"Honestly, that kid is becoming more and more undisciplined. At first, he would return once a day. Now, he only shows up every few days."
"What is this? Does he see me as a mere resupply point?"
After receiving a message from Gu Yuan, Dar couldn't help but complain about the young man's recent "misdeeds." Despite his grumbling, Dar still found ways to cover for Gu Yuan, ensuring the others wouldn't notice his absence and preventing any potential sneak attacks.
At the same time, Dar was waiting to see Gu Yuan's performance in the Unova region. If Gu Yuan didn't display overwhelming power there, Dar wouldn't hesitate to restrict his freedom. Thinking of this, Dar actually felt a surge of anticipation.
After putting away his communicator, Gu Yuan continued his search for suitable opponents. As of now, Sylveon, Alakazam, and Annihilape were only a single step away from the Leader Rank—specifically, they needed one intense battle. Although Ditto was still a bit further behind, Gu Yuan was confident it would break through before the Regional Battle Tournament in the Unova region.
Similarly, Ceruledge and the others had seen growth in their strength. Conversely, Axew and the rest of the younger team members had received little training due to the gap in their power levels.
Gu Yuan's luck held out as he soon discovered a group of targets. It was a proper group—a pack of twelve Sharpedo. According to the system display, the strongest Sharpedo in the pack possessed Leader Rank strength, while the remaining eleven were at the Ace Rank. With such power, this Sharpedo pack could be considered the overlords of this sea area.
"Let's go, Alakazam. Let us challenge the overlords of these waters!"
At Gu Yuan's call, Alakazam excitedly used Teleport, vanishing from the spot with Gu Yuan in tow.
"Ditto, transform into Dewgong and freeze the nearby surface. After that, help Annihilape raise the power of its Rage Fist to the limit."
"Alakazam, use Teleport to draw the attention of those Sharpedo and lure them over here."
"Charizard, Dragon Dance. Sylveon, Calm Mind. Annihilape, Swords Dance. Ceruledge, Swords Dance. Skeledirge, Sunny Day. Gengar, Nasty Plot!"
He issued a flurry of commands. Facing this Sharpedo pack, Gu Yuan was extremely focused. After a few hits of Psyshock, the pack was enraged by Alakazam and followed closely behind it.
Under the influence of Ice Beam, the sea surface rapidly froze, providing a stable terrain for the upcoming battle. Furthermore, with various stat-boosting moves, the combat power of Charizard and the others surged once more.
"Alakazam, coordinate the battle with me. Charizard, use Hurricane to pin down the Sharpedo leader. Sylveon, use Helping Hand on Charizard."
A string of orders rang out, and Charizard beat its wings, soaring into the sky. A Hurricane emerged, transforming into a waterspout that bore down on the Sharpedo leader. The leader retaliated with an egg-move Hydro Pump, but it still couldn't stop the Hurricane buffed by Helping Hand. Immediately after, Charizard followed up with Air Slash.
Skeledirge continuously released Torch Song, sending out rings of fire to attack the entire pack while simultaneously boosting its own Special Attack.
Annihilape had vanished at some point, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal blow, with Ceruledge following close behind. Alakazam used its psychic powers to float in the air, ready to provide support at any moment.
Even with their leader pinned down by Charizard, the other Sharpedo showed no fear. Surging currents of water quickly extinguished Skeledirge's Torch Song.
"Sylveon, Hyper Beam!"
The moment the flames were put out, Gu Yuan ordered Sylveon to attack. An orange-yellow beam of energy shot out, first crushing the remaining water currents before forcing the Sharpedo to scatter and dodge.
Seizing this opportunity, Alakazam signaled Annihilape and Ceruledge to strike together. A Rage Fist landed, sending one Sharpedo flying out of the water. Gengar was already waiting at the trajectory, hitting it with Dark Pulse to ensure that Sharpedo was instantly incapacitated.
Ceruledge also grabbed the chance, successfully striking two Sharpedo with Will-O-Wisp. Under the burning flames, the combat strength of these two Sharpedo was greatly reduced.
Ditto then transformed into Wailord and surged out of the sea, initiating a Heavy Slam that completely disrupted the Sharpedo pack's formation. One or two Sharpedo that failed to dodge were sent flying by Ditto's massive bulk.
As the largest Pokémon in the world, even a simple Heavy Slam from a Wailord appeared incredibly imposing. Furthermore, the Wailord Ditto transformed into possessed the Pressure ability. In reality, this move would make it difficult for opposing Pokémon to release their skills.
"Sylveon, use Helping Hand on Ditto."
"Ditto, Water Spout!"
Gu Yuan's voice echoed in Ditto's mind. With the boost from Helping Hand, the power of Water Spout increased further, spreading out in all directions like a tsunami.
After releasing the Water Spout, Ditto followed Gu Yuan's command and transformed into a Sharpedo. While the Wailord transformation was powerful, its stamina consumption was staggering. Now that Ditto's task was complete, there was no need to maintain the form.
While the Sharpedo were reeling from the Wailord's assault, Alakazam led Annihilape and the others to strike again. With another Rage Fist, Annihilape took down another Sharpedo, while Alakazam and the others appeared beside another one, combining their strength to defeat it.
In just a short time, three Ace Rank Sharpedo had lost their ability to fight. Dazed and confused, they clearly hadn't noticed that Ditto had already infiltrated their ranks as an undercover agent.
Rings of fire spread out as Skeledirge attacked again. The boost to its Special Attack made its offensive even more terrifying.
In the slightly more distant battlefield, Charizard was gradually gaining the upper hand. This left the Sharpedo leader baffled—why was the opponent winning despite having a type disadvantage?
Hurricane was unleashed again, crushing toward the Sharpedo. Charizard wasn't about to tell the Sharpedo that he had fought countless disadvantaged battles like this and had long since gained a wealth of experience. Combined with his superior strength, it would be strange if he weren't winning.
On the surface, the remaining Sharpedo regrouped, preparing to use Aqua Jet together to shatter the ice and tear through Sylveon and Skeledirge's defensive line.
The moment they launched their charge, Ditto immediately attacked the Sharpedo beside it. By the time they realized a traitor was in their midst, it was too late. Alakazam and the others appeared rapidly to help Ditto escape while knocking out another Sharpedo in the process.
Transforming into Alakazam, Ditto vanished from the spot. Rings of fire followed, succeeded by orange-yellow beams of energy. On the ice, Skeledirge and Sylveon launched their offensive once more.