Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

"Yah dong!" Slowpoke let out a deep cry toward the Sharpedo in the water.

But instead of being frightened, the Sharpedo and Carvanha showed mocking expressions.

The lead Sharpedo even sprayed a jet of water directly at Slowpoke's face.

Then came the sound of laughter.

The entire school of Sharpedo and Carvanha burst into laughter.

Aoki's face darkened. Slowpoke had been provoked, and as its Trainer, he had to act.

He immediately grabbed a few Pokeballs and summoned Honchkrow, Sneasel, and Skorupi. Then, Gengar, who had been lurking in the shadows, emerged.

Misdreavus, however, was not suited for battle at the moment.

"Slowpoke, use Water Pulse! Honchkrow, Hidden Power! Sneasel, Icicle Crash! Skorupi, Screech! Gengar, Hidden Power!" Aoki commanded coldly.

Honchkrow's Hidden Power was Electric-type, while Gengar's was Grass-type, both capable of dealing double damage to the Water- and Dark-type Sharpedo.

Slowpoke was at a major disadvantage, struggling against the Dark-type resistance to its Psychic powers. A feeling of helplessness filled its heart.

As for Sneasel and Skorupi, neither were Water-type Pokémon, so their effectiveness was limited.

The Sharpedo and Carvanha, seeing the incoming attacks, dove skillfully into the water.

The attacks from Sneasel and Skorupi missed completely.

Slowpoke managed to land a hit on one of the Sharpedo, but Water-type moves were weak against it.

Honchkrow and Gengar's Hidden Power attacks, however, struck several Carvanha, causing them to float to the surface.

But this damage was insignificant compared to the entire school of Sharpedo.

The Carvanha that had lost their fighting ability were merely the weakest of the group, both in potential and strength.

Floating on the water's surface, they would recover soon if left alone, rejoining the fight.

After observing the effects of his team's first round of attacks, Aoki fell silent.

This school of Sharpedo was troublesome.

His strongest Water-type Pokémon, Slowpoke, was at a severe disadvantage. There was little he could do.

"Slowpoke, use Psychic to pull the fainted Carvanha to shore." He couldn't deal with the ones still in the water, but he wouldn't let the defeated ones recover.

The emerging Sharpedo were more cautious now.

Yet their mocking expressions remained, as they understood that most of Aoki's Pokémon were land-dwellers, unable to fight effectively in the water.

The only one that looked similar to the Slowpoke they bullied was stronger, but they showed no fear.

So what if it had more power?

It was alone. If it entered the water, it wouldn't stand a chance.

If it stayed on land, it was no threat at all.

The Sharpedo and Carvanha surfaced, gathering Water energy into Water Pulses.

A barrage of Water Pulses shot toward Slowpoke and Honchkrow.

"Slowpoke! Use Psychic Barrier! Honchkrow, counter with Wing Attack! Sneasel, Ice Punch! Skorupi, use Pin Missile to shoot them down!"

Slowpoke's expression turned serious as it activated its Psychic powers, shielding Aoki and his Pokémon from weaker Water Pulses.

The more powerful Water Pulses were smashed apart by Honchkrow's Wing Attack as it swooped in.

Any that slipped through were met by Sneasel's Ice Punch and Metal Claw.

Skorupi fired Pin Missile wildly, shattering more incoming attacks.

After this exchange, Slowpoke's face twisted with frustration.

It could feel its species' helplessness.

The more it felt this helplessness, the more it burned with anger.

It was furious.

Angry that its kind were weak, afraid to fight back, huddled around a small pond waiting for defeat.

Angry that its own power was too low to effectively counterattack against an enemy that mocked and provoked it.

For the first time, it truly felt weak.

When Slowpoke first joined Aoki's team, it had always been diligent and obedient.

Although it had been disheartened by losing to Honchkrow early on, it quickly realized that was due to a natural type disadvantage.

Later, with Aoki's command and training, it had defeated many opponents, making battles seem controlled and manageable.

Slowly, it started believing its strength was sufficient. It no longer felt an urgent need to grow stronger.

It wanted to improve, but more for Aoki than for itself.

But now, it desperately wanted power.

It wanted to avenge its kind.

It wanted to shed the label of weakness.

Never had it yearned so strongly.

Suddenly, Slowpoke's Psychic power surged wildly. As its anger grew, as its desire to win intensified, waves of energy radiated from its body, growing stronger with each pulse.

"This is..." Aoki stared at Slowpoke, watching the data on his system screen. Slowpoke's Psychic energy was skyrocketing.

It was as if a shackle had been broken, and its powers were running wild.

Slowly, without control, Slowpoke's body began levitating.

Its own Psychic energy was lifting it, preventing it from crushing the ground beneath it.

Small pebbles trembled and floated in sync with Slowpoke.

On the shore, the water rippled with Psychic force, forming miniature whirlpools.

"This is what Sabrina once mentioned... the untapped power within Slowpoke's potential?" Aoki watched in awe.

Wrapped in a swirling blue aura, Slowpoke's eyes glowed a brilliant azure, brighter and more intense than ever before.

At this moment, its true Psychic power erupted.

The normally dull and indifferent Slowpoke on the shore were startled by this sudden surge of power. For the first time, they showed emotion.

Their gazes shifted from surprise to shock, then to admiration, and finally—fervent awe.