Pokémon, Inkaros, my starter Pokémon

Shi Dou: "…………"

No, sis, dark green and purple are so different! Your hair is almost waist-length, it's hard not to notice when the color changes. It has nothing to do with whether you pay attention or not!

Shi Tou internally ranted, but his gaze involuntarily fell on Natsumi's profile again. Upon closer inspection, her mysterious purple hair did indeed match her cool and aloof temperament better, making her skin appear as white as snow and adding a touch of nobility and maturity, making her even more eye-catching than her previous dark green hair.

As if possessed, Shi Dou blurted out, "But it's true, purple hair... suits you quite well, it looks good, it has a lot of charm."

Xu Shangao's words were to the point.

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Dou was stunned.

Nazi froze, turning her head sharply to look at him. Her usually calm eyes clearly showed astonishment. Then, a faint blush spread visibly from her fair cheeks, all the way to the tips of her ears.

"……Thanks."

Naza quickly turned her head, looked straight ahead, her fingers unconsciously twisting together, and responded in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

A strange silence fell over the car, with only the wind whistling in their ears. But an indescribable, sweet and thrilling atmosphere of ambiguity quietly grew and spread in the silence, enveloping the two of them.

………………

After nearly a day's journey, Tokito and Sabrina finally arrived in Asakusa City in the evening.

This city, located in the southwest of the Kanto region, gives off a completely different vibe from Goldenrod City. The city's buildings seem to favor soft pinks and purples, and various strange, slightly sweet fragrances waft through the air. You can also see many trainers with Poison or Bug-type Pokémon such as Zubat and Poison-type Pokémon on the streets.

Fuchsia City's most famous landmarks are the Safari Zone, Fuchsia City Gym, and the Battle Pipeline in the Battle Frontier. Both the Fuchsia City Gym Leader, Kikko, and the Battle Pipeline's Brain, seem to have a particular fondness for Poison-type Pokémon, especially the latter, whose main Pokémon is Seviper, and whose ace Pokémon is the beautiful and powerful Milotic.

Looking at this city full of unique charm, Shi Dou couldn't help but sigh.

However, since it was getting late, Tokito didn't plan to visit A-Ju, since he would most likely run into her at the exchange tournament on Crimson Island later.

Afterwards, Naz and I found a decent-looking hotel near the pier and successfully bought tickets for the ferry to Crimson Lotus Island the next morning.

The next morning, with a gentle sea breeze and bright sunshine, Shidou and Nazu boarded the luxury cruise ship bound for Crimson Lotus Island.

The ship slowly sailed away from the port, the azure sea shimmering in the sunlight, and occasionally long-winged gulls skimmed across the water in the distance, creating a pleasant scene.

Shidou and Naza stood side by side by the deck railing, enjoying the rare tranquility. However, this peace was soon broken by a slightly surprised and teasing voice.

"Oh? Isn't this Mr. Tokito? What a coincidence!"

Shi Dou turned around and saw Xiao Mao, dressed in casual summer clothes and still sporting his signature spiky hair, standing not far away. Around Xiao Mao were several youthful and beautiful cheerleading girls dressed in various sexy swimsuits.

Shigeru's gaze swept over Tokito and Sabrina beside him. When he saw Sabrina, a clear look of surprise flashed in his eyes. He raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Mr. Tokito, how come you're with Ms. Sabrina? This combination is quite unexpected."

Tokito explained frankly, "We're going to Crimson Island to participate in the dojo exchange tournament."

"I see, a dojo exchange tournament..."

Xiao Mao nodded knowingly, then his gaze towards Shi Tou became filled with fighting spirit. He stepped forward and said confidently:

"Mr. Tokito, since watching your match last time, my partners and I have been training very hard, and I've become even stronger. How about a match with me right here on this ship!"

Looking at Xiao Mao's "I've been completely transformed" expression, Shi Tou rubbed his temples helplessly and sighed.

"What...Young Master Mao, do you want to get beaten up again?"

Chapter 95 What are you calling the "Three Families"? What are I calling the "Three Families"?

Hearing Tokito's teasing question, Shigeru didn't back down. Instead, he seemed to be ignited with fighting spirit, shaking his head vigorously and saying, "How can this be called getting beaten up? This is revenge, Mr. Tokito. I am not what I used to be. Accept my challenge!"

As he spoke, Shigeru held up a Poké Ball, his eyes gleaming, while the cheerleading girls behind him immediately joined in with cheers:

"Little Mao, Little Mao, you're so amazing!"

"Go, Xiao Mao, young master!"

"Young Master Xiao Mao is the best!!!"

