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Just as Kai had suspected, the girl's name was indeed Casey.
But what really surprised him was that since their last encounter yesterday afternoon, she had only travelled this short distance.
It seemed likely that, as a first-time traveller, she had stopped to catch every Pokémon she encountered, which had slowed her progress significantly.
"My name is Kai, and I'm also a Pokémon Trainer," he introduced himself. Then, he gestured to his side. "And this is Sabrina, my companion."
Sabrina crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly upward, her long black hair swaying gently in the breeze. She made no attempt to greet Casey.
"Kai?"
Casey furrowed her brows, the name sounding strangely familiar.
She took a closer look at him something about his face also seemed vaguely familiar.
Then, suddenly—
"Ah! I remember now!"
She let out a sharp scream, pointing at Kai excitedly.
"You're the Indigo League Champion! I watched the final replay of your match!!"
Her voice was so loud that Kai had to cover one ear in self-defence.
"…Is that really something to be this surprised about?"
He shook his head.
"Every year, a new Champion is crowned, and across all the regions, there are at least a dozen new Champions annually. This year, I just happened to luck out."
Even as he spoke, he couldn't help but feel a little smug.
Look at this true Champion humility. Even after being recognized, he remained modest and low-key!
"You're different from the others, though!"
Casey's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"You won every match without a single loss! And it wasn't just me my parents, grandparents, and even my other relatives all watched your matches! They think you're amazing too!"
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she clapped her hands together in excitement.
"Oh, right! This is a rare opportunity to battle me!"
"…Battle you?"
Kai glanced at her, evaluating her strength. She knew he was the League Champion yet still challenged him head-on?
Clearly, Casey was too inexperienced to understand the vast gap between their skill levels or she was just fearless.
Then again…
If Ash were to run into a famous Champion in the wild, wouldn't he also immediately challenge them?
But…
Casey was a complete beginner, whereas his Pokémon…
Kai hesitated.
If he sent out Charizard, Gengar, Gardevoir, or Gyarados… it would be way too unfair; that would be like Yamcha challenging Broly.
Even if he downgraded to his Jolteon, Crystal Onix, Scyther, or Venusaur, she still wouldn't stand a chance.
But when he saw her bright, hopeful eyes, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"…Alright," he sighed. "We'll have a battle."
"Yay!"
Casey cheered excitedly, backing up to create a reasonable battle distance between them.
Then, she bowed politely and said earnestly, "This is my first battle against another Trainer! Please take care of me!"
Kai chuckled, waving dismissively.
"It's just a friendly match, not a tournament. No need to be so formal."
As he spoke, he pondered over which Pokémon to use.
What choice would make the battle feel "even" enough so he wouldn't completely crush her spirit?
After some thought, he settled on Dratini.
Across from him, Casey tightly gripped her bat, giving an enthusiastic command.
"Alright, Chikorita! This opponent is super strong, so let's go for a fastball right away!"
Chikorita nodded and trotted forward, positioning itself in the centre of the field.
"Dratini, I'm counting on you."
Kai tossed out a Poké Ball, and in a flash of light, a serpentine, sky-blue Pokémon appeared in front of Chikorita.
"Whoa! It's a Dratini!"
Casey's eyes widened in disbelief.
"This is my first time seeing one in real life! It's so cute!!"
Even as a rookie, Casey knew that Dratini was an extremely rare and precious Pokémon.
Kai actually had one?!
She instinctively reached for her Pokédex.
Pokédex: "Dratini, the Dragon Pokémon. A pure Dragon-type, it has a long, serpentine body covered in smooth blue scales. It has large purple eyes, white fin-like ears, and a round white snout. It typically lives in areas with fast-flowing water, constantly shedding its skin as it grows."
After putting away her Pokédex, Casey took a deep breath and focused back on the battle.
Kai smiled slightly and explained the rules.
"This will be a 1v1 battle with no special restrictions. The first Pokémon to faint loses."
"Got it!" Casey nodded enthusiastically.
Seeing her innocent, excited expression, Kai sighed internally.
To Casey, this match was a challenge.
But to him, it was already decided she had no chance of winning.
Type-wise, while Dragon wasn't super effective against Grass, Grass moves were half as effective against Dragon types.
So from the very start, Chikorita was at a major disadvantage.
Normally, Kai wouldn't exploit type matchups against a beginner But Dratini was the only Pokémon in his team that was weak enough to make the match at least somewhat fair.
Of course, as a newbie, Casey wasn't aware of this.
Sabrina stepped to the side.
As the temporary referee, she observed both Pokémon, then calmly raised a hand.
"Battle—begin."
Casey snapped into action, gripping her bat tightly.
"Chikorita, Flying Leaf Blade!"
Even if Grass moves were weakened, Kai still didn't want to take the hit directly.
"Dratini, fly up!"
Without flapping any wings, Dratini rose effortlessly into the air, dodging the barrage of sharp green leaves.
It was able to hover freely, thanks to the pearl-like gem on its forehead.
"Use Twister!"
Dratini opened its mouth, and in the next instant.
A raging whirlwind erupted!
The spiralling gust grew stronger and stronger, rapidly engulfing Chikorita!
"Dodge it!" Casey shouted.
But Chikorita wasn't particularly fast, and the Twister was too large.
Within seconds, Chikorita was swept up, spinning uncontrollably inside the storm.
It was like a coin caught in a washing machine. Finally, as the wind dissipated, Chikorita was flung onto the ground.
Stars spinning above its head.
----
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