As they stood over the unconscious Ursaluna, a sense of unease washed over Kanraku. He turned to Floyd, his expression a mix of concern and uncertainty. "So, what should we do about this?" he asked, seeking guidance in the complex situation.
"It's as stubborn as a Gyarados," Floyd remarked with a sigh, his tone indicating a mix of frustration and resignation. "We can't afford to spend much more time on this Ursaluna. We have other important tasks looming, especially starting from tomorrow."
"I'm at a loss, Floyd-san. Perhaps you have a better idea?" Kanraku asked, knowing how innovative Floyd was with ideas.
Floyd offered a wry smile, his response tinged with a sense of regret. "My idea? I do have one, but it's rather drastic."
Kanraku's brows furrowed in anticipation as he turned to Floyd, urging him to continue.
"Eliminate it," Floyd said, then quickly shook his head. "But I don't believe that's the right approach. It's too extreme."
Kanraku, relieved by Floyd's quick dismissal of the drastic option, pondered for a moment. "In that case, we need to find a different solution," he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. After a brief pause, his eyes lit up with a new idea. "What if we try feeding it pokeblocks again?"
Floyd raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "We've tried that before. We offered it a whole box, but it just destroyed them in anger."
Kanraku nodded, considering this. "True, but it never actually tasted them. Perhaps its reaction was more out of frustration than anything else," he speculated.
"Go ahead with your plan, then. But be cautious; Ursaluna is still an Elite level Pokémon," Floyd agreed, albeit with a hint of doubt. He couldn't help but warn Kanraku of the potential risks involved.
Moments later, Ursaluna began to stir. As it regained consciousness, it sensed something unusual in its mouth. Experimentally, it crunched down and was taken aback by the flavor – not just tasty, but extraordinarily delicious.
"How do you like it?" Kanraku asked, observing Ursaluna's reaction closely. He then signaled to Blastoise,
"Partner, feed him more."
Blastoise nodded, took a bunch of Pokéblocks, and slammed them all in Ursaluna's mouth.
As Blastoise placed more pokeblocks into Ursaluna's mouth, the latter initial impulse to attack was overridden by the surprising and delightful taste of the food.
ROAR!
It's so delicious!
The sudden roar from Ursaluna caused Blastoise and the other three guardians to step back cautiously. Floyd's expression turned into a frown, sensing the tension, while Kanraku's eyes sparkled with a hint of realization upon hearing Ursaluna's reaction.
Ursaluna, fully engrossed in its feast, seemed oblivious to the watchful eyes around it. It continued to devour the pokeblocks until, with a final bite, they were all gone. Confused and wanting more, Ursaluna began groping around the ground, searching for any remaining morsels, but found nothing.
ROAR!
A wave of frustration emanated from Ursaluna. Its gaze lifted, and upon seeing Blastoise and the other guardians, a surge of anger flooded through it. In its mind, they were the thieves, the ones who had taken away the delicious food.
ROAR!
With renewed fury, Ursaluna charged towards Blastoise. But Blastoise, ever vigilant, braced itself and activated its Protect move, using its sturdy shell to absorb the impact.
BANG!
The force of Ursaluna's attack was formidable, causing Blastoise's feet to sink into the ground. The other guardians didn't hesitate, each launching their own attacks towards Ursaluna.
Although Ursaluna had regained a bit of his energy from the Pokéblock, his body was still fully injured, and delicious Pokéblocks were not enough to sustain him.
Blastoise, recovering from the initial assault, unleashed a powerful Hydro Pump towards Ursaluna.
BANG!
After enduring a series of coordinated assaults from the four guardians, Ursaluna's condition deteriorated rapidly. Panting heavily, it attempted to rise, but its body, weakened from injuries and exhaustion, refused to cooperate.
Kanraku, stepping closer to the scene with Blastoise beside him, addressed Ursaluna in a firm yet conciliatory tone. "Ursaluna, we have no intention of harming you as long as you pose no threat to us. We're here to negotiate. If you agree to our terms, you'll be free to go."
Ursaluna, too exhausted to respond verbally, continued its futile efforts to stand.
Seeing this, Kanraku tossed a medium-sized bag filled with pokeblocks towards Ursaluna. The injured Pokémon, upon noticing the bag, hesitated. Before, it would have destroyed such an offering without a second thought, but now, knowing the delightful taste of the pokeblocks, it couldn't bring itself to do so.
Summoning the last of its strength, Ursaluna managed to move closer and bit into the medium-sized bag. Pokeblocks spilled out, and Ursaluna began to eat them one by one.
After a few more minutes, the pokeblocks were all consumed. Ursaluna seemed to want to express its discontent but was hindered by its injuries. Sensing an opportunity for dialogue, Kanraku spoke up quickly, "How about we strike a deal? We can continue to provide these delicious pokeblocks for you. Would you be willing to agree to certain conditions?"
ROAR!
Ursaluna let out a roar, softer than before, which Kanraku and the four guardians interpreted as an inquiry about the terms of the agreement. Despite this apparent sign of negotiation, the guardians remained on high alert, ready to act should the situation escalate.
Kanraku, relieved to see Ursaluna showing signs of compromise, began to outline his conditions for the agreement.
…
Hours had passed since the negotiation with Ursaluna. Floyd now stood in a training area, surrounded by his Pokémon, all of whom watched him intently. Munchlax was busy crafting pokeblocks nearby, while Horsea cheered on the proceedings.
