At this moment, Vivi ran over with Marill, stopping beside Tyrunt.
Marill had already forgotten the tiny fright it received earlier.
It waddled its round body happily, holding a small slice of watermelon, and sat together with Feebas and Tyrunt to share the treat.
Theo also picked up a slice of watermelon and took a big bite.
The refreshing sweetness burst across his tongue, followed by a cool sensation sliding down his throat, instantly dispelling all the heat weighing on his body.
"Right, Theo—how about a battle with our family?"
Grandma Vicky's voice carried obvious enthusiasm, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"It must be fate that brought us together. And seeing a Pokémon that looks just like Champion Steven's… the more I look, the more I want to have a proper match!
How about we bet some Berries? If you win, we'll let you pick a bundle of each type we grow!
We often battle passing Trainers, but we don't usually offer such rich rewards~"
Theo wasn't particularly obsessed with Berry rewards, but seeing the whole family's excited expressions then glancing at the Beldum beside him, who perked up noticeably at the mention of battling—
he couldn't refuse.
He smiled. "Alright then. I'll be in your care."
…
"Battle—begin!"
Grandma Vicky raised her bamboo fan like a referee, announcing the start with a laugh.
The atmosphere in the courtyard tightened instantly, both tense and lively.
Tyrunt and Feebas sat obediently at the edge of the field, eyes round and focused—they were witnessing Beldum's very first official battle.
The first challenger was Vivi.
Theo had already checked Marill's stats earlier. It was definitely a promising promising dragon-slayer in the making, though still too young to realize its potential.
Fortunately, it hadn't grown yet.
Otherwise, during its earlier run-in with Tyrunt, the outcome might've been the opposite—Tyrunt could've become Marill's appetizer before a victory feast.
[Pokémon: Marill]
Type: Water / Fairy
Category: Water Mouse Pokémon
Ability: Huge Power (Physical attack power becomes double)
Moves: Tackle, Helping Hand, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl, Bubble Beam, Charm
Vivi took a deep breath, gripping the hem of her clothes tightly. Her expression became serious and determined.
"Marill, let's do our best! Use Bubble Beam!"
"Marill—!!"
Marill leapt sharply into the air, its round body tracing an arc.
Its cheeks puffed up, and countless sparkling bubbles shot out like a string of shimmering pearls, rushing straight toward Beldum.
Before Theo could even open his mouth, Beldum moved on its own.
It floated lightly in the air, the red crystalline eye blinking like it was treating the entire battle as a playful game.
As the bubbles approached, Beldum drifted backward with a soft glide, effortlessly dodging the first cluster.
Then—taking advantage of the widening gaps between the bubbles—it darted left and right, changing direction mid-air with casual smoothness.
It even weaved mischievously through the densest patches of bubbles.
Its silver body flashed like a lively little shooting star.
Every single bubble missed.
"W–wow…"
Vivi's mouth hung open. Her next command stuck in her throat, her eyes round with disbelief.
Standing at the sidelines, Theo's gaze flickered with a trace of astonishment.
He had already discovered last night that this little fellow's talent was… downright absurd.
Its proficiency with moves improved at an incredible pace.
Normally, Beldum relied on magnetism to move, so its speed should have been limited.
But this one controlled itself with telekinesis—allowing it to accelerate, stop, and turn instantly with extraordinary agility.
Just yesterday, when they first played hide-and-seek, its self-control still wobbled, like a toddler learning to walk.
But after Theo helped it practice Zen Headbutt in the hotel, its mastery of telekinesis increased rapidly.
Later, when it played chase with Tyrunt, it used telekinesis repeatedly to control its movements.
By the end, Tyrunt couldn't even catch it anymore.
Beldum even used telekinesis to lift Tyrunt into the air to play with it.
As though this little thing had been born knowing how to use psychic power—
its only limitation had been unfamiliarity with its own body.
And most importantly—
A normal Beldum should only know Tackle.
Yet this one not only knew Confusion—but also Zen Headbutt, Iron Head, Iron Defense, and several other moves.
Theo strongly suspected it knew far more than what appeared on its visible move list—
but only moves that didn't require limbs and could be executed with its body alone were displayed.
After all…
It wasn't an ordinary Beldum.
It was a fragment split directly from Steven's Metagross.
"Alright, stop playing around, Beldum.
This is a battle, you're supposed to defeat your opponent.
Use Zen Headbutt and aim for Marill."
Theo raised his voice slightly, cutting off Beldum's little game.
Beldum's eye flashed in acknowledgment.
It immediately dropped the playful attitude, psychic energy blooming around its body in faint blue waves.
The blue glow deepened—coating its silver shell in a radiant layer like the sky itself.
In the next instant, Beldum became a blue-silver projectile.
With a sharp whoosh, it shot straight toward Marill.
"Marill, dodge!!"
Vivi cried out, panic in her voice.
But it was already too late.
Beldum's speed was several times faster than during its dodging earlier—
in the blink of an eye, it reached Marill.
Boom!
Marill's small body flew backward like a kicked rubber ball, flipping head over heels before crashing onto its back, limbs splayed upward.
Its eyes spun with dizzy spirals.
Its little belly rose and fell weakly—it was completely knocked out.
"Marill!"
Vivi rushed over and scooped it up, gently rubbing its head.
Then she looked up at Beldum, awe sparkling in her eyes.
"Big Brother Theo… your Beldum is amazing!"
At the sidelines, Tyrunt shrank its neck in fear.
Its little claws instinctively pressed against its own forehead, and it stepped back, twice, its tail clamping tight between its legs.
It suddenly remembered how Beldum had wanted to play "headbutting games" last night.
Now it felt incredibly lucky that it refused with the excuse of being "too full".
If it had agreed…
One hit from that would have hurt so bad.
It might've ended up exactly like Marill—
flat on its back and knocked out cold.
Too scary. Way too scary.
From now on, it must never play headbutting games with Beldum again!
"Vivi, you lost this round~"
Grandma Vicky laughed softly, her eyes curved with gentle amusement as she taught Vivi kindly:
"You see? Marill still has a long way to go.
You were even pestering me about challenging a Gym—looks like you still need plenty of training.
Alright, next is your mother's turn. Victoria, you're up!"
Victoria put down her iced tea and walked calmly to the center of the field.
She tossed out a Poké Ball.
"Please take care of me.
This time—I won't be going easy."
A flash of red light.
A small, humanoid Pokémon landed lightly on the ground.
Its whole body was a delicate, leafy green, like it was wearing a puffy dress.
In its hands were two flowers—one vivid red, one bright green.
The Grass/Poison Pokémon: Roselia.
"Roselia, let's go."
Victoria's tone was far steadier than Vivi's.
"Remember, your opponent is Steel-type. Poison moves won't work. Focus on Grass-type attacks."
Roselia nodded gently.
It raised both flower-tipped arms and assumed a poised battle stance.
(End of Chapter)