Chapter 29: Tapu Fini, You're Mine!
Tapu Fini was practically laughing from sheer rage.
Fine. Fine. FINE!!
"QI!!"
Tapu Fini's crystalline cry rang out high and sharp, and a pink mist began to spread across the ground.
"Is that—?"
Caitlin's eyes flickered with recognition. Misty Terrain!
But judging by how fast the mist was spreading, this wasn't a move — it was more like the ability Misty Surge rolling out Misty Terrain automatically.
The distinction was similar to Drizzle versus Rain Dance. Both produced rain, but in battle the two were fundamentally different.
Drizzle summoned rain instantly, with no warning. Rain Dance required actually using a move — giving the opponent a free turn to set up or attack while you cast it.
That was the strength of weather and terrain abilities: they deployed the effect at zero cost.
After all, for certain Pokémon, the boost granted by a specific weather or terrain was absolutely enormous.
"So it really is Misty Surge." Mammon was actually rather pleased — if this Tapu Fini had Telepathy instead, he would have been disappointed.
"With Misty Terrain up, no more status moves."
Mammon tilted his head slightly.
Misty Terrain: for a period of time, Pokémon on the ground cannot be afflicted with status conditions or confusion. Dragon-type damage against grounded Pokémon is also halved.
"But that doesn't matter."
Mammon smiled.
"QI!!"
With Misty Surge active, a pale sea-blue light blazed around Tapu Fini's body.
The Water-type move Surf!
SHHHHH—!
The ocean currents surged violently. A towering wave nearly twenty meters tall lifted Tapu Fini skyward and came crashing down toward Gengar.
This Surf was powerful.
Watching the massive wave blot out even the sunlight, Caitlin's eyes flickered with amazement.
Yes, there was a geographical bonus from being right at the shoreline — but even so, a Surf of this magnitude meant this Tapu Fini was seriously strong.
"Sludge Bomb."
Shiny Gengar opened its wide mouth, and volleys of deep-purple sludge bombs erupted out, hammering furiously at the incoming wave.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Under the sustained bombardment, the wave's momentum faltered. It couldn't maintain its shape. Holes blasted open one after another, and the wall of water collapsed.
The massive deluge came crashing down in a spectacular, shocking display.
"Shadow Sneak."
A deep rift of shadow cracked open behind Shiny Gengar, and Gengar slipped straight into it.
The Ghost-type priority move Shadow Sneak!
The water finished falling. Tapu Fini cautiously scanned its surroundings.
A shadow rose up behind Tapu Fini. Shiny Gengar emerged — and Tapu Fini whirled around in an instant.
"Keh~"
But Shiny Gengar didn't attack. Instead, it opened its mouth wide, leaned in close to Tapu Fini, twisted its face into a crooked grimace, and pulled a "UwU" cutesy face directly at it.
Tapu Fini startled backward from the sheer in-your-face assault, retreating at impressive speed.
"QI!!!"
But then, catching sight of Gengar doubled over clutching its belly in uncontrollable laughter, Tapu Fini snapped back to its senses with a furious shriek.
That damned gray blob! HOW DARE it make a mockery of me!
BASTARD!!
Blue water-light flared brilliantly as an enormous Hydro Pump took shape, tearing through the air toward Gengar.
The Water-type move Hydro Pump!
"Sucker Punch," Mammon said with a soft laugh.
A flash of dark energy gleamed in Shiny Gengar's eyes. It blurred into a gray-black specter, dodging the Hydro Pump with lightning speed and appearing beside Tapu Fini in the blink of an eye.
Priority move Sucker Punch! Boosted by it, Gengar's speed was terrifying.
"Thunder."
CRACKLE CRACKLE—
Golden lightning flickered across Gengar's body. Tapu Fini turned to try and put distance between them—
BOOM!
Thunder slammed directly into Tapu Fini.
Lightning coursed through every inch of Tapu Fini's body, and a pained cry tore from its throat.
The Thunder blasted open, and Tapu Fini's entire form was sent hurtling backward.
Electric trumped Water — this Thunder hit hard.
"Sludge Wave."
Shiny Gengar's grin stretched high at the corners. It raised its right arm, aiming at Tapu Fini, and a deep-purple tide of sludge came flooding outward like a torrential river.
The Poison-type move Sludge Wave.
Tapu Fini forced its body to steady itself, barely managing to spit out a stream of scalding Scald in retaliation.
But the Scald collided head-on with the Sludge Wave — and within moments, the Scald was overwhelmed. A massive volume of sludge slammed directly into Tapu Fini.
STAB-boosted Sludge Wave dealt tremendous damage. Tapu Fini was hurled straight into the ocean by the force of it.
"Thunder."
Mammon didn't stop the assault.
Tapu Fini's Special Defense was high — it shouldn't be out of commission yet.
Gengar unleashed another bolt of lightning, striking the Tapu Fini in the water dead-on. Golden electricity dyed the entire stretch of ocean a brilliant gold, tiny arcs of current flickering everywhere.
"This Gengar…"
Caitlin's eyes reflected the golden lightning over the sea. On the water's surface, the gray-black Gengar floated, its sinister silhouette and those twin points of crimson eyeshine stark against the chaos.
She truly hadn't expected this Shiny Gengar — which had always given her such an abstract impression — to be this overwhelmingly powerful.
That was a legendary Tapu Fini. And in front of this Gengar, it was completely helpless.
"Don't be so surprised. Legendary Pokémon really aren't as untouchable as you might imagine." Mammon had caught Caitlin's expression and addressed it with a smile.
"?" Caitlin looked puzzled.
"Ordinary legendary Pokémon like the Tapus — they're only Champion-tier. And that's considered on the stronger side." Mammon's tone was extremely casual.
"Some of the weaker wild legendaries are only Elite-Four-tier. You could go catch one yourself."
Caitlin: (°—°)
But Mammon wasn't exaggerating. The Articuno on Seafoam Islands, the Moltres on Victory Road, the Zapdos at the Power Plant — Team Rocket had located all three, and in reality they were genuinely only Elite-Four-tier.
The Tapus were actually on the stronger end of the legendary spectrum, sitting firmly at Champion-tier.
"But that's only true for this kind of ordinary legendary. If we're talking about something like Ho-Oh or Lugia, it's a completely different story."
Mammon added the caveat. Higher-tier legendaries like Ho-Oh and Lugia, even in the wild, weren't remotely comparable to run-of-the-mill wild legendaries like Moltres.
"I see." Caitlin fell into thought. She felt she was beginning to understand what Mammon meant.
"And now — it's catch time."
Mammon watched with satisfaction as Shiny Gengar telekinetically floated the unconscious Tapu Fini back to shore with Psychic.
Tapu Fini had already passed out, its eyes spiraling into dizzy circles.
Perfect. Less resistance this way.
Back when Mammon had caught Phione, he'd gone through thirty-seven Ultra Balls before finally securing the catch. No telling how many it would take this time for Tapu Fini.
Not that it mattered — he had two hundred Ultra Balls prepped in his bag, yo!
Tapu Fini, you're mine!