239. Kumquat Island
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Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of spectators, Poliwrath suddenly seemed to experience a last burst of energy, pushing itself to launch a Mega Punch at Jolteon!
Its fists blurred as it unleashed a rapid barrage of strikes, trying to overwhelm its opponent.
Despite the impressive display, everyone knew the truth this was merely Poliwrath's final struggle.
Jolteon, carefully watching the trajectory of the punches, easily dodged each one with precise footwork.
Due to the earlier Discharge and Body Slam collision, the icy battlefield created by Ice Beam had shattered, freeing Jolteon from the risk of slipping.
Now able to move at full speed again, Jolteon's advantage over Poliwrath only grew wider.
With each missed punch, Poliwrath slowed and finally, after dodging over a dozen consecutive attacks, Jolteon saw its opening.
Its jaws snapped open, fangs crackling with raw electricity then, in a flash, it sank its teeth into Poliwrath's body!
BZZZZZT!
The Electric attack surged through Poliwrath, delivering quadruple damage due to the Water-type weakness.
The shock was instantaneous.
Poliwrath didn't even have time to cry out. Its muscles stiffened, its eyes rolled back, and in the next second, it collapsed.
The referee immediately raised his hand.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle! The winner is Kai!"
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause.
Many had assumed Tad would win, or at the very least, that the fight would be an even match.
No one had expected Kai to dominate the battle so effortlessly, defeating Tad's strongest Pokémon with ease!
Even several female Trainers in the audience were eyeing Kai with admiration.
Meanwhile, Tad's expression darkened.
Without a word, he withdrew Poliwrath into its Poké Ball and disappeared into the crowd, avoiding further embarrassment.
Kai guessed that losing in such a one-sided manner had damaged Tad's pride too much for him to even say a single word before leaving.
His attitude before and after the battle was like night and day.
Still, Kai understood.
Right now, the only thing that truly mattered to Tad was getting his injured Pokémon to a Pokémon Center for emergency treatment, and if he was being honest Poliwrath really did have it rough.
It was an incredible fighter, but due to the severe type disadvantage, it never even got the chance to showcase its full power.
Tad could be as frustrated as he wanted, but there was nothing he could do this was just how Pokémon battles worked.
Every battle was filled with unpredictable elements, and luck was always a factor.
This time, Tad had simply drawn the short straw.
Kai had no doubt that if the roles were reversed, and he had sent out a Pokémon weak to Poliwrath, he too would have been helpless.
At that moment, Jolteon returned to Kai's side.
With the battle over, the crowd slowly quieted down.
People whispered among themselves, wondering if anyone else dared to challenge Kai.
But after a while, no one stepped forward.
Kai sighed.
"Guess that's it…"
Since no new challengers appeared, he saw no reason to stay.
With that, he recalled Jolteon, turned around, and left the battlefield with Sabrina at his side.
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"BWWWOOOOOOOHHHH!"
The loud blare of a ship's horn echoed across the harbour.
A medium-sized passenger vessel was slowly docking at the port of Nile Island.
After more than twenty hours of sailing, passing three islands along the way, Kai and Sabrina's ship finally reached Nile Island by evening.
Over the past day and a half, Kai had not battled again.
For two reasons—
First, most of the Trainers aboard the ship were too weak to interest him.
Even though more battles had taken place after his fight with Tad, none of them had the same level of excitement.
As the Indigo League Champion, he wasn't about to waste time on meaningless battles.
Second, he had decided to focus on spending time with Sabrina treating this journey as a rare moment of relaxation.
As it turned out, Sabrina had started her period, so Kai spent his time taking care of her, making sure she was comfortable.
He prepared warm water, helped soothe her cramps, and tended to her every need.
For Sabrina, who had grown up without anyone truly caring for her, Kai's gentle attention had touched her deeply.
Throughout the entire day, her eyes were filled with warmth whenever she looked at him.
Of course, Kai had no idea just how much this had meant to her.
In his mind, taking care of his woman was only natural.
If he couldn't even do that, what kind of man would he be?
However, one thing worth noting—
Ever since his battle with Tad, Tad had vanished without a trace.
Kai had expected him to reappear, perhaps for a rematch.
But instead, it seemed Tad had disembarked at an earlier port.
It was possible that Poliwrath's injuries were too severe, forcing Tad to seek medical treatment in a town Pokémon Center.
Or perhaps, knowing that he had no chance of beating Kai, Tad had chosen to leave quietly avoiding further humiliation.
Either way, their paths would likely never cross again.
"Where to next?"
As Kai and Sabrina stood at the port, Sabrina's soft voice brought him out of his thoughts.
In front of them was the town of Nile Island.
Kai glanced up at the darkening sky, then made his decision.
"We should keep moving," he said. "Kumquat Island isn't far from here it's home to the final Gym. If we leave now, we can reach it before nightfall and find a place to stay once we get there."
Sabrina nodded in agreement.
At this point, she had grown so used to trusting Kai's decisions that even if she had a different idea, she would likely follow his lead regardless.
With their next destination set, Kai summoned Charizard, and the two of them took off toward Kumquat Island.
.
.
.
.
As they soared over the ocean, Kai noticed that the air was much colder than before.
Perhaps it was because the night was approaching.
Sabrina, aware of her own condition, wrapped them both in a psychic barrier, shielding them from the chilling sea breeze.
After two hours of flight, darkness fully descended, and they finally arrived above Kumquat Island.
Since the rest of the island was too dark, Kai directed Charizard to land at the harbour.
Despite the late hour, the port was brightly lit.
Kai soon realized why—
A massive cruise ship from another region had just arrived, unloading hundreds of tourists into the city.
With the dock bustling with crowds and chatter, it was clear that Kumquat Island was a major tourist destination.
As Charizard landed, a few startled passersby yelped in surprise.
Kai sighed and quickly apologized, recalling Charizard before blending into the flowing crowd with Sabrina.
With that, they stepped into the heart of Kumquat Island, ready for their next challenge.
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