Chapter 199: 199. Kai vs Danny -3

Words : 1062 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

---- Faced with such an overwhelming loss in the first round, Danny could only chuckle bitterly. But in the face of absolute power, he had to admit defeat. "Alright, you won the first round," he said. "But the second round won't be about raw power. This time, we'll be crafting something out of the ice we just froze!" As he spoke, he pointed to a wooden board with a simple diagram etched onto an ice boat. "The rule for this challenge is simple: each trainer can use up to three Pokémon to carve their ice into the shape of a boat. Whoever finishes first wins the second round!" Kai smiled, 'the challenges here are exactly the same as they had been in the anime, unchanged' "I accept." Sabrina, however, listened to the rules with a faint scoff and shook her head. 'They're making boats out of ice? Is this really the standard of the Navel Gym? First freezing water, now crafting ice boats... what's next? Sliding down the mountain like children?' To her, these challenges were nothing short of absurd. Compared to the Mikan Gym's shooting game, this was even more childish. And compared to the Indigo League's rigorous standards, it was an outright joke. Since arriving in the Orange Islands, Sabrina has enjoyed the journey. The people, the scenery, and the time spent travelling with Kai had given her many wonderful memories. But deep down, she held no respect for the Orange League. To her, it was amateurish. Its Gym Leaders, its rules none of it felt like a real Pokémon League. Where was the battle? Where was the strategy? How could a competition be considered legitimate if it didn't even involve actual Pokémon combat? Were they testing trainers for battle skills or... for all-around sportsmanship? Still, since Kai hadn't objected, Sabrina remained silent. She knew he must have his own reasons for playing along. Meanwhile, Danny released two more Pokémon Machoke and Scyther to join Nidoqueen, forming his three-Pokémon team. Kai took a moment to consider before recalling Articuno. Instead, he sent out Gardevoir and Jolteon, while Haunter emerged from the shadows to complete his trio. Danny's eyes lingered on Gardevoir. He had never seen this Pokémon before. 'What is this? It's beautiful... Did he catch it in another region?' With Articuno and now this rare Pokémon, Danny grew even more curious about Kai's true identity. But there was no time to dwell on that. As soon as both trainers confirmed their teams, Danny raised his arm the challenge had begun! Ice Boat Crafting Begins Both sides' Pokémon immediately got to work shaping their blocks of ice into boats. Danny stood back, not giving a single command his Pokémon had done this so many times that they didn't even need instructions. Especially Scyther, whose scythe-like forearms carved through the ice effortlessly, sculpting a sleek and refined boat at incredible speed. Compared to them, Kai's Pokémon were significantly slower. For one, Articuno had frozen the water too solidly, making the ice harder to work with. For another, his Pokémon had never done anything like this before. They had to carefully carve and sculpt, making sure not to shatter the ice by accident. Kai called out instructions, directing their efforts. "Gardevoir, use Psychic to rotate the ice!" "Haunter cut away that excess part!" "Jolteon, clear out the ice shavings!" With every slice and adjustment, ice chips flew everywhere. His team was working as fast as they could, but even so, Danny's Pokémon finished first. Kai sighed, 'There was no helping it' This wasn't about power or battle skill it was a purely technical challenge. And in that regard, Danny's Pokémon simply had more experience. Still, despite losing this round, Kai didn't mind too much. His Pokémon had fun, and that was enough. "Looks like we're tied 1-1," Danny said, visibly relieved that he hadn't been swept in two rounds. "But now... it's time for the final event!" Before moving on, both trainers worked together to push their ice boats to the starting line, marked by a flag labelled 'START'. It was only now that Kai realized something, The slope they were about to slide down was the same mountain face they had climbed up. And it was steep. From their vantage point, they could see the entire island stretching out below the ocean shimmering beyond the cliffs. Danny gestured toward the base of the mountain. "For this final round, we'll test the bond between trainer and Pokémon. Both of us and our Pokémon will ride our ice boats down the mountain. Whoever reaches the beach first wins!" Kai examined the slope ahead. "And the course? Do we have to follow a specific path?" Danny shook his head. "Nope! As long as you stay in your boat, you can take any route to the finish!" Kai smirked. "No rules racing, huh?" "That's right!" Danny grinned. "Now let's see who gets to the bottom first!" With that, Danny swapped out his team he recalled Nidoqueen and Machoke and replaced them with Geodude and Electrode, keeping Scyther as his third Pokémon. Kai, however, didn't change his lineup. He sat at the front of his boat, with Gardevoir, Jolteon, and Haunter positioned behind him. Next to them, a signal light was mounted on a pole. The moment the red light turned green, both trainers shoved off, sending their ice boats plunging down the slope. The Final Race Begins! From above, Sabrina took the gondola down following a separate track parallel to the race. From her elevated position, she could observe the entire competition. At first, the ice boats moved at a gentle pace. But within seconds they picked up speed. Faster and faster. The wind roared in Kai's ears as the icy surface sent them hurtling downward. On either side of the track, rocky outcroppings and obstacles loomed if they crashed into anything at this speed, the boats would be destroyed instantly. Kai narrowed his eyes. This wasn't just a race. It was a battle for survival. ---- Don't forget to drop some Power Stones! For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon. P@treon/iamxeno Thank you so much for your support and for reading!

Chapter 199: 199. Kai vs Danny -3

Comments (0)