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"So Alola actually has Sharpedo too?"
Roy hadn't known this—this was the first time Roy had seen a Sharpedo in real life.
Lucario came over to join the commotion, saw Blastoise's disheveled appearance, and laughed at it mercilessly.
[That's it? Really, that's it?]
[You let that thing chase you all the way back home?]
Ninetales also nodded its head from the sidelines, expressing complete agreement with Lucario's teasing statement.
Electivire had just finished sparring with Salamence and was still riding high on its combat adrenaline. It flexed its muscular arms to show it could easily take on Sharpedo.
All the Pokémon were making noise and teasing, which only made Blastoise even more indignant.
Blastoise huffed and was about to metaphorically roll up its sleeves and march back into the ocean to teach that sharp-toothed Sharpedo a proper lesson.
Time to show him who's boss!
All the Pokémon cheered Blastoise on and continued their playful heckling.
Roy didn't speak at first, specifically because he could see there was still fear lingering in Blastoise's demeanor.
Perhaps it was because Blastoise had never fought a real battle at sea before.
It had never engaged in an actual solo battle with a wild Pokémon in such conditions.
So Roy found this reaction completely understandable.
When facing powerful enemies, Roy could provide Blastoise with strategic coaching from the sidelines and could restore its physical condition afterward. But courage—that was something Roy couldn't simply give to his Pokémon.
Thanks to Lucario and the other Pokémon's encouraging jeers just now, Blastoise had regained its confidence.
As the saying goes, a newborn calf doesn't fear tigers. Now, with its partners by its side, Blastoise was ready to charge forward fearlessly.
Roy stopped Blastoise, who had just reached the water's edge.
"Blastoise, wait."
Roy's voice wasn't loud, but it caused the Pokémon's noisy voices to gradually quiet down.
At the same time, it also halted Blastoise's forward momentum.
Blastoise and the other Pokémon all looked at Roy, not understanding what he meant.
Now that everyone was assembled and ready—wasn't this the perfect moment? Why wouldn't Roy let Blastoise go?
Regardless of anything else, Roy as their Trainer would always be their most central leader and authority.
Roy looked at Blastoise carefully and confirmed that nothing was wrong with Blastoise's current condition.
Moreover, he'd never had the opportunity to conduct proper combat training with Blastoise before.
Now presented itself as an excellent opportunity!
Almost instantly, Roy reconsidered the training plan he'd previously made for Blastoise. The current situation was perfect for testing Blastoise's abilities in actual combat.
How to utilize the environment and terrain, how to maximize the effectiveness of one's moves—these were experiences that most Trainers' Pokémon generally lacked.
Under normal circumstances, everyone proved themselves on standardized battle platforms.
This was also why Capital Academy and many regional Leagues had held wilderness trials in the past.
The locations where Trainers suffered the heaviest casualties were usually areas without regulated or standardized battle platforms.
During these trials that were being conducted in the wild...
The reason was that real battles contained too many variables, and many situations didn't unfold as orderly as they did on official battle platforms.
The high mortality rate was also a reason why the Pokémon Trainer profession attracted so much attention and respect.
Any Trainer who had been tempered through such experiences inevitably became formidable.
Now, Blastoise's opportunity had arrived.
Roy spoke slowly and calmly, helping Blastoise's mood gradually settle down and become less agitated.
"Blastoise, are you ready?"
Blastoise understood what Roy meant—he was asking it to battle Sharpedo one-on-one.
Blastoise raised one hand and tapped confidently on the shell covering its chest, making a solid 'thunk thunk' sound.
No problem!
Roy smiled at Blastoise's confident gesture and walked alongside Blastoise toward the shore.
"Then let's go."
The Sharpedo in the middle of the ocean had long grown impatient waiting.
Seeing so many different Pokémon gathered on the shore, Sharpedo faced a choice: charge onto the beach to fight Blastoise and risk certain death, or silently wait for an opportunity. It very wisely chose the latter option.
What? Face them head-on?
Don't be ridiculous. It wasn't a Trainer's Pokémon—if it got injured and tried to escape, it could only wait for the wounds to heal naturally.
And during that vulnerable time, other ocean Pokémon attracted by the scent of its blood would probably devour it until not even scraps remained.
Sharpedo dove beneath the surface, silently observing the animated reactions of the Pokémon on shore.
Hmph, look at their behavior.
They all seem to be domesticated Pokémon.
Sharpedo mentally scoffed with disdain. As long as the fight stayed in this ocean, there weren't many weak domesticated Pokémon who could defeat it.
Sharpedo grinned wickedly, becoming even more delighted when it saw Blastoise walking toward the water as its companions urged it forward.
Come, come... fill my belly.
I haven't eaten turtle meat in quite a long time...
Sharpedo narrowed its eyes further. Wait, there was a human following behind as well?
I've heard that human meat tastes sour—maybe I can finally try it this time...
Thinking this way, Sharpedo slowly advanced forward.
The smell of fresh meat... it couldn't wait...
Roy had learned during Blastoise's hurried explanation that this Sharpedo was extremely fast.
But regarding its move set, Blastoise had only mentioned seeing 'Bite.'
Roy didn't know if this was simply Sharpedo's habitual fighting style, its signature move, or literally the only attack it knew.
Roy shook his head, dismissing the last possibility as unlikely.
Roy stood still on the shoreline, feeling the gentle waves wash against his toes.
Blastoise remained by his side, awaiting Roy's instructions.
In the deep water not far away, Sharpedo stared viciously at Blastoise.
Roy patted Blastoise gently on the head.
"Go."
The moment Blastoise hit the water, Sharpedo moved!
With impressive speed like lightning, Sharpedo lunged at Blastoise as if it had been waiting for precisely this moment.
———Aqua Jet
Sharpedo's eyes gleamed with anticipated success.
This time, let me teach you what it means that all's fair in war!
"Withdraw!"
Blastoise grinned confidently and quickly retracted its limbs and head into its thick protective shell.
Hehe, bet you didn't expect this—I've got a shield!
Sharpedo's fearsome teeth struck Blastoise's shell with a resounding crack.
Those teeth, supposedly capable of crunching through steel, suffered their first real setback.
Seeing that one attack had failed, Sharpedo quickly increased the distance between them and spat in frustration.
I didn't expect this turtle's shell to be so hard... damn it...
Blastoise laughed happily from within its shell.
You think you're the only one who can play dirty tricks?
Seeing that Sharpedo had retreated to a safe distance, Blastoise didn't give the predator a chance to launch another attack.
The cannons of its two Hydro Pumps on its back quickly aimed at Sharpedo's position.
In the water, Hydro Pump didn't have to worry about lacking ammunition or water supply.