Chapter 66: Beating a Frozen Shark

Crack!!

Sharpedo's maw, filled with rows of serrated teeth, was flash-frozen in an instant. Standing unflinchingly within the shark's jaws, Vulpix unleashed a point-blank Freeze-Dry that permeated every inch of the water-slicked predator.

The once-terrifying Sharpedo was now nothing more than a shark-shaped block of ice, its gaping mouth stuffed full of frost. Even the "Bully of the Sea" likely never imagined it would meet such a pathetic end.

THUD!!!

The frozen Sharpedo fell heavily from the air, slamming onto the icy floor of the battlefield. Vulpix, meanwhile, spun gracefully through the air several times before sticking a perfect landing.

Releasing a Freeze-Dry at zero range naturally had some recoil effect on Vulpix herself... but her constitution was formidable. Her affinity for ice far surpassed that of average Ice-type Pokémon; she possessed such extreme resistance that she could blast herself with an Ice Beam without so much as blinking.

"Sharpedo! Can you still move, Sharpedo!?"

Kajiki was stunned. He couldn't comprehend how his overwhelming advantage had inverted so catastrophically in a single second. His Sharpedo, which should have crushed the opposition with its superior speed, had been entombed in ice due to a single lapse in judgment.

Under normal circumstances, the Sharpedo, which was practically at full health before that hit, wouldn't be knocked out by a single super-effective Freeze-Dry.

But for Sharpedo, the wound wasn't the most lethal part. It was the lockdown.

Encased in a crystalline shell, Sharpedo couldn't move a muscle. Its vaunted speed was utterly neutralized!

"..."

The smile on N's face remained tranquil, betraying no emotion. The sight sent a chill down Kajiki's spine. He had already realized the boy's tactical prowess was high, but he hadn't realized it was this high.

He had been played like a fiddle!

Sharpedo was undeniably fast. In a standard bout, Vulpix's base speed meant she might never have landed a hit. But why bother racing a shark? N simply made sure the shark had nowhere to run.

"It's over. Blizzard."

Kicking someone while they were down was easy work for Vulpix. She was still quite annoyed from being knocked around by that "smelly shark" earlier just because she wasn't fast enough. Now that she had the opening, she intended to make it hurt.

A howling gale instantly filled the Gym. Ice crystals condensed from the freezing energy, mixing with the heavy snow to create a blinding whiteout. These soft-looking flakes were now cold, jagged weapons, swirling like a thousand icy daggers and slamming into the "dead fish" on the floor.

"...Sharpedo is unable to battle! Vulpix wins! Since both of Gym Leader Kajiki's Pokémon have been defeated, the victory goes to the challenger!!!"

The referee stood frozen for a few seconds before snapping back to reality. Despite his shock, he performed his duties strictly, raising the green flag toward N to signal the end of the match.

"Well, now..."

Kajiki scratched the back of his head, looking troubled. This was truly the first time he had ever encountered such a formidable challenger, one who could sweep both his Pokémon with a single Vulpix despite the type disadvantage.

He had actually used a fair bit of his real strength, yet he had been dismantled. Even a boisterous tough guy like him couldn't help but blush slightly in embarrassment, though with his dark skin, it was nearly impossible to tell.

"It's a complete defeat for me. Your Vulpix and your own skills as a Trainer are terrifyingly good! Here is the proof of your victory, the Aoshin Badge. It's been a while since I've actually had to hand one of these out..."

"That Vulpix of yours... she must be on the verge of breaking through the Alpha level, right? Such power. I might just be looking at the world's youngest Quasi-Elite Four Trainer! Just thinking about it gets my blood pumping~"

"Thank you very much..."

Kajiki handed the Badge over and gave N a hearty, "I'm-rooting-for-you" slap on the shoulder. N just gave an awkward smile and said nothing.

In truth, his Vulpix was only at the Low Alpha level. She was still quite a way off from the Quasi-Elite Four tier.

"Also, here are the Technical Machines for Rain Dance and Waterfall. Pick the one you like!"

"Much appreciated, Mr. Kajiki."

N's eyes brightened slightly as he chose the Waterfall TM. It was an excellent find; many Water-types couldn't learn the move naturally. It was perfect for his Feebas. As long as he had enough resources, even a Feebas, as weak as a Magikarp, could learn a vast array of moves to bolster its combat power.

"No sweat, no sweat. I assume you're heading next to the Gym in Raiyo (Thunder Sun) City? Before you go, I'd suggest avoiding the Steel-Rock Cavern on the way. Things haven't been very peaceful there lately."

"Not peaceful?"

N frowned slightly. His mind instinctively jumped to Team Rocket. It wouldn't be unusual for Team Rocket, who operated across the Japan, Kanto, and Johto regions, to be up to no good nearby.

But aren't they busy tracking Mew right now? What are they doing in some pitch-black cave?

"No, I don't think it's Team Rocket. Their uniforms are distinct, easy to spot. These guys were dressed strangely. I haven't seen anything like them before."

"Strangely?"

"They wore black-and-white uniforms... I think there was a shield-like emblem on their chests. I tried to go up and ask what they were doing, but they bolted as soon as they saw me..."

Kajiki folded his arms, looking frustrated. He didn't have the best memory; he wasn't fond of things that required too much "brain power." Since they had disappeared in a flash, he didn't have much else to go on.

Only N committed the description to memory, his emerald eyes clouded with thought.