Pokémon Adventures: GAMER PATH

~Third POV~

[Kanto Region, Pallet Town – Oak's Lab]

Watching the match on their TV, Prof. Oak and Daisy watched the match with genuine interest, seeing Blue battle Azure. Daisy muttered, seeing the match, "They're match has begun, grandfather. Do you think Blue has a chance to defeat Azure?"

Prof. Oak gazed at the beginning of the match with genuine interest as he took a sip of his tea, witnessing the battle. Being a former trainer and champion, he honestly says, "… I'm not sure, Daisy. This battle will certainly push Blue to his limits. It could be anyone's game really…"

Taking another sip of tea, Daisy watched the battle with intensity as she grinned smugly, clenching her hands together, "You know you could've been supportive of Blue's case, saying 'I have no doubt my grandson will win,' ya know, grandpa?"

Prof. Oak looked embarrassed, hearing Daisy's words, as he mumbled sheepishly, "Hehe… I suppose that's true. This match would be extremely interesting to say the least, and we aren't the only ones…"

Viewing the outside of their home, they see Azure's and Blue's Pokémon, seeing the match between them, and wanting to see the matches through a large Rotom TV. Each of them had pictures of Blue and foam fingers or flags of Azure cheering them on.

Unaware to all, a floating Mew gazed at the battle with interest, watching it along with the other Pokémon through the Rotom TV. Next to it was Celebi as they chewed on popcorn they're sharing, seeing the battle with anticipation…

/////

[Kanto Region, Indigo Plateau – Stadium]

*Fwp*

High above the battle, as Charizard draws closer to Skarmory in the airborne battle ahead, it charges straight through. Having just fended off its Inferno move and Tailwind showing signs of tiring, Azure was left with one move to use.

He grinned as he commanded, "Skarmory! Roar!"

Skarmory's eyes widened as it roared, releasing a powerful transparent soundwave from its mouth, "SKARRRR!! (FUCK OFF!!!)"

Charizard flinched as it was then forcibly put into its Poké Ball. Blue frowned as he had no control over which Pokémon would be summoned next, as Azure thought, 'Good, at least Charizard out of the way. With this, I'll set up Tailwind – '

*Pop*

*RMBL*

Before Azure could finish his line of thought, the sphere burst open, and with a deafening cry that sounded like a thunderclap, the Legendary Bird of Thunder materialized, halting his thinking with its held item [Magnet]. Its jagged, electrified wings beat the air, causing stray sparks to dance across the stadium grass.

The sheer pressure of its presence was immense. Azure's expression froze seeing Zapdos appear as it roared out, "Scheee – "

*BOOOM*

… Only for it to be bombarded by Stealth Rocks. The rocks around Zapdos rise into the air, glow white, and crush the opponent.

Azure froze for a bit before thinking to himself, cursing, 'Oh what the fuck!! Do all the Kanto Dex Holders have the Legendary Birds now?!!'

Azure regained his emotions as Skarmory sweated a bit, seeing a very pissed off Zapdos glaring daggers at it. Its eyes narrowed menacingly…

Blue laughed, seeing who came out from Skarmory's Roar move. Blue chuckled in delight at the outcome as he said bluntly, "Ahahaha!! Skarmory? Against my Zapdos? Azure, you're very unlucky this time. Zapdos, use Thunder!"

*RMBL*

The sky above the stadium seemed to darken as Zapdos gathered atmospheric electricity from the very air. A storm brewed in an instant, its eye centered directly on the steel bird.

But Azure was calm as he took a deep breath, thinking cautiously, 'Okay… Zapdos wasn't what I expected, but I can make this work. Electric attacks? I've already had a counter in mind with Skarmory for this.'

As the sky above the stadium darkened, Azure swiftly ordered, "Skarmory! Use Agile Style! Steel Wing on the ground!"

*Fwp*

*Shinng*

Both of Skarmory's wings glow white, and it glides down on the battlefield with one wing on the ground and the other gliding its body. Blue was baffled as Skarmory didn't try to dodge at all as it lowered itself to ground level.

It banked sharply, its razor-sharp wings scraping against the ground. Blue's eyes narrowed as he roared, "End this, Zapdos! Now!"

*BOOOOM*

A column of pure lightning, thick as a tree trunk, descended from the sky. It struck Skarmory with a cataclysmic BOOM that shook the very foundations of the stadium. The light was blinding, the sound deafening.

But everyone's eyes widened seeing the impossible happen as Azure smirked. Zapdo's Thunder hit, but the attack is proving ineffective as Skarmory grounds itself with Steel Wing, effectively nullifying the attack entirely.