In his hands, Floyd held two stones. With a swift motion, he hurled them towards Dratini and the leader Goomy. Dratini skillfully dodged using its agile body, while Goomy countered with a Water Pulse, shattering the stone.
Unrelenting, Floyd continued his impromptu training exercise, targeting the other Goomys next. They responded with a combination of Water Gun, Iron Tail, and Protect moves.
Floyd shifted his focus back to Dratini, who was momentarily caught off guard. Despite the surprise, Dratini managed to deploy a Protect move just in time.
Then, unexpectedly, Growlithe found himself in the line of fire. As a stone sped towards him, he prepared to unleash a fire attack, but it was too late; the stone struck him.
"Growlithe, -1 for you," Floyd announced, marking the point deduction.
Growlithe, visibly disappointed yet determined, nodded and adjusted his stance, ready for whatever came next, his gaze fixed warily on Floyd.
As Floyd resumed the exercise, some Pokémon were unable to react swiftly enough and were hit by the stones, each strike resulting in a lost point.
Fraxure and Gyarados, engaged in their own training nearby, were also drawn into the exercise. Fraxure demonstrated remarkable agility, evading every stone aimed at it. Gyarados, however, with its large size, was less fortunate, getting hit twice.
The latter expressed its displeasure vocally, but Floyd was undeterred, maintaining the rigor of the training. Gyarados, realizing its complaints fell on deaf ears, became more focused, determined not to be hit again.
The Goomys, being slower, adopted a different strategy. Instead of dodging, they concentrated on using their moves effectively to intercept the stones, ensuring they didn't lose any points.
For the faster Pokémon like Fraxure, Gyarados, Dratini, and Growlithe, the primary goal was to dodge the incoming stones, with the use of defensive moves being a secondary option.
However, Growlithe, lacking defensive moves, had to rely on its agility. Unbeknownst to some, Growlithe had also mastered a new move – Flamethrower – adding a new dimension to its capabilities.
Floyd paused to review their stats:
Pokémon: Fraxure (Shiny)
Level: 41 ♂
Type: Dragon
Ability: Mold Breaker
Moves:
Advance Level: Dragon Claw
Intermediate Level: Dig, First Impression, Breaking Swipe, Scratch, Slash, Taunt, Bite, Dragon Dance, Protect
Beginner Level: Dual Chop, Swords Dance, Poison Jab, Dragon Rage, Outrage, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Tail, Crunch, Assurance, Scary Face, Iron Tail
Genetic Skill: First Impression
Pokemon: Gyarados
Level: 37 ♂
Type: Water + Flying
Ability: Moxie
Moves:
Intermediate Level: Bite, Tackle, Dragon Dance, Scary Face, Splash
Beginner Level: Aqua Tail, Waterfall, Bounce, Twister, Crunch, Rain Dance, Whirlpool, Dragon Tail
Pokemon: Dratini
Level: 25 ♂
Type: Dragon
Ability: Shed Skin
Moves:
Intermediate Level: Extreme Speed, Twister, Thunder Wave, Protect,
Beginner Level: Dragon Breath, Dragon Dance, Iron Tail, Dragon Tail, Water Gun, Agility, Wrap,
Genetic Skill: Extreme Speed, Dragon Breath
Pokemon: Growlithe (Hisuian – Disappearing 3%)
Level: 25 ♂
Type: Fire + Rock
Ability: Rock Head
Moves:
Intermediate: Bite, Tackle, Ember, Flame Wheel
Beginner: Fire Fang, Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Howl, (Head Smash), (Outrage),
Genetic Skill: (Head Smash)
Pokemon: Goomy (Hisuian – Disappearing 98%)
Level: 24 ♂
Type: Dragon
Ability: Gooey
Moves:
Intermediate Level: Bubble, Water Gun
Beginner Level: Dragon Breath, Tackle, Iron Tail, Acid Armor, Acid Spray, Water Pulse, Counter, Absorb, Protect
Genetic Skill: Counter
Pokémon: Horsea
Level: 23 ♀
Type: Water
Ability: Swift Swim
Moves:
Intermediate Level: Dragon Dance, Water Gun
Beginner Level: Rain Dance, Smokescreen, Twister, Tackle, Dragon Breath, Water Pulse, Wrap, Focus Energy
Pokémon: Goomy (Hisuian)
Level: 22 ♀
Type: Dragon
Ability: Hydration
Moves:
Intermediate Level: Bubble, Water Gun
Beginner Level: Dragon Breath, Tackle, Iron Tail, Absorb, Acid Spray, Protect
Pokemon: Goomy (Hisuian)
Level: 22 ♂
Type: Dragon
Ability: Hydration
Moves: Bubble
Beginner Level: Water Gun, Dragon Breath, Tackle, Acid Spray, Iron Tail, Life Dew, Acid Armor
Genetic Skill: Life Dew
Pokemon: Goomy (Hisuian)
Level: 21 ♀
Type: Dragon
Ability: Hydration
Moves:
Intermediate Level: Bubble, Water Gun
Beginner Level: Tackle, Dragon Breath, Absorb, Acid Spray, Iron Tail, Protect
Pokemon: Goomy (Hisuian)
Level: 20 ♀
Type: Dragon
Ability: Sap Sipper
Moves: Bubble,
Beginner Level: Water Gun, Tackle, Dragon Breath, Protect, Iron Tail, Absorb, Acid Spray
