Chapter 96: Clash with Silver

Chapter 96: Clash with Silver

"Chansey, finish it with Egg Bomb," Ron called out.

Chansey pulled out an energy egg from its pouch and hurled it at the opposing Marill. With a loud bang, the explosion sent Marill flying, rendering it unable to battle.

"Marill!" The boy on the other side picked up his Marill with concern, apologized to Ron, and quickly ran towards the Pokémon Center.

"Ah," Rosa yawned, expressing her boredom.

Ruby was grooming his Pokémon's fur and remarked, "Ron, you sure have a lot of energy. The opponent wasn't that strong. Was it necessary to be so serious?"

Ron smiled and replied, "I usually go for a speed attack strategy. Sometimes it's good to try a defensive approach to broaden my perspective. Having more strategies can help expand one's vision, right?"

He patted Chansey and the nearby Wobbuffet. "You both did a great job."

Chansey and Wobbuffet smiled, and then Chansey began to emit a white glow. Ron nodded with a smile. "The bond is finally strong enough."

When the white light faded, a round, plump Blissey appeared. It had a large, egg-shaped body with a pink upper half and white lower half. Curly growths on its head resembled hair, and white, wing-like appendages connected its arms to its body. Unlike its previous form, its tail was gone. However, just like before, it had a pouch on its belly with an egg inside.

"Oh, it evolved into Blissey. It looks like you've done a good job raising your Pokémon. Want to have a battle?" A red-haired boy approached with a Sneasel by his side.

Ron nodded. "Sure, how should we battle?"

"Let's have a double battle," the red-haired boy suggested.

"Alright. I'll use Wobbuffet and Beedrill," Ron said, releasing his shiny Beedrill.

"Beedrill, huh..." the boy murmured. "Then I'll use Sneasel and Ursaring."

Sneasel and Ursaring took the field, facing off against Wobbuffet and Beedrill. Rosa rolled her eyes and muttered, "He's using Beedrill. Looks like another easy win."

Ruby didn't mind. He pulled out a notebook and began taking notes. This notebook was used to record Ron's battle techniques and strategies. Most of it was about Ron, but it also included entries on other trainers like Wallace and Lance. By keeping these records, Ruby's skills were steadily improving.

Ron released his other Pokémon. "Everyone, take a break. We'll have lunch soon."

The Pokémon nodded and scattered, each attending to their own activities. But upon closer inspection, it was clear that each one was tense, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

Rosa yawned again, but her other hand was already on her Serperior's Poké Ball.

Ron smiled. "You attack first."

"Alright. Sneasel, Ice Punch! Ursaring, Slash!" the boy commanded.

"Wobbuffet, use Counter to block it. Beedrill, Agility, then Poison Jab," Ron said calmly.

Sneasel and Ursaring charged at Ron's Pokémon. Wobbuffet's Shadow Tag trapped both in place, forcing them to direct their attacks at it. Wobbuffet's Counter sent them flying. Beedrill accelerated and struck the boy's chest with its stinger, piercing only his clothes without harming him.

"Checkmate," Ron said coolly. "Team Rocket really is persistent."

"Oh? How did you figure it out?" the red-haired boy asked. "We've never met, and I'm not wearing a Team Rocket uniform."

Ron smiled. He couldn't exactly say he recognized the boy. Ever since meeting Gold and Kris, he had suspected that Silver might exist as well. Yes, this boy was Silver, Giovanni's son.

Seeing how Silver remained unfazed by Beedrill's stinger, Ron sighed. "I've met Giovanni. You look a lot like him."

"So that gave me away," Silver said calmly. "But you said checkmate? That's a bit premature."

As he spoke, a Sandslash burst from the ground, knocking Beedrill away and standing guard in front of Silver. Silver said, "Ron, you're strong. I know about you. Join Team Rocket. Talent like yours shouldn't be wasted on the League."

"I may be frustrated with the League, but to sink low enough to join Team Rocket? You underestimate me," Ron replied calmly. "And when I say checkmate, I mean it."

Pheromosa flashed forward in a burst of white light, knocking Sandslash down with a low kick and sending it flying with consecutive kicks. Just as it was about to seize Silver, he fell into a hole. A Garchomp carried him underground, disappearing.

"Colby," Ron muttered through gritted teeth. He hadn't expected Colby to show up, tunneling like a rat and giving Ron another loss.

"Looks like Team Rocket isn't just threatening you anymore. They're trying to recruit you," Rosa said, returning her Serperior's Poké Ball to her belt.

"Not necessarily," Ruby said, closing his notebook. "They clearly wanted to force Mewtwo's location out of Ron. When they realized it was impossible, they switched to recruitment. With Colby helping him escape, this boy is cunning — a quick attack and retreat. He'll definitely be a major threat to the League."

Ron packed up, preparing lunch. As he chopped vegetables, he said, "I was careless this time. I didn't expect them to come from underground. I'll deal with them next time."

Zeraora nudged Ron, looking listless. Ron sighed. "Lunch will be ready soon. But I can't help you with electricity. Go find the others and get a Thunderbolt."

Ron watched Zeraora run off to "borrow" electricity from the other Pokémon, feeling a headache coming on. Zeraora was a Legendary, but without an internal storage organ for electricity, even the electric pills prepared for it were useless.

In other words, Zeraora frequently suffered from a lack of electricity, making its signature move, Plasma Fists, essential. Not only did it convert Normal-type moves to Electric-type for recovery, but it also gathered static electricity from opponents to replenish its power.

Watching Zeraora return, energized from its "borrowed" electricity, Ron removed the Electirizer it was holding. It seemed useless.

The Electirizer stored vast amounts of electrical energy and was essential for evolving Electabuzz into Electivire. Ron had won several from a lottery. He thought it might solve Zeraora's power shortage, but it seemed ineffective.

"Looks like I'll have to check that place out. If it works, bringing these along might solve Zeraora's power issue," Ron murmured.

After preparing a hearty lunch and enjoying the meal, Ron and his team set off once again, heading towards the place Ron had in mind.