Blue notices this as he sees the flow of electricity as his eyes widen in realization, and he mumbles in shock, "The flow of Thunder… The electrical charge instead flows into the subterranean area of the stadium, effectively making Electric-type moves ineffective against it! So that's the trick…"

Blue frowned, realizing how Azure avoided the Thunder move entirely, blocking the Electric Move. Azure ordered, "Skarmory! Tailwind, we can't allow them to gain any advantage!"

*Fwp*

De-ground itself as it flapped its wings once again, generating the turbulent whirlwind, granting them priority first. But Blue relentlessly ordered, "Now! Thunderbolt while they're de-grounded Zapdos!"

*BOOOOOM*

In a flash of light, Zapdos unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt as Skarmory's eyes widened, seeing the move. Azure ordered, "Protect!"

*CLANG*

Blocking the incoming Thunderbolt with Protect Skarmory, seeing how relentlessly Zapdos was glaring hatefully at it. Blue frowned, seeing Skarmory barely managing to hang in the battle as he thought bitterly, 'Tch. That Skarmory is very stubborn to stick around as long as it did. But with Azure gaining control over the battle, it would be a matter of time if I don't do anything about it soon…'

Blue frowned, seeing that the longer that Skarmory was in battle, the sooner his team would get chipped and damaged from moves of Spikes and Stealth Rocks. Thus, he ordered, "Zapdos. Get rid of the hazards with Defog!"

*FWP*

Blue used his turn to blow away the obstacles, making Azure frown. Zapdos flaps its wings and releases a powerful gust of wind that forms into a tornado of wind around the battlefield, carrying with it the Spikes and Stealth Rocks.

Seeing Blue intending to get rid of his entry hazards, Azure frowned, trying to formulate a plan against this cautiously, 'Tch. Blue's making it hard for me to find a win condition if he sweeps my hazard entries. But I only have this chance…'

Taking the chance, Azure's eyes hardened as he ordered, "This is our only chance! Skarmory use Toxic!"

*Fwp*

Skarmory nodded, flapping its wings, heading straight towards the hurricane that Zapdos was producing. It unleashed waves of purple sludge at Zapdos as it was occupied, maintaining Defog.

*Splat*

Skarmory managed to launch its Toxic at its face, managing to poison it badly. However, in return, it gave Blue an opportunity once Zapdos was within striking range of it.

Blue sizing the opportunity ordered, "Now! Volt Switch!"

*Zzzzz*

Zapdos raises one of its wings and thrusts it into the air, forming a bright orb of white-yellow electricity surrounded by yellow sparks. Then, it fires the orb at the opponent, either shocking it or causing a flash of bright light on impact.

Azure, seeing this swiftly ordered, "Skarmory! Substitute!"

*POOF*

Skarmory swiftly summoned another energy clone to take the attack, sacrificing ¼ of its health in the process to avoid being hit. But then it only had 50% of its health remaining as it reached ground level.

Afterwards, Zapdos then switches with its teammate onto the battlefield in its place by rushing past its nearby Trainer. Quickly returning, Blue swiftly hurled his next choice, "Let's see how your bird holds on, Sky! Go! Dragonite!"

*Pop*

The sphere burst open, and with a ground-shaking roar, the colossal Dragon Pokémon appeared, its orange scales gleaming in the sun with its held item [Muscle Band]. It spread its powerful wings, casting a momentary shadow over the field, "Drooo!!!"

The crowd roared its approval for the iconic pseudo-legendary. Azure surveyed the powerhouse before him as he muttered, "Just as expected of Blue. Always pulling out powerhouses after powerhouses. But…"

Azure looked at his Skarmory panting after having battled with Charizard, Scizor, Zapdos, and now Dragonite. It was clear as day that fighting against Blue's powerhouses was exhausting its stamina.

But Azure grinned as he swiftly ordered, "Now! Mimic Volt Switch!"

Blue's eyes widened, hearing that, as Skarmory grinned. Its body began to glow, mimicking Zapdos' final move, Volt Switch.

*Zzzzz*

Skarmory raises one of its wings and thrusts it into the air, forming a bright orb of white-yellow electricity surrounded by yellow sparks. Then, it fires the orb at the opponent, either shocking it or causing a flash of bright light on impact.

Watching the incoming orb at Dragonite Blue, swiftly countered, "Tch. Dragonite! Counter with Thunderbolt!"

*Zzzzz*

Dragonite unleashed a bolt of electricity as it managed to block the Volt Switch orb, but Azure had its intended effect. Swiftly, Skarmory then switches with its teammate onto the battlefield in its place by rushing past its nearby Trainer.

