At noon that day, after finishing a hearty meal and resting under the shade of a thick-leafed tree, Aoki and Kamizrai packed up and prepared to continue their journey toward the next Contest Hall. The air was cool, with the cries of wild Taillow echoing faintly in the sky.
Not long after they hit the road, Aoki noticed a dark-skinned boy approaching from the opposite direction. The boy carried himself with confidence, a Poké Ball clipped firmly to his belt. His face looked familiar, but Aoki didn't pay much attention at first—perhaps someone he'd glimpsed in the League archives.
"Sir, are you training Pokémon as well? I'm aiming to compete in the Ever Grande Conference this year. Care to battle?" the boy asked casually, eyes lighting up.
Aoki stopped, intrigued. A spontaneous battle would be a good way to test his team. "Sure," he replied with a calm smile. "I'm training this year too. If you want a match, I won't turn you down."
"My name is Ye Yue," the boy introduced, holding up a Poké Ball. "I started my journey just last year."
The name and the familiar face clicked in Aoki's mind—this was Ye Yue from the Johto League, the same trainer who had once pushed Ash Ketchum into a tough battle with his Blaziken, only this time he looked younger. Aoki recalled that Ye Yue's strength and potential had been impressive in that match.
"You started last year? Did you manage to qualify for any League then?" Aoki asked curiously.
Ye Yue scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed. "I earned eight badges last year… but I got lost in Petalburg Woods for days. By the time I found the registration center, the deadline had passed."
Aoki tried not to laugh. "That's… unfortunate."
Ye Yue sighed, clearly still haunted by the missed opportunity. "Let's just battle."
"Alright then. Let's see your strength. Go, Onix!"
With a flash of red light, a massive, serpentine Rock-type Pokémon emerged, its rugged body glinting in the sun.
Aoki recognized it immediately—Ye Yue's future ace, the Steelix that would one day rival regional champions. But now, it was still in its unevolved Onix form.
"Let's go, Chansey!"
Aoki sent out his pink, egg-carrying Pokémon. The round-bodied Chansey waved cutely, but Kamizrai, watching from the sidelines, knew better. This was no ordinary Chansey—it had been trained with precision, fed exclusive Pokéblocks, and had Leftovers equipped.
"Onix, use Tackle!"
Onix lunged forward, slamming its massive body at Chansey.
"Chansey, Defense Curl!"
Chansey braced herself, body glowing as she curled slightly inward, boosting her Defense. Onix collided, but Chansey barely budged.
Kamizrai already saw the flow of battle. Onix's attack stat wasn't high, and Chansey's defenses had been meticulously built up over countless battles.
"Onix, Iron Tail!"
Onix swung its white-glowing tail down hard.
"Encore, Defense Curl!"
Chansey took the hit without flinching, continuing her defense-increasing move due to Encore. With each Defense Curl, her survivability grew.
Ye Yue was stunned. "This Chansey… is a wall."
Aoki nodded, not missing a beat. "Chansey, Calm Mind."
A soft glow surrounded Chansey as her Special Attack and Special Defense rose. She was slowly becoming an unmovable fortress.
"Onix, Double-Edge!"
Ye Yue tried to shift tactics. Onix slammed into Chansey with full force, taking recoil damage in the process.
"Protect!"
Chansey glowed and threw up a shimmering barrier, negating the impact. Leftovers sparkled faintly as she healed.
Then Aoki gave the command: "Chansey, Minimize!"
Chansey's body shimmered again, becoming harder to hit. Her evasion skyrocketed.
Ye Yue was getting frustrated. "Use Slam! Keep going!"
"Soft-Boiled," Aoki countered.
Chansey pulled a glowing egg from her pouch and absorbed it, regaining lost stamina. Every time Onix landed a hit, Chansey simply recovered.
"Sleep," Aoki said calmly.
Chansey closed her eyes and began to snooze, her health regenerating naturally, while her Leftovers slowly boosted her HP.
"Chansey, Sleep Talk."
Even in slumber, Chansey acted. She mumbled in her sleep, and to Ye Yue's horror, summoned Solar Beam. The glowing energy beam—empowered by her high Special Attack and Calm Mind boosts—blasted forward.
Ye Yue's eyes widened. "Onix, dodge!"
But it was too late. The Solar Beam struck with precision, dealing massive damage due to Onix's quadruple weakness to Grass-type moves.
BOOM!
Onix collapsed, the ground shaking beneath its weight. The referee—a League staff member accompanying them for the contest—raised his flag.
"Onix is unable to battle! Chansey wins!"
Ye Yue returned Onix to its Poké Ball with a faint sigh. "I've seen a lot of Chanseys, but never one like yours."
Aoki chuckled lightly. "She's a little different. Lots of care, effort values, EV training, and of course—Leftovers."
"That explains everything," Ye Yue muttered. "As long as I can't knock it out in one move, it just keeps going…"
"Your Onix has potential. It'll evolve into a powerhouse once you get a Metal Coat and trade it."
"I'll get there," Ye Yue said, regaining his confidence. "Now, I send out my second Pokémon—Flame Goose!"
He tossed a Poké Ball, and flames flared as the Fire-type Pokémon appeared.
Aoki grinned. "Now this is getting interesting."
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