"Milotic, use Water Gun!"
"Altaria, use Sing!"
Sing is a Normal-type move. It can hypnotize an opponent and put them into a deep sleep. It is very similar to Hypnosis or other abilities that cause sleep; only the type of the move is different.
From the commands of the two Trainers, it was easy to see a difference. The styles of a regular Trainer and a Pokémon Coordinator are not the same.
Most Trainers prefer to be direct. If they can use a powerful move to defeat an opponent, they will do it. They only use complicated plans or diverse strategies when they are losing. They also use them if they cannot break an opponent's defense.
In contrast, a Coordinator's style focuses on appearance. Simple attacks are not popular. Instead, they prefer moves that are sophisticated and beautiful.
It is hard to say which style is better. They are simply different methods. As for whether these styles would create a more intense battle, one would only know after the fight ended!
Milotic opened its mouth. It fired a thick stream of water toward Altaria in the sky. Altaria used its wings, which looked like clouds, to quickly dodge to the side. It narrowly avoided the Water Gun. Then, a pleasant melody came from its beak.
However, it was different from when other Pokémon use Sing. Even though it was the same move, Lisia's Altaria performed a beautiful, spiral dance through the air while singing!
This was likely a habit from participating in Pokémon Contests for a long time. Lisia maintained this style on purpose. She wanted to keep the audience and judges mesmerized. She wanted a pleasing visual effect while fighting.
As for right now...
This might work against an average Trainer. But for Natsui, these moves had many unnecessary actions. They only allowed him to see more openings.
However, the two young boys watching from the side were very surprised. They looked up at the beautiful dance and were deeply attracted by it.
They had only seen such flashy moves on television before. They had never witnessed this at such a close distance. Also, it was the Pokémon of a beautiful idol!
Now that they were seeing it in person, they understood the shock. They saw the beauty of an "idol-level" performer!
To Natsui, these complicated and beautiful moves looked good, but they gave him plenty of time to react.
The beautiful music made Milotic feel sleepy. However, Natsui gave a simple command to "go underwater." This broke Altaria's move.
Milotic dove into the water. The cold pond water instantly wrapped around its body. It washed away the sleepiness completely.
By the time it emerged from the water again, Altaria's dance had not even finished!
It was simply too slow.
Lisia didn't mind this result. In fact, that was only a test. What came next was the real highlight!
Lisia spun in place like a happy elf. She made a cute gesture and smiled. "Well then, the blue moves and the grand performance are about to begin—with a flash!"
The End of the Street Battle
Plop!
Altaria was soaking wet. It fell heavily from the air into the water like a stone. It did not resurface for a long time. This meant that the battle in the park ended with Milotic's victory.
Milotic won, but it had serious injuries from the fight. Its beautiful scales had many marks. Its stamina was almost gone. It panted heavily because it could not fight anymore.
Lisia was a Coordinator and her style was complicated, but her Altaria was still very capable. It was similar to Drew, whom they had met recently. Both were much stronger than others of their age.
During the battle, the intensity rose. The two Pokémon were equal for a time. They fought so hard that neither could get an advantage.
Natsui's advantage was his sharp command. This allowed him to accurately choose the timing for offense and defense. Lisia also had her own advantages.
Altaria had a lot of experience. Because of this, it could judge the situation on the field quickly. It did not always need a command. It could dodge or choose to counter-attack on its own.
This was an instinctive reaction. It was much faster than a Trainer seeing, thinking, and then shouting a command! This was why both sides were able to fight at their own rhythm until the very end.
However, Natsui had a specific thought at the beginning. As Altaria was hit by more Water-type moves, its feathers became soaked. This made the Pokémon heavier. Eventually, its flying ability was limited. It lost its advantage in the air. Natsui seized that chance and ended the match with a final Water Gun.
The feathers that looked like clouds were its special feature. They were helpful, but they also caused its defeat at this moment.
"This is impossible... Lisia actually lost..."
Jintai could not accept this result. He had brought Lisia here because he wanted her to get revenge for him. He had high hopes. He never imagined she would also lose to this man!
Lisia was the idol of the Pokémon Contests. She was a very strong Coordinator! Jintai had fought her many times and never defeated her. Even some adults or Pokémon Trainers on Sootopolis Island were not as strong as her. Her "Ali-Ali" was also very powerful.
It was Lisia's strongest Pokémon! Jintai wondered if this man was really that strong.
A Drenched Bird and a Key Stone
Natsui was very satisfied with Milotic's performance. It was in poor condition, but a win was a win!
His Milotic had only just evolved. It did not know many moves. It defeated a strong opponent while performing at its maximum ability. This was a huge step forward!
