บท 45: There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [45]
A-Le stared blankly at Wingull, then suddenly cried out, "Baozi!" The sight of his injured Wingull snapped him back to reality. He had just made a mistake no trainer could forgive—spacing out during a Pokémon battle!
"Oh dear, am I being ignored?" the boy mocked, letting out a sigh. "Or maybe you're just that weak?"
"Spacing out during a battle—should I call you cute or just plain dumb?" he sneered. Then, he commanded loudly, "Fearow, teach them a lesson for ignoring you!"
Fearow, already a naturally aggressive species, looked down at the small Wingull with disdain. It spread its wide wings, revealing its brown belly in an exaggerated display of provocation.
"Fearow, use Quick Attack!"
"Baozi, dodge it with Quick Attack too!" A-Le, now fully alert, quickly gave his command in response to the oncoming threat.
However, Wingull's speed was no match for Fearow's. The fierce bird caught up easily and slammed into Wingull with its full body weight and momentum. Wingull was sent flying, feathers scattering in the air as it spiraled down.
"Baozi!" A-Le called out, panic rising. His poor command decisions had left Wingull vulnerable to two consecutive strikes, and now A-Le was flustered, unable to give an effective order.
"Tsk tsk tsk," the boy yawned lazily, "I really don't know how you made it through two rounds of eliminations. Maybe you just got lucky. But remember, letting your Pokémon get hurt is the trainer's fault."
His words pierced A-Le's heart like a sharp dagger. Watching his badly injured Wingull struggle, A-Le closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and slowly reached out his hand.
"I..." Just as A-Le was about to raise his hand to forfeit, Baozi opened its eyes again, wobbling as it flapped its wings and managed to take to the air once more.
Wingull shook its head at A-Le.
"Baozi..." A-Le whispered, staring at his battered but determined Wingull. Then suddenly, he clenched his fists tightly! Even the referee was moved by this scene. After a moment's pause, he blew his whistle and announced, "Wingull is still able to fight—battle continues!"
"Baozi, use Quick Attack to get behind it, then follow up with Wing Attack!"
A-Le, now fully determined, had a fire of competition burning in his eyes. This time, unlike the previous battles, he wanted to win!
"Flying again, huh? It seems your Wingull is trained quite well," the boy remarked with some admiration. "But this is the end!"
"Fearow, use Fury Attack!"
Fury Attack unleashed a barrage of rapid strikes from Fearow's sharp beak, like a storm of jabs aimed at Wingull. But to the boy's shock, Wingull's speed surged far beyond his expectations.
"What?!"
A-Le's voice was firm with newfound resolve: "Even though Fearow is faster than Wingull, its wide wings make it harder for it to turn in midair. As long as I seize the right moment, your Fearow won't be able to lay a claw on Baozi!"
No sooner had A-Le finished speaking than Baozi's wings glowed white, slamming into Fearow with a powerful Wing Attack. Fearow cried out in pain, feathers flying off in all directions.
"Hmph, just a clever trick!" the boy growled, gritting his teeth. "Fearow, use Quick Attack!"
Fearow flapped its broad wings once more, its speed skyrocketing again. But Wingull responded by soaring even higher into the sky, out of Fearow's immediate reach!
Fearow flapped its broad wings, once again increasing its speed, but Wingull soared higher into the sky of its own accord.
"What are you doing? Wingull hasn't evolved; it can't handle high-altitude combat!" the boy shouted in frustration.
A-Le's gaze was eerily calm. He couldn't allow Baozi to get hurt again, but he needed to use Baozi's agility while also delivering a counterattack to Fearow. These three seemingly impossible challenges had only one optimal solution.
"Baozi, use Quick Attack!"
"It's useless! Fearow, charge at it head-on!" the boy commanded.
Both bird Pokémon sliced through the sky, leaving trails of air currents behind them. The spectators craned their necks, watching the intense aerial showdown.
"That Wingull's definitely going to lose."
"Yeah, why would you go head-to-head with Fearow, a Pokémon known for its strong physical attacks? That's just—" Before the spectators could finish their sentence, their jaws nearly hit the floor.
Just as the two Pokémon were about to collide, A-Le shouted, "Baozi, use Aerial Ace!"
In an instant, Wingull executed a graceful, sharp maneuver, carving a beautiful arc in the air. With a swift dive, it passed right by Fearow! Quick Attack missed entirely!
Fearow, driven by its powerful momentum, was helpless as it shot further into the sky. Fearow looked back in panic, only to see Wingull's snow-white wings closing in.
"Squawk!" Fearow let out a cry of distress as it plummeted from the sky, its feathers scattering in all directions, making its form nearly impossible to see.
"Fearow!" The boy, stunned by the sudden turn of events, shouted in desperation, "Hold on!"
High above, Fearow, hearing its trainer's desperate call, looked back, eyes bloodshot. Fueled by sheer determination, it launched itself back into the sky, attempting to face the now-dominant Wingull once again.
"It's over," A-Le said, clenching his fist tightly. "Baozi, use Aerial Ace!"
The scene was almost identical, another fierce clash, but this time, Fearow didn't rise again.
"W-what... how did this happen?" the boy stammered, staring at his fainted Fearow in disbelief, on the verge of tears. "Fearow! How could you lose?"
"Son!" The boy's mother rushed out of the stands and stormed toward the field, shouting, "You fat brat! Why'd you hit so hard?"
A-Le hadn't even reacted yet, standing there nervously. But Baozi, now flying back to A-Le's side, instinctively shielded him.
"Eu-lay!" Baozi cried out loud, and suddenly, an intense white light enveloped its entire body, like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. The glow wrapped around Baozi's form in threads, causing the whole stadium to hold its breath.
"It's... evolving?" A-Le's mother gasped, clutching her husband's hand, tears suddenly streaming down her face.
"Let's go down there too," her husband suggested.
When the evolution was complete, Baozi had grown even larger. It now had a massive beak with a yellow pouch, and its round, wide eyes blinked curiously as it inspected its new form.
"Baozi?" A-Le hesitantly called out.
Hearing A-Le's voice, Pelipper excitedly circled above, then flew back to him, affectionately nuzzling his neck.
"It's wonderful... just wonderful..." A-Le's mother and father, now standing behind him, looked on with a sense of deep pride and emotion.
Sensing they were outmatched, the boy's mother quickly grabbed her teary-eyed son and slinked away.
The referee raised his flag and shouted, "I declare A-Le the winner!"
Thunderous applause filled the stadium. A-Le, still in a bit of a daze, looked at his newly evolved Pelipper. He felt a lump in his throat, wanting to cry, but this time, he held it back.
Suddenly, A-Le smiled, his eyes full of determination.
"Here I come, top 128!"
---
T/N: Hmm a Fearow got beat by a Wingull...
If there are any mistakes let me know!
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