"Then let's begin!"
Barry didn't hesitate.
There was no countdown. No testing of the wind. No quiet assessment.
The moment the words left his mouth, he moved.
"Staraptor, Quick Attack!"
"Star—RRAA!"
Staraptor launched forward in a blur, wings snapping tight against its body as white streaks of speed wrapped around its form. The air split around it with a sharp whistle. Dust scattered from the field as it accelerated.
The attack was fast.
Clean.
Direct.
Gary didn't even blink.
So he's opening with speed.
A probing strike.
Staraptor's body slammed into Magnezone's metallic shell—
CLANG!
The sound rang harshly across the empty field, echoing off the nearby gym walls.
Staraptor recoiled mid-air.
"Star—?!"
Its wings flared awkwardly as it flapped backward, shaking its head as if disoriented. The impact had clearly hurt more than expected.
Magnezone hovered in place.
Unmoved.
Its electromagnetic coils hummed softly, almost lazily.
Steel-type.
Naturally dense.
Naturally resistant.
Ramming into it head-on with pure physical momentum was like tackling a reinforced steel door.
Barry's expression twitched.
But he refused to slow down.
"Don't hesitate! Keep the pressure on it!"
Gary sighed faintly.
Reckless aggression.
Very Barry.
"Lock-On," Gary said calmly.
"Magne—zone."
Magnezone's central eye glowed crimson.
A targeting reticle materialized over Staraptor's body, a red ring locking into place with mechanical precision. It pulsed once—then stabilized.
Barry's eyes widened immediately.
He recognized the danger.
"Quick! Close Combat!"
"Star—RRAAA!"
Staraptor tucked its wings and dove again, aura flaring violently as Fighting-type energy wrapped around its talons and wingtips. This wasn't a probing strike.
It was full commitment.
All or nothing.
"Zap Cannon."
Magnezone's electromagnetic field surged.
A massive sphere of unstable lightning condensed between its magnets, crackling violently. The air around it distorted from raw electrical density.
With Lock-On active—
There was no missing.
BOOM!
The electric blast erupted forward in a blinding flash, engulfing Staraptor mid-dive.
"STAR—!"
The scream was cut short.
Blue arcs detonated outward, snapping across the battlefield like wild whips. The scent of ozone filled the air.
When the light faded—
Staraptor fell.
Not gliding.
Not spiraling.
Falling.
It struck the ground heavily, wings twitching as residual sparks crawled across its feathers.
It did not rise.
The referee's indicator light flashed red.
"Staraptor is unable to battle!"
Barry froze.
"One hit…?"
His voice sounded smaller now.
Staraptor had always been his reliable opener.
Fast.
Explosive.
Fearless.
And it had just been erased.
Gary watched quietly.
Level difference.
Type interaction.
Execution precision.
This wasn't humiliation.
It was mathematics.
Barry clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles whitened.
"I'm not done!"
He recalled Staraptor quickly and hurled another Poké Ball forward without pause.
"Go! Hitmonlee!"
"LEE!"
Hitmonlee landed lightly, balancing on its spring-like legs. Its body bounced once, absorbing the impact effortlessly. Its eyes were sharp—disciplined.
[Hitmonlee | Level: 45 | Elite]
Gary gave a small nod.
At least this choice accounted for type advantage.
"Hitmonlee, Jump Kick!"
"LEE!"
Hitmonlee crouched, muscles compressing like coiled springs.
Then it launched skyward.
The vertical acceleration was astonishing. Its elastic legs propelled it upward like a rocket, body twisting mid-air as Fighting-type energy concentrated into its extended leg.
But Gary had already anticipated the angle.
"Gravity."
Magnezone's body pulsed.
A low hum filled the field.
The air warped.
An invisible force pressed downward across the entire battlefield.
Hitmonlee's ascent faltered.
Its expression shifted instantly—from aggression to alarm.
"Lee—?!"
The crushing gravitational pressure seized it mid-air.
Its upward momentum died.
The force dragged it down brutally.
Hitmonlee slammed into the ground hard, Jump Kick interrupted before contact.
A dull thud echoed.
Barry's eyes widened.
"Gravity works on that too?!"
Of course it did.
Gravity didn't discriminate.
It pressed on everything.
"Thunderbolt," Gary said evenly.
"Magne—ZOOONE!"
A concentrated bolt of lightning tore forward, slicing through the air in a jagged streak.
