The Pokémon journey begins in Galar

Thud. Thud.

Farfetch'd wielded its leek with surprising precision, not only parrying Ee-chan's strikes but even beginning to turn the momentum in its favor.

What should have been a fragile, pliable leek somehow, through unknown trials had been honed to the point that it could clash head-on with an Iron Tail imbued with Steel-type energy and not yield an inch.

Clang!

Another sharp sound rang out, like steel on steel. Ee-chan launched herself from midair, trying to leverage the force of gravity for an advantage, but her effort fell short again. If she relied solely on Iron Tail without switching up her approach, she wasn't sure she could win.

Farfetch'd slung its leek back across its shoulder, once more assuming a stance that allowed it to draw it like a sword at any moment. It turned slightly to glance at the approaching Yuri and Marie.

"Quack. (These two humans, are they the trainers you mentioned?)"

"Eei! (Yep! The one in the black jacket is Marie.)"

Ee-chan lifted her head proudly, introducing her Trainer with evident pride. But Farfetch'd, long used to the wild, had long since discarded any naive notions of growing stronger with a human partner.

"Quack... (I see. Then let's continue.)"

It showed no interest in the two girls. What it wanted was to finish the battle it had started. Earlier, it had watched Ee-chan trading Iron Tail strikes with Baru and sensed something it had seen an opportunity.

Perhaps through this Umbreon, it could break through the bottleneck in its sword technique, one that had plagued it for quite some time.

That was why it had stepped forward and directly challenged her.

To Farfetch'd's fortune, Ee-chan had readily accepted. Or rather, agreed to a spar. The only cost was allowing the two humans to watch.

Farfetch'd held no strong feelings about humans. It didn't especially like them, but didn't hate them either. Since it was the one making the request, it had no issue with being observed.

"Eei! (Alright then. Let me see how far you can go.)"

Ee-chan's expression turned serious. Farfetch'd's strikes were fast and sharp. Its power might have been lacking, but its technique was refined. If she could pick up just a bit of its skill, even her Iron Tail would benefit from the insight.

The challenge had come as a surprise, but she wasn't about to let an opportunity like this slip by.

Farfetch'd, having received her response, didn't attack immediately. Unlike Umbreon, it had no advantages in power, speed, or stamina. The only thing it could rely on was its sword technique, refined over countless battles.

That meant every strike required razor-sharp focus.

Thankfully, Ee-chan was more than willing to accommodate. This was a spar, not a life-or-death duel.

From the sidelines, Yuri tugged Marie's sleeve and whispered, "Marie, this Farfetch'd seems really strong."

"…?"

Marie looked over at her in mild confusion. There was nothing in the earlier exchange that had seemed particularly "strong" to her.

Just as the two continued murmuring to each other, Farfetch'd made its move.

Its body suddenly tilted forward, and with a burst of speed that caught even Marie off guard, it lunged toward Ee-chan.

Wings gripped tightly around its leek, it swung down in a sharp arc without hesitation.

Ee-chan, for reasons even she couldn't fully explain, didn't dodge. Instead, with a quick Quick Attack, she flipped into position and met the downward strike head-on with an Iron Tail.

But then something unexpected happened. Instead of withdrawing after the clash like before, Farfetch'd planted its feet firmly, twisted its body to redirect the momentum, and followed through with another lightning-fast slash.

No time to dodge!

Ee-chan hadn't anticipated the change in rhythm. Worse still, the strike was now laced with Bug-type energy one of the types she disliked the most. She couldn't change moves in time, nor could she bring Iron Tail up fast enough.

Protect!

The defensive reflex drilled into her through sparring with Baru finally paid off. A shimmering barrier sprang up just in time, blocking the incoming slash by a hair's breadth.

Using that brief window, Ee-chan burst into another Quick Attack and escaped the range of Farfetch'd's relentless strikes.

"Quack! (Come again!)"

But Farfetch'd had no intention of stopping. One failed attempt wouldn't deter it. It still had more to give.

As long as that sword its beloved leek was in its grasp, it would fight. This was a rare chance, and Farfetch'd refused to waste even a second of it.

With another determined cry, it adjusted its stance and exploded forward once more, pushing its body to the limit. The leek flashed horizontally toward Ee-chan in a wide sweep.

Ee-chan reacted instantly, leaping and flipping midair, bringing down her Iron Tail in a heavy counterstrike.

But Farfetch'd spun with the momentum, pivoting with precision, and met the tail with a diagonal slash, its entire strength focused on the blade. This time, it infused it with pure Fighting-type energy.

Crash! Screeeeech 

The clash of energy and force rang out, accompanied by the harsh scrape of metal against an unnatural edge. Farfetch'd's leek was batted aside, and Ee-chan's Iron Tail veered off course, slamming into the ground and sending clumps of dirt flying.

Thankfully, Ee-chan had held back. If she hadn't, the impact would have been far greater.

Even so, the grassy field was torn up in patches, revealing the damp earth beneath.

As the battle went on, Ee-chan grew more and more focused. What had started as an easygoing spar now demanded her full attention. She was still holding back on power, but she no longer planned to go easy on the tempo of her attacks.

This Farfetch'd... deserved her seriousness.

Ee-chan quickly regained her footing. In one fluid motion, she launched herself forward with Quick Attack again this time, she was taking the offensive.

Her moves remained the same, but the intention had changed. She planned to use her speed to unbalance Farfetch'd. Its greatest threat lay in its weapon and swordsmanship. If she could disrupt its stance maybe even send it flying she'd have the edge to land a clean strike.

"Quack! (Bring it on!)"

Farfetch'd watched her charge and instantly understood her plan. The energy radiating from Ee-chan now was leagues stronger than before. But so what?

Farfetch'd had faith in its sword and in its judgment. Its opponent was faster, sure, and trying to dodge now would only lead to defeat.

As for defense? It knew it could block, but it didn't want to defend. All that mattered was this if its blade was faster than its opponent's strike, that was enough.

Without backing down, Farfetch'd raised its sword and aimed directly at the onrushing Umbreon. Fighting-type energy condensed once again as it prepared to strike...

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