Kay continued walking along the coastline, his eyes constantly darting toward the forest that bordered the beach.
The calm waves lapped at the shore beside him, but the dense trees on his other side could hide many threats or eyes watching him.
Even though Kay knew the risks of walking on the open beach, still, he kept going, staying alert to any movement inside the forest.
After a few minutes, something ahead caught his attention. A group of Tentacool was drifting in the shallow water near the beach, their slimy, translucent bodies swaying with the tide.
Kay clicked his tongue in frustration. "Tch… not now." He had no time to deal with wild Pokémons, especially a group of Tentacool that could easily pull him into an unwanted battle.
He didn't have enough time to waste here; he wanted to find his target as soon as possible.
Without hesitation, Kay turned away from the shore and slipped back into the forest, where the thick shadows and the cover of trees made it easier to move without being noticed.
Eevee followed close behind, its ears twitching at every sound. As they walked beside the edge of the forest, Kay continued scanning the area, searching for clues or movement. The thick leaves above made the light dim, but Kay's focus didn't waver.
Then, suddenly, Eevee stopped. Its ears stood straight up, and it lifted its head, eyes locked on a specific point in the trees ahead.
Kay turned toward the same direction, ready for anything. But before he could see what was there, a sharp circular pulse of electricity burst through the trees.
The electric wave looked like a glowing, spinning ring of yellow light that pulsed outward as it traveled.
It struck Eevee head-on, sending light sparks through its body and locking its muscles in place.
It was a Thunder Wave.
"Eevee!" Kay shouted, quickly stepping in front of his partner. His eyes darted toward where the attack came from, and then he saw a skinny man, probably in his thirties, with sharp eyes and a crooked smile.
Floating beside him was a metallic Pokémon, a Magnemite, its single eye focused directly on Kay. On the man's chest was the number 30.
Kay tensed up. Was this the one who was targeting him? Or was it just someone who thought he was targeting Player 20, which was the number now pinned on Kay's chest?
He didn't want to make the wrong move. The rules were strict. You were only allowed to attack the player you were assigned as a target or the one who was targeting you.
If you attacked anyone else, you'd be eliminated. And right now, Kay didn't know which one this man was.
He tried to recall where Number 30 was during the brief player location display. But the image had only lasted a few seconds, and the details were hazy.
It was no use; he couldn't remember. That meant he had to figure it out from the man's behavior.
Kay narrowed his eyes and studied him, trying to read his face. Was this guy hunting him intentionally? Or did he think he was just attacking Player 20?
"Eevee, use Wish!" Kay shouted, giving the command quickly. Even paralyzed, Eevee could still respond.
The little Pokémon's body gave off a gentle glow as the healing move was activated, forming a small, shimmering light above them. It floated upward like a soft star, waiting for the right moment to fall and heal Eevee.
The man with Magnemite began walking toward Kay, still smiling. His gaze didn't waver, and the way he stared at Kay made him uneasy.
Then, out of nowhere, the man chuckled, a low, strange laugh that sent a chill down Kay's spine. Kay clenched his fists. Why was he laughing?
But then the man's smile faded, replaced by a cold expression. "Do you think changing your number would hide you from me?" he said. His voice was calm, but his words were sharp.
Kay's heart skipped. That confirmed it. This guy knew his real number. He wasn't attacking him, thinking he was player number 20.
Kay was sure now; he was this player's target. 'Fortunately, he doesn't know I had doubts about him. If he did, he might've finished me before I could know his target.' Kay thought.
The man raised his hand. "Magnemite, Screech," he commanded.
A piercing metallic sound burst from the floating Pokémon, causing Kay to grit his teeth and cover one ear.
Eevee flinched, the sound making its body even weaker as its defenses dropped dramatically. Kay's mind raced. He needed a strategy, and fast.
"Eevee," he called out urgently, "use Dig! Stay underground until Wish activates, then use it again and attack Magnemite!"
Eevee then began burrowing into the ground, disappearing beneath the forest floor in a flash of dust and leaves.
The man didn't stop advancing. "Magnemite, use Charge," he said, watching Kay like a hawk.
Magnemite's body sparked with energy as it began storing power, its metallic shell humming with electricity.
"You're interesting, kid," the man added, eyes narrowing. "I've been watching you ever since the locations were shown. I memorized your face. So, when I saw you running, I didn't even need to check your number. I knew it was you."
Kay didn't respond. He kept his stance low, eyes locked on his opponent, waiting for the right moment to act.
The forest was quiet except for the hum of the charging Magnemite and the wind rustling through the trees.
Kay watched closely as Eevee dug underground; he knew that Dig, a move that normally hit enemies from below, might not land on Magnemite, as it was a floating Pokémon.
While Eevee was still under the ground, Kay thought, 'System, show me Magnemite's stats.'
A transparent screen opened in front of his eyes, showing Magnemite's stats:
***
Magnemite
Potential: Dark Red
Stage: Superior Steel
Moveset: Screech, Thunder Wave, Discharge, Gyro Ball, Supersonic, Tackle, Charge
***
Kay's eyes widened in shock. 'Dark Red?' Not even his Growlithe had a potential that high.
His Growlithe's potential was impressive, sure, but this Magnemite was on a different level.
And its movepool, while not large. Combining that it was at the Superior Steel stage and that it only knew a few moves, Kay concluded that the trainer had focused on mastering the moves instead of learning new ones.
Before he could decide on a plan, the sky above shimmered. The floating star of Eevee's Wish descended from above, gently entering the hole in the ground.
A soft flash of light came from within, and then Eevee jumped out of the hole, its paw shining as it tried to strike Magnemite.
But as Kay feared, the floating Magnemite easily dodged the attack by slightly drifting upward.
"Eevee, Quick Attack, then Bite!" Kay shouted.
Without hesitation, Eevee landed on the ground and immediately darted forward with a burst of speed, blurring through the forest floor.
Even Kay found it hard to follow his partner's movement with his eyes. Eevee leapt into the air with fangs bared, ready to land a blow.
Kay's opponent finally spoke. "Magnemite, receive the hit. Then use Discharge."
Eevee's bite connected. Magnemite shook slightly, but it didn't back away. Instead, it hummed with electric power and then released it in a sudden wave of raw electricity.
The Discharge exploded from its body, and Eevee, still right next to it, got caught in the blast.
"Eevee!" Kay cried out. The jolt struck Eevee directly, making its small body shudder in pain. Sparks flew off its fur.
Kay clenched his fists while thinking, 'We can't go on like this. We'll lose'.
Kay knew that he should find something as soon as possible, as it was clear to Kay that it would be hard for Eevee to finish this battle with its current movepool.
Just a few seconds of thinking were enough, and Kay's eyes glowed while a smile appeared on his mouth; it seemed that he had found something to get out of this situation.
See you in the next chapter...
Drop some Power Stones to help me stay motivated to keep writing...
Sorry for not sharing lately, I was super busy...