Shi Dou looked at the scene and shrugged helplessly, saying, "Alright, I'm bored on the way anyway, let's treat this as a warm-up for the gym leader before the match. Let's have a 1vs1 match and finish it quickly."

“No problem!” Xiao Mao readily agreed.

The group arrived at a small battle arena on the cruise ship, specially prepared for trainers. A cheerleader volunteered to be the temporary referee and announced the rules as 1vs1.

Gary took a deep breath, kissed the Poké Ball in his hand affectionately, and then threw it forcefully.

"Go, my sweetheart!"

A flash of white light, and a massive Blastoise, carrying two enormous cannons on its back, landed heavily on the field.

Blastoise, a shell-type Pokémon of the Water type, has increased its weight to withstand the recoil from its water jets. It can stand firmly on the ground, stun its opponents by pinning them down, and is a formidable creature that charges at its opponents with rocket-like momentum.

"Oh? It's evolved?"

Shi Tou raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling somewhat surprised. He remembered that last time, Xiao Shi's turtle was still Wartortle, which shouldn't have evolved yet.

“That’s right!” Xiao Mao proudly puffed out his chest, his eyes gleaming with confidence, and said, “After witnessing your strength, my friends and I have undergone unimaginable rigorous training for this day, all so that one day we can defeat you and avenge our defeat!”

The sky cleared up, the rain stopped, and Xiao Mao felt confident again...

Faced with Gary's high morale and the evolved Blastoise, Tokito simply smiled and casually tossed out his Pokémon capsule. "Since that's the case, then let me show you true growth. Here comes King Russo!"

"Roar--!"

With a majestic roar, King Ruth, dressed in blue and white, with an arrogant posture and surrounded by the aura of water, made a powerful entrance!

King Russo's sleek and powerful body contrasted sharply with the sturdy and steady Blastoise opposite him.

"What...what kind of Pokémon is this?!"

"A water-type spirit I've never seen before!"

"So... so handsome!"

Shigeru and his cheerleaders were stunned by King Ruth's unique appearance and imposing presence, and gasped in amazement.

Seeing Shigeru's surprised expression, Shidou calmly explained, "Don't be surprised, it evolved from that little Io. Now it's super powerful."

Shi Tou paused, then added casually, "By the way, King Luce is considered one of the basic starter Pokémon in our area, which is what you often call... the starter Pokémon level."

"The starter Pokémon?! The same as my Blastoise?!"

Shigeru was taken aback at first, but then his eyes blazed with fighting spirit as he confidently declared, "Great! Both are Water-type starter Pokémon! This is a truly fair battle. Blastoise, show Mr. Tokito our power!"

Being one of the three starter Pokémon of the same Water type ignited Gary's competitive spirit. He longed to prove that his Blastoise was in no way inferior to any other Pokémon of the same level.

"Now, the match begins," the referee announced.

"Blastoise, we'll use the shell-breaking technique."

Xiao Mao initiated the tactic first, aiming to maximize output.

"Camey!"

Blastoise let out a low growl, its body glowing with an ominous red light. The shell on its back cracked as if fissures were appearing, and then a burst of violent energy erupted from the cracks, causing its aura to suddenly increase.

After hatching, Blastoise's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed ​​are greatly enhanced, but at the cost of its Physical Defense and Special Defense are significantly reduced!

"Abandoning defense in pursuit of ultimate offense? Impressive boldness." Shi Dou nodded approvingly, but a slight smile played on his lips. "King Russ, let's use the Wind Chaser Technique!"

"Roar!"

King Russ let out a long dragon roar, and a gentle yet powerful whirlwind of water swirled around him. In an instant, his speed, special attack, and special defense were all boosted, and most importantly—there were no side effects!

Shi Dou smiled slightly.

What are your skills? What are my skills?

While breaking the shell is powerful, it also has significant side effects, but King Ruth's Wind-Driven Blessing is a genuine pure buff!

"Blastoise, use Water Cannon!" Gary didn't know which aspect of King Russo's abilities had been enhanced, but the increased attack power brought by hatching made him very confident, so he shouted the command without hesitation.

"Kami~"

Blastoise gathered immense water-type energy in its cannon on its back, and then an incredibly thick, high-pressure water jet shot towards King Russo like an angry dragon!

"King Russ, meet us with an overwhelming attack!" Shi Dou showed no weakness.

"Roar----!!"

King Russ roared, then stirred up the surrounding water vapor, creating a giant tsunami that connected the sea and sky, which crashed head-on into the water cannon with the power to devour everything!

“Rumble——!!!”