Quickly returning, Azure swiftly hurled his next choice with a smooth, practiced arc, "Talk about a close call there! Let's see… Go! Gengar!"

*Pop*

The Pokémon that emerged was not the familiar purple shade of a Gengar. This one was a stark, shiny, its mischievous, blood-red eyes glowing with intelligence and a love for chaos, with its held item [Black Sludge]. A Shiny Gengar.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. It wasn't just rare; it was one of Azure's Pokémon from his main team as it giggled mischievously, "Gen! Gengar!! (I'm back by the power of popular demand!)"

Blue raised an eyebrow, his smirk faltering for just a fraction of a second before returning. He commented in a confident tone, "A Shiny Gengar, huh? Cute. It'll take more than a fancy color to win this, Sky. Dragonite, Dragon Dance!"

*Shiii*

Dragonite bellowed and began to glow with a fierce, red-purple aura, powering up. Its massive body moved with surprising grace as it performed the power-up, its Attack and Speed stats visibly surging.

Blue was setting up for a sweep, confident his Dragonite could weather the first blow. Azure knew he couldn't let that happen.

He had to disrupt the rhythm. Azure ordered swiftly, extending his arm out, "Gengar, no time to waste! Agile Style! Shadow Ball!"

*PEW*

Faster than the eye could follow, Gengar cackled and formed a sphere of churning spectral energy between its hands. It hurled the orb with blinding speed.

Dragonite, still in the final motions of its dance, couldn't evade in time. The Shadow Ball slammed into its chest, exploding in a shower of shadowy energy.

*BOOM*

The dragon Pokémon grunted, stumbling back a step, clearly damaged but far from down. Dragonite was incredibly bulky and had absorbed much of the impact thanks to its Hidden Ability Multiscale.

Blue said coolly, his voice cutting through the cheers, eyeing Azure's Gengar cautiously, having battled Agatha's Gengar, "Just as I thought. Tough, but not tough enough. Now that we're faster, Dragonite, use Outrage!"

*Shiii*

Dragonite's eyes glowed a furious red. Roaring with uncontrollable power, it charged forward, its body wreathed in draconic energy, "Droooo!!!"

*FWP*

It was a living battering ram, aimed directly at the fragile-looking Ghost-type. A direct hit would be an instant knockout.

Azure's command was calm, almost a whisper as he said calmly, "Fade away, Gengar. Agile Style Phantom Force."

*Swf*

Just as Dragonite was about to collide, the Gengar grinned wider and dissolved into the very shadow cast by its opponent. Dragonite's devastating charge met nothing but empty air, its momentum carrying it across the field where it smashed into the ground, sending dirt and turf flying.

*RMBL*

The crowd roared in astonishment. DJ Mary shouted as she commented, "What a brilliant move! Gengar has vanished completely, dodging the full force of that Outrage!"

Blue clicked his tongue in annoyance. He knew what came next.

Dragonite, still locked in its attack, rampaged mindlessly. And then, from the ground beneath it, the shadow stretched and solidified…

*SHINNG*

Gengar erupted from below, its claws glowing with ethereal power, and slashed upwards, striking Dragonite directly in the back. The Ghost-type move Shadow Claw + Phantom Force landed with a sickening crunch.

*CRUNCH*

Dragonite cried out in pain, stumbling heavily. The Outrage finally subsided, leaving Dragonite disoriented and confused, shaking its head as it swayed on its feet.

Azure commanded, seizing the opening with an eager expression, "Now, Gengar! Finish this with an arctic blast! Strong Style! Ice Beam!"

*Shiiii*

Gengar raised its hands, and the air around it crackled with sudden frost. Gengar posed, clasping its hands together, prepared for a finisher as it shot its hands forward, "Gen… GAR!!! (Take this! My Ice Beam Kamehame… HA!!!)"

*PEW*

It unleashed a beam of razor-sharp, concentrated ice energy directly at the dazed Dragonite. The attack wasn't just cold; it struck at Dragonite's single greatest vulnerability—a quadruple weakness to Ice.

*BOOOM*

Upon impact, it exploded in ice energy as the mighty dragon roared one last time, a cry of pain and shock, before its eyes rolled back and it crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud. Dragonite had fainted.

*THUD*

The referee's flag shot up. He announced in a loud tone, "Dragonite is unable to battle! The first victory goes to Azure and his Gengar!"

For a moment, the stadium was silent, processing the upset. Then, it exploded into a deafening ovation.

