It was deep in the night when Yozora was suddenly jolted awake by a string of eerie cries. Blinking, he looked up to see the entrance of the cave surrounded by a pack of Sneasel.
His eyes lit up instantly, his drowsiness gone.
Perfect! He'd been planning to capture a Sneasel for a while now—and here they were, delivered right to his doorstep.
And not just one, but an entire group. He could even take his time and choose the best one.
By now, not only Yozora, but also Beedrill and Suicune had woken up. Suicune stepped forward to the mouth of the cave, letting out a low growl.
At once, a terrifying aura radiated from Suicune, enveloping the entire pack of Sneasel.
The Sneasel froze, eyes wide with fear, trembling uncontrollably.
Pressure!
Suicune's Pressure ability had activated. Any Pokémon trying to stand against it would find themselves drained at twice the usual rate.
And Suicune wasn't just stronger than them—it was far beyond their level. Which meant that, under its oppressive presence, the Sneasel were burning through energy at ten times, even hundreds of times the normal rate!
Faced with such overwhelming power, they could barely remain conscious, let alone fight.
One second. Two seconds. Three…
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Within mere moments, Sneasel after Sneasel collapsed to the ground, all of them losing the ability to battle.
"Sneeea…" The leader of the pack looked on in horror as its companions fell one after another.
It had led its group here to hunt—to steal food. Yet somehow… they had become the prey.
"Lord-tier, huh? Not bad at all." Yozora's eyes swept across the pack before settling firmly on the leader.
As expected of a clan leader—its strength and potential were the highest among them. It even carried the potential to reach Elite level.
Without hesitation, Yozora tossed a Poké Ball.
Perhaps it was because Suicune's intimidation was too overwhelming, but the Sneasel leader didn't even resist inside the Poké Ball. Just like that, Yozora captured it with ease.
"Alright, Suicune, that's enough. Let them go." With the capture complete, Yozora was satisfied.
At his command, Suicune withdrew its aura. Soon after, the remaining Sneasel recovered and scattered in panic, fleeing the scene.
"Come out, Sneasel."
Inside the cave, Yozora rekindled the campfire and released his newly caught Pokémon.
Dragonite, Gengar, and Crystal Steelix immediately crowded around, staring at the newcomer as if it were a rare curiosity.
"!" Sneasel froze, utterly stunned.
Back in its clan, it had been a kingly figure. Here? Here, it was nothing but a speck among titans.
With one glance, it realized the truth: Suicune, Beedrill, Dragonite, Gengar… each one of them could dominate entire territories on their own.
And it had actually thought of robbing them? Had it lost its mind?
"Alright, everyone, stop scaring the new member…" Yozora chuckled helplessly, shooing the others away. He crouched in front of Sneasel, releasing a gentle wave of Aura to calm it.
Almost instantly, the fear in Sneasel's eyes faded, replaced by respect—and even admiration—for Yozora.
And so, Yozora had successfully tamed his new partner.
The next morning, Yozora left the cave, seeking out the other powerful presence he had sensed atop Mt. Silver.
Suicune's aura was as strong as a mid-tier Elite. The presence he tracked now was slightly weaker, likely around early Elite level.
Other than these two, the strongest Pokémon on Mt. Silver barely reached Gym Leader level.
After some trekking, Yozora found another cavern. The aura he pursued lay deep beneath it.
"Could this cave lead to an underground tunnel?" Yozora mused. Entering, he discovered a sloping passageway.
Lighting a torch, he descended. After an unknown stretch of time, the sound of flowing water reached his ears.
Emerging from the tunnel, he stopped in his tracks, stunned.
Before him stretched an underground paradise—like a hidden spring from a fairy tale. A lake gleamed at the center, encircled by mountains, with Pokémon frolicking joyfully in the water.
And every single one of them… was an Azumarill, Marill, or Azurill.
Of course, most were Marill and Azurill. Azumarill were relatively rare.
But no matter the form, they were all the same kind of adorable, blue, water-mouse Pokémon—only differing in size.
And then Yozora spotted it.
Sitting atop an artificial rocky isle in the middle of the lake was a giant, crimson Azumarill.
Normally, Azumarill weren't large, barely reaching 80 centimeters tall even as a fully evolved species. But this one was nearly two meters, its body a vivid red instead of blue.
It looked like a colossal crimson outcast among its kin.
Yozora froze, his breath caught in disbelief.
That wasn't just a Totem Pokémon. And it wasn't just Shiny.
It was both.
A Shiny Totem Pokémon!
Before today, Yozora would never have believed such a creature could exist. And yet here it was—standing right before him.
The Azumarill locked eyes with him. Having never seen a human before, it wasn't hostile—only curious.
"Azumarill," Yozora called gently, "I come from the outside world. Out there, there are many humans and countless Pokémon of every kind. And more than that—so many delicious foods. How about it? If you're interested, I can take you there."
He painted vivid pictures of the outside world, luring it with promises.
The Azumarill's curiosity quickly grew into longing. Its gaze shimmered with eagerness.
"Come closer," Yozora coaxed, placing a Luxury Ball on the ground. "Step inside, and I'll take you out there."
