Chapter 167: Perhaps I Could Fall for You
You had to admit, Celestia had guts. Since she had chosen to trust Will, she believed in him completely.
Eterna City had no dedicated training grounds. Trainers who wanted to battle usually went outside the city, to the Eterna Forest to the west or the small plain to the north. Most chose the forest, as it was close to the Pokémon Hospital.
"Aren't you going to command, Celestia?" Louis asked strangely. She was standing outside the impromptu battlefield, clearly not intending to direct the fight.
"There's no need. Sceptile can beat you on his own," Celestia said with a casual lift of her chin.
"Your confidence! It is also so beautiful! Under this starry night sky, I wish to become the most inconspicuous star, just to silently guard your light."
"...Just beat Sceptile first," Celestia sighed, her head bowed. She just wanted this farce to be over quickly.
"If that's the case, then, Sceptile, let's begin!" Louis said, his expression turning serious. "Although you are Celestia's Pokémon, I am a trainer first and foremost. I and my Garchomp will give it our all. I will not hold back."
"That's just what I wanted," Will said, rolling his wrists and charging forward.
"Garchomp, use Aerial Ace!"
"GAR-CHOMP!"
With a mighty roar, the Garchomp charged forward with heavy, yet fast, steps.
He's got skills, Will noted.
The type matchup between Sceptile and Garchomp wasn't hugely one-sided. If anything, Sceptile had a slight advantage. But Louis was clearly an experienced battler. He knew this and chose to have his Garchomp use a Flying-type move, which was super-effective against Grass, rather than the Dragon or Ground-type moves it was more proficient with.
But Will had no intention of meeting it head-on. A Garchomp was a Pokémon born for direct clashes. With its 130 base Attack and 102 Speed, and its Rough Skin ability, it was a monster in a brawl. Will wasn't about to run straight into its spearhead. This was a forest. This was his home turf.
As the Garchomp charged at him like a truck, Will lightly tapped the ground and leaped onto a nearby tree. Dozens of Sceptile clones appeared on the surrounding branches.
"Garchomp, use Sand Tomb!" Louis reacted quickly. His Garchomp stomped the ground, and a vortex of sand swirled outwards, shredding the leaves and instantly destroying the clones.
Impressive, Will thought from the top of another tree. He hadn't expected Sand Tomb to be used to clear out his clones so effectively.
But... his goal had been achieved. While the Garchomp was distracted, Will had quietly used his setup moves. He was now at Lv. 60.
"Now it's my turn," he said, stretching and leaping down.
"Garchomp, above! Use Dig!"
"Gar," the Garchomp said, immediately burrowing underground without even looking up.
A violent torrent of leaves then descended from the sky, slamming into the ground and creating a crater. But the Garchomp had already escaped.
"It's not over yet," Will thought. [Earthquake]!
As he landed, an orange-yellow energy flowed from his feet into the ground, and a massive shockwave erupted. The next moment, the Garchomp was blasted out of the earth, dazed.
"Garchomp, Fire Fang!" Louis's voice rang out.
FWOOM!
Flames instantly erupted in the Garchomp's mouth. But just as it was about to bite, Will had already appeared at its side, his tail sweeping out and slamming into its jaw.
[Focus Energy]. [Extreme Speed]. A 2x super-effective [Dragon Tail], boosted by a Dragon Fang, Dragon Dance, and Swords Dance. This one blow had to have felt amazing for the Garchomp.
However, Will felt a sharp pain in his own tail as it made contact. Rough Skin, he thought.
"Time to end this," Will said, opening his mouth as a purple orb of energy began to form. He was preparing to finish it with Dragon Pulse.
"Flamethrower!"
FWOOSH!
A sudden blast of fire to the face made Will grit his teeth and leap back. His Dragon Pulse was interrupted. The Fire-type move had done significant damage. He hadn't expected the Garchomp to be so fast, and the rapport between it and its trainer was incredible.
"Fire Blast!"
"GAR-CHOMP!"
A giant, character-shaped blast of fire shot towards Will.
[Rock Tomb].
He stomped the ground, and a wall of giant rocks erupted, blocking the attack. The fire slammed into the rocks, causing a massive explosion.
"Above! Aerial Ace!"
The Garchomp leaped, charging at Will who was coming over the top of the rock wall.
[Focus Punch].
Will clenched his right fist and slammed it into the top of the charging Garchomp's head. The two passed each other in a blur, so fast that Louis and Celestia couldn't even see them.
They landed. The Garchomp grinned, then collapsed, its eyes turning to swirls.
On the other side, Will rubbed his stomach. "Oof... that hurt." His abdomen was bruised. But getting hit with a Flamethrower and an Aerial Ace was no small matter.
A pseudo-legendary... Will sighed and began to use Recover. A Garchomp's 130 base Attack was terrifying.
After the battle, Meowscarada was the first to rush to his side, anxiously checking his condition.
"Meow?"
"I'm fine. It's almost healed."
...
"I lost," Louis said, having recalled his Garchomp.
"You'd better remember our promise," Celestia said, walking over with her arms crossed.
"Of course. I keep my word. And I admit defeat willingly. Your Sceptile is too strong," Louis sighed. "Celestia, I didn't know you were such an outstanding Grass-type trainer. It makes my heart flutter."
"You're not still going to pester me, are you?"
"No. I'll go back and have my grandfather cancel the engagement. Then I will go on a training journey to become a stronger man. When that time comes, can I have another chance to pursue you?"
"...No."
"Alright. But please believe me, no one in this world likes you more than I do!"
With that, he turned and left, his back straight.
"He's not a bad guy. And as a trainer, he's very strong," Will commented. It was his honest opinion. Although Gavin's Pokémon was higher level, as a commander, Louis was a little bit better.
"Louis graduated from the battle studies department of Orange Academy. His battle experience is very rich. I was a little worried at first," Celestia said, finally breathing a sigh of relief.
"No wonder," Will nodded. That made sense.
"Sceptile," Celestia said, walking up to him and hugging him.
"If you're going to thank me, don't bother. We're friends, and you've helped me a lot too."
"You're so cool!" she said, looking up at him with a grin. "If you were a human, perhaps I could fall for you."
"...Are you confessing to me? You're making me blush," Will said, scratching his cheek and looking away. If a Pokémon had confessed to him, he would have just been confused. But Celestia... he could clearly appreciate her charm. She was like a more mature version of Cynthia.
"Meow..." a cold voice came from the side.
Will and Celestia both froze. Will turned and saw something different. Meowscarada's jealousy seemed to be directed at them, but not hostile towards Celestia. He realized her possessiveness was mostly directed at other Pokémon. She was more tolerant of humans.
"Meow," Meowscarada huffed and turned her head away, as if to say, "out of sight, out of mind."
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