Natsui saw Lisia walking quickly to the edge of the pond. He signaled his Milotic to dive down and bring Altaria up.
Milotic delivered Altaria to the shore. At this moment, Altaria looked very pitiful. It had injuries, and its fluffy feathers were completely flat because of the water. It was soaking wet. It looked like a drenched bird pulled out of a soup pot. It did not look beautiful anymore.
"Ali-Ali..."
Lisia rushed forward to check Altaria's condition. It was not in danger and had not fainted. She let out a sigh of relief. She turned to Natsui and said with admiration, "You are really amazing. I lost this battle!"
"Let's call it a draw," Natsui said with a slight smile. He shook his head. "Actually, I know you were holding back. You didn't use your full strength. If you had used that thing, my Milotic would have lost!"
Natsui looked at the Key Stone on Lisia's head. His meaning was obvious. Then, Misty, Jintai, and the other children noticed the stone on Lisia's head.
"You really know about it!" Lisia's eyes lit up. "Have you been to Kalos or other regions? Or do you have one too, just like me?"
Their conversation was mysterious. Only Misty could understand them. Jintai was confused. He thought the thing on Lisia's head was just a normal decoration.
"Of course I have one," Natsui smiled. "And I've used it before. It feels quite good."
Lisia was about to speak, but she heard fast footsteps. She turned and saw a woman in her twenties rushing toward them.
"Oh no, it's my manager!" She stuck her tongue out at them and said apologetically, "My escape has been discovered. I have to go back immediately. I also need to get Ali-Ali treated."
She said goodbye to the group. She recalled Altaria and went to meet the woman.
Lisia left, so there was no reason for the others to stay. The boys saw that Lisia had lost. They did not admit defeat out loud, but they looked at each other and walked away quickly.
Misty's Jealousy
The others were gone. Natsui was still looking toward the path, so Misty spoke in a jealous tone. "Still looking? That girl is already out of sight!"
"What are you thinking?" Natsui gave her a sharp rap on the head.
"Was I wrong?" Misty pouted. "She's pretty and she is an idol. Anyone would like her, right? Jintai and his friends wanted to protect her!"
"Hey, hey..." Natsui rubbed her head. "You don't think I'm interested in her, do you? Please, she looks about the same age as you. How could I like little girls like them who have nothing going on?"
This sentence hurt Misty's feelings! She snorted in anger and pushed out her chest. Then she looked down at herself and felt sad.
She thought to herself that she would grow up sooner or later!
Milotic was injured, so Natsui could not find more battles. He had to take it to the Pokémon Center. He wanted Nurse Joy to treat its wounds. His training plan ended for the day.
He only had five battles. He didn't reach his goal, but Milotic had grown significantly. The difficulty increased with each fight. It was slowly catching up to the rest of Natsui's team.
The Sootopolis Gym
The Sootopolis Gym is in the northern part of Sootopolis City. It is at the base of an extinct volcano. It is in the best location in the city. Because it is high, one can see the whole city from there.
The Gym Leader is Juan. He specializes in Water-type Pokémon. After defeating him, a Trainer earns the Rain Badge.
Natsui rested for a night. He arrived there the next morning to meet Juan.
Juan was a very busy man. Because of the festival, he was usually away from the gym. It was not easy to see him. A Trainer had to make an appointment or be lucky.
The Sootopolis Gym looked like a massive estate. The building was beautiful and had neat gardens. It looked like the home of a nobleman.
Natsui saw several middle-aged women waiting outside. He didn't know why they were there.
He wondered if the Gym Leader was so charming that he attracted women of that age.
Natsui and Misty walked into the gym with curiosity.
The interior was elegant. There were statues, paintings, beautiful chandeliers, and smooth marble floors. The owner had an excellent sense of style.
However, the gym was empty. They reached the main hall and looked around. They only heard the sound of their own footsteps. There were no staff members or other people.
Natsui wondered if they had come for nothing.
Then, a man's voice came from the second floor.
"Can I help you with something?"
Natsui looked up. On the second floor, a man with teal hair stood against the railing. He looked down at them. He wore a white hat, a white jumpsuit, and two green capes.
Natsui recognized him immediately. He was the former Champion of the Hoenn Region and the former Gym Leader of Sootopolis. He was a Top Coordinator and a famous man. He was known as the Prince of Water—Wallace!
This was a surprise! Natsui did not meet Juan, but he met his famous student instead.
"Sorry to bother you..." Natsui smiled. "I am here to challenge the Sootopolis Gym. Is the Gym Leader here?"
Wallace was about to speak. Then, someone walked to his side. It was a girl Natsui knew.
The girl looked down into the hall. She saw Natsui and pointed at him. She shouted in surprise:
"Ah! It's you!"
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