Azure had not only defeated Blue's Pokémon, but he had done so with strategy and flair, outmaneuvering the master tactician at his own game.

Azure gave a quiet nod to his Pokémon. He grinned as he commented proudly, "Good work, Gengar. Flashy as always."

*Slurp*

Gengar gave a thumbs up, licking his face affectionately, "Gengar~ (Aw… you charmer! You're gonna make me blush!)"

Azure eyes flinched at Gengar's affection as it giggled happily, seeing its Master's annoyed expression. Pikachu and Eevee both sighed as they thought, 'Sigh… still no matter what, you're still a big pain in the ass…'

Blue recalled his Dragonite without a word, his face unreadable. He stared across the field at Azure, the condescending smirk completely gone.

In its place was a look of sharp, analytical respect. He finally broke the silence, a genuine, competitive grin spreading across his face as he admitted, grabbing his next Poké Ball, "Not bad, Sky. Not bad at all. You didn't just bring power; you brought a plan. But this battle has just begun."

Azure's smile returned, full of the thrill of the fight. He grinned as he replied, "I was hoping you'd say that. Wouldn't feel good unless we both go all out."

The first exchange was over who lost first. Blue's movement was sharp, efficient. He tossed a Poké Ball with a flick of his wrist as he declared, "Alakazam, let's go!"

*Pop*

In a flash of red light, the Psychic Pokémon materialized, floating cross-legged in the air with its held item [Life Orb]. Its eyes glowed with formidable intelligence, and the two silver spoons it held hummed with latent power.

Azure's eyes narrowed, seeing the Psi Pokémon. Blue didn't waste a nanosecond as he ordered, "Alakazam, Psychic!"

*Shiii*

Alakazam's eyes flared with intense blue light. The spoons it held bent as if under immense pressure, and a wave of pure telekinetic force shot across the field, warping the very air it passed through.

Azure frowned as he commanded, "Gengar, into the shadows!"

With its signature cackle, Gengar didn't try to dodge. It simply melted. Its solid form became translucent, sinking into its own shadow on the stadium floor.

*CRACK*

The powerful Psychic blast tore through the space where it had been, slamming into the wall behind Azure's platform with a deafening CRACK. Blue conceded, his voice sharp as he focused on the battlefield, "Not bad. But you can't hide forever. Alakazam, focus your energy! Future Sight!"

*Shiii*

Alakazam's eyes glowed a light blue, preparing its Future Sight. Azure countered, "We don't need to! Now, Gengar! Shadow Ball!"

*PEW*

Emerging from the shadow directly beneath the floating Alakazam, Gengar shot upwards like a phantom bullet. It opened its mouth and fired a sphere of writhing, chaotic ectoplasm.

But Blue was ready as he countered, "Barrier!"

*CLANG*

Alakazam didn't even turn. A shimmering, transparent wall of light materialized in front of it just as the Shadow Ball struck. The attack exploded against the barrier, its power significantly diminished.

Even so, the force of the blow sent a shudder through Alakazam. Azure noted aloud, impressed, "Fast and powerful Alakazam's classic trademarks. But we're just getting started! Gengar, use Encore!"

*PEW*

Gengar raises its hands, and a white orb of energy appears between them. Gengar then fires the orb at the opponent.

*Poof*

When the orb hits, the opponent's body sparkles white. If the opponent is sparkling white, it can only use the move it last used. Blue's eyes widened fractionally as he mumbled with a sly smile, "Encore! Damn, that means Alakazam's stuck using Barrier for the remainder of a while… all according to plan."

*Shiii*

Not long after, Alakazam's eyes glowed blue as suddenly Gengar smacked its head against a Reflect screen, rubbing its head, mumbling, "Gen… gar? (The heck?)"

That was when Azure finally frowned, seeing that Gengar was boxed in using Barrier screens as he mumbled, "The hell? He trapped my Gengar in a box made of psychic barriers?"

*BOOOOM*

Before he could devise a plan to escape, Gengar was suddenly hit by a powerful psychic blast within the barrier-caged box. It exploded inside, showing a pink explosion of psychic power.

This caught Azure off guard, seeing his Gengar was caught in the blast, muttering with narrowed eyes, "Future Sight took effect. Damn it…"

As the explosion finally settled down, it revealed a knocked-out Gengar in a Yamcha pose as the referee declared, "Gengar is unable to battle! The winner is Alakazam!"

*Plop*

The cage-filled barrier ended as Gengar plopped down onto the ground. Azure recalled his Gengar as Blue smirked as he added, "Heh. Sorry, but there was no way I was gonna let that Gengar go without taking it out. Too risky to let it continue."

