Chapter 73: Wings of Precision, Scales of Grace
With Charmeleon's fierce evolution still echoing in the stadium's cheers, Ray knew he had to maintain the momentum—not with raw power, but with control and intelligence. He looked at his next partner with a calm, focused expression.
"You're up, Dratini."
The battle field had transformed again—this time into a Waterfield Arena, dotted with floating platforms and shallow reflective currents that glimmered under the light. A challenging terrain, especially for land-based Pokémon. Fortunately, Dratini was anything but.
His opponent, a tall, quiet boy, stepped forward and released a Quagsire onto the field with a splash.
Ray narrowed his eyes.
[Scanning Opponent…]QuagsireAptitude: Light GreenLevel: 33
[Dratini – Level: 31 | Aptitude: Light Purple]
Dratini coiled beside Ray's feet, eyes focused. There was a slight gap in level, but Ray wasn't concerned—Dratini had trained harder than most.
"Start with Agility!" Ray called.
Dratini blurred into motion, weaving between platforms with a serpentine grace. Quagsire tried to slow it with Mud Shot, but the attack splattered uselessly on an empty patch of water.
"Twister!"
Dratini spun, summoning a whirlwind that lashed across the water. The blast caught Quagsire and nearly knocked it off its footing.
"Now, Dragon Rush!"
Dratini surged forward, wrapped in a glowing veil of energy. The impact sent Quagsire skidding backward into the water, eyes wide. It struggled to stand… and fell.
Victory: Dratini.
Ray exhaled with a smile. "Good job."
— — —
Soon after, Ray stepped into his second battle of the day, now on a Grassland Terrain with open skies and tall grass waving in the breeze. His opponent—a brash girl with red streaks in her hair—sent out a buzzing Beedrill.
Ray already knew who would handle this.
"Let's take to the skies. Pidgeotto!"
The moment Pidgeotto took flight, the tone of the crowd shifted. His wings glinted with precision and confidence, his movement sharp, almost regal.
[Pidgeotto – Level 42 | Aptitude: Deep Blue]
"Beedrill, Pin Missile!"
Pidgeotto spun through the air, weaving around the needle-like attacks. "Quick Attack, then Wing Attack!"
A blur of motion—then impact. Pidgeotto struck from below, slammed into Beedrill, and launched him skyward.
"Finish it—Aerial Ace!"
A clean strike from above ended it instantly.
Victory: Pidgeotto.
The crowd roared. The referee barely had time to signal the result before the applause overtook the arena.
— — —
That same day, on a distant Cavern Terrain, Kira Damos stood calm and composed. Her opponent, a muscular teen, unleashed a Luxio, crackling with electricity.
She didn't flinch.
"Let's go, Machoke!"
The ground shook slightly as the fighting-type emerged, muscles tensed, expression confident.
The battle was fast-paced—Luxio darted with Spark and Bite, but Machoke weathered the blows and retaliated with powerful Karate Chops and a finishing Dynamic Punch that left Luxio unconscious.
Victory: Kira Damos.
She took a quiet breath, gave Machoke a proud nod, and walked off the field.
— — —
That evening, under the warm lights of the rest area, Ray and Kira sat at a small table. No words were needed—they simply shared smiles, proud of their victories.