Pokémon: Trainer Paul

"Vul~"

With a light leap forward, Vulpix revealed its sharp teeth, locking eyes with the charging Rhydon without a hint of fear.

"Roar~"

Realizing the human and Pokémon intended to challenge it, the Rhydon let out a deafening roar, its massive body rushing forward with arms glowing brightly as it swung them heavily at Vulpix.

Hammer Arm!

"Dodge, then use Iron Tail!"

Remaining calm, Paul waited until the Rhydon closed in and swung its glowing arms. Only then did Vulpix spring into action. It leapt to the side, evading the attack, and immediately swung its tails in unison, striking the back of Rhydon's knees.

"Roar!"

The Rhydon cried out in pain as it lost balance and collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

It's super effective!

"Iron Tail!"

Paul's voice was steady and commanding.

"Vul~"

In a flash, Vulpix appeared in front of the fallen Rhydon's head, flashing a mischievous smile. Its six tails gleamed with a metallic sheen, repeatedly smashing down like iron whips.

The Rhydon, unaccustomed to such relentless attacks, became disoriented from the continuous strikes, nearly losing consciousness on the spot.

At one point, the Rhydon regained a sliver of awareness and braced itself on the ground, suddenly bursting forward with terrifying speed. Its drill-like horn began to glow white as it charged straight at Vulpix.

Horn Attack!

Before the attack could connect, the Rhydon's vision blurred as Vulpix seemingly vanished into thin air. Before it could process what had happened, a sharp pain erupted on its back, forcing it to the ground once more.

This time, it had no choice but to endure another Iron Tail barrage, the repeated blows forcing it into submission.

Vulpix's Iron Tail technique utilized its tails individually, meaning each tail's power wasn't as strong as when all were used simultaneously. However, when executed in a rapid six-strike combo, the continuous assault became almost impossible to withstand.

"Roar…"

With a groan of defeat, the Rhydon finally collapsed, succumbing to unconsciousness.

"Vul~"

Vulpix lifted its head proudly, radiating confidence.

Impressive, right? Your big sis has got this!

"Poké Ball, go!"

Paul tossed a Poké Ball, which landed and captured the Rhydon with ease. Perhaps the massage-like attack had been too comfortable, as the ball barely shook before clicking shut.

"Clean and efficient. But your Iron Tail still lacks polish and power. Later, I'll have Dewott help you train properly."

Picking up the ball, Paul turned and headed toward the platform without looking back, leaving a crestfallen Vulpix behind.

Why?! I won, and I still have to train?!

Vulpix drooped its head in disappointment and trailed after Paul, visibly sulking.

Paul wasn't in a rush to inspect the Rhydon. Pokémon caught in such conditions couldn't be released easily until outside, so he decided to check it later. For now, his focus was on the items atop the platform.

As he reached the elevated stage, Paul finally got a clear view of its contents: three orbs embedded in the platform—a fiery red orb, a deep purple orb, and a crimson-purple orb. Among them, the red orb was the most familiar to Paul. It was the Flame Orb he had previously studied with Ursaring.

The other two were also easily recognizable as the Toxic Orb and the Life Orb.

These items shared a common trait: when held, they would continuously drain the holder's energy.

In the center of the platform was a stone carved with intricate patterns, which Paul immediately recognized as a Keystone.

In the games and anime, this stone was used to seal Spiritomb within the Hallowed Tower, serving as the Pokémon's base.

Piecing together the murals around the hall, Paul deduced the story:

In ancient times, a Spiritomb wreaked havoc, and a hero defeated it and sealed it using… something. But instead of the Hallowed Tower, the seal was created with the Orb Seal Array, utilizing the negative energy of the orbs to suppress the Spiritomb within the Keystone.

In reality, Spiritomb is an incredibly rare Pokémon, with numbers scarcely greater than Gible's.

Its rarity was evident in the fact that a Spiritomb sealed near Solaceon Town's Hallowed Tower had long been captured by an unnamed trainer.

Encountering a Spiritomb now, regardless of its potential, was undoubtedly a stroke of luck for Paul.

"The Life Orb interests me the most."

Paul's lips curled into a faint smile as he gazed at the three orbs. The Life Orb was far rarer than Evolution Stones or Toxic Orbs, with extremely limited discoveries.

Since his reincarnation, Paul had taken a keen interest in collecting rare battle items, yet this was his first time encountering the Life Orb, let alone hearing rumors about it.

After carefully studying the sealing array to ensure no immediate danger, Paul swiftly retrieved a container and packed the three orbs, turning to leave the platform.

The moment the orbs were removed, the suppressive power over the Spiritomb vanished. The Keystone trembled violently, its engraved patterns glowing ominously.

"Fwoosh…"

A strange purple mist erupted from the Keystone, speckled with green lights. A sinister green face materialized within the mist, grinning wickedly.

"Zhaaa~"

The Spiritomb cackled maniacally, reveling in its newfound freedom. However, before it could unleash its fury upon the world, it noticed a purple-haired human and a Vulpix standing before it.

"Vulpix, Fire Blast."

Paul's tone was calm as he faced the crazed Spiritomb.

"Vul~"

Having anticipated this moment, Vulpix unleashed a blazing inferno of flames, forming a fiery kanji that surged toward the Spiritomb.

"Zha!"

Dark energy erupted from Spiritomb, forming a Dark Pulse that collided with the fiery attack. The clash lasted less than a second before the flames were overwhelmed, exploding in a fiery burst.

Vulpix, anticipating the result, used Agility to dodge, swiftly closing the distance between itself and Spiritomb.

Enraged by the small Pokémon's audacity, Spiritomb unleashed a devastating Hyper Beam, leaving Vulpix with no room to evade.

"Fire Blast, followed by Iron Tail!"

In a desperate counter, Vulpix combined its Fire Blast with a spinning Iron Tail, the two attacks merging into a fiery whip that clashed head-on with the Hyper Beam.

BOOM!

The resulting explosion sent shockwaves across the hall, knocking Vulpix to the ground. Though battered, Vulpix managed to rise, while Spiritomb remained immobilized from the Hyper Beam's recoil.

The battle had taken its toll on Vulpix, leaving it visibly fatigued. Yet, Spiritomb was far from defeated.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want to access advance chapters, please visit: patreon.com / PMadz_23