"Hello, sister! My name is Vivi Krantz. I'm from Kalos, and I'm currently traveling the world to train." As soon as the battle ended, the blonde-haired girl squeezed her way through the crowd, enthusiastically greeting Sham. "I heard your analysis just now—you really know a lot about Pokémon training!"
"As a Trainer, isn't understanding how to raise Pokémon the most fundamental skill?" Sham replied coolly.
"That's true! It looks like you're a strong Trainer as well. I left Kalos to travel so I could battle powerful Trainers from all over. Would you be interested in a match?" From her demeanor, it was clear that Vivi was the classic type of Trainer who sought growth through battle, always eager to challenge those she found interesting.
"Go ahead and have some fun." At Sham's inquiring glance, Lucius responded nonchalantly.
He could sense that his covert plans were progressing smoothly. Over at Sunburst Island, Rocket Team members had already flooded the area in search of the Crystal Onix. They could launch their operation at any moment.
As for here—having some fun wouldn't hurt. It was also a good chance to see how much Sham had improved compared to Archer's memories.
"Alright, sounds good. But I don't have a Pokédex." Being a Rocket Team member, Sham naturally couldn't carry an official League-issued Pokédex. Otherwise, all her data would be exposed.
"Oh, that's fine. It just means you'll have to pay a little extra." Vivi didn't seem to mind.
Different versions of the Pokédex came with VIP features that provided various services. Many battle facilities offered discounts depending on the type of Pokédex a Trainer held. Without one, she would have to pay the full price—one of the League's ways of encouraging official Trainer registration.
Vivi quickly completed the arena application. It seemed her enthusiasm for battles even exceeded Lucius' obsession with leveling up.
"This is my Pokémon! Go, Hypno!" As per the battle rules, the challenger, Vivi Krantz, was the first to send out her Pokémon.
A completely yellow Pokémon with a long, pointed nose and a pendulum in hand stepped onto the battlefield.
"A Psychic-type…" Sham's brow twitched slightly.
There were over 18 known Pokémon types, but the two most notoriously difficult to deal with were Psychic and Ghost.
Against elemental forces like Water, Fire, Electric, and Ice, humanity had developed various countermeasures and strategies.
However, Psychic Pokémon harnessed mental energy, while Ghost Pokémon relied on spiritual energy—both fields that human science still struggled to comprehend.
Even after thousands of years of research, humans barely understood the brain, let alone the true nature of psychic power.
Moreover, Psychic Pokémon were rarer than most and generally had high intelligence, making them extremely difficult to train. Only a select few Trainers, such as Saffron City's Gym Leader, Sabrina—who possessed Psychic abilities herself—could truly synchronize with them.
Only Psychic power can truly match Psychic power.
Interesting.
Lucius stroked his chin. Ever since arriving in this world, he had rarely encountered Psychic Pokémon. Neither the Syndicate nor Rocket Team bases had any either.
"Go, Slowpoke!" Sham tossed a Poké Ball, and a pink, dopey-looking Pokémon appeared on the field.
"..." Lucius was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected someone as sharp and efficient as Sham to use such an utterly clueless Pokémon.
Noticing the expressions around her, Sham coughed slightly, looking uncharacteristically awkward. "Ahem, I just caught it."
While Rocket Team provided their members with Pokémon, ambitious individuals often sought to raise their own teams as well.
Unlike the spectators, Vivi's eyes lit up at the sight of Slowpoke—after all, it did have a secondary Psychic typing.
Although… among all Psychic Pokémon, Slowpoke was the most common and had the lowest intelligence…
"The 1v1 Pokémon battle between Vivi and Sham will now begin!"
"Hypno, use Thunder Wave!" The moment the battle started, Vivi wasted no time giving her command.
"Slowpoke, use Water Pulse," Sham commanded.
Golden currents of electricity radiated outward from Hypno, sweeping across the battlefield in an arc.
However, Slowpoke's movements were far from sluggish, despite its name and appearance. The moment Sham gave the command, a half-meter-wide sphere of water began forming in front of it.
The crackling Thunder Wave struck the water sphere, instantly shrinking it by half.
The electricity had split the water into gas, but at the same time, the sphere had absorbed the attack, nullifying what should have been a guaranteed hit.
"Hypno, use Teleport and Future Sight."
Hypno's form seemed to slip out of reality, vanishing from sight to evade the remaining shockwaves of Water Pulse.
At the same time, an eerie force stirred in the air.
So this is the power of Future Sight...
Although Hypno's move was targeted at Slowpoke, Lucius, whose senses were exceptionally sharp, could still feel the presence of a special energy—almost as if the world around him had been digitized, reduced to pure probabilities.
Heh. Interesting.
"Fill the area with Psychic energy and watch for ambushes," Sham ordered swiftly.
"Haaah~" Slowpoke's eyes glowed blue, and a translucent, bubble-like barrier shimmered around its body, acting as a safeguard against unseen threats.
Maintaining a steady Psychic field was mentally taxing, but it put greater strain on the opponent. After all, Hypno had vanished because it was constantly teleporting, shifting its position moment by moment.
If this battle turned into a war of attrition, Hypno would run out of stamina first.
Suddenly, Hypno materialized behind Slowpoke, its free hand hurling a shadowy veil of energy.
"Behind you," Sham called out the moment it appeared.
Hypno's movement seemed a fraction too slow—the Dark energy it threw blanketed Slowpoke, but before it could take effect, Slowpoke turned its head and unleashed a gust of frigid wind.
Ice Wind.
Swept up by the icy blast, Hypno's movements faltered, and frost rapidly spread across its body. Within moments, it was completely encased in ice, transformed into a frozen statue.
Crack—crack…
A series of sharp fractures echoed through the arena as the frozen Hypno shattered into pieces, its fragments scattering across the ground.
"Ah…!"
Some of the female spectators gasped in horror, covering their eyes as they screamed.
Seeing a Pokémon seemingly die in a friendly match was a shocking sight for any audience.
Wait—no blood. Hypno wasn't actually frozen.
Lucius immediately noticed something was off.
Sure enough, unlike the panicked spectators, Vivi smiled at the scene.
Substitute.
The moment Hypno was hit by Ice Wind, it had used Substitute to take the attack in its place.
Its real body had already reappeared at the side of the battlefield. Though small bits of frost still clung to its form, they didn't stop it from rhythmically swinging the pendulum in its hand.
"Slowpoke, use Ice Wind again!" Sham shouted urgently.
"Haaah~" Slowpoke swiftly turned its head, preparing to unleash another blast of icy air.
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