Pokemon: Skybound

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Untying the ropes, Kai, Sabrina, and Rudy boarded the speedboat one after another.

Since Rudy was both the boat's driver and the test supervisor, he naturally had to accompany them.

His subordinates had already departed ahead of them, positioning themselves along the course to control the targets.

After waiting a moment, Rudy received confirmation through his radio that everything was ready. Without hesitation, he started the engine.

Vroom…

The diesel engine roared, emitting a trail of smoke as the boat surged forward, carrying the three of them upstream toward the inner forests of Trovita Island.

The boat sped along the river, leaving rippling waves in its wake. Fortunately, the water was calm, and the ride was far smoother than Kai had expected.

The scenery on both sides of the river blurred past as they travelled.

After about a minute, Rudy, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up.

"We're about a hundred meters from the start of my carefully designed course. Well? Are you ready?"

Kai nodded. After a brief moment of thought, he pulled out a Poké Ball and released his Jolteon.

The Electric-type Pokémon let out a sharp cry and affectionately nuzzled against Kai's leg before shifting its focus forward, its ears twitching attentively in response to the new challenge.

"Oh? A Jolteon?" Rudy remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Most challengers opt for Water-type Pokémon in these conditions to avoid the boat's rocking throwing off their accuracy."

"Don't worry," Kai said flatly. "My Jolteon is more than capable of handling something this trivial."

Although he sounded confident, Kai had briefly considered using Blastoise for the challenge.

As Rudy had pointed out, Water-type Pokémon were naturally accustomed to aquatic environments. Blastoise's Water Gun was both fast and stable, making it ideal for target shooting. Plus, its powerful attacks could easily shatter the wooden targets.

However, there was one glaring issue Blastoise was simply too heavy. Summoning it on the boat would almost certainly cause them to sink.

Just then, a circular target suddenly dropped from a tree branch ahead.

Kai barely had time to react before Jolteon's fur bristled, and in an instant, a streak of lightning shot forward.

Boom!

The Electric-type attack struck the target dead centre, shattering it into countless splinters that scattered into the river.

Assessing the destruction, Kai crouched beside Jolteon and instructed, "Nice work. But be mindful of conserving energy. That last attack was a little too powerful. Try easing up just a bit next time."

Jolteon let out an affirmative cry.

Moments later, another target appeared this time from behind a boulder. Without waiting for a command, Jolteon fired another Thunderbolt.

Boom!

Once again, the target was obliterated this time with slightly less force than before.

"Perfect," Kai praised, ruffling Jolteon's fur. "Keep up that level of control."

As the boat continued forward, the number of targets steadily increased. Some were stationary, while others moved unpredictably. Occasionally, multiple targets appeared at once, demanding quick and precise attacks.

Despite the rising difficulty, Jolteon performed flawlessly. Each bolt of electricity found its mark, systematically destroying every target in its path.

Boom! Boom! Boom-boom!

The sharp sound of targets shattering echoed over the silent river.

From the back of the boat, Rudy watched Jolteon's performance with growing astonishment.

By now, the sun had fully set, leaving the sky in a dim twilight. It wasn't yet completely dark, but visibility had worsened significantly.

In Rudy's experience, challengers varied in skill, so he had set an 80% accuracy rate as the passing requirement for the test.

Given Kai's success in defeating two other Gym Leaders, Rudy had expected some level of competence. However, he also assumed that the poor lighting conditions would make it harder for Jolteon to land perfect hits.

His original plan was to mock Kai if he struggled, pretending to "reluctantly" grant him a battle out of pity. That way, he could reclaim his pride after their earlier exchange.

But to his disappointment—

Jolteon was too good.

No missed shots. No slip-ups. Just efficiency.

'How annoying, Then again…' Rudy smirked to himself, 'This must be Kai's strongest Pokémon, right?'

'He must have sent it out because he knew the challenge would be difficult. Makes sense…'

'That means he's already shown his trump card!'

Convinced that he had figured out Kai's strategy, Rudy's smirk deepened.

After a full lap around the course, the boat finally returned to its starting point.

As the engine idled, Rudy let out a reluctant sigh. Despite his frustration, he had to acknowledge the results.

"You pass," he admitted, his tone laced with an odd mix of admiration and superiority. Then, he smirked. "But you made a mistake."

Kai tilted his head slightly. "Oh?"

"You revealed your ace Pokémon too early," Rudy declared, crossing his arms. "That Jolteon is clearly your strongest fighter. But now that I know that, what will you do in tomorrow's battle?"

Kai stared at him blankly.

'Huh?'

'My ace?'

'You mean… Jolteon?'

'Is he a idiot or something?'

He almost laughed.

This test was something Rudy had hyped up as a major challenge. Kai had expected some difficulty maybe even a serious obstacle.

But after going through it, he realized it was far easier than he'd anticipated.

Maybe that was just the difference in perspective. To Rudy, this kind of test might have seemed like a formidable hurdle.

But to someone who had actually fought against top-tier trainers, this was… well, child's play.

Is this what happens when you stay in the Orange League bubble?

Kai figured that Rudy genuinely believed most challengers were at the same level as the local trainers.

And now, Rudy thought he had "seen through" Kai's strategy.

Kai was tempted to correct him… but honestly, he couldn't be bothered.

Instead, he simply let Rudy have his little victory.

Rudy, misinterpreting Kai's silence, smirked smugly.

"The battle will be a three-on-three match, with each round being a one-on-one fight," Rudy explained. "I'll be selecting Pokémon with the same type as yours. If you win two out of three matches, you'll earn my badge."

Then, as if he hadn't learned his lesson from earlier, he turned back to Sabrina, flashing a charming smile.

"And since it's already so late, would you care to join me for a lovely dinner, my beautiful lady?"

Sabrina didn't even acknowledge him. Instead, she turned to Kai, tilting her head slightly, as if asking for permission to deal with him, 'should i drown him?'

'Nah! He isn't worth it' Kai chuckled and shook his head, then walked off.

Seeing this, Sabrina didn't bother responding to Rudy. She simply turned and followed after Kai, completely ignoring the red-haired Gym Leader.

"Huh?"

Leaving Rudy standing there, hand still extended in the air utterly ignored.

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