In this initially tranquil and peaceful trial world, where time itself seemed to stand still, a mysterious power quietly surged. The originally calm, mirror-like, and silently flowing Water-type energy suddenly began to churn violently, as if stirred by some invisible, giant hand.
The trickling stream’s flow rate accelerated at an astonishing pace. The area covered by this stream also rapidly expanded.
It was no longer confined to its original narrow channel, but spread out wantonly, submerging large areas of the surrounding land. The once lush, green riverbanks were now swallowed by the surging flood, leaving behind only a muddy chaos.
Gradually, the stream had transformed into a turbulent, raging river.
And beneath this river, Water-type energy converged into a blue figure. It seemed exceptionally skilled at swimming, completely unaffected by the swift river currents, and was rapidly rising to the surface.
It had strong arms with three fingers, seemingly wearing white gloves, and no toes on its feet. Its two eyes protruded from its head, often half-open, half-closed. There was a black, swirling pattern on its white belly.
Pfft~ A figure of developed, strong muscles leaped out of the river, moving rapidly across the water's surface using its well-developed muscles, and reached the riverbank in an instant.
Zhang Heng recognized the Pokémon that appeared and commented, “Poliwrath, a Water-type and Fighting-type Pokémon. Its body fat percentage is basically 0%, making it an excellent subject for medical dissection research.”
Mudkip and Walking Wake said nothing. The two Pokémon merely glanced at each other, remaining silent, fearing they might attract the dissection maniac’s favor.
"Lili~"
That clear, pleasant sound drifted from the bottom of a waterfall whose source was unknown. This cry was like a joyful melody from a nimble little Pokémon hidden deep within a lake, singing freely with a light and cheerful demeanor.
As this beautiful song echoed, the previously sparse and scattered pink Fairy-type energy began to flow slowly, gradually gathering at the base of the waterfall.
These pink energies and deep blue Water-type energies intertwined and merged, ultimately forming a dazzling ball of light.
Within this ball of light, a rabbit-like figure began to form, with two long ears, red on the inside, and a nearly spherical blue body.
This figure moved upstream against the waterfall, broke through the water's surface, and landed beside Poliwrath. It had six white spherical patterns of varying sizes, and white wavy patterns on its abdomen. The base of its tail was a black curve, ending in a blue sphere.
Zhang Heng looked at the newly arrived Pokémon: “Oh, Azumarill, the best early-game raid expert in Scarlet and Violet, nicknamed the Dragon Slayer, with a Water-type and Fairy-type attribute combination. Interesting.”
Above the turbulent river, the deep blue text began to dissipate, recombine, and transform into new words.
“Trial participant, please choose one from Poliwrath or Azumarill as your final trial opponent. Once the trial begins, it cannot be changed. This trial is a one-on-one, no-rules battle, with only one chance. Failure will result in immediate expulsion from outside the Water Tower.”
Zhang Heng frowned slightly, gently rubbing his chin with one hand, his gaze fixed on the two trial targets not far ahead. His eyes revealed a hint of contemplation and hesitation, as if weighing an important decision.
At the same time, he subconsciously glanced at Walking Wake, who stood quietly beside him. Since this trial required an all-out battle, and the opponent would not reduce the difficulty based on their combat power as in previous trials, Zhang Heng knew that the key to this battle lay in how to fully utilize Walking Wake's strength.
At this moment, Zhang Heng was deep in thought. Which one should they choose as their opponent? After all, this trial offered only one chance to challenge.
If he failed, not only would he not know when the Water Tower would reopen, but he also couldn't be sure if he would be able to regain the precious qualification to participate in the trial again.
The surrounding atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Zhang Heng took a deep breath, thinking to himself: “If I choose Poliwrath, its Water-type and Fighting-type attribute combination is exactly like Rapid Strike Style Urshifu. Its physical defense, physical attack, and HP are all excellent, all above 90 points.”
In fact, Zhang Heng didn't take Poliwrath seriously, even finding it a “very interesting dissection subject.”
Poliwrath would be a very good offensive target for Kubfu, allowing it to hone its control over Fighting-type moves.
However, Poliwrath was not suitable for Walking Wake. Furthermore, Poliwrath's move pool did not contain many moves that could effectively counter Walking Wake. Therefore, Walking Wake's victory would only be a matter of time.
Zhang Heng shifted his gaze to Azumarill, who was swaying its body and standing on its tiptoes.
After Zhang Heng arrived in this world, the system tasked him with becoming a dual-type Trainer, specializing in Water-type and Dragon-type Pokémon, and gave him a team building mission. To become a Trainer of corresponding attributes, one must not only understand the strengths of one's own attributes but also their weaknesses.
Dragon-type has always been a popular choice in battles due to its excellent resistances, the impressive performance of Dragon-type legendary Pokémon, the scarcity of Dragon-type Pokémon, and the fact that most Generals possess the Dragon Attribute. All of these have elevated Dragon-type to a divine status.
Perhaps to weaken the dominance of Dragon-type in battles, the Fairy-type attribute was introduced in the sixth generation. It not only deals double damage to Dragon-type but can also completely nullify Dragon-type moves, temporarily reducing the viability of Dragon-type Pokémon.
To become a Dragon-type Pokémon Trainer in this world, the great mountain you must overcome is the Fairy-type.
This issue must be faced sooner or later, whether now or in the future. It's an opportunity to thoroughly understand the Fairy-type situation in this world, which will provide valuable experience for future battles against Fairy-type Pokémon.
Zhang Heng took a deep breath and slowly turned his gaze to Walking Wake standing beside him. He spoke to Walking Wake, “Walking Wake, this is our second battle. Do you still remember our crushing defeat against Urshifu last time? But it doesn't matter, this time will definitely be different! Let this battle be a brand new starting point. From now on, let's grow together into true powerhouses!”
At this point, Zhang Heng clenched his fists tightly, his eyes shining with firm and fervent light.
“Our choice is Azumarill as the final trial opponent.”