Chapter 103: Marie's Challenge

“Suy?” Mary heard someone call her name and looked over to see Suy waving at her with a smile.

“It’s Mary Meow~” Lotusgrass waved her cat paw in greeting.

“Morubeco~” Morubeco happily trotted over to Suy and then held out her hand.

Morubeco seemed to be saying: If you have some tasty treats, please share with me.

“Morubeco!” Mary scolded playfully.

“Hahaha, it’s fine,” Suy said, pulling some snacks out of his bag. Since he mostly ate meat in the Monster Hunter world, he had bought extra snacks to mix things up occasionally.

“Morubeco!” Morubeco clutched a full handful of snacks, happily calling out as she carried them over to Mary to share.

“Oh, you should say thank you,” Mary said, taking a packet of snacks symbolically while giving a little lesson.

“Morubeco~” Morubeco looked back and thanked Suy.

“Long time no see, Mary. Was that unruly frog your newly captured Pokémon?” Suy asked.

“Yes. After I returned last time, I caught some companions and started training and battling them,” Mary nodded and looked at Suy.

“So, this is a rare chance. Suy, can I battle you?” Mary thought to herself: Having seen Suy battle Lance, this will surely give me a good measure of my current level.

“No problem. It’s perfect timing. My two little ones are just beginning to get into battling,” Suy smiled.

...

In the midst of the heated battle atmosphere, finding an open arena was not easy. After a young woman easily defeated an older man, one battle spot opened up.

What caught Suy’s eye a little was that her Pokémon was an Electric Dragon not native to the Galar region.

Back at the battlefield.

“Though they’re still kids, don’t underestimate them,” Suy said with a smile as he threw out a Poké Ball.

Boom!

Daiku stretched his body and looked around curiously.

“Daiku! This is our first battle! Show your spirit!” Suy encouraged.

“Awooo~” Daiku let out a cute cry, lacking any of the majestic aura of a sky king.

“All right then,” Suy chuckled.

“Another Pokémon I’ve never seen,” Mary’s expression flickered. She had expected Suy to send out a massive, fierce Pokémon like the Great Jagras, but instead it was another that looked still in its juvenile stage.

Even so, this young Daiku was already about the size of a calf.

“Wings, huh? Maybe Flying type? Then you go first, Morubeco!” Mary waved her hand, and Morubeco quickly finished the snacks she was holding before trotting to the battlefield.

“Morubeco~” Morubeco cutely greeted Daiku.

“Awooo~” Daiku happily responded.

“Flying type? You guessed wrong,” Suy chuckled lightly.

“Eh?” Mary was taken aback.

[Name: Daiku
Species: Fire Dragon (Male)
Type: Dragon, Fire
Ability: Sky King (Flying-type moves have their power increased by 1.5 times, and damage dealt to Flying-type or airborne targets is increased by 50%)
Moves: Sky Blaze (signature move, power 100, Fire type, special move, fires a blazing fireball with a chance to inflict burn), Toxic Claw (signature move, power 70, Poison type, physical move, attacks with venomous claws causing poison), Wing Attack, Spark, Scratch, etc.]

Though Daiku is young and unable to fly yet, and hasn’t learned many moves, the strength of his signature moves alone is impressive.

Plus, his ability gives him a wide range of effectiveness.

And who else can fly?!

Groudon: Brother, I’ve got your back!

“Oh! Two Pokémon I haven’t seen before,” a girl who had just finished her battle and was resting on a nearby bench said curiously.

She opened her Rotom phone and checked the Pokédex entries for both Pokémon.

“Morubeco, the dual-face Pokémon, always hungry...” the details of Morubeco appeared.

“Mm-hmm! Such a cute Pokémon,” the girl nodded with a smile.

“And what about this cool dragon-shaped Pokémon?” she said, pointing her phone’s Rotom at Daiku.

Rotom phone: No information available for this Pokémon.

The girl exclaimed in surprise, “Oh? Not a Galar region Pokémon?”

On the battlefield, Mary composed herself and grew calm and collected again.

“Enough of that, Morubeco, use Aura Wheel!” Mary commanded, launching the attack.

Aura Wheel is Morubeco’s signature move, which changes type between Electric and Dark depending on the switch between Full Belly Pattern and Empty Belly Pattern.

With a decent physical attack stat, this 110-power move makes this Galarian Electric Mouse quite formidable.

“Morubeco!” Morubeco got down on all fours and ran, spinning a ring of electricity beneath her like a hamster wheel as she charged forward.

“Daiku! Sky Blaze!” Suy clenched his fist, shouting.

“Roar!” Daiku let out a mighty cry, gathering a blazing fireball in his mouth.

He stood upright, his head thrown back, and unleashed the fireball at the charging Morubeco with a booming explosion.

Daiku staggered backward two steps from the recoil of the powerful fireball—he was still young, and using fire at all was a testament to his Pokémon strength.

Boom!

The small fireball exploded, shattering Morubeco’s Aura Wheel. The Electric Mouse cried out in pain, stumbling backward and falling. If it hadn’t been for the Aura Wheel’s protective effect, the little one might have been seriously hurt. However, the move boosted her speed by one stage.

Though Daiku’s flames were modest compared to an adult male Fire Dragon, the aura of a Sky King was already beginning to show.

“Morubeco! Are you okay?” Mary clenched her fists, surprised that Morubeco’s strongest move had been broken so easily.

“I was too naive. Thinking about it, a trainer who’s battled Lance must have something special, even if only with a juvenile Pokémon,” Mary murmured to herself.

“Oh! That’s a cool move, Sky Blaze, huh? Such a stylish name,” the watching girl exclaimed in awe.

“Mary, Daiku is a Dragon- and Fire-type Pokémon, so it resists Electric moves,” Suy kindly reminded her.

“Dragon-type? Then I won’t switch out Morubeco!” Mary said with newfound confidence.

“Oh? You have a countermeasure?” Suy eagerly awaited Morubeco’s next move.

Mary waved her hand sharply. “Morubeco! Use Dragon Tail!”

“Morubeco!” Morubeco shouted, enveloped in faint dragon energy as she charged toward Daiku. With the speed boost, this attack came fast.

“Ah? Morubeco can learn Dragon Tail?” Suy was stunned. He hadn’t used Morubeco before, so he wasn’t sure what moves it could learn besides its signature Aura Wheel.

“Daiku! Counter with Sky Blaze!” Suy quickly commanded.