The road to Mauville City was vibrant, but as I passed a stretch of tall grass, a harsh, guttural hissing filled the air, followed by a sharp, feral growl.
I peeked through the foliage and saw a classic, violent scene of nature: a white, red-clawed Zangoose circling a black, bladed Seviper.
"The eternal feud," I muttered, adjusting my backpack straps.
In Hoenn, these two are natural enemies. They fight on sight, and usually, it's a fight to the death. My instinct was to walk away. Interfering in a wild rivalry is dangerous and disrupts the natural order. If they want to fight, that's their business.
I turned to leave, but a desperate shout stopped me.
"Seviper, get up! Please, use Poison Tail again!"
I paused. That wasn't a wild Seviper.
I looked back. A young man with messy hair and dirty clothes was standing on the sidelines, clutching a Great Ball. His Seviper was battered, panting heavily, while the wild Zangoose looked smug and barely scratched.
"It's useless!" I shouted, stepping out of the bushes. "Zangoose has the Immunity ability! Poison moves won't work!"
The trainer looked at me, panic in his eyes. "But that's all Seviper knows! This Zangoose keeps chasing us. It won't let us pass!"
The Zangoose lunged, its claws glowing with Crush Claw. Seviper barely slithered out of the way, taking a grazing hit that sent it rolling.
"Sableye, come out!" I threw the ball. "Use Will-O-Wisp!"
"Sab!"
My Sableye materialized instantly. Thanks to Prankster, it fired a ghostly blue fireball before the Zangoose could recover its stance. The flame hit the Zangoose, inflicting a Burn. The wild Pokémon hissed, its physical attack power cut in half by the status condition. It retreated a few paces, eyeing the new threat warily.
"Recall your Seviper for a second," I told the trainer. "We have a brief window while the Zangoose recovers from the burn pain."
The trainer nodded, recalling his snake. "I'm weak... I can't beat a Normal type like that with just Poison attacks."
"You don't need Poison," I said, walking over. "Seviper has a bladed tail and strong muscles. It can learn Fighting-type moves. That's the weakness of a Zangoose."
"Fighting type?" The trainer blinked. "Like... Brick Break? But I don't have any clue."
I smiled, looking at Sableye. "We have a practice dummy. Sableye, set up a Reflect!"
Sableye grinned and waved its claws. A shimmering, glass-like wall of psychic energy appeared in the air.
"Listen," I instructed the trainer. "Brick Break isn't just a hit. It's a technique designed to shatter barriers. Seviper needs to focus all its frustration and strength into the tip of its tail and chop down."
The trainer released Seviper. "Okay, buddy. We have to learn this now. Focus on that wall!"
Seviper looked at the shimmering Reflect. It slammed its tail against it. Clang! The tail bounced off.
"No," I corrected. "Don't just swing. Charge it. Visualize the wall shattering."
Sableye snickered, making a face at Seviper to provoke it. "Sab! Sab!"
Seviper hissed, its pride wounded. A white aura began to gather around its jagged tail. It wasn't the purple glow of poison; it was the intense white glow of fighting spirit.
"That's it!" I yelled. "Now, break it!"
"Seviper, Brick Break!" the trainer screamed.
Seviper lunged, bringing its glowing tail down in a vertical chop.
CRACK!
The sound of shattering glass echoed. Sableye's Reflect crumbled into sparkling dust. Seviper panted, but its eyes were fierce. It had done it.
The Zangoose, recovered slightly, stepped back into the clearing. It saw the Seviper and let out a mocking growl, expecting another useless Poison Tail.
"You ready?" I asked the trainer.
"Yeah," he nodded, his fear replaced by confidence. "Thanks to you."
"Show him."
The Zangoose charged, confident in its immunity.
"Wait for it..." the trainer commanded, holding his ground. "Wait..."
Zangoose came into range, raising its claws for a Slash.
"NOW! Brick Break!"
Seviper didn't dodge. It coiled instantly, dodging the claws by an inch, and swung its tail overhead. The glowing white blade slammed squarely onto the Zangoose's head.
Super Effective.
The force of the Fighting-type move, combined with Seviper's high attack, drove the Zangoose into the dirt. A shockwave of dust kicked up. When it settled, the Zangoose was out cold, swirls in its eyes.
The trainer cheered, hugging his Seviper. "We did it! We actually beat it!"
He turned to me, beaming. "I don't know who you are, but you saved us. And Seviper learned a new move!"
"You just needed the right strategy," I said, patting Sableye on the head. "Sableye's barriers are tough. If Seviper can break those, it can break anything."
Sableye rubbed its head where the barrier had shattered, looking a bit impressed despite itself. It seemed to enjoy being the 'teacher,' even if it meant getting its wall smashed.
"We're heading to Rustboro City to challenge the Gym," the trainer said. "With Brick Break, I feel like I have a real shot against the Magnetons there."
"You definitely do," I agreed. "Good luck."
We parted ways. As I continued down the road, I looked at Sableye.
"You're pretty good at support, huh?" I teased.
"Sab!" It grinned, hopping onto my shoulder.
I realized then that my team was becoming versatile. I had raw power, I had scouts, and now, I had a utility specialist who could facilitate training for everyone else.
Mauville City was now visible on the horizon, its metallic towers gleaming in the sun.
"Wattson," I thought, gripping the strap of my bag. "I hope you're ready for us."