Chapter 115: Onix and Gastly
"I... lost." Fletcher looked devastated, his face pale, all of his previous composure gone. He stared at his fainted Nosepass, the reality of his defeat slowly sinking in.
"Holy crap! Basalt actually won! What a beast!" Forrest shouted, not just for Basalt, but also for himself. In his mind, he had only lost to Fletcher because Nosepass's Gravity completely shut down his Heracross. Against Drilbur, he was confident he could have put up a fight.
"Wait... Basalt still has that Bronzor," Forrest remembered, and his spirits immediately sank. Bronzor knew Gravity too. Damn it.
"Congratulations, Leo. You've raised a fine student," the burly Mr. Shane said, clapping Mr. Leo on the shoulder with a hand the size of a dinner plate. A promotion for a student meant a hefty bonus for their instructor, and a promotion to Group A, the camp's prized jewels, came with an especially generous reward.
"Thank you, thank you," Mr. Leo said with a grin, rubbing his sore shoulder. "But Basalt is a truly talented kid. If he's nurtured properly, he'll have a bright future."
"Don't worry. Now that he's on my turf, I'll be sure to whip him into shape," Mr. Shane said, a wide, toothy grin spreading across his face.
On the battlefield, Basalt gave the victorious Drilbur a pat on the head, but his brow furrowed as he looked at the wounds on its body. Nosepass's attack power might not be high by Group A standards, but it was still formidable. Drilbur had taken several hits from Rock Blast, and the red marks on its body were clear evidence of the damage it had sustained. It was only because of the adrenaline rush from its last-minute breakthrough that it didn't seem to be in too much pain.
Fortunately, with the medical technology in this world, a few external wounds were nothing to worry about. It would be back to its peak condition in half an hour at most.
He recalled Drilbur to its Poké Ball, and a medic immediately took it to the infirmary for treatment.
Basalt looked up, his gaze falling on Waylon and Yao. He weighed his options. Even if he went all out and revealed his Sandstorm and Sand Rush abilities, he wasn't sure he could win. But he wasn't sure he would lose either. It was a 50/50 shot.
Logically, he should hold back his trump cards. The difference between the upper and lower tiers of Group A was just one rare berry every two weeks. That was nothing compared to the type-enhancing held item for the team captain. If he revealed his Sandstorm now, even if he won, his opponents would be prepared for it later. How could he compete for the captaincy then?
But on the other hand... holding back at a time like this felt cowardly. So what if he revealed his hand? If he lost, he would just have to train harder and win it back later. What was there to be afraid of? And if he won, who's to say he couldn't win again in the future?
"Alright, let's do it," he decided, his eyes hardening. Just one word: fight.
Sensing his gaze, Waylon and Yao exchanged a look and stepped forward. As the top trainers in the camp, they were confident in their abilities and weren't afraid of any challenge.
"If you want to challenge us, pick one," they said, throwing their Poké Balls simultaneously.
"Roar!" A snake-like Pokémon made of massive grey boulders appeared. It was the Rock/Ground-type, Onix. It was even larger and more imposing than a normal Onix, nearly ten meters long. Its body was dotted with tiny black flecks that glinted with a metallic sheen, a sign of its incredible defense.
Basalt swallowed hard. He could feel the immense pressure emanating from it, as solid and unmovable as a mountain.
He then turned his gaze to the other Pokémon, a Gastly.
"Gasss~"
A black, spherical Pokémon composed of a ghostly gas with large, white eyes and a fanged mouth appeared, a strange purple aura surrounding it. Though it wasn't an Ice-type, the temperature in the room seemed to drop. It floated in the air, its curious gaze fixed on Basalt, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Well, if you're going to continue your challenge, choose your opponent," Mr. Shane said. From now on, Basalt was a member of Group A, and it was his responsibility to oversee the match.
"I choose... Waylon and his Gastly," Basalt said after a moment of thought.
Gastly, a Ghost/Poison-type, would be at a disadvantage in a sandstorm. Onix, on the other hand, would not only be unaffected but would also receive a special defense boost. And more importantly, Yao's Onix was just too massive. A Pokémon of that size would have immense energy reserves and devastating attack power. He was afraid that even Drilbur's Rock Tomb and Bulldoze wouldn't be able to match it.
Drilbur had the advantage in speed and super-effective moves like Drill Run and Metal Claw, but those were close-range attacks. He was afraid that a single hit wouldn't be enough to take down the massive Onix. And if it managed to trap Drilbur with Bind or lower its speed with Bulldoze, with Drilbur's frail defenses, it would be over.
Waylon's Gastly, on the other hand, was a glass cannon. With Drilbur's terrifying attack power, a single hit would be enough for a one-hit KO. Gastly's invisibility would be a problem, but in a sandstorm, Drilbur's senses would be heightened. Overall, he felt he had a better chance against the Gastly.
Hearing himself chosen, Waylon's expression remained neutral. But the Gastly behind him let out a soft cry of excitement, its large eyes blinking.
Ten minutes passed, an eternity for the hyperactive Gastly.
"Gasss~" It floated over to Waylon and whispered in his ear, its expression pleading.
Waylon sighed, a look of resignation on his face. He walked over to Basalt. "Drilbur's treatment will probably take another ten or fifteen minutes, right? My Gastly is getting bored. It was wondering if you'd be interested in a preliminary match."
"A preliminary match? What do you mean?" Basalt was confused.
"You still have that Bronzor, don't you?" Waylon said with a slight smile. "Let's have our second Pokémon battle. If your Bronzor wins, you're in the upper tier, and I'm in the lower. If it doesn't, we'll continue our challenge match after your Drilbur has recovered."
"What?"
Not just Basalt, but everyone in the room was stunned.
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