NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18: Cascade Badge
Ethan stepped onto the battlefield of the Cerulean City Gym.
Across from him stood Lily, one of the Sensational Sisters, wearing a confident smile.
Without wasting any time, Lily gracefully tossed a Poké Ball into the air.
With a burst of light, her Starmie materialized on the battlefield, its jewel-like core gleaming in the gym's aquatic ambiance.
"Starmie, show them your power," Lily commanded with a smirk.
Starmie hovered above the water, ready to engage.
"Scyther, go!" Ethan called out, releasing his Pokémon onto the battlefield.
Scyther emerged with a fierce chirp, its blades gleaming in the gym's light, poised for action.
"Starmie, let's start strong with Water Gun!" Lily ordered.
Starmie swiftly fired a powerful jet of water towards Scyther. Ethan quickly assessed the situation.
"Scyther, use Agility to evade and then counter with X-Scissor!" Ethan commanded confidently.
Scyther darted around the Water Gun with incredible speed, then dashed forward with its scythes glowing.
It slashed through the air, striking Starmie with Bug-type energy before it could react.
"Starmie, Ice Beam!" Lily commanded swiftly.
Starmie focused its energy and unleashed a powerful Ice Beam, aiming to freeze Scyther.
"Scyther, dodge and use Swords Dance!" Ethan directed calmly.
Scyther evaded the Ice Beam with nimble acrobatics, its movements becoming swifter and more precise as it performed a Swords Dance.
Its attack power sharply increased.
"Now, Scyther, finish it with Fury Cutter!" Ethan called out decisively.
Scyther darted forward with enhanced speed and power, its Fury Cutter attack hitting Starmie with increased force due to Swords Dance.
Starmie staggered, weakened by the onslaught, and then fainted.
Seeing this, the referee raised his flag, saying, "Starmie is unable to battle. Round one goes to Ethan."
Lily's confident demeanor faded into disappointment. She had underestimated Ethan, and now her Starmie lay defeated.
After a brief moment, Ethan faced Violet, the next Sensational Sister in line at the Cerulean City Gym.
"You may have beaten Lily, but you can't beat me," Violet declared with determination.
With a flourish, Violet released her Pokémon. Goldeen emerged, its scales shimmering under the gym's lights as it splashed into the water.
"Goldeen, let's make waves!" Violet exclaimed confidently.
"Scyther, you're up!" Ethan declared, sending out his loyal Pokémon once more.
Scyther emerged with a chirp, its blades gleaming with anticipation for the battle ahead.
"Goldeen, Horn Attack!" Violet commanded swiftly.
Goldeen charged forward, its horn glowing as it aimed to strike Scyther head-on.
"Scyther, evade and use X-Scissor!" Ethan instructed.
Scyther swiftly dodged Goldeen's Horn Attack with acrobatic movements.
It then charged forward with its scythes glowing, slashing through the air with Bug-type power.
"Goldeen, use Aqua Tail!" Violet countered swiftly.
Goldeen's tail glowed with watery energy as it swung towards Scyther.
"Scyther, dodge and counter with Aerial Ace!" Ethan called out.
Scyther soared through the air with blinding speed, evading Goldeen's Aqua Tail and striking it with precise strikes.
"Goldeen, use Water Pulse!" Violet commanded.
Goldeen unleashed a pulsating wave of water towards Scyther, attempting to disrupt its next move.
"Scyther, use Swords Dance!" Ethan directed calmly.
Scyther concentrated, its movements becoming swifter and more precise as it performed a graceful dance with its blades.
Its attack power sharply increased.
"Now, Scyther, finish it with Fury Cutter!" Ethan commanded confidently.
Scyther lunged forward with enhanced speed and power, its Fury Cutter attack glowing brightly as it struck Goldeen with successive slashes.
After the attack, Goldeen fainted.
The referee raised his flag, saying, "Goldeen is unable to battle. Round two goes to Ethan."
"Goldeen, return!" Violet recalled her Pokémon.
With Violet's defeat, Daisy stepped forward with a nervous smile. "You've done well so far, Ethan. Let's see how you handle my Seel."
Ethan nodded, ready for the challenge.
The referee stepped up, raising his flags. "This will be a one-on-one battle. The challenger is allowed to switch Pokémon. Let the battle begin!"
Daisy released her Seel onto the watery battlefield.
The sleek, white Pokémon splashed into the pool, its eyes gleaming with determination, though Daisy's anxiety was apparent.
"Seel, show them what you can do!" Daisy called, her voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.
"Scyther, I choose you!" Ethan called out his Pokémon.
Scyther emerged onto one of the circular platforms in the pool, its scythes glinting under the gym lights.
"Seel, start with Ice Beam!" Daisy ordered, trying to sound confident.
Seel took a deep breath and fired a beam of icy energy toward Scyther.
"Scyther, dodge and use Quick Attack!" Ethan countered.
Scyther evaded the Ice Beam with a swift movement, darting toward Seel with incredible speed. It struck Seel before quickly retreating.
"Seel, use Aqua Jet!" Daisy called, her voice wavering.
Seel enveloped itself in water and shot forward like a torpedo, aiming directly at Scyther.
"Scyther, Double Team!" Ethan commanded.
Scyther created multiple copies of itself, confusing Seel as it passed through one of the illusions.
"Now, Slash!" Ethan ordered.
The real Scyther appeared from the midst of the copies, slashing at Seel with its sharp scythes.
"Seel, recover and use Aurora Beam!" Daisy instructed, trying to stay composed.
Seel quickly regained its composure and fired a colorful beam of light at Scyther.
"Scyther, Swords Dance!" Ethan directed.
Scyther spun gracefully, using its scythes to deflect the Aurora Beam while boosting its attack power.
"Finish it with X-Scissor!" Ethan commanded.
Scyther's scythes glowed with energy as it charged forward, crossing its blades to deliver a powerful X-Scissor attack.
"Seel, use Rest!" Daisy called, her voice tinged with desperation.
Seel closed its eyes and began to glow, attempting to heal itself with Rest.
"Scyther, Aerial Ace!" Ethan shouted.
Scyther flew through the air with lightning speed, striking Seel with a precise Aerial Ace attack before it could fully enter its restorative sleep.
Seel staggered but managed to stay afloat, showing its resilience.
"Seel, use Ice Shard!" Daisy called, clearly worried.
Seel created sharp shards of ice and launched them at Scyther.
"Scyther, dodge and Fury Cutter!" Ethan commanded.
Scyther evaded the Ice Shards with agile movements and closed in on Seel, its scythes glowing as it struck with repeated Fury Cutter attacks.
Seel tried to counter but was overwhelmed by the continuous strikes. Finally, it collapsed into the water, unable to continue the battle.
"Seel is unable to battle. Scyther wins! The challenger, Ethan, is the victor!" the referee declared.
Daisy recalled her Seel, giving a resigned smile. "Well done, Ethan. I knew you were strong, but you exceeded my expectations."
Ethan returned Scyther to its Poké Ball with a nod, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
The Sensational Sisters gathered, visibly disappointed by their losses.
They had combined their efforts, yet they couldn't defeat even one of Ethan's Pokémon.
Lily sighed, "We really need to step up our game."
Violet nodded, her expression gloomy. "We couldn't even take down his Scyther."
Daisy, trying to put on a brave face, handed Ethan the Cascade Badge. "You've earned this, Ethan. Congratulations."
Ethan took the badge, sensing their disappointment, and simply nodded.
Despite their attempts to smile, the sisters' spirits were clearly dampened.
With the Cascade Badge in hand, Ethan was ready to continue his journey.