Theo's gaze fell upon Roselia, and in that instant, its information surfaced clearly in his mind:
[Pokémon: Roselia]
Type: Grass, Poison
Category: Thorn Pokémon
Ability: Poison Point (When struck by physical contact, the poisonous thorns on its body may poison the attacker)
Moves: Poison Sting, Mega Drain, Leech Seed, Toxic Spikes, Magical Leaf, Heal Pulse…
Theo frowned slightly as he studied Roselia.
This opponent… was far more troublesome than Vivi's Marill.
Although Beldum possessed excellent potential, it had only been born not long ago. Its stamina and energy reserves were still limited. This battle would definitely not be easy.
"Beldum, be careful," Theo warned softly, his tone noticeably heavier than usual.
"Roselia, use Magical Leaf!"
Victoria gave the first command without a moment's hesitation.
Roselia's flower-laden hands swayed gently. In the next second, countless leaf blades infused with shimmering colored light condensed out of thin air. They spiraled forward as if alive, shooting toward Beldum like a dancing storm.
What was stranger still was how the leaves curved through the air in bizarre trajectories. Even when Beldum dodged them cleanly, the leaves abruptly curved back mid-flight, continuing the pursuit from behind, almost as if equipped with their own tracking system, leaving Beldum with virtually no room to evade.
Beldum did not dare be careless. It drove its psychic power with full strength, its silver body darting left and right in the air.
The leaf blades grazed past the edges of its body, the cutting wind disturbing its levitation and causing it to wobble slightly. But it kept grit and determination in its movements, its crimson crystalline eye locked unwaveringly on the incoming leaves.
"Dodging like this won't work for long."
Theo quickly assessed the situation.
"Beldum, use Psychic to stop those leaves, then control them and send them back!"
Beldum responded immediately. A pale blue aura rippled around its body, forming what looked like an invisible net that expanded outward toward the Magical Leaf barrage.
The colorful leaves abruptly halted midair, their speed significantly reduced, and nearly half of them were forcibly frozen in place.
Then, under Beldum's psychic control, the immobilized leaves all rotated sharply in the air before launching back toward Roselia.
"Roselia, use Magical Leaf again!"
Victoria's eyes narrowed as she swiftly issued a counter order.
A fresh wave of Magical Leaf burst from Roselia's hands, colliding midair with the leaves Beldum had sent back.
With several crisp shwip-shwip-shwip sounds, the two sets of leaves slashed into each other, shattering into pieces like confetti drifting downward.
By now, Beldum's suspended form was visibly trembling. The red crystal in its eye dimmed, and the psychic aura surrounding it weakened drastically.
Dodging repeatedly, controlling incoming moves, and using powerful Psychic techniques back-to-back placed a massive strain on its barely developed body. The energy within it was nearly depleted, and even maintaining levitation had become difficult.
Seeing that Beldum was reaching its limit, Theo made a decisive call:
"Beldum, one final attack—Zen Headbutt! Aim at Roselia!"
Beldum jerked its head upward. A flash of resolve burst within its crimson eye as it gathered the last of its remaining energy.
A blue psychic glow once again enveloped its body.
Though the glow was far dimmer than before, it carried a fierce, all-or-nothing momentum. With every ounce of strength it had left, Beldum hurled itself forward like a tiny cannonball burning its final fuel, charging straight toward Roselia.
"Roselia! Dodge to the right!"
Victoria shouted urgently, the slightest trace of nervousness slipping into her voice.
After all, Psychic-type moves were super-effective against Poison-types. And Beldum's speed in that moment was extremely high—if Roselia were struck directly, it could very well lose its ability to battle.
Roselia reacted swiftly. Its slender body twisted to the right, attempting to evade the fatal blow.
It seemed the attack would miss…
But Beldum's crimson eye never wavered from its target.
Just as it brushed past Roselia's edge, Beldum ignited the very last thread of its psychic power. A faint blue shimmer rippled around its body, forcefully and precisely correcting its flight path midair.
BANG!
It crashed squarely into Roselia!
The type advantage of Psychic over Poison manifested clearly in that moment.
Roselia let out a stifled cry, stumbling backward three full steps before finally stabilizing. The petals on its flowers drooped noticeably, showing that it had taken considerable damage.
But Beldum too had reached its limit.
Its faint psychic glow extinguished instantly, and its silver body plummeted like a kite whose string had been severed.
Thud!
It hit the ground, unable to even lift itself.
Even basic levitation was beyond its strength now. All it could do was lie there, breathing faintly, its half-open crimson eye filled with exhaustion.
"Beldum is unable to battle. Roselia wins!"
Grandma Vicky announced the result, her voice carrying both regret and genuine surprise.
Beldum trembled slightly where it lay, as though unwilling to accept the outcome. Its small body nudged the ground in frustration.
It had never lost, not even when playing games with Tyrunt. Its first real battle… and it lost to a flower-carrying opponent.
Theo hurried over and carefully picked it up, his hand gently stroking its cool metal shell.
"It's alright. You did incredibly well. You're still very young, and yet you held on for so long— even managing to injure Roselia. You exceeded everyone's expectations. Once we return and train properly, once you build up more energy… next time, you'll definitely win."
Beldum nuzzled into his arms, its crimson eye still tinged with disappointment, but gradually regaining a faint glimmer of light.
Tyrunt and Feebas also rushed over. Tyrunt even bumped its head lightly against Beldum's body, letting out a soft growl in an attempt to comfort it.
After soothing Beldum, Theo placed it gently onto a seat at the side.
Tyrunt immediately waddled over and nudged its metal shell again, as if saying, "Watch me next."
Victoria retrieved Roselia and gave Theo an appreciative smile.
"Impressive. Roselia nearly lost.
You mentioned Beldum was born and captured not long ago, yet it can fight like that—that's truly remarkable.
Roselia's injuries aren't light either, so she won't continue battling. Next, Victor will take the field."
Victor had already been itching for action. He patted the head of his Ursaring beside him.
"Time for us to show our strength."
The brown-furred Pokémon charged into the field, muscles rippling, tail whipping like a lash, eyes gleaming with battle lust.
Theo's gaze shifted to the Pokémon, and its information surfaced instantly:
[Pokémon: Ursaring]
Type: Normal
Category: Hibernator Pokémon
Ability: Gluttony (when HP drops below half, immediately consumes held berry to restore health)
Moves: Slash, Tackle, Hone Claws, Headbutt, Fury Swipes, Dig, Thrash…
After reading its stats, Theo had a clear picture.
Ursaring's strength rivaled Roselia's.
But Theo felt no fear.
He turned to Tyrunt beside him, eyes filled with trust and confidence.
Unlike newborn Beldum, Tyrunt had undergone rigorous training in Petalburg Woods. Alongside Feebas, it had long become one of Theo's core team members.
(End of Chapter)