Chapter 400: Battling a Legendary?! I Could Die Happy!
"I won't disappoint you."
The smile on Caitlin's lips seemed to grow a little. Blue psychic light flared, carrying an Ultra Ball through the air.
"Gallade!"
The Ultra Ball opened, white light touched down, and a Gallade with a razor-sharp presence slowly straightened up, raising its keen arm blades toward Perrserker.
The Psychic/Fighting-type Gallade!
This was one of Caitlin's core battlers, one she valued highly, and it was extremely strong.
"Gallade gives her the type advantage. And Caitlin's Gallade is very reliable."
Platinum relaxed at the sight. Gallade's Fighting type was super effective against Perrserker.
Gallade was already famous for its powerful close combat, and that was before its Sharpness ability.
Sharpness: slicing moves used by a Pokémon with this ability are greatly boosted in power!
And Gallade could learn a lot of slicing moves.
Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Aqua Cutter, X-Scissor, Solar Blade, even Sacred Sword!
So Gallade lacked nothing in coverage.
All those slicing moves were more than enough.
"You're that confident? My dad's really strong, you know."
Peonia blinked. She didn't know how strong that unusually elegant, glamorous young woman was, but Peonia knew her dad all too well.
In all these years, she'd never seen anyone beat Peony.
"Nobody who becomes one of the organization's top-tier executives is weak."
Mammon chuckled, all the more so for Caitlin, who'd been at his side all this time.
Caitlin had been talented to begin with, and most importantly, she worked incredibly hard. She'd never missed a single day of training.
The world never shortchanged someone that hardworking and talented, especially someone who also had powerful psychic abilities.
"Ummm..." Peonia tilted her head. She still didn't really have any sense of what Team Rocket's top-tier executives were like.
But how to put it?
If Dad won, great. If not, joining this Team Rocket didn't seem so bad either.
In a way, Peonia really did hope Peony could step out of the shadows of the past, ideally even make up with her uncle.
In fact, what Peony didn't know was that Peonia and Rose were in touch now and then.
Because of his own pride and the shadows of the past, Peony had always hated Rose. But Rose actually still cared a great deal about his little brother.
Rose knew how much Peony resented and rejected him, so he didn't force anything. But he did keep in touch privately with his niece.
She was his own niece, after all.
"Peonia."
"?"
She looked at Mammon curiously.
"Do you have a younger sister?" Mammon asked Peonia.
"Huh? How'd you know?" Peonia was quite surprised.
"Don't underestimate my intelligence network. So where's your sister?" Mammon glanced at the battle, which had already started, and asked Peonia with a laugh.
"Penny went back to Naranja Academy in Paldea."
Peonia didn't hide it.
She said "went back," not "went," because Penny had actually enrolled at Naranja Academy before.
She'd temporarily withdrawn for a year and a half because of the Team Star business, and only at the beginning of this year had she been able to re-enroll.
"Naranja Academy? One of the best Pokémon schools in the world. Why didn't you go?"
Platinum had naturally heard of this world-class Pokémon school. Mr. Berlitz had once considered sending her to Naranja Academy too.
But Platinum hadn't wanted to be so far from home, since the academy was in Paldea.
"Penny's got the talent for it. My trainer talent is pretty average. And somebody's got to stay with Dad, or who knows what'll happen to him."
Peonia sighed. Unlike Penny, she hadn't inherited Peony's talent as a trainer.
She was attending a Pokémon school now, but Peonia knew her trainer talent wasn't anything special.
But Peonia didn't mind much. Her dad and her sister were both trainers; Peonia preferred exploring the stories behind legends.
"If you get the chance, tell your sister I think highly of her. If she's willing to join the organization, I can give her generous resources."
Mammon told Peonia. He'd always valued talent, and Penny had potential.
"Okay, I'll tell Penny. But I can't promise she'll want to join."
Peonia blinked and answered with a cute grin.
"Sure. Thanks."
Mammon smiled at Peonia. He actually thought quite highly of her too. She didn't have Penny's trainer talent,
but Peonia was very clever. She might have a knack for business.
She was Rose's own niece, after all. There wasn't a single mediocre person in that whole family.
"You're welcome. Oh, is that the legendary wishing star Jirachi in your arms?"
Peonia's big eyes sparkled as her gaze landed on the Jirachi in Mammon's arms.
"It is. I didn't expect you to recognize it." Mammon rubbed Jirachi's little belly. The little guy was sleeping soundly.
"So it really is! I wasn't sure. Can I hold it?"
Peonia got excited at once. The girl in the school uniform leaned her head close to Jirachi and asked eagerly.
"It's asleep right now. It should be fine." Mammon didn't say no.
On the field, after a fierce fight, Perrserker finally fell to a single Sacred Sword from Gallade.
