As the evolution of Pineco, Forretress was like it was encased in hard armor. It had no limbs, and its red shell had a small seam along the midline where its eyes could be seen. It also had four tube-like protrusions extending outwards.
It floated in mid-air, its appearance so strange that it had no obvious Bug-type Pokémon features, looking more like a hybrid of rock and steel.
The Pokémon's type advantage, especially the fact that Venusaur's Grass-type moves would only deal minimal damage to Forretress, gave Katsuki the false impression that he had the upper hand.
But as the battle began and progressed, he slowly realized that something was wrong.
Under Natsui's command, Venusaur started with a Tackle, followed by Sleep Powder. Although it didn't put Forretress to sleep, it did make it pause, revealing an opening.
Seizing this opportunity, Venusaur used Leech Seed and Growth, strengthening itself while also draining the opponent's stamina.
And when the time was right, Natsui again commanded Venusaur to use Double-Edge to knock it down, then restrained it with Vine Whip, swung it in the air a dozen times, and slammed it hard onto the ice. Finally, the Leech Seed also took effect at this moment, draining Forretress's remaining stamina.
BOOM!
Forretress, which had cracked a large hole in the ice, fainted instantly.
Katsuki's eyes widened. "Nani!?"
For Natsui, this was a less-than-perfect battle with a type disadvantage.
And the "less-than-perfect" part was that, from the many wounds on Venusaur, it was clear that Katsuki's Forretress, with its type advantage, had also dealt a lot of damage to Venusaur. But thankfully, even while at a disadvantage, he was still the one who had won in the end.
Shrugging, Natsui said, "See? I told you just now, you should have sent out your strongest Pokémon."
This was purely a taunt.
Katsuki ignored him.
In fact, to teach the impudent Natsui a lesson, this had been Katsuki's strongest Pokémon.
And what made it most embarrassing for him was that this battle was a complete and utter defeat, despite having a full type advantage. He was clearly outmatched, and now, facing Natsui's taunts, there was naturally nothing he could say.
Seeing Katsuki's expression, Natsui knew he had admitted defeat and turned his head to Satsuki.
Although the Week Siblings had a big name, perhaps due to talent, while they were strong, they were only considered relatively excellent trainers. There was still a huge gap between them and a champion like Natsui.
But it was clear that the two of them hadn't recognized Natsui's identity, and Natsui didn't point it out.
"Let me take this one."
Seeing her brother defeated, Satsuki patted his shoulder, signaling him to step aside. She then also switched to her ace Pokémon.
"Be careful, big sis. This guy is not ordinary."
"I know."
In terms of strength, Satsuki, being over a year older than Katsuki, was undoubtedly stronger.
Natsui also recalled Venusaur and took out his second Poké Ball.
Satsuki said, "Just as you said, this is my strongest Pokémon. I hope it satisfies you. Come on out, Lombre!"
As the two threw their Poké Balls at the same time, and as the two blue lights faded, a Lombre and a Jolteon appeared on the ice field.
As a bipedal Water/Grass-type Pokémon, Lombre resembled a kappa. It had a large lotus leaf on its head, a green body, red fingers and toes, short, round ears, and a red, beak-like mouth.
But compared to the last battle, the situation was now reversed, and it was Natsui who had the type advantage.
Lombre was almost zapped into oblivion by Jolteton.
Amidst the continuous flashes of electricity, Lombre finally collapsed, smoke rising from its body. Even the ice field beneath it was shattered by the electricity and, under the high temperature, melted into water.
Satsuki was defeated even faster than her brother.
"We lost."
The two siblings exchanged a look, then silently walked up to Natsui. Each took a medal from their pockets and handed them to him.
Katsuki mumbled, "Here, this is my Disappointment Medal."
Satsuki also said, "This is my Heartbeat Medal. Take them, unknown trainer. This is proof that you have defeated us."
Heartbeat Medal and Disappointment Medal?
Natsui took the two badges and examined them carefully.
The two medals, apart from one being red and the other blue, were identical in shape. Overall, they were no different from the ordinary medals he had seen before his transmigration.
But, this was also a part of growth.
He carefully put away the two badges, said his thanks, and was about to return to the Pokémon Center. But before he had taken two steps, Satsuki called out to him.
"Unknown trainer, my other brothers and sisters are still traveling around Johto. If you see them, you can also challenge them. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. And I will tell them what happened today, so they can 'avenge' me and Katsuki!"
Yawning, the Indigo Conference champion didn't turn around, but just waved his hand with his back to them and said lazily, "Got it. I'll be ready anytime."
…
After resting for a night on the Ice Path, Natsui and Sabrina set off again, full of energy.
Yesterday's battle with Satsuki and Katsuki was just a small interlude in Natsui's life, quickly forgotten.
The second half of the Ice Path was still easy to travel. And just as the map had indicated, when they passed through the ice cave and descended from a mountainside, Blackthorn City was already in sight.
Blackthorn City, a quiet city nestled in the mountains.
It was said that in the mountains here, there was a mysterious Dragon's Den, where many Dragon-type Pokémon lived. So, the trainers from here were mostly skilled in using Dragon-type Pokémon.
The Blackthorn Gym was located in the northern part of the city, and the Gym Leader who guarded it and held the Rising Badge was none other than the master of Dragon-type Pokémon—Clair.
And speaking of Clair, one had to mention her cousin—the famous Elite Four member, Lance.
The two of them belonged to the same dragon-tamer clan. Compared to Lance's outstanding achievements, Clair was not much inferior. In fact, since its establishment, the Blackthorn Gym had always been firmly controlled by this clan.
Because she had trained in the Dragon's Den since she was a child, after becoming a trainer, Clair was very confident in her own talent, even calling herself the world's best dragon master and daring to battle against the Elite Four.
And the facts were indeed so. Since becoming a Gym Leader, over the years, with the powerful Pokémon in her hands, she had defeated many trainers who dared to challenge her.
It could be said that even among the Gym Leaders of Johto, her strength was one of the best.
------------------------
Support my projects and get immediate access to hundreds of chapters of Bleach, Naruto, Pokémon, and more! ✨ Key Benefit: Your favorite novels, with my quality, and always up-to-date.
Featured Novels (with hundreds of chapters available NOW!):
The Heroine Wants to Join My Harem (1050 caps)
Goddess Training Manual (800 caps)
I Have Caught a Pokémon (700 caps)
Bleach Getting Stronger (330 caps)
Naruto: Saving the Uchiha (300 caps)
And many more!
Why subscribe?
🔥 Immediate Access: Read my new chapters before anyone else.
📚 Huge Library: Access my complete catalog instantly.
⭐️ High Quality: Enjoy the novels with a professional and well-crafted text written by me.