Two extreme water-based energies collided violently in mid-air, exploding into a shower of water, like a torrential downpour. The aftershocks of the energy caused the entire battle platform to tremble slightly.

The two sides' skills were so powerful that they were evenly matched!

"Use Water Slash!" Gary immediately changed tactics, commanding Blastoise to engage in close combat.

Blastoise was enveloped in turbulent currents, transforming into a cannonball that hurtled towards King Russo, its fist slamming down with the force to tear through the water.

"Waves crashing a thousand times!"

King Russo swung its claws, creating countless watery claw shadows that resembled endless waves, precisely meeting Blastoise's fist.

"Bang bang bang bang!"

Another series of intense collisions ensued, water splashed everywhere, and the two sides were once again evenly matched.

"As expected, even though they're both Water-type, their skills are much less effective!" Gary's eyes narrowed as he found a breakthrough. "In that case, let's decide the outcome with other types of power. Blastoise, use Headbutt!"

"Ka-mi!!!"

Blastoise retracted its head and limbs into its shell, and the entire shell burst forth with an astonishing white light and propulsive airflow, like a rocket being ignited, and with an unstoppable momentum, it crashed into King Russ at a terrifying speed!

This is a powerful physical attack from the Normal type!

Faced with this sudden change of tactics, Shi Dou was not flustered at all; instead, a smile of complete control appeared on his lips.

"King Ruth, it's time... to exercise restraint!"

"Roar!!!"

Facing the rapidly charging rocket headbutt, King Ruth neither dodged nor evaded. A deep blue water curtain shield instantly appeared around his body, and then he crossed his claws in front of him, forcefully catching the fierce impact!

"Oh!"

A heavy impact rang out, and King Russ was pushed backward a distance by the force, sparks even flying from its feet. However, thanks to its powerful defense, it stubbornly withstood the impact, and the water curtain shield absorbed and transformed all the force it received!

The next moment, King Russo's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and it pushed forward with both claws. It absorbed all the energy from the Rocket Headbutt and mixed it with its own powerful water-type power, turning it into a blue energy shockwave with double the power. It bounced back even faster than it came and slammed solidly into Blastoise, which was unable to dodge due to the skill's stun!

"boom!!!"

Blastoise let out a painful scream as its massive body was blasted away by this perfect counterattack, crashing heavily into the wall at the edge of the arena and creating a cloud of dust.

"It's over, King Ruth! Tsunami Cyclone followed by Dragon's Strike!"

"That's what Shidou said calmly."

"Roar!"

On the field, King Russo roared and swung its powerful tail, instantly creating a strong tornado carrying water, which swept Blastoise, which had just suffered a counterattack and had not yet regained its footing, into the air, causing it to lose its balance!

Immediately afterward, King Russo moved with lightning speed, rushing in front of Blastoise. His massive claws gathered raging Dragon-type energy, transforming into a ferocious dragon-shaped strike that slammed into Blastoise's unsuspecting chest and abdomen—

Dragon Strike!

"Bang!!!"

Due to the huge defensive gap created by breaking its shell, Blastoise simply couldn't withstand the two consecutive heavy blows, especially the powerful Dragon-type moves.

Blastoise let out a short, mournful cry, the light in its eyes went out completely, and it fell from mid-air, crashing heavily to the ground, completely losing its ability to fight.

The temporary referee hesitated for a moment before announcing loudly, "Blastoise is unable to battle, so the winner is Mr. Tokito!"

Shigeru stared blankly at the fallen Blastoise, his face filled with disbelief.

Unexpectedly, the revenge he had put in with all his might ended in another crushing defeat, despite the opponent's seemingly effortless handling of the situation.

Tokito walked to the center of the arena, gently patted King Ruth on the shoulder as encouragement, then looked at Shigeru, extended his index finger and thumb, made a tiny slit, and said with a smile:

"Shigeru, not bad for the battle, your tactical thinking was very clear. It's just a bit of a pity, my King Luce is probably only a tiny bit stronger than your Blastoise."

Upon hearing this, even the usually aloof Naz couldn't help but reveal a strange expression on her face.

You call this a little bit?

From skill configuration to the strength of the battle pets, it almost completely overwhelms them, okay?

Shigeru took a deep breath, suppressing his sense of defeat, recalled Blastoise, and slowly raised his head. Although there was still resentment in his eyes, there was more of a renewed and determined fighting spirit.

"Mr. Tokito, I've lost again. But you just wait! After I challenge Blaine of the Crimson Gym, collect all eight badges, and win the Indigo League, I will definitely challenge you again!"