"Dear audience, our third Ocean Battle Tournament is about to begin!"
"Right now, our contestants are making their final adjustments on the shore. Soon, these skilled trainers from various towns will bring us an exciting ocean battle!"
"This time, we even have a trainer from the Kanto region—Ron! On his way to the Hoenn region, Ron managed to fend off an attack from Team Aqua!"
"Unfortunately, due to the tournament's regulations, Ron is unable to use his strongest Pokémon. Under these restrictions, how much of his strength can he truly showcase? Let's find out!"
Listening to the enthusiastic voice of the announcer, Ron finally understood why Elite Four Drake had said that participating in this tournament would reveal his whereabouts to Pokémon Hunters.
As if worried that the Pokémon Hunters might mistake someone else for him, the announcer deliberately displayed Ron's photo on the screen.
The next second, Ron noticed the way people around him were looking at him had changed.
Fortunately, Ron had a strong mindset and ignored their gazes, instead focusing on adjusting his gear.
"Gardevoir, be cautious of trainers and Pokémon who might know the move Taunt. Since we're here, we should aim to claim the championship."
As the battle drew near, Ron softly instructed Gardevoir.
At level 53, Gardevoir had a considerable advantage on this water-based battlefield, where Water-type Pokémon were dominant. However, some matchups would still be tough.
Still, since he had entered the tournament, Ron had no intention of backing down—he was here to win.
"Don't worry, I'll do my best!"
Gardevoir's sweet voice echoed in Ron's mind, and with that, the Ocean Battle Tournament officially began.
"Psychic Boost!"
While rapidly rowing, Ron issued a command to Gardevoir.
Thanks to Gardevoir's Telepathy ability, their communication functioned almost like true telepathy.
At the same time, Ron could sense that his psychic abilities had reached a bottleneck—his growth rate was slowing down. If he could break through this limit, he might finally master Telepathy, the signature ability of true psychics.
Rowing swiftly, Ron's breathing technique wasn't just for show. In particular, he had already mastered three of the Six Powers: Shave, Finger Pistol, and Iron Body. Maneuvering a wooden boat was effortless for him.
With the added support of Gardevoir's psychic power, Ron's boat moved as if powered by an engine, quickly surpassing the other contestants.
"Oh! It seems that Ron's Gardevoir has exceptional control over its Psychic abilities. Right from the start, he has pulled ahead by a significant margin. If this continues, Ron should be the first to enter the attack zone!"
As the announcer's voice echoed, the red buoy-marked attack zone came into Ron's view.
According to the rules, contestants could only launch attacks within the red zone. This regulation prevented trainers from engaging in chaotic battles right at the start, ensuring a better viewing experience.
To deter sneaky tactics, the rules also stated that any contestant who failed to enter the red zone within five minutes or left it for more than three minutes would be disqualified.
"Gardevoir, use Psychic to create a tidal wave!"
Upon reaching the attack zone, Ron wasted no time giving his command.
Gardevoir's Psychic energy radiated outward, lifting a massive wave that surged toward the other contestants.
Unlike Ash, who trained his Turtwig for speed and encouraged his Gengar to enhance its physical attacks, Ron had focused on honing Gardevoir's innate Psychic abilities.
His mastery of the Six Powers was merely a supplementary measure, providing Gardevoir with additional techniques—Shave paired with Teleport for deceptive mobility, Moonwalk to conserve Psychic energy while maintaining aerial maneuverability, and other techniques to prevent Gardevoir from becoming defenseless in close combat, a common weakness for Psychic-type Pokémon.
Moreover, training in the Six Powers would aid Gardevoir in mastering the advanced ability Life Return.
Once perfected, Life Return would allow Gardevoir to further refine its body and maximize its psychic prowess.
"Ice Beam!"
"Air Slash!"
"Icy Wind!"
Commands rang out in rapid succession as a variety of moves launched from the wooden boats, effortlessly carving out a path through the turbulent waters.
Seizing the opportunity, Ron once again widened the gap between himself and the other contestants while carefully maintaining a safe distance from the red zone's boundary.
"Sharpedo, propel our boat forward! Let's see just how strong these trainers from Kanto really are."
"Walrein, target that Gardevoir!"
The moment they entered the red zone, several contestants immediately set their sights on Ron.
"Gardevoir, looks like we're in for some trouble. Get ready to use Psychic to manipulate the seawater for battle."
Gently stroking Gardevoir's back, Ron spoke in a calm voice, mentally preparing for a counterattack.
If things took a turn for the worse, he was ready to make a split-second decision—either retreat for the time being or use Teleport to shift to another section of the battlefield.
"Sharpedo, use Water Pulse!"
"Walrein, follow up with Water Pulse!"
The commands of the two opposing trainers rang out one after another. Despite maintaining some distance from each other, their attacks were perfectly synchronized as they both aimed at Gardevoir.
"Gardevoir, counter with Psychic—form a tidal wave and send it back at them!"
Ron's voice resonated in Gardevoir's mind, and without hesitation, its psychic energy surged forth. Thanks to Ron's Fighting Aura, Gardevoir had no need to worry about energy depletion.
In the blink of an eye, a massive tidal wave formed in front of Gardevoir, an overwhelming force of water crashing toward Walrein and Sharpedo.
"You've got to be kidding! That Gardevoir's Psychic power is this strong?!"
"Stay sharp, Walrein! Use Blizzard!"
"Sharpedo, we're using Blizzard too!"
While the other contestants were still in shock from the towering wave, the two targeted trainers had no time to hesitate. They immediately ordered their Pokémon to counterattack.
The immense pressure of the incoming wave made their Pokémon instinctively synchronize, their coordination becoming even more refined.
"Gardevoir, now! Use Psychic to destroy their boats!"
The moment the tidal wave crashed down, Gardevoir ceased control over it, taking advantage of the chaos to Teleport near the two opposing trainers.
With a surge of psychic power, their wooden boats were effortlessly shattered.
Although Walrein and Sharpedo's Blizzard had successfully neutralized the tidal wave, it couldn't change the fact that their trainers had been eliminated from the competition.
"We lost, Walrein."
"Let's go, Sharpedo."
Having been disqualified, the two trainers didn't put up a fight. Instead, they accepted their defeat and promptly left the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Gardevoir's performance served as a warning to the remaining contestants—taking down a highly mobile Gardevoir was going to be no easy task.
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