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[Pokemon] Chapter 44: Wattrel and Fuecoco
🕑 Added 2024-09-05 17:27:40 +0000 UTCA few days had passed since they left Paldea, and the Rising Volt Tacklers were continuing their journey to the Galar region, where Liko's grandmother, Diana, lived.
"Salamence, use Dragon Claw!"
"Fuecoco! Wattrel! Dodge it!"
On the Wing Deck, Jin and Roy were conducting their usual training sessions, which doubled as practical exercises. However, this particular session was a bit different. Roy was battling not only with Fuecoco but also with Wattrel, a new addition to his team from Paldea, in a 1 vs. 2 battle against Jin's Salamence.
As Salamence closed in, preparing to strike with Dragon Claw, Fuecoco, with Wattrel perched on its head, fired a Flamethrower at the ground, propelling them into the air and avoiding the attack.
"Now, Wattrel! Use Spark!"
Wattrel, who was riding on Fuecoco's head, leapt off, using Fuecoco as a springboard to gain altitude. With electricity crackling along its wings, Wattrel shot toward Salamence.
(...I see.)
Wattrel's wing structure had a special mechanism that allowed it to generate electricity when exposed to the wind. By cooperating with Fuecoco, it soared high into the sky, using the speed from the fall and the force of the wind to charge up Wattrel's electricity.
"Go for it!"
(Nice strategy, Roy... but!)
"Not good enough! Salamence, counter with Dragon Dance!"
Just as Wattrel was about to collide with Salamence, the dragon spun gracefully, using Dragon Dance to deflect Wattrel’s attack. The maneuver sent Wattrel spinning off-course and crashing down onto the deck.
"Fuecoco, use Flamethrower!"
"Salamence, keep going with Dragon Claw!"
Fuecoco, having landed first on the deck, unleashed a Flamethrower toward Salamence. But Salamence, still spinning from Dragon Dance, activated Dragon Claw mid-spin and slashed through the flames, charging straight at Fuecoco.
"Fueeeeeee!"
"Fuecoco!"
The spinning Dragon Claw landed directly on Fuecoco, sending it flying to the center of the deck. Almost simultaneously, Wattrel crashed down as well. Both Pokémon were dazed, unable to continue the battle.
"Looks like that's it."
"Man, that didn't work either! I thought it was a good idea, though..."
"It wasn’t bad at all. You put some real thought into it. Well, there are some things to work on, but we’ll talk about that after they wake up."
Jin called for a break. He and Roy retrieved Fuecoco and Wattrel and moved from the Wing Deck to the observation room to rest.
"Nice fight, Jin! Roy!"
"...Good job."
Liko and Dot, who had been watching the training session, greeted them as they entered.
"Thanks. So, Dot, what did you think of the battle?"
"...It was... wild. Both Fuecoco and Salamence..."
It was understandable. Fuecoco’s aerial maneuver using Flamethrower, Salamence’s deflection with Dragon Dance, and the continued spin-attack with Dragon Claw—none of these were conventional uses of their moves.
"Knowledge is important, and ignoring the basics won’t get you anywhere. But remember, you won’t always win just by sticking to the textbook. Keep that in mind."
"...Got it."
Dot typically didn’t participate in training, but every so often, she would observe the sessions. Though she wasn’t particularly interested in battling, since becoming a Trainer for Quaxly, her attitude seemed to be shifting.
"Even so, Fuecoco and Wattrel worked together well. They used to fight all the time..."
As Liko mentioned, Fuecoco and Wattrel had never gotten along well. They were constantly picking fights with each other over the smallest things. While they didn’t exactly hate each other, they certainly didn’t seem fond of one another.
"At first, yeah... They’re not exactly best friends, but they started working together pretty quickly."
Roy had initially struggled to get Fuecoco and Wattrel to get along, trying everything he could. But when nothing worked, he had turned to Jin for advice, desperate for a solution.
---
"Just leave them be."
That was Jin's response when Roy came to him for advice.
"But… but we have to do something!"
"I get how you feel, but forcing two people who don’t get along to be friends usually doesn't work out."
"...But still..."
Roy wasn't satisfied with Jin's answer. He looked down, clearly unhappy. Seeing him sulking like a child, Jin sighed and spoke in a more understanding tone.
