The spectator stands instantly erupted in shock.
"Gym Leader Winona actually brought out Togekiss? That is a Pokémon she has never used in an official Gym battle before!"
The livestream chat exploded even more wildly:
"That is Togepi's final evolution, Togekiss, a Pokémon said to bring good fortune!"
"I heard only people blessed by luck can encounter Togepi. I want one so badly. If I had it, I would probably keep winning extra bottle prizes every time I shop!"
"What a waste of potential. If I had a Togepi, I would take it to the Game Corner in Kanto and play the slot machines to win tons of coins. I heard you can exchange those coins for chances to obtain rare Pokémon."
Theo stared at the Togekiss hovering in the air, his gaze sharpening slightly.
This was not the first time he had seen a Togekiss. Cynthia also had one. But the one in front of him was completely different from hers.
Cynthia's Togekiss had the Serene Grace ability, making additional effects easier to trigger. Winona's Togekiss, however, possessed the hidden ability Super Luck, making its attacks more likely to land critical hits.
'I should switch Pokémon.'
Theo made his decision immediately.
Although Tyrantrum still had the strength to fight, facing a Togekiss that specialized in long range energy attacks and wielded the Fairy type, which countered Dragon types, the odds were not in his favor.
The shiny Swellow just now leaned toward close range combat, which Tyrantrum could handle without too much difficulty.
But Togekiss was different. Once it created distance and began continuously bombarding with Fairy type moves, Tyrantrum would be placed in an extremely unfavorable situation.
Even more troublesome was the fact that this Togekiss had recovery moves such as Draining Kiss, Life Dew, and Roost.
In a prolonged battle, Tyrantrum would only become more and more passive.
Togekiss simply needed to maintain distance, continuously unleash Fairy type attacks from afar, and slowly wear Tyrantrum down with a steady kiting strategy.
This kind of battle would be extremely uncomfortable for Tyrantrum, so switching Pokémon was the better choice.
Theo's gaze subconsciously swept toward the side of the field.
While Tyrantrum had been battling earlier, Zweilous had already run out of its Poké Ball on its own and was cheering alongside little Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix.
The moment it noticed Theo looking at it, Zweilous instinctively shrank back a step. Both of its heads shook at the same time, its eyes filled with resistance.
It was not stupid.
That white, round, seemingly harmless Pokémon on the other side was radiating Fairy type energy exactly like Ice Vulpix's mother.
That energy posed a huge threat to it. Zweilous was smart. It had no intention of fighting something that so thoroughly countered it.
Charging in and offering itself up like a fool was not something it would ever do.
Theo had never intended to send Zweilous out anyway, but seeing it act so cowardly left him a little speechless.
Where was the pride and dignity of a Dragon type Pokémon?
Still, since Winona had said she would treat this as seriously as an Elite Four challenge, Theo's earlier reservations completely disappeared.
He decided not to hold back and to send out his true ace.
Raising his hand, Theo took a pale blue Poké Ball from his belt. With a flick of his finger, it arced through the air and burst open in a flash of white light.
"I choose you, Milotic."
"Miloo~"
Accompanied by a clear and melodious cry, shiny Milotic appeared gracefully.
The thin moisture in the air seemed to respond to its presence, rapidly gathering into a soft veil of water that supported its body, allowing it to hover in midair.
Its four golden tail fins shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight, like a divine being descending in the rain.
In an instant, everyone's attention was firmly captured by the breathtaking figure of the shiny Milotic.
Ignoring the surrounding gasps of amazement, Theo fixed his sharp gaze on Togekiss in the sky and gave the first command.
"Milotic, Rain Dance."
A crystal clear sphere of water slowly formed in Milotic's mouth before rising into the air and bursting apart.
In an instant, dark clouds churned and heavy rain poured down. Countless raindrops blanketed the battlefield, forming a dense curtain of water.
Milotic moved gracefully within the downpour, weaving through it as if the rain itself had come alive, following and circling around it.
Seeing the shiny Milotic playing amidst the torrential rain, Winona's pupils suddenly contracted.
She had never expected Theo's Milotic to produce such a powerful Rain Dance. If not for the difference in color, she might have thought she had returned to the past.
Back to the days when she trained in battle against Wallace.
Winona shook her head, casting aside the distracting thoughts, and called out loudly:
"Togekiss, use Sunny Day to counter it, then follow up with Solar Beam."
At her command, the red crest on Togekiss's head lit up with a blazing glow. A crimson orb shot into the sky, attempting to disperse the storm clouds.
But Fire was not Togekiss's primary type. The power of Sunny Day was already somewhat weaker, and against Milotic's full strength Rain Dance, it was difficult to compete.
In the end, a peculiar scene formed on the battlefield.
Three quarters of the area was engulfed in heavy rain, while only a small corner remained bathed in sunlight.
The storm surrounded Milotic, while the sunlight shone upon Togekiss.
"Toge~"
Bathed in the remaining sunlight, Togekiss flapped its wings and rose higher. Green energy began to gather within its mouth.
With the enhancement of Sunny Day, the Solar Beam that normally required a long charge was now rapidly swelling at a visible pace.
Very quickly, the green light condensed into a basketball sized sphere, its edges glowing with golden brilliance.
It was the Grass type ultimate move, Solar Beam.
Solar Beam requires time to gather sunlight energy before firing, but under Sunny Day it can charge instantly and be released at once.
The surrounding spectators and livestream viewers held their breath. This was a powerful Grass type attack that countered Water types. If Milotic were hit, the consequences would be severe.
Unlike the anxious audience, Theo remained exceptionally calm. His voice was quick and decisive as he issued his command into the rain.
"Milotic, Strategy No. 3."
Milotic nodded lightly, responding with a soft cry.
Then it began to glide gracefully through the storm.
The rainwater around its body instantly condensed into form, transforming into ribbons of blue water that wrapped gently around it like flowing silk.
This was Aqua Ring.
After completing this, Milotic made no further moves.
It hovered calmly at the center of the downpour, quietly waiting for Togekiss's attack to arrive.
(End of Chapter)