Eric and Iris ended their battle just in ti for the grand feast prepared by the Williams family.
The courtyard was transford. Long, elegant tables were draped in white silk and loaded with delicacies prepared by high-class Pokémon breeders and chefs. The atmosphere was lively, filled with the chatter of Kanto's rising stars and their respective guardians.
Eric grabbed a plate of grilled seafood and quietly observed the crowd.
Not far from him, he spotted a familiar red cap. He walked over, his posture relaxed.
"Red," Eric greeted, stopping near the group of three.
Red looked up from his plate, a faint smile forming. "Eric. Good to see you here."
"I'd say the sa," Eric replied. He then shifted his gaze to the brunette standing next to Red. She was currently holding a glass of juice, looking entirely innocent.
"I still rember what happened in Pewter City. You are quite the skilled thief."
Green blinked, her eyes widening in perfect, exaggerated surprise. "Thief? ? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, cutie pie. I'm just a fragile girl from Pallet Town."
She offered a playful, knowing wink.
Eric just sighed. He knew he wouldn't get a straight answer out of her.
"Who's this guy?"
The voice ca from the third mber of their group. Blue Oak stood with his arms crossed, sizing Eric up with a critical, intense gaze.
"Eric," Red introduced him. "We battled in Saffron City. He's strong."
Blue's eyebrows raised slightly. If Red acknowledged soone's strength, it ant sothing. Blue's arrogant deanor didn't fully vanish, but a spark of competitive interest appeared in his eyes.
"It's rare for Red to acknowledge soone," Blue said, a confident smirk on his face. "Not bad for a rookie. But don't get too comfortable. The top of the mountain is reserved for the best. And that's ."
Eric t his gaze calmly. "We'll see."
A short distance away from the younger crowd, the adults were having their own conversations.
Seth stood near a towering marble fountain, a glass of red wine resting loosely in his hand. He was currently surrounded by three stern-looking n in expensive suits, representatives of major trading families and League officials.
"Mr. Williams," a balding man with a thick mustache said, his tone carrying a thinly veiled threat. "Your recent acquisitions in the Celadon sector... they step on quite a few established toes. The League prefers stability."
Seth laughed, a bright, lodic sound that seed completely out of place.
"Oh, stability!" Seth smiled warmly, waving his free hand. "I completely agree! But you see, I was walking past the market, and the deeds just looked so shiny! I simply couldn't resist. I have a terrible habit of collecting shiny things."
The balding man frowned. "This isn't a joke, Seth. If you push too far--"
"I know exactly how far the edge is, gentlen," Seth interrupted.
His voice didn't rise in volu, but the cheerful warmth vanished entirely. His eyes, just for a fraction of a second, turned dead and piercingly sharp. The sheer, suffocating weight of his presence made the three n stiffen, cold sweat forming on their necks.
Then, just as quickly, the warm smile returned.
"But let's not talk business today! Look at these brilliant kids! Enjoy the feast!" Seth cheered, walking away with a jaunty step.
Leaning against a nearby pillar, Blaire rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. "Show-off," she muttered, though a faint smile betrayed her.
Back near the buffet, Eric was just finishing his plate when a loud, energetic voice shattered the relative calm.
"ERIC!"
The entire courtyard turned to look.
Belle Williams stood on top of a stone bench, pointing dramatically at Eric. "The Great Belle demands a battle! You beat the plant girl, but you haven't faced a true Ultra Adventurer yet!"
"Pika!" The Pikachu on her shoulder sparked its cheeks aggressively.
Eric was a bit surprised. He didn't expect to be challenged by Belle out of the blue.
"Alright. One-on-one?"
"Belle's fine with that. Let's show them, Captain Sparky!" She said as she turned her head to talk to another Pikachu by her side.
"Pikapi!" Captain Sparky showed a confident expression.
Belle's shout attracted the crowd's attention, who were curious what the William family's prodigy was up to.
In the stands, Alister Nashville ground his teeth, his face turning an unhealthy shade of red. 'That yellow-hooded gremlin! She is hogging the attention again!'
Eric stepped onto the field and watched as Belle's Pikachu leapt forward, landing with a crackle of electricity.
