Chapter 7: Triumph Over the Peony and the Battle Against the Giant Claw Crab

The battle field of Cerulean Gym consisted of a deep, circular pool of water with a ring-shaped rock platform rising from the center.

Because this was a Water-type gym, there was little room for other Pokémon to move about, so every step had to be taken with care.

On opposite sides of the field, in the trainers’ command areas, Xia You and the three Senshi sisters faced one another across the water.

Sakura said, “The rules are simple. Each of us will use one Pokémon. Defeat all three of us, and you pass your challenge.”

Aoi folded her arms and asked, “So, who do you want to challenge first?”

Xia You let his gaze pass over each of their faces in turn. “Anyone is fine. You decide.”

“That’s some nerve.” As the youngest of the sisters, Botan volunteered at once. She stepped forward and took a Pokeball from her pocket. “In that case, let me have a go at you first! Come out, Goldfish!”

A flash of blue light appeared, and a white fish with a horn on its head emerged in the pool.

Xia You took out his Pokédex and pointed it at the Pokémon.

Pokédex: “Beep. Goldfish, the goldfish Pokémon. Its dorsal and tail fins are highly developed, allowing it to swim through water at five knots. Because its tail fin flutters gracefully like a dress, it is also known as the queen of the water.”

Glancing down at his feet, Xia You sent out his first Pokémon.

“Eevee, I choose you!”

Eevee cried out excitedly and leaped onto the rock.

The two Pokémon’s types did not counter one another, so victory would depend on raw strength. But because it held the advantage of terrain, it would not be easy for Eevee to defeat Goldfish.

“Goldfish, use Peck!”

At Botan’s command, the battle officially began.

Goldfish lashed its tail and sprang from the water, its body hurtling forward as though it could fly, straight toward Eevee.

“Eevee, dodge!”

With its nimble footwork, Eevee easily avoided the attack.

“Use Tackle!”

As their bodies crossed, Eevee leaped through the air and slammed hard into Goldfish’s body. But just as it was about to connect, Goldfish dove into the water and vanished without a trace.

Eevee overcommitted and could not check its momentum. It plunged into the water after it, but as soon as it surfaced, it paddled frantically with all four limbs and climbed back onto the rock.

Shaking its wet fur, it looked utterly miserable, like a stray dog that had fallen into a pond.

Across from it, Botan smiled. “Good! Goldfish, keep it up and force it into the water!”

Goldfish repeated the same trick, using Peck once more. But this time, weighed down by the water, Eevee’s speed was greatly reduced. Facing Goldfish’s second attack, it barely managed to evade at the very last instant, the strike nearly brushing its body.

Seeing this, Xia You breathed a sigh of relief, though he could not help but feel a pang of anxiety for Eevee.

At its current strength, if it were hit for real, it would not take many blows before it was knocked out.

Thinking quickly, Xia You’s eyes swept back and forth over the field, until he spotted a cluster of jagged rocks beneath Eevee’s feet. Only then did a plan slowly begin to form.

“Eevee, jump onto that pile of rocks beneath you!”

Eevee turned and looked at Xia You. Though it did not understand, it still obeyed and leaped over.

Seeing this, Botan laughed. “No matter what you do now, it won’t matter. Goldfish, use Horn Attack!”

Goldfish sprang out of the water again and charged at Eevee with the horn on its head.

“Eevee, dodge!”

Eevee sidestepped the attack, but the rock it had just stood on was shattered to pieces by Goldfish’s impact.

Xia You gave the next order. “Eevee, jump back to where you were just now!”

As Eevee returned to the pile of rubble, Goldfish launched another attack.

Watching it rush forward, Xia You said calmly, “Eevee, use Sand Attack!”

At the command, Eevee quickly pivoted its body and, with its two front legs, kicked up a cloud of dust, hurling the碎石 and grit beneath its feet straight at Goldfish.

In an instant, the sand blinded Goldfish’s eyes, while the rubble blunted its momentum. Unable to control its body, it crashed heavily onto the rocks.

Botan’s expression changed. “What!?”

Xia You smiled lightly.

A fish on land, no matter how fiercely it once flaunted itself, has only one end.

Botan said anxiously, “Goldfish, hurry and get back into the water!”

But Goldfish bounced several times on the rocks and, unable to tell which way was which, still could not make it back in.

“Damn it.” Seeing Eevee draw closer and closer, Botan shouted, “Goldfish, use Supersonic!”

A visible wave of sound burst from Goldfish’s mouth. The Supersonic did indeed strike Eevee, throwing it briefly into confusion, but once Eevee came to its senses, the situation had not changed.

“Eevee.” Xia You raised a hand and pointed. “It’s time to end this battle!”

Eevee nodded. Then, with a fierce charge, it struck Goldfish head-on, completely robbing it of its ability to fight.

Botan sighed, recalled Goldfish into its Pokeball, and silently stepped aside.

“You’ve got some skill,” Aoi said as she walked to the trainer’s command area. She tossed a Pokeball toward the water. “But the next Pokémon won’t be so easy to deal with. Come out, Crab!”

A Pokémon resembling a crab appeared in the water, raising a pair of huge claws overhead, drawing immediate attention. But on closer inspection, its red-and-white body and its pair of vacant, dull eyes made it look a little foolish, as though it were not very bright at all.

Pokédex: “Beep. Crab, the freshwater crab Pokémon. Its claws are powerful weapons, though they sometimes fall off during battle. But new ones soon grow back. On beaches where food is scarce, they can often be seen fighting for territory. And when danger approaches, they spit foam from their mouths to cover their whole bodies, making themselves appear larger.”

“Eevee, come back. You’ve worked hard.”

When Eevee returned to his side, Xia You first stroked its forehead in praise, then turned his gaze to Bulbasaur.

“Next up is your turn, Bulbasaur.”

“Bulba, Bulba!”

Bulbasaur understood, ran to the edge of the pool, and leaped onto the rock.

Bulbasaur was Grass and Poison type, giving it a type advantage against Water-type Crab. But the same problem remained: on this field filled with water, movement space was severely restricted. How to avoid falling in was the key to victory.