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Congratulations 🎉 we have reached the milestone of 600 chapters~
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Misty and Anthony took their positions on opposite sides of the battlefield.
Without hesitation, Anthony sent out the same Pelipper as before. After a brief moment of thought, Misty released her own Pokémon.
"Starmie, you're up!"
Blue light flashed as Starmie spun into place, its red core gem gleaming under the open sky.
Among all of Misty's Pokémon aside from Psyduck, whose true power only surfaced during headaches, and her later-acquired Gyarados and Starmie were undeniably her strongest and most reliable partners. It had traveled with her for countless battles and was one of the Pokémon she trusted most.
The two Pokémon faced each other.
Starmie remained cautious and poised, while Pelipper's gaze was filled with strange confidence.
Misty narrowed her eyes, studying Pelipper carefully. No matter how she looked at it, she still couldn't feel any overwhelming pressure coming from it—nothing that matched the title of "world's strongest."
She glanced at Anthony. He stood there with arms crossed and a smug smile, brimming with certainty.
Grinding her teeth, Misty stopped overthinking it and gave the order.
"Starmie, use Swift!"
Starmie's central gem flashed brilliantly. A spray of glowing star-shaped projectiles burst from its rotating arms and streaked toward Pelipper.
Since both Pokémon had Water typing, Misty deliberately avoided Water-type moves and instead relied on Starmie's Normal- and Psychic-type techniques to secure the advantage.
Pelipper beat its wings and lifted cleanly into the air, easily slipping past the incoming Swift barrage.
Misty wasn't surprised. She stayed alert, ready for the counterattack.
What she didn't expect, however, was what came next.
As Pelipper hovered above Starmie, it didn't use any Flying-, Normal-, or Water-type moves.
Instead—
A bolt of electricity exploded from its beak!
Golden arcs of lightning burst forth at extreme speed and slammed straight into Starmie.
"What!?"
Misty cried out in shock.
Before coming to Hoenn, she had carefully studied the regional Pokédex especially the Water-types. She knew Pelipper was a Water/Flying-type Pokémon.
Electric-type attacks made no sense at all!
On the battlefield, Starmie tried to dodge, but the lightning was far too fast. The electric current struck cleanly, triggering a full type disadvantage.
Starmie's body crackled violently as electricity raced across its surface.
"Starmie!!"
Misty shouted in panic.
Before Starmie could recover, Pelipper slightly opened its beak again—
Another bolt fired.
This time, Starmie was knocked straight out of the air and crashed to the ground, defeated.
That wasn't a Water-type Pelipper at all.
It fought like a full Electric-type Pokémon.
Misty rushed forward and gathered Starmie into her arms, her face tight with pain and confusion.
She looked up at Anthony, unable to hide her disbelief.
"How… how can your Pelipper use Electric-type moves!?"
Anthony lifted his chin, grinning with self-satisfaction.
"What's so strange about that?" he bragged. "Didn't I tell you already? My Pelipper is the strongest Pokémon in the world! Now you've seen it for yourself, haven't you?"
Being defeated by such a completely illogical attack left Misty deeply unwilling to accept the loss.
She recalled Starmie and immediately reached for another Poké Ball—
Only for a flash of blue light to burst from her waist.
"Psyduck!!"
Before she could stop it, Psyduck waddled out on its own.
It looked left.
It looked right.
Completely oblivious to the tense battle atmosphere.
And completely unaware of Misty's eye-twitching fury.
"You little menace!!" Misty exploded. "Why do you always come out at the worst possible moment!?"
Anthony burst out laughing and shook his head.
"You can't even control your own Pokémon? And you call yourself a Trainer?"
That jab struck deep.
Now Misty was truly furious.
But with Psyduck already on the field and Anthony's ridicule ringing in her ears, she clenched her fists and pointed forward.
"Fine! Since you're already out then battle! Psyduck, show him what you can do!"
Psyduck tilted its head, blinked at Misty, then turned toward Pelipper.
Only now did it realize—
They were in battle.
Instead of panicking, Psyduck suddenly became excited, letting out a series of loud, enthusiastic quacks as it charged forward.
"That's it!" Misty cried, unexpectedly encouraged. "Use Zen Headbutt!"
Psychic energy surged around Psyduck's head as it sprinted clumsily toward Pelipper, its expression half-derpy, half-ferocious.
But before it could reach midway—
Pelipper's beak snapped open slightly.
Two thick, vine-like tendrils shot outward in an instant, wrapping tightly around Psyduck's body, lifting it high into the air—
And slamming it down violently.
Psyduck was defeated on the spot.
Misty stood completely frozen.
Vines?
From a Pelipper's mouth!?
Was this some kind of mutant Pokémon!?
Or was every Pokémon in Hoenn secretly this outrageous!?
Before she could make sense of it, Kai—who had been watching silently from behind her finally stepped forward.
After observing the battle closely, he had already seen through the trick.
Pelipper's absurd attacks weren't natural at all.
The secret lay inside that massive beak.
Unlike ordinary Pelipper, Anthony's Pelipper never opened its mouth fully during battle. No matter the situation, it only cracked its beak slightly as if deliberately concealing something inside.
That alone was highly suspicious.
And now, with what Kai remembered from the anime—
The truth clicked into place.
Anthony wasn't using Pelipper as an attacker.
He was using Pelipper as a mobile Pokémon launcher.
Hidden inside Pelipper's mouth were multiple Poké Balls containing different Pokémon. Whenever Anthony needed a specific type advantage, Pelipper would release the appropriate Pokémon just long enough to attack then quickly withdraw it back into its beak.
The Electric-type attack earlier.
The vine-based binding is just now.
They all came from different Pokémon.
Pelipper was nothing more than a deceptive transport unit.
No wonder Anthony dared to call his Pelipper "the strongest Pokémon in the world."
Any unprepared Trainer would be completely overwhelmed by such a bizarre, unfair setup.
Psyduck lay unconscious on the ground.
Misty, still burning with frustration, reached for a third Poké Ball.
Just as she was about to send it out—
Kai gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"That's enough," he said calmly. "You won't win against him like this."
Misty froze.
Slowly, she turned to look at him.
Kai stepped forward, his eyes calm but sharp.
"The rest… I'll handle."
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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