The young man who had previously tried to speak poorly of Sabrina, although somewhat relieved at not being punished, would probably have fainted from fear if he had known that Sabrina was standing right beside him at that moment.
In fact, Sabrina had intended to punish the insolent young man, and if it hadn't been for Umbra's intervention, she definitely would have shown him what it feels like to be turned into a doll.
Although she refrained for now, Sabrina didn't forget the young man's face. Women tend to hold grudges.
...
Cain assumed that the young man named Azure standing before him was the same person the others were mentioning. This blue-haired young man, dressed in a jacket of the same color, was the one blocking his way.
Reflecting on the League's annual tournaments, Cain remembered that very few trainers managed to earn the Saffron City gym badge, as it wasn't an easy feat. It's likely that those who did earn the Saffron City badge did so in Sabrina's absence, achieving a stroke of luck.
In fact, most trainers preparing for the Pokémon League competition tended to skip the Saffron City Gym.
"If you want to enter, you must defeat me first," said Azure, looking calmly at Cain.
He, too, sensed the faint psychic energy emanating from Cain. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered to speak to him.
"Let's do this," replied Cain, looking at the Kadabra beside Azure.
Pokémon: Kadabra (Green)
Gender: Male
Level: 27
Type: Psychic
Ability: Synchronize
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Barrier, Thunder Punch
Basic Moves: Kinesis, Teleport, Confusion, Disable, Psybeam, Miracle Eye, Reflect
Learned Moves: Gravity, Snatch, Ally Switch
TM Moves: Protect, Shadow Ball, Light Screen
The system, though slowed by the data analysis task, showed no delay in scanning the Pokémon's data.
All of Kadabra's information appeared before Cain's eyes.
Kadabra is the evolution of Abra and the pre-evolution of Alakazam, a pure Psychic-type Pokémon. Among Psychic-type Pokémon, Kadabra and its evolutionary line (Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam) are known for their immense talent.
If a trainer possesses psychic abilities and works in tandem with a pure Psychic-type Pokémon like Kadabra, the effect in battle is much more than the simple sum of its parts.
Although Cain had Murkrow and Sneasel, Dark-type Pokémon that could be immune to Psychic moves, Kadabra is one of those Pokémon that can innately learn the move Miracle Eye, which significantly reduces the Dark-type advantage.
The move Miracle Eye allows Psychic moves to affect Dark-type Pokémon.
Therefore, the advantage of Murkrow and Sneasel as Dark-types isn't as big as it might seem.
The crowd surrounding them gradually dispersed, leaving a suitable space for the battle.
Azure stood firm at the entrance, clearly expecting Cain to defeat him before being allowed in.
"A one-on-one battle. My Pokémon is this Kadabra," said Azure, indicating he would only use Kadabra in this battle.
Cain nodded, understanding the rules.
Throwing a Super Ball, Sneasel appeared on the field after a flash of red light.
Seeing the Dark and Ice-type Pokémon, some of the spectators laughed.
"It's true that Dark-type Pokémon are strong against Psychic-types, but do they really think Kadabra is just any Psychic-type Pokémon?"
"Another fool who thinks he can beat a Psychic-type just by having a Dark-type. Azure will teach him what true Psychic Pokémon power is."
Azure frowned upon seeing Sneasel on the field. His sharp perception allowed him to sense that Sneasel's presence made him feel uneasy.
From a corner, Umbra and Sabrina also observed Sneasel.
Umbra smiled and commented, "This boy has had some luck recently. This Sneasel has good potential."
"Bah, he's just a fool with luck. His psychic ability is pathetic, and after so much time, he hasn't shown any improvement. He's no different from a Muggle," replied Sabrina disdainfully, clearly unimpressed with Sneasel, especially since it's a Dark-type Pokémon.
"Ahem..." Umbra coughed, reminding Sabrina that she was right beside someone she herself would call a "Muggle."
Far from feeling embarrassed, Sabrina gave a satisfied smile.
...
Ignoring the comments around him, Cain remained calm, waiting for Azure to be ready.
He's not someone to act impulsively. He wasn't about to change his choice of Pokémon just because others looked down on him. Why not take advantage of an edge when you have it?
Gradually, the crowd quieted down, observing Cain's calm stance, clearly showing no intention of switching Pokémon. With that attitude, their only option was to watch the battle.
Some were right in saying that Kadabra, having mastered the move Miracle Eye, wasn't incapable of harming Sneasel. Furthermore, Kadabra wasn't limited to using Psychic moves.
Cain hesitated between using Murkrow or Sneasel but ultimately decided on Sneasel.
First, because Sneasel's level was slightly higher than Murkrow's. Kadabra was at level 27, and although Sneasel was at a disadvantage, it wasn't as much as Murkrow.
Additionally, Kadabra had a green aptitude, which meant Murkrow wouldn't have a significant advantage. With the Miracle Eye move, Murkrow could be at a disadvantage against Kadabra.
Furthermore, Cain had planned to dedicate time in the near future to strengthening Sneasel in battle. After all, Sneasel had been recently caught, and the synergy between trainer and Pokémon was not yet optimal.
Both were ready, and the battle began.
"Sneasel, Agility," Cain commanded.
"Kadabra, Miracle Eye."
Facing a Dark-type Pokémon, the priority was to use Miracle Eye; otherwise, any other move would be useless.
Kadabra held its spoon in front of its chest, creating a shining sphere that emitted a multicolored light. A beam of light shot out from the sphere, illuminating Sneasel.
Although Sneasel didn't seem affected, for Kadabra, the unsettling aura had disappeared, and now it felt that its Psychic moves could be effective.
"Sneasel, Hone Claws."
Since Kadabra had allowed Sneasel to power up, Cain wasn't going to waste the opportunity.
Using Miracle Eye was inevitable for Kadabra, as dodging the beam was difficult. So Cain decided to make use of the available time to enhance Sneasel's speed and attack power.
(End of chapter)