บท 73: Vikavolt and Charjabug
"Haunter."
"Ka-kah~~"
Haunter chuckled mischievously as it silently faded into the shadows. The dense forest, with its many patches of darkness, provided plenty of places for it to move freely.
Boom!!
Suddenly—
Amidst an eruption of electricity, a Pokémon, resembling a stag beetle with a pair of massive mandibles proportionate to its body, flew out of the dense foliage. Its wings, thin and transparent like those of a cicada, buzzed as it skillfully navigated through the forest.
"A Vikavolt?"
Volkner and Officer Jenny were both caught off guard at the sight of this Pokémon.
"Isn't that an Alolan Pokémon?" Jenny muttered.
As they watched, Vikavolt's abdomen began to glow with a golden current, which quickly gathered between its large mandibles and turned into a powerful stream of electricity, aimed right at Haunter hiding within the forest.
"Ka-kah!!"
Startled, Haunter dived back into the shadows of the trees.
Boom!!
The powerful electric blast struck the ground, creating a sizeable crater and leaving nearby tree trunks and leaves charred from the scorching electricity.
"This Vikavolt… seems to be larger than most," remarked Volkner with a serious expression. Being an expert in Electric-type Pokémon, he could gauge the power behind Vikavolt's previous "Discharge" attack.
"Is it frenzied?" murmured Officer Jenny.
Volkner glanced over with a puzzled expression.
"Frenzied?"
"Not entirely," Johan interjected, shaking his head without elaborating for Volkner. Instead, he pointed to Vikavolt's legs and asked, "Did you see what it's carrying?"
"Charjabug?"
Following Johan's gaze as the golden sparks faded, Volkner's eyes widened in realization.
"Four of them?!"
Charjabug, an Electric and Bug-type Pokémon, looks like a small green rectangle. On closer inspection, one can see that it actually has jointed legs, tiny mandibles, and beady eyes. Charjabug is an apt name because it essentially acts as a mobile battery capable of storing and providing electricity for other Pokémon like Vikavolt.
The occasional blackouts at the electronics mall, as well as Luxray and Pikachu's ineffective attacks earlier, were likely the result of these Charjabug.
In reality, Vikavolt is the evolved form of Charjabug. Many wild Vikavolt carry at least one Charjabug with them, both for recharging and to protect the weaker Pokémon.
But this Vikavolt had four Charjabug!
This wasn't just a matter of having more power. It was due to Charjabug's ability Battery, which increases the power of a partner's special moves by 1.3 times.
With four Charjabug…
Even if it wasn't clear whether the effects of Battery could stack, it was obvious that this Vikavolt not only had ample power reserves but was also a force of destruction!
"They're not behaving normally," Volkner said, his voice heavy with concern.
Being an expert on Electric Pokémon, he could sense that something was off with both Vikavolt and the Charjabug.
"Is this the frenzy you were talking about?" he asked, recalling what Officer Jenny had mentioned earlier.
At the same time, Haunter and Vikavolt's battle was already underway.
Despite having the support of four Charjabug, and possessing high special attack power by nature, Vikavolt's weaknesses were quite apparent.
It lacked speed.
While Vikavolt seemed agile in the forest, its speed was still a major shortcoming, especially now that it was burdened by four Charjabug.
"Haunter, use Toxic."
Johan's calm voice carried into the forest.
"Ka-kah!"
Moving from shadow to shadow, Haunter suddenly appeared behind Vikavolt, letting out a mischievous laugh before spewing a sticky, deep purple substance onto the larger insect.
Bzzzz—
Vikavolt's wings began to hum rapidly as electricity poured from the Charjabug into its body, enveloping it in a golden aura.
In the next moment—
Crackle!!
The air erupted as electricity, like waves, spread violently outward from Vikavolt.
Johan's brows furrowed. He called out, "Dodge, Haunter! Then use Hypnosis!"
"Ka-kah!"
Frightened by the overwhelming display of electricity, Haunter dove behind a nearby tree.
The wild electrical outburst didn't just damage the trees—it even sparked small fires.
"Will Vikavolt even be susceptible to Hypnosis in its current state? That charge of electricity, even if it doesn't create an official Electric Terrain, seems to be producing a similar effect…" Volkner muttered, puzzled.
But Officer Jenny reassured him, "Mr. Johan's Hypnosis is… different."
Different?
"Is that so…" Pikachu's sensitive ears picked up on Alolan Vulpix's soft murmur.
It's Johan's special Hypnosis.
"Ka-kah~~"
Haunter emerged from the shadows again, this time directly in front of Vikavolt, with a menacing grin on its face.
It released its grip, allowing a small Hypnosis ring to drop from its paw.
Johan, Officer Jenny, and Volkner all stared in bewilderment.
As the Hypnosis ring swung back and forth, Haunter's eyes gleamed with a red glow, and invisible waves of psychic energy radiated outwards.
Vikavolt's body began to flicker like a faulty light.
Thunk—
One of the Charjabug fell off its legs.
Soon after, the other three Charjabug followed suit, dropping to the ground one by one.
Without the extra power supply, Vikavolt's golden glow dimmed significantly.
"Hex."
Haunter took advantage of Vikavolt's confusion, thrusting its hands forward as dark energy surged from its claws, burrowing into Vikavolt's body.
"Chkaaa!!"
The sharp pain snapped Vikavolt out of its stupor, but with the potent Toxic already taking effect, it quickly began to feel weak.
Still, it fired off a desperate "Thunderbolt"—
But it struck Haunter's Protect instead.
"Use Hypnosis again."
With the Charjabug removed, Vikavolt couldn't maintain the pseudo-electric field effect. Its reduced strength and dwindling stamina made it vulnerable.
"Ka-kah~~"
Haunter continued to sway its Hypnosis ring, and when Vikavolt's gaze met its own, a wave of drowsiness crashed through the larger insect's mind.
Its wing movements slowed, and the flickering electric currents gradually faded.
In the end, Vikavolt wobbled before collapsing heavily onto the ground.
Seeing this, Officer Jenny gestured to her officers, and they quickly moved in to put out the fires, capture the Pokémon, and secure the area.
"Ka-kah~~"
Haunter floated out from the woods, patting its chest in a show of mock relief.
That was terrifying for a ghost!
"I remember now," Volkner suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence. He was looking at Johan with a glint of recognition in his eyes.
"You're the Mr. Johan that Aaron mentioned—the one who taught him the Toxic Stall strategy and defeated Lance."
Aaron? Learning Toxic Stall?
Johan was momentarily taken aback as the image of Aaron, a fiery and passionate Trainer, came to mind.
Why would he want to learn Toxic Stall when he's got the strongest friendship combo?
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