"Ice Beam!"
"Meow-ww!"
The enraged Delcatty let out a sharp howl as ice-blue electricity crackled in its mouth, surging toward Mawile.
Mawile, however, was already prepared. It used Magnet Rise to float upward, neatly evading the blast.
"Follow it!"
At Toshiki's command, Delcatty continuously adjusted the direction of the Ice Beam. The blue lightning struck the ground and swept upward, but it couldn't touch the nimble Mawile. Instead, it formed a massive, glittering flower of ice on the battlefield.
"Use the ice flower as a springboard! Sucker Punch!" Kashiwagi shouted with a wave of his hand.
A springboard?
Toshiki blinked just as Mawile floated in front of the ice flower and kicked off forcefully with its right foot!
CRASH!
The ice flower shattered into countless shards. Borrowing the momentum, Mawile transformed into a dark blur. Its explosive speed left Toshiki and Delcatty unable to track its movement.
"Hidden Power!" Toshiki yelled in panic. Delcatty hunkered down as numerous fist-sized orbs of light swirled around it.
But in the next instant, Toshiki's vision blurred amidst a flash of light. A sharp whistle of wind whipped past his ears, followed by a heavy thud from behind.
He spun around to see his Delcatty lying in the dirt a short distance away, struggling to stand.
It had been sent flying that easily.
What terrifying power! Toshiki looked at Mawile with awe; a Pokémon's true strength was often revealed in the smallest details.
"Meow!" Delcatty let out a low growl, ignoring its dust-covered fur and aching body as it sprinted back onto the field. Despite taking a Sucker Punch head-on, it still had the will to fight.
However.
"That's enough."
Kashiwagi raised his hand to call a halt. One of them was planning to go catch an Alpha Azumarill, and the other was heading into Petalburg Woods. There was no point in draining their Pokémon's energy completely. After all, this wasn't a game; you couldn't just "beep-beep" at a Pokémon Center to instantly restore full health.
"Alright."
Toshiki saw that Delcatty wasn't in great shape, and having lost its ability to use status moves due to Taunt, it had almost no chance of winning. He conceded.
As the Trainers stood down, the two Pokémon sensed the shift in atmosphere and relaxed.
"Good work, Mawile."
Kashiwagi patted Mawile's head. The Pokémon turned its head away in mock resistance but wore a proud, smug smile.
"Maw-ile!" As expected, I'm the best!
"Rest in your Pokéball for a bit." He recalled her.
Nearby, Delcatty was spinning like a top to shake off the dust, causing Toshiki to cough repeatedly. Even so, patches of dirt remained stuck to its fur. For a creature that prized cleanliness, it looked quite miserable.
"I've got a brush in the car, let me go grab it."
Toshiki told Delcatty to wait, but Kashiwagi stepped forward. "I have one right here. You can borrow mine."
As a (semi-)professional Pokémon Breeder, grooming tools were a permanent fixture in his travel bag.
"Thanks!" Toshiki reached for it, then looked at Kashiwagi, then at the brush. He let go. "Actually... would you mind doing it?"
"If you insist."
Kashiwagi chuckled and knelt beside Delcatty. Facing its wary expression, he shook the brush gently. "Need some help?"
"...Meow?"
Delcatty glanced at the helpless-looking Toshiki. After receiving a nod of approval, it gave a slight nod of its own.
Kashiwagi began to groom its fur.
To become an excellent Breeder, one must interact with many different types of Pokémon. This was one of the golden rules Brock had taught him. As Brock's "half-student", he never missed an opportunity to bond with a Pokémon.
As for the fact that he was basically just petting a cat... that was just a coincidence.
Really. Just a coincidence.
The dust was brushed away, and the lustrous sheen returned to Delcatty's coat. Kashiwagi even applied a bit of brightening, leave-in essential oil. When a light breeze blew, Delcatty's fur flowed like waves.
Toshiki was stunned. "How are you so skilled at this!?"
"Just a hobby. I hope to become a qualified Breeder one day." He smiled, feeling a soft, rhythmic pressure against his thigh. He looked down and saw Delcatty comfortably "kneading" on his leg, letting out a deep, satisfied purr.
Fluffy creatures really are cute, regardless of gender, Kashiwagi thought, his gaze inadvertently drifting toward the back of the Delcatty.
No "balls."
Indeed, most of these magical creatures were oviparous(lay eggs).
"Meow?"
Sensing a piercing gaze revolving around its hindquarters, Delcatty lifted its head alertly. Finding nothing, it went back to kneading its paws.
-----
Departure.
After a formal farewell, Toshiki—mistaking Kashiwagi's grooming enthusiasm for a love for the species—suggested he might want to raise a Skitty one day. In reality, Kashiwagi just wanted to satisfy his urge to pet something.
Leaving Petalburg City, the entrance to Petalburg Woods was finally in sight.
"Today is our first official day of camping in the wild. Excited?" He rubbed Deino's cheeks.
"Dei-no~"
Deino let out a tender cry. It was slightly disappointed it couldn't nibble on its Trainer's hand while walking, but wandering around with its human was still pretty great.
"You're too close, move back a bit... Forget it. Let's try the harness and lead?"
Kashiwagi wanted Deino to give him some space, but as a "blind dragon," Deino felt incredibly lonely if it wasn't physically touching its Trainer to sense his presence. Its habit of "hand-eating" was actually a way to keep its Trainer's scent close to its heart.
However, this made walking difficult. Kashiwagi had bought a vest-style harness, hoping to guide Deino like a dog. The tension on the lead would help Deino perceive where he was.
Good idea in theory. In practice? Difficult.
Deino wasn't a "Husky-dragon" that liked to bolt. At most, it just liked to chew on wood to grind its teeth. Even with the lead, it insisted on pressing against his leg.
"...I give up. You're so stubborn," Kashiwagi said helplessly. If Deino weren't so big, he would have preferred to carry it like Galarian Corsola.
But it was already 1.2 meters tall! With such good nutrition, it had sprouted like a weed.
"Dei-no~"
Deino rubbed against his trouser leg, then suddenly let out a hoarse bark. Kashiwagi gave the lead a gentle tug, and it instantly went quiet.
Five minutes later. "Dei-no!"
Tug the lead.
Five minutes after that. "Dei-no!"
"What did I do to deserve this?" Kashiwagi's lips twitched, but he continued to indulge the little guy. It was still young; needing a Trainer's affection was perfectly natural.