"Uh... cough, cough... to be honest, even though I'm going to open a Water-type gym, I currently only have one Water-type Pokémon ready for battle," Cain couldn't help but cough a bit.
He felt somewhat embarrassed.
Hearing Cain's words, Lance and Wallace were stunned.
What was going on? A person with only one Water-type Pokémon was going to open a Water-type gym?
And what would he do in battles? Allow challengers to use just one Pokémon?
"For now, I only have one that's combat-ready, but I'm already training other Water-type Pokémon. Also, just yesterday, I applied for a permit to obtain a Mudkip from the Hoenn region. I plan to pick it up from Professor Birch once the gym's construction begins," Cain explained.
After all, there wasn't even a trace of the gym yet, so Cain didn't need to rush.
"Alright then, let's do a one-on-one battle. Let's showcase our elegance!" Wallace leaped to his feet, waving his hand dramatically. If they were in his gym or a contest competition, he'd undoubtedly have received cheers of admiration from the audience.
"I'll be the temporary referee," Lance said, also standing with a smile.
"Well, if you're both so interested..." Cain shrugged and smiled.
And so, the three found an outdoor spot. There wasn't a proper battlefield there, and Cain didn't want to take them to his backyard.
His backyard housed many Water-type Pokémon from the Kanto region, and if Lance asked about them, Cain wouldn't know how to explain.
Fortunately, neither Lance nor Wallace minded.
"I'll use him. Go, Charlie!" Wallace dramatically flipped his hair before throwing a Pokéball.
A Sealeo appeared on the field.
Wallace liked giving names to his Pokémon, each with a unique nickname.
This strengthened the bond between the trainer and their Pokémon.
Sealeo was one of Wallace's iconic Pokémon.
Although his most famous Pokémon was Milotic, Cain suspected Wallace was holding it back since its power was too overwhelming and he didn't want to crush him in battle.
Cain's system automatically activated, scanning Wallace's Sealeo.
Pokémon: Sealeo (Blue)
Egg Moves: Water Sport, Water Pulse, Aqua Ring, Rollout
Basic Moves: Swagger, Defense Curl, Powder Snow, Growl, Water Gun, Encore, Ice Ball, Brine, Aurora Beam, Body Slam, Rest, Snore, Hail
Learned Moves: Icy Wind, Aqua Tail, Super Fang
TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Fire), Ice Beam, Blizzard, Surf, Rain Dance
This Sealeo had great traits and level, and it hadn't yet evolved into its final form, Walrein, meaning it still had room to grow.
That Wallace considered it one of his main Pokémon showed its great potential.
Cain threw his own Pokéball, summoning Slowking.
"Slowking?" Wallace and Lance exclaimed in surprise.
Wallace, being an expert in Water-type Pokémon, recognized Slowking immediately, even though it was more common in the Kanto and Johto regions.
Lance, who would one day become one of Kanto's Elite Four and Johto's Champion, also knew it well.
Both were surprised, but not enough to lose their composure.
"I'm impressed, Cain. Your Slowking is so elegant; it truly exudes the regal aura of a king among Slowpoke!" Wallace praised.
He was captivated by Slowking's majestic presence.
Cain flashed a wide smile.
"The battle begins!" Lance announced.
"Slowking, use Nasty Plot."
Slowking's eyes glimmered with a light full of wisdom.
"Charlie, use Aqua Ring."
Wallace issued his command to Sealeo.
Although Sealeo had a level advantage, its Water- and Ice-type moves would be less effective against Slowking, also a Water-type Pokémon.
On the other hand, Slowking could use Psychic-type attacks, giving it an edge in this battle.
This was why Cain started the battle by boosting Slowking's psychic power with Nasty Plot.
"Charlie, use Rollout."
While Slowking finished using Nasty Plot, Sealeo formed a water ring around itself, gradually healing.
Then, Sealeo curled up and began rolling toward Slowking.
Rollout is a move that increases in power with each successful hit but has the drawback of being hard to stop.
"Slowking, use Teleport."
As Sealeo rolled toward it, Slowking finished charging Nasty Plot, and Cain gave the order to dodge.
However, Wallace wasn't an easy opponent. Although Rollout isn't a Water- or Ice-type move, Wallace had trained Sealeo in all its moves.
Sealeo suddenly accelerated and struck Slowking before it could teleport.
Cain's expression changed.
How fast! No wonder Wallace was so skilled.
"Slowking, use Teleport again and then Water Gun infused with Psychic energy."
This time, Slowking managed to put some distance between itself and Sealeo, teleporting to the other side of the field.
After finishing the move, Slowking fired a Water Gun wrapped in psychic energy, transforming it into a spear-like projectile that quickly flew toward Sealeo with tracking capabilities.
However, Sealeo didn't try to dodge, letting the attack hit while continuing to roll.
The impact slowed Sealeo down.
"Slowking, use Psychic."
Not giving Sealeo a chance to recover, Cain ordered another attack.
"Charlie, use Rollout and finish with Body Slam!" Wallace responded calmly.
The psychic attack hit Sealeo but wasn't enough to stop its charge.