Gyarados's [Hydro Pump] attack lasted for ten seconds, but…
After Gyarados's attack ended, Grovyle had vanished from the spot.
It was just a simple [Double Team], but Gyarados wouldn't stop to question why its target disappeared after being hit.
This was why Misty stopped mid-sentence—she, too, had realized that the motionless Pokémon was just an illusion.
"No matter how strong an attack is, it's meaningless if it doesn't hit. Grovyle, give it a punch."
Eddie observed Gyarados, which was briefly stunned by its disappearing target, and calmly gave his command.
A crackling sound rang across the battlefield, drawing Misty's and Gyarados's attention.
The sound came from behind Gyarados. Both it and Misty turned to see Grovyle, fist raised and crackling with electricity.
Gyarados was a Water- and Flying-type Pokémon. Grass-type moves wouldn't be particularly effective against it, but an Electric-type attack? That would hit hard.
After all, both Water and Flying types were weak to Electric.
"Roar!!!"
Despite its momentary confusion, Gyarados instinctively recognized the danger of the incoming attack. The type disadvantage triggered an immediate response.
It quickly turned, jaws wide, attempting to bite Grovyle.
However, there was no way Gyarados's [Bite] attack could be faster than a fully charged [Thunder Punch].
Grovyle had already finished preparing. Swiftly sidestepping, it dodged Gyarados's fangs and delivered a powerful punch straight to Gyarados's abdomen!
"Roar!!"
Gyarados let out a pained scream, its body thrashing wildly. Whether it was trying to retaliate against Grovyle or simply struggling in desperation was unclear.
But Grovyle wasn't foolish. The moment its attack landed, it swiftly retreated.
"A Grass-type Pokémon that can use the Electric-type move [Thunder Punch]?! What on earth is this…?"
Misty was stunned. She had heard of some Pokémon capable of learning moves outside their typing, but she had never seen anything like this before.
"Is that really your biggest concern right now? Look—Gyarados is paralyzed from [Thunder Punch]. Shouldn't you be focusing on the battle?"
Eddie didn't think much of it. He had plenty of TMs at his disposal and no restrictions on their use. As long as a Pokémon could learn a move, he could teach it.
Instead of boasting, he chose to remind Misty to get her head back in the battle. After all, Gyarados hadn't been defeated yet.
Misty immediately turned to look at Gyarados. Its struggling movements were growing slower and more erratic—clear signs of paralysis setting in.
"Alright, now, Staryu, use [Recover]!"
At her command, Staryu began glowing with energy.
A soft radiance surrounded its body as its injuries gradually healed. In mere moments, more than half of its wounds were gone.
"You're back in fighting shape. Let's finish this together!"
Eddie nodded at Staryu's recovery and suggested a joint attack.
It wasn't that he couldn't take down the weakened, paralyzed Gyarados alone. Rather, he saw an opportunity to earn Misty's favor—keeping things friendly never hurt.
After all, for hidden tasks, the higher one's favorability, the greater the chances of receiving a quest and earning better rewards.
"Alright, let's take it down together!"
Misty smiled warmly, her attitude toward Eddie improving slightly. She then turned her focus back to the battle and issued her command.
"Staryu, [Bubble Beam]!"
"Grovyle, another [Thunder Punch]!"
Grovyle clenched its fists once more, electricity crackling around them.
Staryu, being the faster attacker, launched a stream of shimmering bubbles from the gem in its center, striking Gyarados head-on.
Paralyzed and unable to dodge, Gyarados took the attack directly to its face. It stung—not just from the impact, but from being drenched as well.
Of course, for a Water-type Pokémon, getting wet wasn't usually a big deal. After all, they were creatures accustomed to aquatic environments.
But the timing couldn't have been worse.
Gyarados was still drenched from [Bubble Beam], and just a second later, Grovyle's [Thunder Punch] struck.
Everyone knew that water conducted electricity, and this time, Grovyle attacked with both fists.
The result was immediate.
Gyarados let out a miserable roar before its body stiffened. Foam formed at its mouth, its eyes swirled, and with a loud thud, it collapsed onto the battlefield—completely unconscious.
Ding! Charmeleon gained experience. Level +1, reached Level 31!
Ding! Frogadier gained experience. Level +1, reached Level 31!
Ding! Riolu gained experience. Level +2, reached Level 28!
Ding! Grovyle gained experience. Level +2, reached Level 28! Learned [Agility]!
A Level 34 Gyarados—that was a hefty amount of experience.
Eddie narrowed his eyes in thought, a satisfied smirk forming on his lips.
Defeating such reckless opponents wasn't just easy—it was rewarding. He loved battles like these, where he could gain both experience and an advantage without much effort.
Unfortunately, rivals like this weren't always easy to come by.
"Come back, Staryu! Gyarados!"
As Eddie was lost in thought, Misty quickly recalled Staryu. Then, she pulled out a Poké Ball and used it to retrieve her fallen Gyarados.
Of course, she wasn't throwing the ball to capture it—it was simply the Poké Ball's built-in recall function.
Eddie knew this full well, but he decided to play dumb for the moment.
"...Wait. That Gyarados was yours?"
Raising an eyebrow, Eddie asked with feigned confusion.
His expression, his tone—everything perfectly conveyed the image of someone completely oblivious. Inwardly, he gave himself a mental thumbs-up for his flawless performance.
Misty, however, didn't seem surprised by his reaction. Instead, her expression darkened slightly.
"Yeah... It's my Pokémon, because—"
She barely started explaining when her vision blurred.
The next second, before she could say another word, Misty's body swayed.
She was about to collapse.
Eddie reacted instantly.
With one swift motion, he stepped forward and caught her. One arm supported Misty's waist, while the other steadied her over his shoulder.
Holding the unconscious Misty, Eddie sighed.
Her waist was surprisingly soft… but now wasn't the time for such thoughts.
"Why did she faint?"
"Hmm… now that I look at her up close, Misty's actually kind of cute. Since she passed out, maybe we should..."
"...Take her to the Pokémon Center for proper treatment."
Without hesitation, Eddie adjusted Misty onto his back, keeping his expression calm, and began walking toward the Pokémon Center.