There was no real coordination between Totem Raticate and the Rattata—it was simply a brute-force “tide of rats” tactic. Even though there were a lot of Rattata, they barely provided any significant boost to Totem Raticate’s strength.
But Vikavolt was different!
It had many special abilities. First, Vikavolt could produce electricity in its mouth and fire it as a beam—fast and highly penetrative. Its massive mandibles played a role in controlling this electric discharge.
Second, it was skilled in tailspin and sharp-turns—Acrobatic Flying. It could fly through the forest at high speed while weaving between the complicated tangled branches and leaves.
Third—and this was what Terrance considered the most troublesome part—Vikavolt could carry Charjabug in its legs as a backup battery. Even in prolonged battles, it could use Charjabug’s electricity to keep launching powerful attacks. During intense aerial combat, it could even release Charjabug to lighten its body and increase agility.
“Offense, evasion, and support…” Charjabug was Vikavolt’s pre-evolved form, and its utility matched its name perfectly. This made Terrance constantly want to complain about whoever came up with this Pokémon’s name. [TN: Charger+Bug= Charjabug]
“There are way too many Charjabug in this colony. If I want to take down Totem Vikavolt, I have to deal with the Charjabug first.”
As long as the Charjabug kept supplying Totem Vikavolt with a continuous stream of backup electricity, a battle of attrition would be extremely unfavorable for Terrance.
“Do I take a shortcut… or go head-on?”
After some thought, Terrance quickly made a decision. He wasn’t participating in the Island Challenge just to “complete the Island Challenge.” Success or failure didn’t matter much to Terrance. After considering Vikavolt’s fighting style, Terrance decided to send out Beautifly for the battle.
If he wasn’t mistaken, Vikavolt’s “Acrobatic Flying” would likely be very troublesome. Let Beautifly, who possesses “Air Currents Control,” face it. The two Pokémon, both extremely skilled at flying, should be able to put on a good battle.
Compared to his other Pokémon, letting Beautifly take this battle would yield the greatest benefit from the experience.
“Come out, Beautifly.”
Beautifly hadn’t been in a high-intensity battle for quite some time, but it hadn’t slacked off in training.
Terrance called out Beautifly and had it follow closely at his side.
Beautifly looked quite ordinary—there really wasn’t anything particularly striking about it.
Island Kahuna Nanu was momentarily stunned upon seeing the Pokémon Terrance sent out. He clearly had a stronger Altaria—why would he call out such a weak Pokémon?
“Mister Nanu?” Terrance asked.
“I’ll be right here watching. Go on,” Nanu replied immediately.
Terrance nodded, called out, and the Rotom Pokédex flew out from his backpack. Then he and Beautifly proceeded forward openly.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The blocking tall grass was cleanly slashed apart by Beautifly’s wind blades. Terrance walked in front, with the Rotom Pokédex and Beautifly flanking him. The three of them boldly marched straight into the Vikavolt colony.
…
…
The Grubbin with massive orange-yellow mandibles, the cuboid Charjabug, and the enormous Vikavolt—several times the size of Beautifly and looking as if it could swallow it whole in a single bite—all turned their sharp gazes toward them at once. Terrance felt a tingling numbness across his entire body.
Countless golden sparks of electricity danced between the Bug-type Pokémon. Even the trees flickered with arcs of electricity.
Terrance stepped forward, one step at a time, and said, “Vikavolt, come battle me.”
Totem Vikavolt gave Terrance a few glances, let out a low hum, and a Charjabug walked over on its own, letting Vikavolt scoop it up with its feet.
Beautifly flew forward, flapping its wings as it locked eyes with Totem Vikavolt. Though they were both Bug-types, Totem Vikavolt exerted immense pressure on Beautifly.
Even when it had previously faced Bug-types like Heracross or Scyther, Beautifly had never felt such a heavy, suffocating sense of oppression.
“Humm~~” Beautifly let out a soft hum as a gentle breeze slowly flowed between its wings, gradually forming a weak air current that wrapped around its body.
“Beautifly, don’t be afraid. Beat it up.”
Totem Vikavolt was a formidable opponent for Beautifly, but Beautifly had long since outgrown the phase of shrinking back in the face of strong foes. With Terrance’s command, Beautifly flew straight in.
Beautifly’s entire body seemed to melt into the air—its flight path was incredibly graceful, smooth, and most importantly, fast!
A gust of air seemed to propel Beautifly forward, its body surrounded by a fierce whirlwind as it darted through with incredible speed.
In an instant—before Totem Vikavolt could even react—Beautifly closed the distance at lightning speed while detonating a Shadow Ball directly beneath it.
Boom!
In one fell swoop, Totem Vikavolt was struck by the powerful move, its entire body sent flying backward.
“No counterattack?” Terrance was surprised.
Beautifly hadn’t yet become proficient with Shadow Ball, so the damage it dealt was limited. Terrance didn’t believe Totem Vikavolt would be defeated so easily.
Zzzzt~
Just as Beautifly was about to press its advantage, Totem Vikavolt’s entire body erupted with crackling electricity, halting its momentum abruptly, then its eyes locked onto Beautifly’s position.
“So it was testing Beautifly’s skills.”
Terrance noticed electric sparks beginning to gather in Totem Vikavolt’s abdomen as it started to charge up. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“Beautifly, be careful of its attack.”
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Totem Vikavolt floated in the air, its massive mandibles rapidly accumulating electricity. With three muffled sounds, several beam-like bursts of electricity shot out.
The beams were perfectly straight, with highly concentrated energy. Countless arcs of electricity surrounded them, resembling sharp arrows. Their speed was shocking—just a flash of golden light in the air, and several large holes were instantly blasted through the ground.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Looking at the scorched earth and Beautifly’s body moving with the air currents, Terrance was astonished. It was his first time seeing this kind of “Thunderbolt” attack.
Even so, Beautifly’s control over the air currents couldn’t be underestimated. Riding the air currents, it danced even more gracefully, dodging with ease. But before Terrance could give his next command, countless electric sparks surged from the ground.
The Charjabug on the ground—Totem Vikavolt’s allies—had begun their assault.
One, two, three, ten—lightning beams flashed across the sky from all directions. Even Terrance’s expression turned serious as he shouted, “Beautifly, Extreme Quiver Dance!”
Faced with this kind of attack from all sides, Beautifly wouldn’t last long in its current state. Creating an advantage in this moment was the key to victory.
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