"So the first trial is Water?" Silas muttered to himself.
He had assumed the trials would follow the order of the three dragons.
Then again, that made sense.
If they had started with the Sky Dragon, the first challenge would most likely have been an aerial battle.
A canyon cave like this simply wasn't suitable for that.
He nodded toward the Dragon Tamer standing across the river.
"I'm ready."
"Very well! Your opponent is the king of the deep sea, the creator of towering tidal waves, go Kingdra!"
The Dragon Tamer shouted passionately.
Silas had no idea how the man managed to stay so enthusiastic all the time, but he appreciated it.
At least it meant the middle-aged Dragon Tamer wasn't the type of opponent whose personality rubbed people the wrong way.
As the guardian of the first trial gave his command, a massive whirlpool erupted from the river.
Its tremendous force was so powerful that it briefly disrupted the river's flow.
A Pokémon resembling a seahorse, crowned with dragon-like horns, slowly rose from the water.
Kingdra's sharp eyes radiated absolute confidence.
No one should ever underestimate Kingdra.
Wild Kingdra normally dwell in the deepest parts of the ocean, quietly storing energy. Only during typhoons do they rise to the surface to hunt.
According to countless eyewitness accounts, Kingdra's natural rival is Kanto's pseudo-Legendary, Dragonite.
Whenever a Kingdra encounters a Dragonite, the two immediately engage in a fierce battle.
That alone was enough to demonstrate just how formidable Kingdra truly was.
"So it really is Kingdra."
Silas remarked casually.
After all, there were only a handful of Water/Dragon-type Pokémon.
His opponent's identity had been easy to guess.
It certainly wasn't going to be something like the prehistoric Dracovish or even Palkia.
The Dragon Tamer scratched the back of his head before speaking somewhat awkwardly.
"Actually, not usually. Most challengers face a Seadra instead. My route just happens to be one of the harder ones."
He paused before adding,
"I guess your luck isn't very good."
Silas's lips twitched.
You really didn't have to tell me that.
He would have preferred believing that every Trainer had to battle a Kingdra instead of learning that he'd simply picked the most difficult route.
Out of hundreds of cave entrances, he had somehow chosen one guarded by a stronger opponent.
And he'd even been among the first Trainers to enter.
His luck really was something else.
"Then my battle partner will be Ampharos! Go!"
Silas swept his right hand across his belt.
A Luxury Ball instantly expanded before flying into the air.
"Amph!"
A pink Shiny Ampharos landed gracefully on the riverbank.
The guardian nodded approvingly.
"Kingdra doesn't have an Electric weakness because of its Dragon typing, but this battlefield is definitely ideal for Electric-type Pokémon."
"You made a good choice."
Perhaps because he had spent so many years teaching younger Dragon Tamers, he instinctively began evaluating Silas's decision.
Only afterward did he remember that this wasn't a lesson, it was an official Dragon Ascension Ceremony challenge.
Embarrassed, he scratched his head.
Silas didn't mind.
That had indeed been part of his reasoning.
There wasn't much choice.
After evolving and gaining the Dragon type, Kingdra no longer suffered the normal weaknesses Water-types had.
As a Water/Dragon-type Pokémon, Kingdra was only weak to Dragon-type and Fairy-type moves.
Nearly every other type dealt neutral damage.
On top of that, Kingdra possessed double resistance to Steel-type attacks and quadruple resistance to both Fire- and Water-type moves.
Even if Silas had sent out his Elite-level Blaziken, defeating a mere Pesudo Elite-level Kingdra in this watery environment would still require considerable effort.
So Ampharos was the better option.
With the air saturated by moisture, Ampharos's attacks would achieve almost perfect accuracy.
"The challenger moves first."
Seeing that Silas hadn't acted immediately, the Dragon Tamer offered a gentle reminder.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Silas nodded.
"Then let's start by saying hello with Dragon Pulse."
"Huh?"
The Dragon Tamer blinked in surprise.
In the next instant, Ampharos opened its mouth as brilliant blue-white energy rapidly gathered.
"Kingdra! Counter with Dragon Breath!"
Caught off guard for a split second, the guardian could only order the fastest move available.
The two blue-white attacks collided violently above the river, exploding into a shower of spray.
Although Ampharos attacked first, Kingdra's superior mastery of the move and its natural Dragon typing allowed Dragon Breath to be unleashed almost simultaneously with Dragon Pulse.
