"This is my last sweetheart—go!"
For the third time, Gary pressed a kiss to the Poké Ball, eyes blazing with fighting spirit, his grip tighter than before.
Seeing Hitmontop's face tinged a little purple, he hurled the ball hard onto the field.
Bang!
A massive deep-blue turtle Pokémon landed with steady weight. The cannons on its back leveled at Hitmontop as a low rumble rolled from its throat.
[Pokémon: Blastoise]
[Type: Water]
[Level: 36]
[Ability: Torrent]
[Moves: (not listed)]
"Whoa, it's Blastoise!"
Green blinked, then glanced at the Poké Balls on her belt.
She wondered when her own Wartortle would evolve into a Blastoise.
"Blastoise, huh. Feels like there've been a lot of Squirtle-line trainers around lately."
Grey sighed lightly, then looked over Gary's Blastoise.
About a week ago, when Gary came to challenge, he'd led with a level 24 Kadabra.
Blastoise might be his starter, but that jump in level was still wild.
"Gym Leader Grey, I prepared in Cinnabar Island just for this battle."
Gary didn't dare take it lightly. He locked eyes with Grey. "I'm going to win this one."
"Alright."
Seeing the fire in Gary's gaze—and considering Hitmontop's condition—Grey nodded.
They gave orders at the same time.
"Blastoise, Protect!"
"Hitmontop, Feint!"
At Grey's call, Gary's pupils pinched. "What?!"
He'd planned to stall and let poison chew at Hitmontop a little longer.
Grey had already read him?!
The field turned on a dime.
Too late to change the move.
"Blas!"
Blastoise crossed its arms, bracing in front of itself.
A green barrier flashed up, locking it safely inside.
That glow screamed security.
Protect, as the name says, blocks almost anything in most cases.
But every move has a downside.
Even Protect won't always… protect!
Hitmontop, quick as a gust, hit Blastoise's face. The bandaged, ordinary-looking brown fist flashed white and drove straight in—smashing the green barrier to pieces—and the fist slammed hard between Blastoise's forearms!
The heavy punch sent Blastoise skidding backward, its weight plowing furrows through the dojo floor.
Noticing Hitmontop hadn't backed off, Gary swept a hand down and barked, "Water Pulse—fast!"
"Sucker Punch!"
Blastoise dipped its shoulders and brought both cannons to bear on the unmoving Hitmontop; a soft, rising slosh built in the barrels.
But Grey once again was a step ahead.
Black light replaced the earlier white. Hitmontop kicked Blastoise, using the recoil to spring back.
At that moment, two blue shells of water burst from Blastoise's barrels; the rippling air shimmered in their wake.
Hitmontop stamped and cut to the side in a blur, then darted back in with blinding footwork; a dark-sheathed fist cracked Blastoise across the face!
Thud!
Blastoise's head snapped sideways. It almost toppled shell-first, but its legs caught the floor and held, just barely.
You had to admit—Gary's Blastoise was solid. Its physical conditioning was superb.
Most trainers would've been flustered by now.
"Protect gets pierced by Feint, and the rest get blown up by Sucker Punch…"
Gary's eyes were deadly serious.
But Blastoise was still his best solution.
Switching to anything else might not do as well.
"Gary, you're stuck in your own head."
Grey heard the mutter and offered, "Battles are ever-changing. If these moves shut down your plan, pick a line that isn't affected by either of them."
"A line that isn't affected by those two…"
Gary murmured, staring at his hands.
"Blas!" (Don't fret—go for it!)
Blastoise's voice pulled his eyes back.
Man and turtle looked at each other—and a rush of memories flickered between them.
They hadn't been together that long, but from the moment they met, the bond had been forming.
"Blas." (I trust you—like when you picked me out at a glance.)
Blastoise's tone was low and steady.
"Blastoise…"
Gary nodded hard. Resolve shone in his eyes. He shouted, "Use Surf—on yourself!"
[Wait, what's this young master thinking?]
[Surf on yourself… that's chaos.]
[Ah! I get what Gary's doing!]
[Ash, you "get it" again?]
The chat was all over the place—but the only one tracking Gary's brainwave seemed to be his childhood friend—Ash.
"Blas!"
Blastoise angled its turrets skyward and fired a thundering surge. A whitening wall of surf collapsed from above, cutting Hitmontop off in an instant!
The deluge slammed into the floor and, together with the next cascading surge, rolled back toward Hitmontop!
The impact range kept swelling, creeping ever closer to the nearby Hitmontop.
"Kopo…"
Hitmontop's face had gone purple; bubbles rose and popped, gnawing at its stamina.
It couldn't stall anymore.
Give it a bit longer and it would drop.
"Hoh. Not bad."
Grey squinted, reading Gary's tactic at a glance.
Use a big Surf to bunker up—and turn defense into offense. Hitmontop wouldn't be able to close the gap for a while.
Stall, defend, attack—three angles in one.
It was good—about the best plan Gary could cook up in the moment.
"Hah…"
Gary drew a long breath. He didn't dare relax for a second.
This was Grey…
As the roaring surf rushed in, Hitmontop squared its shoulders. Purple-faced or not, it didn't step back.
A Fighting-type Pokémon falls standing.
"Cut through with Triple Axel."
Grey's order landed.
"Kopo!"
Hitmontop inhaled; ice-blue light flashed at its toes as it spun up to full speed.
Cold burst outward. The whitening waves froze solid the instant they neared—turning to hard ice!
Claaang!
Then kick after kick shattered the ice into shards and flung them wide!
"Blastoise—track Hitmontop at all times!"
Gary drank in the grit and yelled, voice rising despite himself:
"Cannons forward—Ice Beam, full power!"
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