"Wah ha ha ha~ Strong! Really strong! This gets my blood pumping!"
Peony wasn't the least bit discouraged. He laughed heartily and excitedly.
Giving it everything and still losing: he hadn't felt that in a very long time.
An opponent this strong got him so hyped!
The battle went on. Peony's second Pokémon was Scizor, which was very strong and defeated Gallade at a cost.
The battle went on. It was a five-on-five match, and when Peony's Aggron fell to Caitlin's Metagross's Hammer Arm,
Peony was pushed to the brink.
"Ha ha ha~ Impressive! Really impressive!"
Peony was still laughing wildly.
"Next up is my last ace! Copperajah!"
Peony hurled his ace, the pure Steel-type Copperajah.
It had evolved from the Cufant he and Rose had caught together as kids, the first Pokémon either of them ever caught.
In a flash of white light, Copperajah landed hard in front of Peony.
It was a huge elephant, covered in dark-green patina, with irregular bronze-colored markings and several large chunks of bronze on its head.
"Come on! Let me show you my final power!"
Still laughing, Peony raised the Poké Ball and recalled Copperajah. The Dynamax Band on his wrist lit up with crimson light.
Gigantamax!
Dynamax energy flowed through the band into Copperajah's Poké Ball.
Once! Twice! Three times!
The Poké Ball swelled three full times, growing huge.
"Go! Copperajah!"
Peony threw the Dynamaxed Poké Ball with all his strength. The sky above began to darken, a black vortex churning.
Copperajah landed in front of Peony, and its body began to swell madly.
Once! Twice! Three times!
After three full expansions, Gigantamax Copperajah threw back its head and roared.
"So this is Gigantamax?"
Platinum's eyes shone as she looked up at the Gigantamax Copperajah, dozens of meters tall.
It looked very different from an ordinary Copperajah. Gigantamaxed, Copperajah stood on two legs, its trunk grown thick and long, its whole body suffused with a faint crimson glow.
"So spectacular~!"
Serena couldn't help marveling too. It really was spectacular.
This was the first time she'd seen Dynamax with her own eyes. The sheer size of it was a huge visual shock.
Serena didn't even know how to describe it.
But she had a Dynamax Band of her own now. She could Dynamax her own Pokémon too.
"Ha ha ha~ Caitlin, come on! If you want to beat me, you'll have to get through my Copperajah!"
Peony had enormous confidence in Copperajah. It was his ace.
The battle was actually going against him, though. Caitlin's strength had far exceeded his expectations.
This glamorous, elegant young woman was shockingly strong.
Her Tapu Lele and the Metagross on the field now were both very strong.
"As you wish."
Caitlin remained as elegant as ever. She recalled Metagross and took out her most precious Luxury Ball.
The deep-red Luxury Ball flew out under her psychic control and opened.
"Since you've used your ace, Mr. Peony, I'll answer with the Pokémon I treasure most!"
"Hwoooo~"
A low cry, still tinged with youth, rang out. Great white wings spread wide, and the Legendary Pokémon revered as the god of the sea faced the Gigantamax Copperajah head-on.
It was Lugia.
"Is that...?!"
Mid-excitement, Peony froze when he saw it.
"Lugia!!"
Peonia's eyes went wide, staring at the Pokémon in shock.
Lugia! That's definitely Lugia!
The corners of Caitlin's lips lifted slightly. She raised the Poké Ball and recalled Lugia, then turned her hand. On her slender, pale wrist, the Dynamax Band lit up with red energy.
Dynamax energy poured into the Luxury Ball, which grew larger and larger.
Still moving with natural elegance, Caitlin threw the Dynamaxed Luxury Ball.
Lugia reappeared, its body glowing with a faint red light and swelling under the influence of the Dynamax energy.
After three full expansions, Dynamax Lugia raised its head and cried out, sending a massive, powerful shockwave of air rolling outward.
The two colossal Pokémon faced off. And it was plain to see that Dynamax Lugia was even bigger than Gigantamax Copperajah.
"Looks like Snowy's improving fast. Already good enough to take on someone like Peony?"
Mammon watched the Dynamax Lugia with keen interest.
He had to say, with meticulous care and perfect nutrition, a Legendary like Lugia really did grow at a jaw-dropping rate.
Caitlin daring to use young Lugia against Peony's ace Copperajah was proof enough that young Lugia now had Champion-caliber power.
Otherwise, Caitlin would never have used it.
"The legendary Lugia?! What a blood-pumping opponent!"
Peony was thrilled. Since stepping down as Galar's Champion, he'd been adventuring everywhere.
These days, tracking down Legendary Pokémon was what interested him most.
And now he had the chance to battle the legendary Lugia!
How could he not be excited!
Win or lose, my life's been worth it!
☆☆☆
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