Azure sighed, shrugging his shoulder, recalling Gengar into its Poke Ball as he replied helplessly, "Sigh… yeah, figured as much. I would've done the same in your shoes but now then…"

Azure reached for his next choice, slyly grinning as he hurled his next Pokémon, "… since you were kind enough to offer your Alakazam to the stage, I'll return the favor. I trust your strength! Dragonite, let's go!"

*Pop*

He tossed the ball high into the air. It burst open, and with a majestic, echoing cry, the gentle-faced Dragon Pokémon unfurled its wings, casting a brief shadow over the field, "Drooo!!! (It's go time!)"

*Thud*

Dragonite landed with a solid thud that shook the ground, its large, kind eyes fixing on its opponent with its held item [Dragon Fang]. It looked more friendly than ferocious, but the latent power rippling through its orange scales was undeniable.

The crowd erupted. An Alakazam versus a Dragonite.

A battle of psychic speed versus draconic power. Blue's smirk returned as he saw the effects of Encore ended with a grin, saying confidently, "Cute. Let's see how your 'dragon' handles this! Alakazam, Psychic!"

*Shiii*

Alakazam's eyes glowed a piercing blue. Without moving its body, it thrust its spoons forward, unleashing a wave of shimmering, invisible energy that shot across the field like a missile.

Azure grinned as he trusted his Pokémon as he commanded, "Dragonite, brace yourself and use Dragon Dance!"

*SHIII*

Instead of dodging, Dragonite planted its feet firmly, took the full force of the Psychic attack with a grunt, and began to glow with a fierce, crimson aura. It spun in a graceful, powerful vortex, its Attack and Speed stats visibly surging.

Blue frowned, seeing that the damage was as effective. Azure grinned because his Dragonite took less damage thanks to its own Hidden Ability Multiscale.

The crowd murmured in surprise at the risky gambit he took. Blue eyes narrowed, seeing the battle as he yelled fiercely, "A bold move, but a foolish one! You can't out-speed my Alakazam! Hit it again, Psychic!"

*Shiii*

Another wave of psychic force blasted towards the now-glowing Dragonite. Azure grinned as he countered, "Now! Dodge it and use Extreme Speed!"

*ZOOOM*

The Dragon Dance had paid off. With a burst of newfound velocity, Dragonite shot to the side, the Psychic attack harmlessly exploding where it had just been standing.

Before Alakazam could even react, Dragonite became a blur of orange and gold, closing the distance in an instant and slamming into the Psychic Pokémon with the force of a comet with its fist.

*BAM*

Alakazam cried out, sent reeling backward through the air, its psychic focus shattered, "Zam! (Fuck!!)"

Blue's eyes widened slightly. He recovered quickly as he ordered, "Tch. Annoying, but thankfully, the barrier raised my Team's Defense to the max, allowing my Psi Pokémon to live. Alakazam, Shadow Ball!"

*PEW*

Alakazam righted itself in mid-air, gathering a swirling sphere of ghostly purple energy between its spoons. But Azure wouldn't give it the chance.

Dragonite was already in close, brimming with power from the Dragon Dance. Azure ordered, "This is it, Dragonite! End this! Strong Style! Outrage!"

Dragonite's kind eyes flashed a furious red. Roaring, it became a maelstrom of raw, untamed power, throwing itself at Alakazam, "DROOOO!!!"

*BOOOM*

The Shadow Ball launched, but Dragonite smashed right through it, the ghostly energy dissipating around its enraged form. It slammed into Alakazam not once, but twice, a flurry of powerful strikes that lit up the stadium.

*SMASH*

The final blow sent Alakazam crashing to the field, its spoons clattering beside it. It was unable to battle.

The referee's flag shot up on Azure's side. The referee declared, "Alakazam is unable to battle! Dragonite is the winner!"

The stadium exploded with cheers. Azure had claimed another victory against the legendary Blue Oak, but at a cost of Dragonite being harmed being the tradeoff being getting rid of Alakazam.

Blue recalled his Alakazam, his smirk finally gone, replaced by a grim, focused line. He looked at Azure, a new, dangerous respect in his eyes as he thought, 'Losing Dragonite and Alakazam wasn't something intended… but everything is falling into place slowly, forcing him to show his tactics. But…'

Blue regained his confidence as he looked at his belt, contemplating which choice to pick next against Azure's Dragonite. He grinned as he picked his next choice to deal with his Dragonite…

/////

A/N: Reach the goal of 300 PS to get a Bonus Chapter!