"Now, each of you release your Pokémon," said Rachel Blake. "You'll handle the entire battle. I'll just protect you."
As she spoke, Rachel Blake threw her Poké Ball. An Azumarill appeared alongside the group, lightly twitching its ears and scanning the surroundings with a sharp gaze.
"Wow! It's an Azumarill! Though I'm not sure if its ability is Huge Power."
Ethan Black watched carefully as the Pokémon appeared in front of him, its nearly spherical body, blue skin, and a belly covered by a wavy white stripe. His eyes glinted for a moment.
Soon, the leaders of the Pokémon Nightstar Club also sent out their Pokémon: Electabuzz, Scyther, Rhydon, and Persian appeared one after the other on the field.
"Go, Cacnea!"
Seeing this, Ethan Black hesitated for a moment but then released his own Poké Ball.
After all, Sandslash, being a Ground-type, would have a disadvantage in such a flooded environment. Instead, Cacnea, being a Grass-type Pokémon, could take advantage of its type's strength over Water-types.
Moreover, Ethan Black planned to take this opportunity to train Cacnea seriously. After all, for the competition next July for the initial Pokémon slot, two Pokémon were required to participate in the battle.
"Huh? Ethan, did you catch a new Pokémon?"
Seeing Cacnea appear, Ashley Morgan exclaimed in surprise and crouched down to pet it.
But Cacnea didn't allow it. It immediately raised its sharp retractable spines, frightening Ashley Morgan.
"Yes," Ethan Black replied with a smile. "This is Cacnea, a Grass-type Pokémon. I think it's more suited for these conditions."
"You've trained that Cacnea well. Let's go. And everyone, be careful. If you die, it's not my problem," Rachel Blake said seriously.
With Azumarill leading the way, Rachel Blake marched ahead of the group along the riverbank toward the city.
Under her guidance, the group reached a hill from where they could see the city.
Due to the typhoon, a village at the foot of the mountain near Ashfield City had been completely submerged. From their position, they could see Water-type wild Pokémon prowling among the wreckage, attacking collapsed structures, and devouring any food they found.
"Be careful! A group of Pokémon is approaching!"
At that moment, Rachel Blake spoke. Thanks to Azumarill's keen hearing, she detected the enemy's presence much earlier.
And just as she finished speaking, a horde of orange Pokémon resembling lobsters began to approach, crawling toward them.
"They're wild Corphish, the water thugs!"
Seeing them, everyone became serious.
However, the leaders of the Pokémon Nightstar Club were experienced combatants. Instead of panicking, they ordered their Pokémon to block the path.
"They're coming from that side too!"
"We're surrounded!"
"Split up! Each of you cover a direction!"
Under Rachel Blake's direction, the eight trainers positioned themselves at eight points, facing different groups of Corphish.
"Electabuzz, use Thunderbolt!"
"Scyther, use Fury Cutter!"
"Persian, use Swift!"
Immediately, the leaders began counterattacking. And as expected, the Corphish, being wild and untrained, were no match. One after another, they fell.
"It's our turn!"
"Cacnea, show what you've learned! Use Ingrain!"
"Cac!"
Upon receiving the command, Cacnea let out a soft roar. Its body emitted a green glow as numerous roots emerged from its feet and burrowed into the ground.
Soon after, its body began to shine intensely. The power of the earth started being absorbed by those roots, which quickly grew, swelling in size. Some even broke through the soil and spread like monster arms.
Clearly, Cacnea had channeled all the energy absorbed through the move Ingrain into the roots, accelerating their growth.
As they grew, the surrounding wet ground suddenly dried up, cracking as if it had been scorched by desert sun.
"Great! Use the roots!"
Upon hearing Ethan Black's command, a group of thick roots burst through the Corphish, thrashing violently.
At that moment, Rachel Blake noticed the commotion and turned around, intrigued.
She was stunned. From Cacnea's position to where the Corphish were, the ground had become completely dry, as if the water had vanished entirely.
The Corphish were trapped by giant roots, struggling with their pincers to free themselves.
But then, a faint green glow began to shine in those roots: Cacnea was using the move Absorb!
Through the roots, it began to slowly draw the life energy from the Corphish.
As it did, the roots grew even thicker, more roots emerged from the ground, and wrapped around several Corphish, immobilizing them completely like vegetative mummies.
Finally, the Corphish, unable to resist any longer, fell motionless. The roots released them one by one, and their bodies lay inert on the ground.
"What a special way to use Ingrain!"
Seeing that scene, even Rachel Blake, a professional Pokémon Hunter, couldn't help but express her astonishment.
Ethan Black smiled in satisfaction upon seeing her reaction.
In truth, this way of using the move Ingrain wasn't something he taught Cacnea. It was a natural ability of the Pokémon.
After all, Cacnea was based on a cactus, and cacti have an extremely developed root system. They are able to survive in arid climates due to these roots, which can extend great distances to absorb water.
Moreover, cacti can enter a state of dormancy during droughts, minimizing their water and nutrient consumption.
When the rainy season arrives, they "wake up," their roots activate immediately, absorb large amounts of water, and bloom rapidly.
Some cacti even develop carrot-shaped roots that can store up to 20 liters of water. There have been cases where a cactus, kept in a bag for more than two years, was replanted and watered, and it revived, growing new roots.
With this miraculous structure, their incredible drought resistance, and tenacity, a cactus can survive even in the desert.
And Cacnea, born and raised in the desert, has perfectly inherited all these qualities.
To absorb enough water, its roots created by the move Ingrain have the ability to grow rapidly and absorb liquid efficiently.
(End of chapter)