"Don’t worry. I’m not saying things should stay this way forever."
"Huh? But just now you said..."
"What I meant by 'leave them be' is that there's no need to force it right now. As long as they’re on this ship, it won’t be long before they figure out how to cooperate."
Jin said this with complete confidence.
"R-Really?! How?"
"Well, Roy, what do you think two people who don’t get along need in order to start working together?"
Jin posed the question, and Roy furrowed his brow in thought, but he couldn’t come up with an answer. Roy had already tried everything to get Fuecoco and Wattrel to get along—eating meals together, singing, sunbathing—things both Pokémon seemed to enjoy, but all his efforts had failed.
"...Sorry, I don’t know."
It was no surprise. If Roy had known the answer, he wouldn’t have needed to ask Jin for help in the first place. Seeing Roy stumped, Jin flashed a devilish, almost mischievous smile before revealing his answer.
"The answer... is a common enemy."
---
"A common enemy... you don't mean..."
"Of course, I mean myself."
However, despite mentioning a common enemy, Jin hadn't done anything out of the ordinary compared to his usual routine. He merely continued with the same tough training sessions. The only difference was that he set things up so Fuecoco and Wattrel had to work together to meet their goals.
At first, neither of them cooperated. But Jin and Roy kept giving them hints, forcing them to realize that without working together, they couldn't complete the training or get a break. It didn’t take long before Fuecoco and Wattrel figured out they had to cooperate if they wanted to escape the grueling sessions.
"Fuecoco and Wattrel were desperate."
"...So that's why they were working so well together."
"Is it really okay for things to be like this?"
"They don’t need to be best friends. As long as they respect each other and can work together when it counts, that’s enough for guys."
There was no need for them to become close friends. As long as they could cooperate when necessary, there would be no issues.
(The only way to build deeper trust will take time. But the next challenge is definitely Wattrel...)
Roy's Wattrel was small and unable to fly. This limitation hindered one of Wattrel's key abilities. Sure, the earlier strategy had allowed Wattrel to get airborne, but that trick wouldn’t work once their opponents had seen it.
Moreover, Roy’s ultimate goal was to capture Rayquaza. To achieve that, having a flying Pokémon with solid aerial capabilities was crucial. Ideally, they needed to close in on Rayquaza from the sky, especially since it constantly stayed at a high altitude. That would be the bare minimum for a successful battle.
(For that, Wattrel will need to evolve.)
If Wattrel evolved into Kilowattrel, it would grow larger, allowing it to carry Fuecoco into the air. But to reach that point, Wattrel would need to gain experience and steadily level up.
"Oh! Fuecoco! Wattrel! You're finally awake!"
As Jin and Roy chatted, Fuecoco and Wattrel stirred. They realized what had happened, showing a look of frustration. Yet, tired from the damage they’d taken, they remained listless.
"Roy, you can call it a day. Take them to Mollie and let her check them out."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Yeah, but later, show Wattrel the battle between me and Iono again, especially how Kilowattrel moved."
"Got it!"
With that, Roy picked up Fuecoco and Wattrel and headed off to Mollie in the infirmary.
"Hey, what did you mean by that just now?"
"If Wattrel watches that footage, it'll be easier for him to visualize what he'll become when he evolves. I want him to start preparing for it now."
Experience alone wasn’t enough for evolution. A Pokémon needed a strong desire to evolve, and that feeling was the most important factor. Like humans, Pokémon have emotions, and the stronger their desire, the quicker their evolution could happen.
"There's also the matter of moves. Ideally, I'd like Wattrel to master Tailwind."
If Wattrel could use Tailwind, he wouldn’t have to rely on Fuecoco every time. He’d be able to activate his ability, Wind Power, independently.
"But Wattrel..."
"Yeah, I know."
Roy's Wattrel was too small. Naturally, his wings were smaller compared to others of his kind, making it unlikely that he'd be able to sustain a Tailwind as powerful as Iono's Kilowattrel.
However, it was possible for Wattrel to generate a gust strong enough to temporarily boost his own power.
"Don’t worry. Salamence will help with the training."
"Salamence?"
"Despite how he looks, Salamence has taken quite an interest in Wattrel."
Jin explained that Salamence, the strongest Pokémon in his team, had been watching over Wattrel. The sight of Wattrel struggling to fly reminded Salamence of his own days as a Bagon, dreaming of the sky but unable to soar.
