Luna could barely contain herself as they headed back up the mountain.
Grusha, walking beside Gary, looked as if his head hurt. Anyone could see what was on his sister's mind: she wanted to watch Articuno fight—and she wanted to see her brother, the famous Ice‑type Gym Leader, battle this mysterious Trainer from Kanto.
"Are you sure it's okay?" Gary asked quietly once they reached a broad, packed stretch of snow. "I don't want to interfere with the Gym's schedule."
"As long as it's a formal challenge, I can't refuse," Grusha replied. "That's part of being a Gym Leader. Come on."
He whistled softly. A massive Cetitan rose from a nearby drift, snow sliding from its back. Grusha and Luna climbed up onto its broad head, and the Ice‑type began to "swim" uphill through the deep drifts.
Gary recalled Cetoddle, then took to the air on Articuno, following alongside as they ascended toward the summit of Glaseado Mountain.
Unlike most regions, Paldea's Gyms favored open‑air battlefields. Glaseado Gym was no exception: its official arena was carved straight into the mountaintop, where anyone on the slopes could watch.
Under normal League procedures, a challenger first had to clear Grusha's Gym test—Snow Slope Run, a brutal downhill time trial—before earning the right to battle him. Today, however, Grusha himself had brought Gary up. The formality of the test quietly fell away.
As soon as Articuno's silhouette cut across the sky, voices rose from the viewing areas around the summit.
"Whoa, is that—Articuno?!"
"It really is! And Grusha's with him!"
"That kid actually has an Articuno…!"
One half of the mountaintop hosted groomed ski trails and a twisting snow track. The other half was a wide, flattened basin of ice ringed with low safety rails: the Gym arena. Skiers on break and curious locals drifted toward it, eager for a show.
Gary recalled Articuno to its Poké Ball to keep the commotion manageable and walked onto the challenger's side of the field as Grusha stepped onto the opposite end.
A small wooden cabin sat just off the arena. Luna dashed over, yanked the door open, and disappeared inside.
"Brother, I'll get the referee!" she called.
A few moments later, a man in a thick padded coat emerged, climbed onto the referee's stand, and looked between Gary and Grusha.
"Challenger, what is your name?" he asked.
Usually challengers registered at the Gym, but this time the Leader himself had brought Gary, so the referee clearly didn't know him.
"Gary," he replied.
The referee nodded, then raised his flags. His voice carried crisply over the snow.
"The official Gym battle between challenger Gary and Glaseado Gym Leader Grusha is about to begin! Each side may use up to four Pokémon. Only the challenger is permitted to switch Pokémon during the match. Gym Leader Grusha, please send out your first Pokémon!"
A familiar system chime echoed in Gary's mind.
[Ding! New tasks issued:]
1. Obtain the Glaseado Gym Badge.
Rewards: 8 Intermediate Rare Candies, Ice‑type Permanent TM, 1 Top‑Quality Never‑Melt Ice.
2. Obtain the Glaseado Gym Badge using only Paldea‑region Pokémon.
Rewards: 8 Intermediate Rare Candies, Ice‑type Permanent TM of your choice, 1 Random Item, 1 Permanent Ice‑Type Tera Shard (changes a Pokémon's Tera Type to Ice).
A permanent Ice‑type Tera Shard, Gary thought. That's worth going all‑out for.
Grusha didn't throw his Poké Ball immediately. Instead, he looked at Gary.
"One reminder," he said. "This is Paldea—you're allowed to use Terastallization in official battles. Every Gym Leader carries a Tera Orb, and challengers can use their own as well. You know that, right?"
Gary's fingers brushed the Tera Orb in his pocket, warm with stored Terastal energy. "I know. If the timing's right, I'll use it."
"Good," Grusha said simply. He drew a ball from his belt. "Then let's start. Edelweiss—go."
He tossed the Poké Ball high.
White light burst forth and formed into a snow‑white moth with wide, silky wings—Frosmoth. Its body gleamed like carved ice, and every flap of its wings sent a delicate shower of glittering frost drifting through the cold air.
[Lv. 47 – Frosmoth – Gym]
"As expected from the strongest Gym Leader in Paldea," Gary thought. "He's starting with his special tank."
Frosmoth's Ability was almost certainly Ice Scales, cutting incoming special damage in half. It was a nightmare for most special attackers—but less effective against physical powerhouses.
Gary already knew exactly who to send.
"Annihilape, it's your stage."
He slammed a Poké Ball onto the ice.
A hulking, gray‑furred ape erupted from the light, chains of dark, smoky energy coiling around its body—Annihilape. Its eyes burned with simmering rage, barely leashed beneath a calm surface.
[Lv. 62 – Annihilape – Championl]
Before flying to Paldea, Gary had arranged for Annihilape to be teleported over. Among all the partners he was allowed to use here, this one had the best chance of steamrolling even Grusha's aces.
Luna recognized the Pokémon instantly and winced. "It's that Annihilape again… Brother's in trouble."
"The battle begins!" the referee declared, dropping both flags.
"Rage Fist!" Gary barked.
Annihilape's aura exploded. The spectral chains tightened around its arms as dark energy flooded its fists. It stepped forward and swung—a punch filled with spiraling fury. In front of it, a massive, shadowy fist materialized and rocketed across the field, trailing wisps of black flame.
"Frosmoth, Ice Beam!" Grusha countered, choosing to meet the attack head‑on.
Frosmoth's antennae glowed bright blue. An orb of Ice‑type energy formed before it, then narrowed into a frigid beam that lanced straight toward the oncoming Rage Fist.
The two attacks collided midair.
For a heartbeat, the Ice Beam carved a glowing path through the dark energy—but then the shadow fist punched straight through it, shattering the beam into a cloud of glittering ice dust. Rage Fist didn't slow down at all.
Bang!!
The giant spectral fist smashed into Frosmoth's chest. The moth was launched backward, slamming into the snow near the edge of the arena and skidding several meters before coming to a stop half‑buried in a drift. Its crystal‑like wings twitched once, then went limp.
"Frosmoth is unable to battle!" the referee shouted, voice edged with disbelief. "Round one goes to Annihilape!"
"What?!"
Luna stared at her brother's fallen partner, stunned. Frosmoth, with its Ice Scales ability, was known for enduring special attacks that would flatten ordinary Pokémon. Seeing it taken out in a single hit from a physical move left her speechless.
Even Grusha's expression flickered for a moment—surprise cracking the usual cold calm before he composed himself again.
Around the arena, the gathered skiers and Trainers erupted in murmurs. Many of them had seen previous Gym matches and knew just how durable Grusha's Frosmoth usually was.
"One punch…" someone whispered. "It went down in one punch."
"I remember that Frosmoth shrugging off super‑effective hits before," another said quietly. "If that Rage Fist blew it away, that Annihilape has to be near Elite Four level…"
"This challenger is terrifying," an older Trainer muttered, eyes narrowed on Gary. "Really terrifying."