"Those energy fluctuations are strong," Silas muttered.
Just from its aura alone, Milotic was at least Level 50+, making it a powerful Elite-level Pokémon.
His strongest Pokémon, Crawdaunt, was currently only Level 45. According to Pokédex standards, the Elite rank covered Levels 40–59. Yet the Pokémon Silas was most wary of wasn't Milotic.
It was the seemingly harmless Gastrodon beside it. If he remembered correctly from the records he'd studied, Cynthia's Gastrodon possessed the Storm Drain Ability.
Storm Drain: Draws all Water-type attacks to itself, negates the damage, and raises its Special Attack.
That Ability was practically the perfect counter to Crawdaunt.
Because of that, even though Gastrodon's energy fluctuations suggested it had only recently entered the Elite rank, Silas considered it more troublesome than Milotic.
He silently committed the information to memory. After all, there was always a chance they might meet again at the future Ever Grande Conference.
Gastrodon possessed horn-like antennae and markings on its forehead that resembled a third eye. Although classified as the Sea Slug Pokémon, its appearance resembled a sea snail more than anything else.
It was also one of the few Pokémon whose appearance varied according to its habitat.
Gastrodon existed in two forms:
• West Sea Form
• East Sea Form
The West Sea Gastrodon had a reddish-brown back and pink underside.
The East Sea Gastrodon had a green back and a sky-blue underside.
Even the horn-like protrusions on its head and the appendages along its back differed between forms.
"Cynthia, your Gastrodon should be a West Sea form, right?" Silas asked.
Cynthia nodded proudly.
"My home region, Sinnoh, is enormous. Mt. Coronet divides the entire region into eastern and western halves."
"Because of that separation, Shellos and Gastrodon developed different forms. East of Mt. Coronet they're blue, while west of the mountain they're pink."
Silas nodded. Gastrodon was indeed one of the Pokémon most representative of the Sinnoh region.
Outside Sinnoh, encountering a wild Shellos or Gastrodon was extremely rare. From Cynthia's explanation, it was obvious that her Gastrodon had been captured somewhere in western Sinnoh.
Gastrodon's base stats weren't especially impressive. Its total base stat value was only 475, and its distribution wasn't particularly outstanding. However, its greatest strength lay in its typing:
Water/Ground
Just like Hoenn's starter Swampert, it possessed only a single weakness: Grass-type attacks, which dealt quadruple damage.
Silas released his own Water-type Pokémon.
"Crawdaunt!"
"Raaaw!"
"Sharpedo!"
"Sharrrk!"
Crawdaunt had already spent considerable time at the Elite rank and had stabilized its growth.
As long as training continued steadily, it likely wouldn't encounter any major bottlenecks before reaching the Pseudo-Elite Four tier.
Sharpedo, on the other hand, had broken through recently. It had been less than a month since its advancement and had already reached Level 42.
Besides them, Silas released his three Flying-types:
• Honchkrow
• Pelipper
• Mantine
The latter two had originally been captured as temporary utility Pokémon.
"Sea Mauville's core section is located on a small island offshore," Silas said while reviewing the information on his Pokédex.
"We can either enter through the deck entrance from the beach or fly directly to the central area."
Removing his outer jacket, he remained in only his short-sleeved expedition uniform.Cynthia rested her chin on one hand.
"Flying is better."
"The interior passages are too narrow. Pokémon won't be able to fight properly inside."
"If something suddenly attacks from a blind corner, a human body won't be able to withstand it."
Silas nodded. Their opinions matched perfectly. Flying directly to the core area was undoubtedly the best choice.
If they entered through the outer decks and explored inward step by step, reaching the center might take two full days. Sea Mauville stretched across dozens of kilometers of underwater structures.
After years of abandonment, countless Pokémon had turned it into their home. If they explored from the outside inward, they'd constantly be forced into unnecessary battles.
That would waste far too much time. Silas recalled every Pokémon except Honchkrow.
Showing his entire team earlier had merely been a gesture of goodwill.
Both sides wanted a basic understanding of each other's strength before working together.Without hesitation, Cynthia released her ace.
A flash of light appeared.
"Garchomp!"
"Graaaar!"
With practiced ease, Cynthia stepped onto Garchomp's back. Silas couldn't help but stare.
Back aboard the S.S. Blissey, he'd never had the opportunity to inspect Garchomp closely.
As a breeder, observing another trainer's Pokémon was practically instinct. After a careful look, he could only arrive at one conclusion.
Perfection.
The claws.
The fangs.
The scales.
Everything had been polished and maintained to an astonishing degree. It was like looking at a living work of art forged for battle.
A masterpiece of violent beauty.
Silas couldn't help thinking:
If only I could examine it properly and collect some data...
If he could analyze Garchomp's physical condition in detail, he might learn valuable insights into Cynthia's training methods.
Unfortunately, their relationship wasn't nearly close enough for such a request. Soon, both Pokémon launched into the sky.
Following the route marked on the map, they headed toward an unnamed island far out at sea. Along the way, the two exchanged information about their teams.
"My Gastrodon has Storm Drain," Cynthia explained.
"If we run into Water-types, it can take the lead."
Silas nodded.
"In that case, let me explain my side as well."
"I have a Pelipper with Drizzle, and both Castform and Crawdaunt can use Rain Dance."
"So if possible, try not to let Garchomp's Sandstorm clash with my rain setup."
He wanted to avoid weather conflicts before they happened.
If Sandstorm and Rain were activated simultaneously in the middle of battle, coordination would become a nightmare.
....
While flying over the ocean, Cynthia secretly glanced at Silas.Then at Honchkrow. Then back at Silas.
A trace of envy appeared in her eyes.Perhaps she should catch a proper flying mount someday.
Although Garchomp could fly, it wasn't truly specialized in aerial travel.Its speed, maneuverability, and comfort couldn't compare to dedicated Flying-types.
Most importantly...Garchomp's scales were ridiculously hard. She couldn't sit comfortably on its back and usually had to stand.
Meanwhile, Silas sat leisurely atop Honchkrow, enjoying the sea breeze as if he were on vacation.
Watching that scene, Cynthia silently made a decision.
When I get back, I'm definitely feeding Togekiss more.
Grow bigger faster.
Then it can carry me around properly! 😆
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(End of chapter)