◉◉◉◉◉
Swipe—
Line after line of data scrolled rapidly down Lanny's screen, almost blinding him with options.
He forced himself to slow down, scanning each candidate carefully.
---
Braviary
Ability: Keen Eye
Rating: Elite Main Battler
Moves: Brave Bird, Air Slash, Whirlwind, Agility, Roost, Heat Wave...
Evaluation: Exceptional mobility, blistering speed. Team shock trooper.
Rental Cost: 1,800 credits/week
---
Kingdra
Ability: Sniper
Rating: Elite Main Battler
Moves: Hydro Pump, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Dance, Smokescreen, Focus Energy...
Evaluation: Long-range powerhouse, devastating special attacks.
Rental Cost: 1,720 credits/week
---
Golisopod
Ability: Ergency Exit
Rating: Elite Ace
Moves: Swords Dance, First Impression, Razor Shell, Liquidation, Iron Defense...
Evaluation: Balanced offense and defense, tactically versatile.
Rental Cost: 2,700 credits/week
---
Lanny frowned, his finger hovering indecisively over the screen.
On paper, all three were strong perhaps strong enough to challenge Zilin's Crobat and Salazzle. But none felt... right.
Braviary lacked endurance. Kingdra could dominate at range, but terrain could limit it. Golisopod was powerful, yes, but a foreign Alolan Pokémon Lanny had never actually commanded in combat.
He grimaced. Dark Star's rental library was impressive, but not limitless. It would take years before the organization had the sa breadth as the League's official facilities.
Still, his eyes lingered on Golisopod. It was the closest to what he needed. His thumb hovered over the "Confirm Rental" button... but he couldn't bring himself to press it.
---
The Dilemma
What about sabotage?
The thought ca unbidden.
Lanny shook his head imdiately. Zilin was no ordinary Trainer she was the daughter of a forr Elite Four mber. If she so much as stubbed her toe under suspicious circumstances, the League would unleash its full fury on anyone involved.
If he tried anything underhanded, his cover would be blown instantly.
Bribery?
He almost laughed aloud at his own foolishness. The League's reputation was its greatest strength. No official would risk staining it over a aningless Top Sixteen match.
He splashed cold water on his face in the restroom, staring at his reflection. For the first ti, doubt crept in.
Am I out of options...?
Then, a thought struck him.
That Flaaffy.
The one from the Water Gym incident.
He hesitated. No. Impossible. It had shown promise, yes, but even with extraordinary talent, there was no way it had grown so much in so little ti. At best, it might barely have reached the entry level of the Elite class.
And yet... curiosity gnawed at him.
---
The Shock
He reopened the Dark Star app, typing quickly into the search bar:
Keyword: Flaaffy
Tier: Elite
Search.
The screen blinked, then displayed—nothing.
Lanny blinked in confusion. "What?"
Frowning, he changed the tier filter.
Tier: Elite
Search.
Swipe—
One single result appeared.
---
Flaaffy
Ability: Static
Rating: Elite Ace
Moves: Tackle, Growl, Thunder Wave, Hidden Power (Dragon), Thunder Shock, Cotton Spore, Charge, Thunder Punch, Magnet Rise, Take Down, Electro Ball, Dragon Breath, Confuse Ray
Evaluation: High mobility, balanced physical and special offense.
Rental Cost: 2,870 credits/week
---
Lanny's throat went dry.
"...Elite Ace?"
He rubbed his eyes, certain it was a mistake. Just a Flaaffy, a Pokémon, was listed at a level of strength usually reserved for the anchors of professional Trainers' teams.
Even his own personal ace within Dark Star had only just reached that tier. And yet here, staring back at him, was a woolly pink sheep whose stats eclipsed expectations entirely.
He sat frozen, stunned. How? How could it have grown this much in such a short ti?
But as the shock faded, another thought replaced it.
That agility. That power. He rembered its flashes of potential, its flexibility in battle.
And for the first ti that evening, Lanny's lips curled into a grin.
"...It's perfect."
His finger hovered for only a mont before he pressed the button.
"Confird."
◉◉◉◉◉
For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access Patreon normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!
User Comments
0 comments from readers