fine now.]
The Professor, however, looked anything but relieved. His face twisted in frustration as he surveyed the wrecked walls and floors.
[Professor: YOU are the biggest villain here!]
Chris blinked. "???"
With a reluctant sigh, the Professor handed Chris a Poké Ball.
[Professor: Here, this is your reward for helping me. Now take it and get out of here before you cause any more damage.]
He motioned for Chris to leave, his eyes darting mournfully to the battered walls. It was clear the Professor was suppressing the urge to cry.
"Should I just have the place redecorated?" he mumbled under his breath. "Or would it be better to tear it down and start from scratch?"
Chris pocketed the Poké Ball and inspected its contents.
[Pokémon: Castform (Normal)]
Level: 30 Ability: Cloudy and Sunny (changes form and type based on the weather) Stats (IVs): HP (15), Attack (15), Special Attack (15), Defense (15), Special Defense (15), Speed (15) Moves: Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Hail, Weather Ball Held Item: Mystic Water
Chris's eyes lit up. Castform was an exceptionally rare Pokémon with no fixed habitat, appearing sporadically worldwide. Its unique ability to adapt to the weather gave it unparalleled versatility. Depending on the conditions, it could change its type to Fire, Water, or Ice, aligning with sunny, rainy, or snowy weather respectively.
This made it an ideal Pokémon for weather-based teams.
Chris studied his current lineup. While it was centered around Sandstorm, he entertained the idea of experimenting with Sunny Day and Rain Dance strategies in the future.
"Let's see… Groudon for the sun, Kyogre for rain... it could work." He smirked at the thought of his own weather-trio lineup.
Unfortunately, there was a catch.
"This one's stats aren't great," Chris noted. All its individual values were fixed at 15—decent but far from perfect.
"What a shame." He frowned. "Even if I replay the battle with Shelly, the Professor will still give me a Castform with the same stats. And if I remember correctly, you can only get this Pokémon from the Weather Institute in Hoenn. For better stats, I'd need to go hunting in another region."
After a moment's thought, Chris shrugged. "Well, it'll do for now. At the very least, it can serve as a handy weather tool. Besides…" His tone softened as he tucked the Poké Ball away. "Listening to the sound of rain every now and then sounds kind of nice."
With the Castform secured, Chris left the Weather Institute and headed toward Fortree City.
On the way, he encountered a familiar face—Professor Birch.
Their eyes met, and for a split second, neither moved.
Chris could feel the tension in the air.
Chris, Danger.