To his surprise, the crimson giant didn't hesitate at all. With a splash, it swam over and willingly pressed itself into the Luxury Ball.
"Beep… beep… beep…"
The ball shook violently, red light flashing rapidly. Yozora's heart clenched.
But after a tense moment, the ball clicked shut.
He had done it. He had captured the Shiny Totem Azumarill!
Pokémon: Totem Azumarill
Type: Water + Fairy
Ability: Huge Power
Level: Early Elite tier
Potential: Pseudo-legendary tier
Moves: Defense Curl, Rollout, Water Gun, Bubble Beam, Hydro Pump, Surf, Dive
Description: A colossal Azumarill with unmatched strength and incredible defense. However, its speed is lacking.
As expected of a Shiny Totem Pokémon—even though it was "only" an Azumarill, it carried the potential of a pseudo-legendary, capable of one day rivaling demigods.
But Yozora frowned when he glanced over its moveset.
Despite its Huge Power ability, nearly all of its skills were special attacks. Aside from Dive, none of its moves were physical.
And it didn't even know its signature, dragon-slaying technique—Ice Punch.
Perhaps life in this peaceful underground paradise had been too easy. With no predators or rivals, it had grown strong purely through talent and potential.
That meant it had reached Elite level without even proper combat training.
Azumarill, in the hands of gamers, was often dubbed the "Dragon Slayer." With Fairy typing, it could shrug off Dragon-type attacks, and with Huge Power combined with Ice Punch, it became a nightmare for dragons.
In the games, a single strike could obliterate Dragonite—while Azumarill itself remained immune to dragon attacks.
But games were games. Reality was reality.
Here, no move was ever a guaranteed hit. Immunities didn't exist in absolutes—only resistances, especially when faced with stronger opponents.
And in reality, Dragonite would never stand idly by, waiting to be punched.
More likely, it would soar into the skies and fry Azumarill with a single Thunderbolt.
That was the harsh, unforgiving truth of the real world.
Even so, Yozora's Azumarill was no ordinary Huge Power Azumarill.
It was Shiny. And it was a Totem.
Its innate Huge Power ability could be stacked and enhanced. The potential force it could unleash would be devastating.
Without hesitation, Yozora strengthened it—adding Speed Boost and multiple layers of Huge Power.
The result was astonishing.
Its potential shattered the barrier of Tier 3 legendaries, soaring into Tier 2 Legendary range.
After capturing Azumarill, Yozora left the underground haven.
Days later, he descended Mt. Silver and arrived at Silver Town.
With the Silver Conference still a month away, the town was quiet.
Spending one night in rest, he took Dragonite back toward Kanto.
At Taige Gym.
Dragonite descended, carrying Yozora.
Sensing his familiar aura, Golduck and Pidgeot came rushing up in excitement.
It had been almost a year since he'd last seen them. Yozora felt a rush of warmth at the sight of his old partners.
Moved, he decided to release his new companions as well.
Dragonite.Eevee, Ampharos, Crystal Steelix, Tangrowth, Growlithe.Scizor, Suicune, Sneasel, and Azumarill.And of course, his veteran partners—Gengar and Miltank.
Pokémon had no jealousy in their hearts. Golduck and Pidgeot welcomed the newcomers cheerfully.
But Yozora's senior brothers in the gym? They were dumbstruck.
"My god… a Steelix made of crystal? How is that even possible?!" one gaped, awestruck.
"That golden Growlithe isn't bad either!"
"Wait, is that… a Shiny Totem Azumarill?! No way!"
"Hold on—don't tell me that's Suicune?!" another wailed in disbelief. "Brother Yozora, did you seriously capture Suicune?! Are you even human anymore?!"
Their dramatic outbursts shook the entire dojo.
So much so that even Master Tyron, deep in meditation, was disturbed and opened his eyes.
Even with his legendary calm, his lips twitched at the sight.
"Suicune…" he murmured in astonishment. His disciple truly was extraordinary. To think he'd even captured a Legendary Pokémon… far beyond the likes of that fool Bruno.
"Master." Yozora stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "I've returned."
"Mm."
Master Tyron nodded faintly, quickly regaining his usual calm. "Since you've returned, devote yourself to training. Knowledge is like rowing against the current—if you do not advance, you fall back. Though you've awakened the Mind's Eye, if you grow complacent, your heart will become clouded. Once closed, the Mind's Eye may never open again."
Yozora trembled. Whatever pride he had felt dissolved instantly. He bowed again, deeply grateful for his master's guidance.
"Of course he saw through me instantly," Yozora thought with awe. Even with both Aura and the Mind's Eye, he couldn't perceive the depths of Master Tyron's power.
He sat down, ready to begin training—
But was interrupted by a roar.
From the back garden leapt a massive red Gyarados.
Yozora's eyes widened. That aura… it was unmistakable. The evolved form of the golden Magikarp he once raised.
"Gyarados! Congratulations—you finally evolved." He rushed forward, placing a hand on the great serpent's scales.
The ferocious red dragon lowered its head gently, pressing against him with affection. Its eyes curved into crescent moons, filled with joy.
No wonder. After all, Yozora had been with it since it was still an egg.
(End of Chapter)