The Dragon Tamer's expression grew noticeably more serious.
He had underestimated the young challenger.
At first, he had assumed Silas was merely another unlucky young Trainer who had accidentally chosen his route.
He had even planned to go easy on him and offer some guidance.
Instead this was a genuine prodigy.
Because he had spent years training only the younger members of the Dragon Clan, he knew very little about the outstanding young Trainers appearing elsewhere.
Otherwise, he would almost certainly have recognized Silas.
After all, Silas had personally earned Lance's acknowledgment.
"A Shiny Ampharos with Dragon blood... Now that's exceptionally rare," the guardian thought.
At the same time, he gave his next command.
"Kingdra, use Whirlpool!"
"Shyaaah—!"
Kingdra raised its long snout, and a gigantic whirlpool instantly formed.
Within this river, it was the undisputed king.
Towering waves gradually concealed Kingdra's body beneath the surging water.
Silas swept his hand forward.
"In that case, Ampharos, use Electric Terrain around yourself!"
"Amph!"
Ampharos cried fearlessly.
Brilliant electricity flashed throughout the cavern.
The wild arcs of lightning seemed to be restrained by an invisible force, gradually forming a dome centered around Ampharos and anchored to the ground.
Crackling electric currents danced like a protective barrier, surrounding it.
A normal Electric Terrain couldn't produce an effect like this.
But Ampharos's electricity was different.
Ever since that mysterious fusion, its life-infused electricity had become as easy to manipulate as its own limbs.
The guardian was visibly stunned.
Once again, Ampharos had used a move in a way that completely defied common sense.
Its Dragon bloodline was one thing.
After all, its species name did include "dragon" in Japanese, so using Dragon Pulse wasn't entirely unheard of.
But this version of Electric Terrain...
Had Silas not called out the move's name, the guardian wouldn't even have recognized it.
"Are young Trainers these days really this incredible?"
He sighed inwardly.
"No wonder Clair asked us old-timers to come out and help."
People often assumed the Three Dragon Trial was only difficult for challengers.
In reality, preparing it was just as troublesome for Blackthorn City and the Dragon Clan.
Dragon Tamers weren't nearly as common as Bug Catchers.
Gathering enough qualified Dragon Tamers to guard every cave in the canyon had required an enormous amount of effort, not to mention the strict time constraints.
Meanwhile, under Kingdra's control, the massive Whirlpool expanded like a towering waterspout as it closed in on Ampharos's Electric Terrain.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed continuously where the two techniques collided.
Spray flew everywhere, soaking the surrounding rock walls even further.
"We're not finished yet!" the guardian shouted boldly.
"Keep the Whirlpool going! Then use Surf, followed by Waterfall!"
It was obvious he had no intention of allowing the battle to remain deadlocked.
That was understandable.
Electric Terrain was fundamentally a support move, while Whirlpool was an offensive attack.
If Kingdra still couldn't break through despite that advantage, it meant it was already losing ground.
The only way to turn things around was with even more powerful attacks.
A faint dragon's roar echoed beneath the water.
Before Silas and Ampharos's eyes, the already enormous Whirlpool swelled to an even greater size.
The surrounding river seemed to reverse its flow, rushing skyward.
Standing proudly atop the massive wave, Kingdra looked down upon Ampharos, whose figure was obscured below.
Then it plunged downward, carrying the crushing weight of the flood.
In an instant, blue water engulfed the battlefield.
Even breathing became difficult.
"So you're pulling out your finishing move this early?"
Silas's eyes narrowed.
"Ampharos, Zap Cannon!"
The guardian's eyes widened.
Silas had chosen to meet the attack head-on.
In his opinion, that was an extremely unwise decision.
By chaining together Whirlpool, Surf, and Waterfall, Kingdra had amplified the destructive force of its attack to an astonishing degree.
The combined technique was even stronger than Hyper Beam, yet carried none of Hyper Beam's recovery drawbacks.
Even though Zap Cannon possessed a base power of 120, and even factoring in Same Type Attack Bonus, the guardian couldn't imagine it overpowering Kingdra's assault directly.
"Planning to break through the center with concentrated force?"
As an experienced veteran Trainer, he immediately understood Silas's strategy.
That was the only weakness of Kingdra's attack.
The guardian smiled.
"Kingdra solved that weakness long ago."
