As the two gave their commands one after another, the pace of the battle instantly accelerated. Completely different from the heavy-hitting clash between Crawdaunt and Camerupt just moments ago.
The moment Sharpedo's Aqua Jet hit, Sato clearly saw a flash of pain in its eyes.
The Shiny Sharpedo's Ability was Rough Skin!
Right after, the Dark-type move Retaliate was triggered. Its power doubled after being hit, if it landed, it could seriously injure Sharpedo, whose defense wasn't very high.
However, Sato's Sharpedo wasn't weak either. Despite its large size, it was faster and more agile than the Shiny one!
It evaded the Retaliate, and its speed continued to rise as its Ability, Speed Boost, activated.
Archie's eyes flashed with surprise. His Shiny Sharpedo couldn't outrun the opponent?
"Sharpedo, Rock Tomb!"
"Zia, Aqua Jet through it!"
Sato's Sharpedo didn't have many ranged moves, but that didn't mean it had none. When close combat risked taking Rough Skin damage, some caution was necessary.
Several massive rocks appeared out of nowhere, forming a ring and hurling toward the Shiny Sharpedo, Zia.
Though Zia's body was average in size, it fought fiercely. With the powerful propulsion of Aqua Jet, it broke through the Rock Tomb head-on!
At that moment, Sato noticed the second key difference between the two Sharpedo.
Their movement styles were different!
Sato's Sharpedo used Aqua Jet for propulsion but could also hover and make subtle adjustments midair with Whirlpool.
Archie's Shiny Sharpedo, on the other hand, relied solely on Aqua Jet. It had less agility but much more ferocity.
And once it took the field, it was in constant motion, never able to float and hover freely.
When training his Carvanha before it evolved, Sato originally aimed to train it just like that.
But over a long period of trial and error, Carvanha relied on its natural talent and mastered Whirlpool, applying it to midair hovering.
Clearly, flight powered by both moves was far more advanced than Aqua Jet alone!
Combined with Speed Boost's ongoing effect, the Shiny Sharpedo could initially keep up with Sato's. But now, it was like comparing a seasoned athlete to a rookie teen.
"Sharpedo, use Rock Tomb again and again!"
"Dodge it as much as you can, counter with Blizzard!"
Archie had also noticed the gap. The opposing Sharpedo was clearly much larger, yet its speed only kept rising. He couldn't make sense of it!
But if he couldn't catch up, then he'd slow it down.
As Rock Tombs swept in, the Shiny Sharpedo's wild nature showed. It charged headfirst and launched a fierce Blizzard.
Ice ravaged the field. Ice-type moves didn't do much to Water-types, but once water froze, it disrupted Sharpedo's movement.
"Hold steady! Sharpedo, Hidden Power!"
Sato's command came quickly, calming his Sharpedo as it faltered slightly under the icy onslaught. Crimson-red orbs of energy began to circle its body.
Hidden Power: Fire!
A Pokémon's Hidden Power wasn't tied to its typing. A Water-type with Fire-type Hidden Power, or an Electric-type with Ground-type Hidden Power were common.
Sharpedo's Hidden Power was Fire. It might not be the absolute best fit, but in situations like this, it was surprisingly effective.
For example now, with Hidden Power flaring around it, the temperature near Sharpedo surged, minimizing Blizzard's impact.
"Charge in, Skull Bash!"
Sato gave his next command, silently thinking to himself, 'It's over.'
It spun wildly in midair, using the momentum of the rotation to eliminate the charge-up delay of Skull Bash.
Skull Bash, full power strike!
Sharpedo descended from the sky, its hardened skull cloaked in a faint orange layer of elemental energy, and slammed fiercely into the Shiny Sharpedo below.
Boom!
The Shiny Sharpedo had no way to dodge. It could only watch helplessly as it was struck by its own kind, sent flying, and slammed into the battlefield, leaving a deep crater.
"Shaaa!"
Sharpedo let out a roar to the sky. Defeating a fellow Sharpedo was far more exhilarating than beating any other Pokémon.
Even though Sato's Sharpedo was a female, Sharpedo were born to fight on the battlefield; without a bit of bloodlust, how could they be called the 'Bully of the Sea'?
"Oh! We have our winner. It's our boy Sato here! He may be young, but I think we've all seen how strong he is!"
The host, perhaps still bitter about being ignored by Sato earlier -or maybe just uninterested- didn't give Sato a chance to speak and just kept rambling with the mic.
Soon, with the host's hype, the atmosphere in the plaza grew more heated, and Sato faced a new challenger.
Unfortunately, Seabreeze Town was a small port to begin with, and even though today was its once-a-year Sea Festival, having strong Trainers like Archie, Maxie, and Sato show up was already rare enough.
After facing a few more challengers without much strength, Sato eventually secured first place.
"And now, it's time to reveal the grand prize for this year's Sea Festival champion in Seabreeze Town..."
The host dragged it out with plenty of suspense, talking endlessly. Just when everyone was getting impatient, the prize box was finally opened!
A Pokémon Egg?
Sato was stunned for a moment, but since he hadn't expected much, receiving a Pokémon Egg wasn't bad at all. He'd raise it just for fun.
The egg didn't give off any emotional feedback that could be sensed through Dark Energy, so he could at least rule out the six types related to that.
Then, under the envious gazes of the locals -especially the children- Sato casually walked off the stage, holding the egg.
"Wow! What kind of Pokémon Egg is that?" Mark immediately ran over, peering curiously at the egg inside the incubator.
"They didn't say. Do you want it?"
"No no no! I'm good!" Mark shook his head wildly, backing away like a startled rabbit.
"Pokémon Eggs are another way to catch one. Want to give it a try?"
Sato thought for a moment and continued to encourage him. An unknown-type Pokémon Egg… if it could help solve Mark's issue, it'd be worth it.
"...Forget it. I still won't try. After all, it's already a life of its own." Mark hesitated but ultimately shook his head and declined.
Seeing this, Sato didn't press further. The three were just about to leave when someone suddenly called out to them from behind.
"Let's get acquainted. I'm Archie..."