Hitmonlee was struck cleanly.
Electricity surged across its limbs, lighting up the battlefield in crackling blue arcs.
Yet—
It did not seize.
It did not freeze.
Barry's eyes flashed with recognition.
"Limber!"
Gary gave a faint nod.
Correct.
Limber prevented paralysis.
Hitmonlee would not stiffen or lock up.
But immunity to paralysis did not grant immunity to damage.
Hitmonlee's knees buckled.
Still—
It forced itself upright.
"LEE!"
It charged forward again, ignoring the pain.
"Blaze Kick!"
Flames ignited along its extended leg as it spun into a powerful flaming arc, heat rippling through the air.
CLANG!
The fiery strike connected squarely with Magnezone's metallic shell.
The impact rang loudly.
Sparks scattered.
But Magnezone barely shifted.
Steel-type durability.
Level advantage.
Raw defensive stats.
Barry's breath grew ragged.
Gary did not hesitate.
"Thunderbolt."
Again.
This time stronger.
More direct.
The lightning struck point-blank.
Hitmonlee stiffened mid-stride—
Then collapsed face-first onto the battlefield.
Its body twitched once.
Then stilled.
The referee's light flashed red again.
"Hitmonlee is unable to battle!"
Barry stood frozen.
Two Pokémon down.
Both defeated cleanly.
His chest rose and fell rapidly—not from physical exertion, but from frustration he couldn't swallow.
Gary spoke calmly.
"You can forfeit if you'd like."
Barry's head snapped up violently.
"Forfeit?!"
His face flushed red instantly.
"I'm not quitting!"
He gripped his final Poké Ball tightly.
"This one's different!"
Gary's gaze sharpened slightly.
Empoleon?
That would at least provide a neutral exchange.
Barry hurled the Poké Ball forward.
"Roserade! Let's go!"
"Roooose!"
Roserade emerged in a graceful spin, twin bouquet-like hands swaying elegantly. Its red and blue petals shimmered under the sunlight, and its stance was poised—controlled.
[Roserade | Level: 43 | Elite]
Gary blinked once.
Not Empoleon.
Interesting.
So he is thinking now.
Grass/Poison.
Not weak to Electric.
Neutral ground.
Barry wasn't purely impulse.
"Roserade, Stun Spore!" Barry commanded immediately.
"Rose—Raaa!"
Roserade spun with dancer-like precision, scattering a cloud of golden spores into the air.
But—
They dropped.
Every single one.
The spores fell straight down as if dragged by invisible hands, settling uselessly onto the ground.
Barry stared.
"…Gravity."
He had forgotten.
Gravity suppressed airborne tactics.
Powder-based moves lost spread.
No floating advantage.
No evasive lift.
Gary raised a hand slightly.
"Flash Cannon."
Magnezone's body glowed silver-white.
A focused beam of compressed steel energy fired forward in a straight line.
BOOM!
The blast struck Roserade squarely in the torso.
"ROSE—!"
Roserade was thrown backward, skidding across the field. Dust and fragments of soil kicked up behind it.
It struggled.
Its petals trembled.
But it forced itself upright.
Barry's jaw tightened.
"Roserade, use Solar Beam!"
Gary's eyebrow lifted slightly.
Bold choice.
Solar Beam required charge time.
Under Gravity.
Against a higher-level opponent.
Roserade planted its feet firmly.
Golden light began gathering between its bouquet-like hands, sunlight drawn inward and compressed into a radiant sphere.
"Rose… Rose…"
The energy intensified, growing brighter with each passing second.
Gary did not issue a command immediately.
He simply watched.
Barry noticed.
"You're not attacking?!"
"I'll let you fire it," Gary said calmly. "Show me your resolve."
There was no mockery in his voice.
Only quiet certainty.
Barry's pride flared, but this time he didn't shout.
He focused.
"We won't lose!"
"Rose—RAA!"
The Solar Beam reached its peak, blindingly bright.
"Then show me what you and Roserade can really do," Gary said calmly.
No contempt.
No ridicule.
Only steady confidence.
Barry's jaw tightened.
This time there was no wild charge.
No reckless gamble.
Only determination.
"Roserade… are you ready?"
"Rose—raade!"
Roserade straightened despite its injuries.
The petals along its arms glowed fiercely as the compressed sphere of solar energy pulsed between them, radiating heat and light across the battlefield.