Chapter 317: Looker vs. Lillie
The first round wrapped up, and the second round got underway quickly.
Canalave City sat right on the water, so a fishing competition was a natural fit for the second event. The rules were simple: catch a Gyarados. The first eight competitors to land one would advance to the final bracket.
Lillie sent out Togekiss.
The moment Ryan saw that, he knew the round was already decided. Togekiss's luck was simply on another level entirely.
Togekiss didn't disappoint. With it at her side, Lillie was the first competitor to hook a Gyarados — a well-placed Air Slash to weaken it, and the capture was done. First place in the second round, no contest.
The other seven spots filled in gradually after that. Ryan kept an eye on Looker throughout, but the International Police officer had an uncharacteristically quiet showing this time around, scraping through in the final qualifying slot. He'd barely made it.
It was worth noting that the bracket order for the third round was determined by finishing position in the second round — meaning Lillie would fight first, and Looker would fight last. Ryan was quietly pleased with that arrangement. Both of them were operating on a completely different level from the rest of the field, and having them meet in the final rather than the opening round at least gave the bracket some structure worth watching.
Everything went more or less as expected. Lillie and Looker each moved through their respective matches without serious difficulty, until the bracket narrowed to the two of them facing each other in the final.
One-on-one format. Ryan stroked his chin and wondered which of them he'd be sparring with afterward.
At the referee's signal, both Trainers sent out their Pokémon simultaneously.
Lillie called on her Salazzle.
Looker released a Samurott.
The Samurott was an imposing presence — a large, four-legged Pokémon built like a seasoned warrior, with long white whiskers extending from its broad snout. The helmet-like shell on its head jutted back in sharp spear-like spikes, and its body was armored with segmented shell plating across its abdomen and limbs. The lower bracers and upper spikes served as scabbards, housing the seamitars it could draw in an instant. A fin-like tail swept behind it as it settled into position, reading its opponent with calm, experienced eyes.
Type-wise, Looker's Samurott had the clear advantage over Salazzle. But Salazzle had spent considerable time sparring directly with Ryan's Charizard, and that kind of training left marks. Its raw strength wasn't something the type chart told the whole story about.
"Samurott, Aqua Jet!" Looker opened.
Samurott dipped its head, water enveloping its body in a rushing torrent. It drove one foot into the ground, and its entire body corkscrewed forward — the spikes on its helmet leading the spiral, carrying a wall of water straight at Salazzle. The drill-like charge was fast and committed.
Salazzle tilted its head and fixed Samurott with a slow, languid gaze.
The Attract landed clean. Samurott's momentum stuttered mid-charge, the water jets scattering in all directions as heart-shaped energy flickered across its eyes. It came to a stop, staring at Salazzle with an expression of complete, helpless infatuation.
Ryan watched from the commentator's platform with quiet appreciation. Even his own Charizard had fallen for it once. That was how Lillie had gotten Salazzle in the first place.
"Salazzle — Toxic, then Venoshock!" Lillie called out.
Salazzle's tail swept in a sharp arc, and a stream of vivid red-purple venom splashed across Samurott's head and face. Samurott flinched, visibly pained, but the Attract still had its hooks in — it hadn't broken. Salazzle pressed the window immediately, opening its mouth and spraying a concentrated burst of green toxic liquid that hit Samurott square in the chest. The combined venom made Samurott seize up, writhing in discomfort. The infatuation finally broke.
Looker's expression tightened as he assessed the situation. "Samurott. Endure."
Ryan's brow furrowed the moment he heard it. Endure set the user to survive the next hit on one HP — but the follow-up move was almost certainly going to be Facade. Facade doubled in power when the user was poisoned, paralyzed, or burned. Given Salazzle's relatively fragile build, a Facade at that power level was going to hurt badly, and Salazzle wasn't positioned to dodge something that committed. This could be the turning point.
Samurott raised its head and let out a roar that filled the arena. Tremendous energy began condensing across its body, raw and coiled, ready to release.
Lillie saw it coming. "Salazzle — Overheat, stop it!"
Salazzle threw its head back and unleashed a massive torrent of superheated fire straight at Samurott. Samurott drove the gathered energy forward to meet it — a focused beam of force that slammed into the Overheat head-on.
The collision was deafening. Both attacks detonated on contact, and the shockwave rolled across the entire arena in a concussive wave. When the smoke cleared, Salazzle was still standing — but barely. The Overheat had absorbed the bulk of it, but a portion of Samurott's energy had punched through and caught Salazzle directly. The shockwave had already thrown off its footing, and the secondary hit sent it skidding hard across the arena floor.
Looker didn't hesitate. "Aqua Jet — Razor Shell, follow through!"
Samurott was already moving. Water surged around it again as it closed the gap at full speed toward the downed Salazzle. Simultaneously, it drew one seamitar from its shell bracer, a blade of compressed water energy materializing along its edge. The acceleration from Aqua Jet fed directly into the slash — the seamitar came down with everything behind it.
"Dragon Claw!" Lillie shouted.
Salazzle's claws blazed with pale blue draconic energy, forming the unmistakable shape of two massive dragon-type talons — a technique it had absorbed entirely from its sparring sessions with Charizard. The Dragon Claw caught the seamitar on its edge, holding the blade. Salazzle's grip was firm, and it immediately started pulling, using the locked contact to try to swing Samurott off balance and throw it clear.
Samurott had been in enough battles to read what was coming. Even as the throw started, its head was already moving. The moment before it lost its footing entirely, it opened its mouth point-blank and fired a Hydro Pump directly into Salazzle's chest. At the same time, it released its grip on the seamitar deliberately — letting the throw carry it away, but ensuring the Hydro Pump landed without interference.
The blast hit Salazzle at almost zero range.
Salazzle, already deep in the red from the earlier exchange, absorbed the full force of it and crashed to the arena floor. It didn't get back up.
The referee raised his flag.
Ryan looked at the result, then over at Lillie. She recalled Salazzle with a composed expression, murmured something quiet to the Poké Ball, and straightened up.
He turned back to the arena, where Looker was standing with Samurott at his side, watching Ryan's direction with an unreadable look.
Ryan decided they were going to need a conversation after this.
(End of Chapter)
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