Silas and Cynthia rode atop Honchkrow and Garchomp, flying toward the small island where Sea Mauville's core section was located.
Beneath them, two Pokémon raced through the ocean.
A sleek Sharpedo burst through the waves like a living torpedo, while a magnificent Milotic glided gracefully through the sea.
Whenever wild Pokémon attempted to attack their trainers, the two Water-types immediately intercepted them. For several kilometers they crossed the ocean.
Most of the wild Pokémon they encountered were only around Levels 20–30. In waters this close to the mainland, Pokémon capable of matching Sharpedo and Milotic were rare.
Before long, an unexpected rivalry developed. Milotic quickly realized that its swimming speed couldn't match Sharpedo's explosive bursts of movement.
Unwilling to lose, it began competing. Who could defeat attackers faster? Who could repel more opponents? Who could clear a path most efficiently?
Of course, neither Pokémon fought to kill. Their priority remained reaching Sea Mauville. Most enemies were simply driven away or knocked unconscious.
Even though Sharpedo's level was slightly lower than Milotic's, its Speed Boost Ability combined with its naturally aggressive fighting style gave it frightening offensive power.
From high above, Silas watched Sharpedo carve through the ocean. A long white wake stretched behind it.
The rolling waves resembled a roaring white dragon chasing after the shark Pokémon. The sight was impressive even to Cynthia.
"Your Sharpedo has been raised exceptionally well," she admitted.
"In the ocean, it's practically in its natural kingdom."
Silas grinned proudly. Far below, Sharpedo was currently chasing off a wild Tentacruel. For battles against significantly weaker opponents, neither trainer felt the need to constantly issue commands.
Most encounters were left to the Pokémon themselves. It was excellent combat training. A trainer's real job wasn't micromanaging every move.
It was controlling the rhythm of battle and intervening only at critical moments. In that regard, Silas and Cynthia displayed remarkable similarity.
As the island finally appeared on the horizon, they encountered their first truly troublesome opponent.
A wild Kingler.
An Elite-level Kingler. Silas immediately became interested. Partly because Kingler paired perfectly with his beloved Crawdaunt in the classic "shrimp soldier and crab general" combination But more importantly Kingler was one of the few Pokémon capable of naturally learning Crabhammer.
Silas had even spent considerable time studying battle footage of famous Kingler trainers on the League Network. From the sky, he and Cynthia observed the giant crab emerging from the sea.
Only half of its massive body was visible above the water. Its enormous claws snapped menacingly.
Unlike Crawdaunt, whose two claws possessed relatively balanced strength, Kingler's claws were drastically different in size.
One was massive. The other was much smaller. However, what truly caught their attention wasn't its strength.
It was its location. Kingler normally lived in shallow coastal waters and beaches. Yet this area was already considered deep ocean.
Most wild Pokémon rarely abandoned their natural habitats without reason.Silas narrowed his eyes.
"Something's strange."
"That Kingler's claws are backwards."
Cynthia blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"Normally a Kingler's left claw is larger than its right."
"But this one is the opposite."
The giant claw was on the right side. The left was noticeably smaller. It appeared to be a rare mutation caused by abnormal development during growth.
After hearing the explanation, Cynthia looked carefully and quickly noticed it too.
"A genetic mutation?"
"Most likely," Silas replied.
"Let's attack first."
"Sharpedo, Crunch!"
Cynthia nodded.
"Milotic, Aqua Ring. Then Twister!"
The two Pokémon had already spent a significant amount of time fighting together during the journey.Their coordination wasn't perfect yet But it was improving rapidly.
"Sharrrk!"
Sharpedo exploded forward like a cannonball. Dark-type energy gathered around its jaws as it slammed into Kingler's shell.
Crunch!
Although Kingler's hard exoskeleton absorbed most of the damage, the Dark-type energy still penetrated its defenses.
"Kinglerrr!"
Angered, Kingler raised its enormous right claw. Water-type energy surged around it.
Crabhammer! But Sharpedo had already retreated.
Silas had drilled one principle into it repeatedly:
If the first strike lands, retreat immediately.
As an assassin-type Pokémon built around speed and burst damage, survival came first.Before Crabhammer could connect, Sharpedo had already vanished.
At that exact momentMilotic's attack arrived. A swirling Twister crashed into Kingler from the side.
The transition between the two attacks was remarkably smooth. Kingler roared furiously. Its giant claw smashed the sea surface.
Water exploded in every direction. Sunlight reflected through the countless droplets, creating a small rainbow above the ocean.
Kingler was genuinely angry now. What followed was pure harassment. Sharpedo struck and retreated.
Milotic remained at range, bombarding the giant crab with attacks. Neither Pokémon gave Kingler a chance to fight back.
The oversized mutated claw that made Kingler dangerous also became its greatest weakness. The enormous claw was simply too heavy.
Its body struggled to maintain balance. Every time it attempted a powerful attack, its movements became clumsy and predictable.
Even in water, its mobility suffered. Silas and Cynthia quickly recognized this weakness and exploited it relentlessly.
"Milotic, Water Pulse!"
"Sharpedo, Hidden Power!"
Their commands rang out almost simultaneously. Milotic attacked first. A glowing orb of water struck Kingler squarely.
The attack's secondary effect activated.
Confusion!
Kingler's eyes lost focus. It began stumbling in circles. Before it could recover A beam of golden energy shot across the ocean.Sharpedo's Electric-type Hidden Power. The attack struck directly.
BOOM!
The ocean erupted. Massive waves rose into the air. Spray shot skyward like exploding fountains. When the water finally settled, both trainers looked down.
Kingler floated on the surface. Its eyes had become spirals. Bubbles escaped from its mouth. It had completely lost the ability to battle.
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(End of chapter)