---
Pokémon: Pikachu
Gender: Male
Level: 38
Type: Electric
Ability: Lightning Rod
Held Item: None
Potential: Purple
Energy Grade:
Electric type - Grade 3 (Peak)
---
Eric's eyes narrowed slightly as he read the data.
'She fully absorbed the Light Ball.'
Thanks to the massive database he had downloaded from Bill's PC, Eric finally understood what a Light Ball truly was. It wasn't just an item. It was a condensed sphere of pure essence and life force, created by an older, exceptionally powerful Pikachu. The process took a massive toll on the creator, aning it was only ever given out of deep, profound affection.
Absorbing it completely altered the receiving Pikachu's core, granting them explosive strength and an absurdly high energy density. However, there was a heavy price, the foreign essence changed the core in such a way that a Thunder Stone would no longer work on them. This Pikachu could never evolve into a Raichu.
"Haunter, let's go," Eric said.
Haunter materialized from Eric's shadow, his Peak Grade 4 ghost-type energy instantly plunging the stadium's temperature. The suffocating, almost physical pressure of his aura made the crowd gasp.
"There it is, that spooky Haunter!"
Belle shouted excitedly.
"Captain Sparky, Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu moved with blinding speed. A massive, jagged bolt of yellow lightning tore through the air, completely shattering the ground beneath it as it shot toward Haunter.
"Shadow Domain," Eric said calmly.
Haunter grinned. He didn't dodge conventionally. Instead, he injected his energy directly downward. A pitch-black, circular artificial shadow expanded instantly across a ten-ter radius. Haunter sank into the darkness just as the Thunderbolt struck empty air.
This imdiately caught the attention of the crowd.
'Eric, was it...' On the side, Seth watched with interest. He could tell the quality of energy inside Haunter at a glance.
'This resembles a domain.' Sigh. 'This upcoming generation is full of freaks. Even I wasn't as unreasonable at that age.'
"Where did he go?!" Belle gasped.
"Surf!" she quickly commanded.
Pikachu didn't hesitate. She summoned a massive wave of water, electrifying it with his own energy, and sent the crashing tide sweeping across the entire field to flush Haunter out.
"Behind her. Sludge Wave," Eric ordered.
Instantly, Haunter erged from the very edge of the artificial shadow directly behind Pikachu. His hands glowed with a sickly purple light, and he unleashed a highly toxic, corrosive wave of poison that crashed into the electrified Surf.
Hiss!
The Sludge Wave ate through the water, overpowering Pikachu's attack.
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out as the toxic wave slamd into him, knocking him tumbling across the grass.
"Spooky. Captain Sparky, show them the power of the Great Belle Pirates! Volt Tackle," Belle yelled.
Pikachu recovered instantly, his small body turning into a blur of motion. He coated himself in a dense, destructive sphere of golden electricity and shot toward Haunter like a railgun.
"Shadow Ball. Max power," Eric commanded.
Haunter could dodge using the domain, but Eric didn't deem it necessary.
Haunter raised both hands, and in a single second, a massive, double-layered ball of dark purple energy condensed between his palms.
He thrust his hands forward.
The Volt Tackle and the Shadow Ball collided.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rocked the stadium. The ground cracked, and a shockwave of stray electricity and ghost energy swept over the protective barriers.
For a mont, the two attacks clashed against each other. But the density of Haunter's energy was simply too much. The Shadow Ball pushed through the golden electricity, striking Pikachu directly.
Pikachu was launched backward, skidding across the turf before finally coming to a halt at Belle's feet. Swirls in her eyes confird the result.
"Pikachu is unable to battle! Haunter wins!"
The crowd erupted. They had just watched a seamless, tactically flawless victory.
Belle puffed her cheeks, pouting as she picked up her fainted Pikachu. But true to her nature, her pout quickly vanished, replaced by an excited grin.
"I admit defeat this ti!" Belle shouted, running up to him. "But next ti, the Great Belle Pirates will have their revenge!"
"I'll be waiting," Eric smiled, recalling Haunter.
He had won easily, but he knew this was just the beginning.
He turned his gaze towards Red as he thought so.
Part of the reason he was here was for the rematch against Red.
---------------------------------------------
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