"Wattrel has potential. Don’t worry, he’ll learn the moves and evolve in time."
Hearing Jin's words, Liko and Dot looked relieved. Jin had a reputation for being spot-on when it came to anything Pokémon-related. His track record gave them confidence.
(Still, I can’t spend all my time worrying about Roy and the others...)
---
In the dead of night, when everyone else was fast asleep, Jin quietly slipped out of his room and headed to the wing deck. He pulled out the Tera Orb that he had received from Iono.
"Let’s do this!"
Energy began to gather in the Tera Orb Jin was holding. In an instant, the energy condensed, and the orb began to shine brightly as he tossed it into the air.
"Bugaahhhh!"
At that moment, the Tera Orb activated above Annihilape's head, surrounding it with countless crystals. As the crystals burst apart, Annihilape emerged, roaring, its body glittering like a gemstone, with a massive iron axe sprouting from its head.
"Success... That’s everyone accounted for."
Jin had already confirmed each Pokémon’s Tera Type using the latest Rotom Phone, but some things could only be fully understood by witnessing them firsthand. He had examined his entire team, and even brought back the Pokémon he had left at the lab to confirm their Tera Types.
"Now it’s all about timing..."
Like Mega Evolution, Terastallize could be used in battle without worrying about a time limit. However, while Mega Evolution was restricted to his Sceptile, Terastallizing could be used on any Pokémon. Misjudging the timing could lead to failure.
The only way to master this was through actual combat training. But that would be difficult on the ship. While battling Friede could be useful, they often trained together and knew each other’s techniques too well. What Jin really needed was an opponent whose Pokémon and strategies he didn’t know—someone strong.
"...Well, I’ll wait until Galar."
The Galar region, where they were headed, had a deep culture of Pokémon battles, with the entire region celebrating it as entertainment. There would be plenty of opportunities to battle skilled Trainers there.
But, if possible...
(I want to battle a Gym Leader at full strength...)
Jin had learned just how valuable a battle against a serious Gym Leader could be after his match with Iono. He wanted another fight like that. Battling an unknown Gym Leader from a different region would also meet all the conditions he was looking for in an opponent.
Friede had mentioned that their ship was heading for the area around Motostoke, and there was a Gym there. Jin had a strong desire to challenge it once they arrived in Galar, assuming he had the chance for some free time.
However...
(...It might be risky.)
As much as he wanted to challenge a Gym, Pokémon battles in Galar were treated as a form of entertainment. If he recklessly challenged a Gym Leader and the battle was live-streamed like with Iono, or if there were a large audience, it could potentially expose their location to the Explorers. The risks were significant.
"...No point in overthinking it. I’ll decide after we arrive."
Whether or not he could battle in a more private setting would depend on the Gym Leader’s personality. There was no point worrying about it now. There were more important things to focus on.
"Buuhi?"
"Nothing. Ready to start training?"
"Bugyaa!"
Annihilape responded enthusiastically, raising both arms. Lately, it had finally started to control its emotions during battle, but it was still far from perfect. Due to its lack of experience, Jin had concerns about how well they could synchronize during battle. As things stood, they might not be able to handle a Gym Leader-level opponent.
"Annihilape, we’re going to start the final adjustments. Depending on how well you do, I’m planning to use you in the next real battle."
Hearing this, Annihilape’s eyes sparkled even brighter than its Terastallized body, showing its renewed determination. It was understandable. Since being caught, Annihilape hadn’t had any real battle time. It had been left out of the battle against Iono due to lack of preparation, and had only been shown the battle footage for study purposes. Frustration had built up, and Annihilape was eager for action.
"Bugyaa! Bugyaaaa! Buuhi!"
Annihilape began shadowboxing on the spot, warming up its body. It was thrilled to finally have a chance to prove itself, and its fighting spirit was palpable. If Jin could harness this energy effectively, they might be ready before they arrived in Galar.
(No... we will be ready.)
Jin was determined. Not just for Annihilape’s sake, but because he genuinely wanted to face the coming battles with Annihilape by his side.
// END
According to the anime, the next part will focus on how Cap met Friede, but since there’s not much to write about there, I’ll skip ahead to the Galar arc.
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