Chapter 29: Focus Sash, Prepare for Battle!

Walking Wake used "Roar"!
Honedge's Attack and Special Attack fell!
"Why is Walking Wake in the Burned Tower? This isn't right—who is trying to frame me?"
Are the people in Ecruteak City this intense? Or did Ho-Oh send a message to the Legendary Beasts to gather at a specific location, only to send it to the wrong person, causing Walking Wake to show up here instead?
If Suicune represents the calm side of water, then Walking Wake is the ferocious side of the flow!
Guangtai did not realize he was in a dream, so he was incredibly nervous. Honedge had never seen this Pokémon before either; after being hit by the Roar, it felt a bit dizzy and looked at Guangtai with confusion.
"Yo~?"
Oh, so this is Suicune? Why does it look so fierce?
Doesn't feel like I can win. Might as well forfeit.
Honedge attempted to give up, sensing the disparity in power, but the opponent surged forward!
"We're going in, Honedge!"
Guangtai's voice pulled the slacking Honedge back to reality. It immediately turned its blade, staring at Guangtai with an extremely bewildered expression!
"Yo? Yo~?!"
Wait, I’m fighting Walking Wake? For real? We’re actually doing this?!
At the base of the Burned Tower, strange, shimmering crystals appeared, looking just like quartz!
It was a "Crystal Cave" environment!
"Shadow Sneak!"
Guangtai quickly issued the command. Honedge's shadow darted out, transforming into a blade of darkness that struck directly from behind Walking Wake!
However, an attack of this magnitude couldn't affect Walking Wake at all. It didn't even flinch; it only slowed its pace for a fraction of a second before opening its massive jaws, releasing a surging wave of blue energy—Water Pulse!
The wave slammed into Honedge, sending it flying. Fortunately, Water-type moves aren't very effective against Steel types. Guangtai checked on Honedge and saw, to his relief, that it hadn't become confused!
That meant they could keep fighting!
Water Pulse has a 20% chance to confuse the target. If luck wasn't on their side, Honedge might have ended up attacking itself, losing the battle without the opponent having to lift a finger.
Meanwhile, the Unown E that had drifted in was stunned, its large eye filled with bewilderment!
What... what is this thing?
Isn't this Suicune? They look so similar—is it Suicune's brother?
That can't be right. It was clearly fulfilling this human's wish; the words it spelled out using those stones were "Suicune." How could the image have changed?
Look, there are crystals, there is a Suicune-like creature, and it uses Water Pulse, which fits the Water-type perfectly—how could this not be Suicune?
Oh... it must be a nightmare, right?
Unown E felt it had found the answer.
Among wild Pokémon, Ghost types like Haunter, Misdreavus, and Mismagius sometimes cause trouble in people's dreams, altering the appearance of objects to scare innocent dreamers. Because the move "Nightmare" exists, they can do whatever they please within a dream.
Nightmare is not an exclusive move of the Mythical Pokémon Darkrai; many Ghost-type Pokémon can use it.
A Ghost-type Pokémon must have broken in!
Unown E prepared to search the dream for the non-existent Ghost Pokémon, while the battle between Guangtai and the dream-born Walking Wake reached a critical juncture.
Regardless of base stats, move pools, or typing, Honedge had no chance of winning.
Walking Wake is a Water/Dragon type, having only two weaknesses: Dragon and Fairy.
Furthermore, Honedge possessed the "No Guard" ability, meaning even if it wanted to dodge, it couldn't become a "dodge master" even if it tried!
"Reflect!"
Given the circumstances, they might as well put up a screen—better than nothing.
Honedge activated Reflect, a move it had learned from an ancient bracelet, which could halve physical damage. However, a mocking smile played on Walking Wake’s lips as it began to gather intense flames in its mouth!
It was "Flamethrower"!
Honedge was taken aback, its eye nearly popping out as it turned to look at Guangtai for help!
"Yo yo yo!!!!"
Hey! Isn't this guy a Water type? How can it use Flamethrower!
I'm a Steel type! If I take a Flamethrower, I'll be sent straight to a blacksmithing competition!
Guangtai rummaged through his backpack, feeling his scalp tingle at the scene. The Reflect was useless here; it might block claws or tails, but it was no help against special attacks.
However, Guangtai suddenly felt an item in his bag.
"It's my Focus Sash!"
He pulled out the red belt with yellow trim!
When held, if the Pokémon is at full HP, it can survive a move that would otherwise cause it to faint, remaining with 1 HP!
But Honedge wasn't at full HP, so Guangtai pulled out a Full Restore!
He didn't recall ever crafting or buying such medicine... This logical thought flashed through his mind once, only to be drowned out by other impulses.
Whatever, just use it!
Useful items, Focus Sash, prepare for battle!
"Catch!"