As dazzling white light condensed before Ampharos, the battle-hardened Kingdra immediately altered its attack pattern.
The towering tidal wave compressed in an instant.
A massive column of water completely enveloped Kingdra's body.
"Using it like Aqua Jet, huh? I knew I couldn't underestimate you."
Silas's expression grew slightly more serious.
The stronger he became, the stronger his opponents grew as well.
In the past, Trainers and Pokémon capable of techniques like this had been virtually nonexistent.
Even so, he made no adjustments.
"Go."
"Show Kingdra what a railgun really is."
BOOM!!
A violent shockwave swept across the battlefield.
The explosion was so loud that Trainers fighting in several nearby trial chambers stopped and turned toward the source.
Everyone stared in surprise.
Who had caused such an enormous disturbance during the Three Dragon Trial?
Bzzzt...
Electricity crawled wildly across the water's surface.
The guardian froze.
Blackened and covered in burns, Kingdra slowly rose back to the surface.
Yellow sparks continued flickering across its body.
"What unbelievable power..."
Looking at the deep scar carved into the distant rock wall, cold sweat rolled down the guardian's forehead.
In a single instant ampharos's Zap Cannon had shattered Kingdra's combined attack.
And it still had power left over.
Had Kingdra not reacted quickly enough to dive back underwater, that one attack might have knocked it out immediately.
After countless battles against Electric-type Pokémon, this was the first time the guardian had ever witnessed something like this.
"Well..."
He laughed helplessly.
"As the guardian, I'm not actually trying to stop challengers from passing."
"In fact I'm happy to see someone like you."
Compared to ordinary Trainers with mediocre talent, he would much rather see the young Pokémon in the Dragon's Den partnered with someone truly exceptional.
"Still if I let you pass this easily, it'd be embarrassing for me."
The guardian rolled his shoulders.
"Kingdra! Don't let anyone look down on us!"
"Water Gun, rapid fire!"
The next instant a storm of Water Gun attacks completely filled Ampharos's field of vision.
"Thunder!"
Silas responded calmly.
The blue orb on Ampharos's forehead and the orb on its tail lit up simultaneously.
Wild Electric-type energy surged violently.
Suddenly, sparks flashed across Kingdra's body once more.
The lingering paralysis interrupted its barrage for a brief moment.
"Amph!"
Ampharos seized the opening instantly.
With an adorable yet determined roar, a massive dragon-shaped bolt of lightning twisted through the air toward Kingdra.
"Not good!"
The guardian's face fell.
"Kingdra! Use Protect!"
Although he knew the odds were slim, he still hoped Kingdra could pull it off.
A green barrier began rising around Kingdra.
Before the guardian could celebrate, the approaching lightning dragon reignited the residual electricity still clinging to Kingdra's body.
Once again paralysis struck at the worst possible moment.
The Protect barrier flickered twice, then shattered before it could fully form.
The lightning dragon crashed straight into Kingdra's open mouth, instantly swallowing it whole.
Bathed in blinding yellow electricity, the guardian stood there in stunned silence.
Did Kingdra and I really fail to inflict any meaningful damage?
Normally, Kingdra overwhelmed its opponents with relentless offensive pressure.
This time the situation had been completely reversed.
That adorable-looking Ampharos fought with unbelievable aggression.
It didn't bother with elaborate setup or stat boosts. It simply fired two outrageously powerful attacks one after another.
"I didn't even get to activate my Dragon Dance!" the Dragon Tamer screamed inwardly.
Crack!
As the final electric arc exploded the unconscious Kingdra floated to the water's surface.
Fortunately, the guardian quickly recalled it with its Poké Ball.
Otherwise, the current might have carried it who knew where.
"My thanks."
Standing beside Ampharos, Silas flashed a wide grin.
The guardian smiled bitterly before regaining his composure.
"Congratulations."
"You've cleared the first trial."
He tossed over a blue emblem.
"This is your proof of completion."
After a brief pause, he added, "As for the Trainers behind you..."
"Please don't hold back."
Silas couldn't help laughing.
Apparently, this uncle was also the type who enjoyed setting up his friends.
"I won't."
He accepted the blue emblem with a smile.
Following the guardian's directions, Silas disappeared into a hidden passage beside the chamber.
The Dragon Tamer tightly gripped Kingdra's Poké Ball, a dangerous grin spreading across his face.
"Heh..."
"The rest of you are in for a world of pain."
...
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