"Venusaur, use Petal Dance!"
Pink petals drifted through the air, but as they touched the Gyarados' scales, thick vines suddenly sprouted from them. Venusaur had hidden Leech Seed within the swirling petals. These seeds, light enough to travel with the wind, latched onto the Gyarados and began vigorously draining their stamina.
Weakened and drained, the group of Gyarados eventually slumped into the lake one by one, creating massive ripples across the surface.
"These Gyarados are too common; they don't have enough value to justify a capture," Feng Che remarked, shaking his head. Each trainer was limited to only three Park Balls. Wasting them on Gyarados would lead to a mediocre score. He judged their potential by the texture of their scales—most were older specimens with little room for growth.
"This part of the lake is dominated by Gyarados. I should try another area."
Gyarados are notoriously territorial and aggressive; where they nest, few other species dare to linger. Feng Che decided to head deeper into the lake's perimeter to seek out rarer targets.
As he walked, a thick mist began to rise over the water. Through the haze, several elegant silhouettes flickered on the lake's surface, accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful melody.
This mist can block psychic detection, Feng Che noted. But judging by that song... it must be Milotic. The World League really lives up to its name, keeping such rare Pokémon here.
Milotic is the evolved form of Feebas, achieved either through reaching maximum beauty or by using a high-level Milotic scale to trigger its bloodline.
Suddenly, Feng Che's foot kicked a small pebble, which clattered softly against the rocks. The singing stopped instantly. He heard several splashes as the silhouettes dove beneath the surface. When the mist finally cleared, a palm-sized, iridescent scale was left floating on the water.
Using his telekinesis, Feng Che retrieved the scale. It was breathtakingly beautiful, shimmering with a rainbow of colors under the sunlight.
If I could capture a Milotic, my points would skyrocket, he thought. But they are incredibly timid. Once startled, they vanish into the depths. He decided not to pursue them for now, trusting in fate.
Walking a few steps further, the terrain opened up, and a majestic Samurott appeared before him. It seemed newly evolved, as its shell armor wasn't yet fully hardened. Long white whiskers extended from its snout, and a spear-like horn sat atop its head like a helmet. Its forelimbs were armored with seamitars—scallord swords—which it used with lethal precision.
This Samurott radiated the aura of an early Elite-level Pokémon.
"A worthy opponent. Go, Alolan Ninetales!"
The graceful ice fox stepped forward, its paws clicking softly against the earth. The Samurott lowered its head, letting out a low growl to intimidate the intruder. Ninetales responded by exhaling a flurry of Icicle Spears, freezing the Samurott's limbs to the shoreline.
With a surge of strength, the Samurott shattered the ice. Enraged, it drew its scallords and lunged with Razor Shell, moving with surprising speed. Ninetales tilted its head just in time; the blade of water sliced through several century-old trees behind it as if they were paper.
"Those trees are incredibly tough. For a Razor Shell to cleave them so easily... this Samurott is special," Feng Che observed. "Ninetales, Iron Tail!"
Ninetales' fluffy tails hardened into gleaming steel. It swung them with a silver-gray flash. Samurott crossed its scallords to block. The impact was so heavy that the Samurott's forelimbs numbed, and it nearly lost its grip on its weapons.
The Samurott countered with Hyper Voice, the concussive sound waves slamming into Ninetales and forcing it back several steps.
Feeling offended, the Alolan Ninetales narrowed its eyes, shedding its playful demeanor. It exhaled a concentrated Ice Beam, which was met by a matching Ice Beam from the Samurott. The two freezing beams locked in the air, coating the surrounding forest in a layer of glittering frost.
Ninetales pressed the advantage, firing an Aurora Beam. The multicolored light carried an intense chill that seeped into the Samurott's armor. Sensing the danger, the Samurott tried to retreat into the lake, only to find that the water's surface had already been frozen into a thick, solid sheet.
"Don't even think about escaping, Samurott. I've already blocked your exit," Feng Che said coldly.
Backed into a corner, the Samurott slammed its paws into the ground, triggering a powerful Earthquake. The solid ice began to crack and splinter. Ninetales used its nimble paws to hop between the shifting earth and ice, timing its movements with the tremors while performing a Swords Dance to boost its power.
Seeing the Earthquake fail to land a decisive hit, the Samurott raised its scallords once more and charged.