The massive Flamethrower engulfed the base of the Burned Tower. Honedge caught the thrown Focus Sash, and Guangtai used the Full Restore simultaneously. After the roaring inferno passed, even though the blade was scorched black, it remained standing!
"Yo!"
Honedge felt truly impressive, glaring at the ancient dragon before it.
Guangtai’s body was also covered in burn marks, but in his subconscious, he felt that humans in the Pokémon world were tougher than Pokémon themselves, so even without the Focus Sash, it wouldn't have been a problem...
"Roar?"
Walking Wake was stunned to see that the human and the sword hadn't fallen. Guangtai was even more shocked.
As he kept digging into his backpack, he realized he could pull out any item he needed!
Has his bag turned into Doraemon’s four-dimensional pocket?
Wait, is this a dream?
As this thought surfaced and he began to doubt reality, Guangtai didn't have time to confirm it!
"Swords Dance! Take this, and then... Fury Cutter!"
Following Guangtai's command, Honedge shed its scabbard, its speed increasing drastically as it caught the new item Guangtai threw!
It was a triangular, gray-blue machine—a Metronome!
Metronome: If a Pokémon uses the same move consecutively, its power increases by 20% each time, up to 200% after six uses!
Honedge flew into the air and began using Fury Cutter, twisting and turning in mid-air to slash at Walking Wake, while the latter whipped its tail and the crystal crown on its head, attempting to swat Honedge down!
Remote-controlled flying swords?
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over Guangtai; he felt that striking a "chuunibyou" pose right now would be quite cool...
"The power of Fury Cutter will keep growing, and combined with the Metronome, the effect is incredible!"
After all, real-time battles are different from turn-based ones. Fury Cutter, usually useless, could stack its power to the maximum at high speed in real-time! Combined with the Metronome, the move's power reached an unimaginable level!
"Roar!"
Walking Wake was struck repeatedly, the power of the slashes growing stronger. Honedge seemed to have practiced "Fury Cutter" deeply, canceling its recovery frames after every strike, resulting in an incredibly fast attack speed!
Soon, the crystals on Walking Wake's head were covered in sword marks, shedding shards everywhere! Its body suffered blow after blow, but Honedge’s attack pattern thoroughly enraged it!
It shook its head violently, and with a roar, a phantom sun appeared in the space at the base of the Burned Tower!
"Sunny Day!"
At the same time, its stats rose—it was its "Protosynthesis" ability! When the weather is harsh sunlight, its highest stat (excluding HP) is increased by 30%; if that stat is Speed, it increases by 50%!
The base of the Burned Tower was bathed in brilliant light. Walking Wake whipped its tail, and purple-blue Dragon-type energy surged along its two whip-like tails!
Breaking Swipe!
This move hits "all opponents on the field"!
A powerful, heavy sweep directly slammed the flying Honedge out of the air!
(⊙(#)☆☆!
Honedge was sent flying, and Walking Wake began to gather energy in its mouth once more!
Boiling water, hissing with violent steam!
The signature move "Hydro Steam"!
It blasts boiling water at the opponent; if the weather is harsh sunlight, the move's power is not reduced, but instead boosted by 1.5x!
"Substitute!"
Guangtai quickly commanded Honedge to set up a Substitute. Honedge twitched twice and created a decoy!
The surging, boiling steam blasted into Honedge, and by the time Walking Wake reacted, it realized the sword before it was a fake!
Honedge swayed back and forth.
HP was too low!
"Catch, Full Restore!"
Guangtai pulled out another Full Restore. Though he didn't know why his bag had everything, this battle seemed to awaken memories from a past life... the history of the "Medicine King," filling his bag with potions while clearing Pokémon games, making Trainers everywhere feel despair...!
"And the 'Eviolite' and 'Occa Berry'!"
The light purple stone was tossed out and caught firmly by Honedge. A slot appeared on its hilt, where it equipped the Eviolite, while the Full Restore brought its HP back to full!
The effect of the Eviolite went without saying, and the Occa Berry, shaped like a red cocoa bean, could weaken a super-effective Fire-type move.
With this, they no longer needed to fear the opponent's Flamethrower!
"?"
On the other side, as a Paradox form of Suicune, Walking Wake was speculated to be an ancient Pokémon from another timeline, so it had never seen these bizarre moves and items, feeling intense confusion.
Why, no matter how it attacked, would the opponent not fall?
Encountering a sword-wielding "Medicine King" at the base of the Burned Tower, it couldn't win despite its best efforts.
"Even though the level gap is huge, it's about to lose! Screech!"
Guangtai continued to pull items from his bag, ordering Honedge to attack. Walking Wake, realizing it was about to lose the battle, noticed Guangtai's actions. It hadn't cared at first, but now!
It was an ancient Pokémon; there was no need to follow the rules of Pokémon battles!
Attacking the Trainer was the right way to go!