"All right, then."
Yushu could only agree.
Since the Pokémon all wanted to battle so much, he could hardly spoil their fun.
And honestly, he was itching for it a little himself.
Although he said he did not want to battle, he had grown up watching Pokémon, and deep down, he still longed for that blood-pumping feeling.
"Awesome!"
Ritchie clenched his fists excitedly.
"Then let's find an open space!"
The two came to an open patch of ground on the east side of the ranch.
The terrain was level, the ground firm, and there were no obstacles around, making it perfect for a battle.
Yushu stood at one end of the field, and Ritchie stood at the other.
Still invisible, Uxie floated off to one side and found a spot with a good view, ready to watch the show.
Uxie even picked a Berry from a tree along the way, munching on it while watching.
"As for the rules, how about three-on-three?"
Ritchie suggested.
A full six-on-six battle was too formal. Three-on-three was just right: it allowed for some back-and-forth while simulating the pace of a Gym battle. It was his usual format for challenges.
"Sure."
Yushu nodded.
Come to think of it, this was his first actual battle since transmigrating.
Although he had plenty of battle experience in his memories, it never felt quite as real as experiencing it firsthand.
It was like watching a long movie: it left an impression, but he never became deeply immersed in it.
This time, however, it was his own battle.
Still, Yushu was not nervous.
He had played plenty of Pokémon games in his previous life. Although real-world battles were not as simple as those in games, and he could not just look at HP but also had to consider the Pokémon's stamina, mental state, environmental factors, and so on.
The basic tactical logic still applied.
"Then I'll go first!"
Ritchie threw out his Poké Ball first.
"Go, Murkrow!"
Pop!
The Poké Ball opened, and a black bird Pokémon appeared on the field.
"Caw!"
Its feathers were pitch-black, and it had a feathered crest shaped like a top hat. It let out a hoarse cry.
Yushu instinctively activated his Eye of Detection.
[Pokémon: Murkrow] [Type: Dark + Flying] [Ability: Insomnia] [Level: Mid Advanced Stage] [Moves: Peck, Astonish, Night Shade, Wing Attack, Night Slash, Foul Play, Protect...] [Status: Healthy, eager to battle.]
Yushu now had a sense of what he was dealing with.
A Mid Advanced Stage Murkrow was no low-level opponent.
At this level, it could actually evolve already, but Murkrow's evolved form, Honchkrow, required a Dusk Stone.
However, that kind of Evolution stone was hard to find. Not only was it expensive, but it was also frequently out of stock.
From this, it seemed Ritchie's finances probably were not particularly comfortable.
"Yushu, please send out your Pokémon!"
Yushu looked at the Pokémon beside him.
Yes, every one of them was raring to go.
Staraptor flew straight up over the field, making its position clear through action.
"Star!" (Me! Me! Nobody steal my turn!)
It had waited far too long for this day!
A month! An entire month!
Today, it finally had a chance to fight! It was going to fight to its heart's content!
It would show Yushu that it was not just a bird that could do farmwork, but a battle bird, too!
"All right, all right. You can go, you can go."
Yushu shook his head helplessly.
Didn't this silly bird ever get tired? Apparently, there still wasn't enough farmwork. I'd increase its workload when we got back.
The other Pokémon: Damn it, this guy beat us to it. Next time, we'd have to move faster.
"Star!"
Staraptor cried out excitedly, spread its wings, and soared into the air, circling opposite Murkrow.
"Murkrow against Staraptor... Flying type against Flying type..."
Ritchie quietly analyzed the situation, then decisively gave his command:
"Murkrow, use Night Shade!"
"Caw!"
An eerie gleam flashed through Murkrow's eyes, and a wave of black energy shot toward Staraptor.
"Staraptor, dodge it!"
Yushu used the primordial divine technique of Pokémon Trainers.
Staraptor swerved sideways, easily dodging Murkrow's attack.
It was far faster than Murkrow, and its reactions were sharper, too.
"Now use Quick Attack!"
Staraptor turned into a streak of white light, rushed in front of Murkrow in an instant, and slammed hard into it.
Murkrow tumbled backward several times before finally managing to steady itself.
Rotom watched with relish from the sidelines:
"Rotom!" (Nice hit! Do it again! Knock it out of the sky!)
Luxray glanced at it:
"Roar..." (Could you keep it down? Just watch the match. Stop shouting.)
Rotom looked aggrieved.
Ritchie's brows furrowed.
That speed... it was so much faster than his Murkrow.
"Murkrow, use Haze!"
Murkrow opened its beak and spewed out a thick black mist, which quickly enveloped the entire field.
Yushu's view was blocked, leaving him unable to see what was happening on the field.
"Using Haze to block our vision? Mine's a Flying-type Pokémon too, you know."
"Staraptor, fan away the Haze with your wings!"
Did he really think his Staraptor's wings were just for show?
Staraptor beat its wings hard, whipping up a gale that dispersed the Haze.
The field came clearly into view again.
But just then, Murkrow had already seized the opportunity to attack.
"Night Slash!"
Murkrow burst out of the Haze, black energy wrapped around its wings as it slashed fiercely at Staraptor.
Bam!
Staraptor was hit!
A hit!
Murkrow wheeled sharply through the air, intending to strike again.
Yushu hurriedly shouted:
"Staraptor, use Double Team!"
Staraptor's figure flickered, instantly producing seven or eight copies that filled the sky above the field.
Murkrow's wing slashed into one of the copies, which dissolved into fading light.
"That was close..."
Yushu breathed a sigh of relief.
Yushu breathed a sigh of relief. Ritchie had plenty of battle experience. The Haze had only been a feint; his goal was to close the distance and seize the chance for a surprise attack.
If Staraptor had not reacted quickly, it would have suffered badly from that hit.
"So you dodged it."
Ritchie muttered, his expression barely changing. "Murkrow, keep using Night Shade!"
Energy waves shot from Murkrow's eyes again.
Yushu shouted, "Our turn, too! Air Slash!"
They could not just keep taking hits without fighting back.
"Star!" Staraptor flapped its wings, sending blades of air shooting toward Murkrow.
Bang, bang, bang!
The two attacks collided in midair, the air currents stirring up dust from the ground.
"Brave Bird!"
Yushu went straight to flipping the table.
A layer of azure energy flames enveloped Staraptor's entire body. The bird became a meteor, hurtling toward Murkrow with a piercing whistle as it tore through the air.
"Star!!!"
So fast! It couldn't dodge!
Ritchie's pupils contracted. "Murkrow, use Night Slash!"
"Caw!"
Murkrow's gaze sharpened, and purplish-black energy once again enveloped its wings as it charged head-on into Brave Bird.
We're both Flying types! Why should I avoid its edge!
Boom-!
The two forces collided, sending out a visibly rippling ring of air.
"Caw!"
Moments later, Murkrow let out a pained cry and plummeted straight out of the sky.