On the battlefield, the Graveler's rolling speed grew faster and faster.
Its gray rocky body scraped violently against the ground, the friction so intense that faint red glimmers of heat began to glow across the surface of its stone sphere.
It was obvious that it had already gathered an immense amount of force—its rolling momentum rising like a snowball tumbling downhill, ready to decide the battle in a single decisive blow.
Feebas immediately gathered a second Water Pulse.
The translucent ring of water shone with a clear blue radiance as it shot once again toward Graveler.
But this time—Graveler, rolling at high speed, displayed an astonishing agility that completely contradicted its bulky frame.
Using a slight rise in the rocky battlefield as leverage, its body abruptly tilted, forcibly altering its rolling trajectory.
The water ring grazed the very edge of its surface, roaring past before smashing heavily into the ground behind it.
With a loud splash, water burst everywhere—yet not a single drop touched its intended target.
"It missed!"
A wave of startled gasps erupted from the audience.
They had clearly been shocked by this sudden, unexpected change of direction.
"The rolling speed is increasing!"
Theo's fingertips tightened ever so slightly, but his gaze remained calm and steady, firmly locked on every detail unfolding on the battlefield.
By now, Graveler's rolling speed was nearly double what it had been at the start.
The intense wind pressure generated by its spinning stone body was strong enough to blow scattered gravel aside and kick up clouds of dust.
It had clearly entered the ramp-up phase of Rollout—its power now anything but negligible.
"Feebas, continue using Water Pulse."
Theo's command remained unchanged.
The moment he repeated the same order again, the crowd present and the audience watching the livestream instantly grew restless.
The barrage of comments flooded across the screen:
"Streamer?? Still Water Pulse?? Didn't you see it can't hit anymore?!"
"Use Whirlpool! Trap it! Rollout only gets stronger the longer it's used—keep waiting and it's over!"
"I'm lost… why isn't he changing moves? He should stop using Water Pulse!"
"???"
But despite every doubt and outcry from the viewers, Theo acted as though he heard none of it.
His eyes remained fixed on the battlefield, watching as each Water Pulse burst into splashes that gradually soaked the rough stone ground.
A thin layer of water slowly began forming across the battlefield, quietly changing the terrain.
Feebas, who trusted Theo completely, showed not even a hint of hesitation.
It continued firing Water Pulse over and over without pause.
Each water ring exploded across the ground, spraying droplets everywhere.
The once-dry rocky battlefield quickly became drenched, and shallow puddles began pooling in the low areas.
The entire battlefield gradually transformed into a slick, slippery landscape—already drifting toward the beginnings of a muddy swamp.
"What is he planning…?"
Roxanne stared at the fully soaked ground, an inexplicable sense of unease rising in her heart.
Graveler's Rollout continued to grow in speed and ferocity, but on the wet ground, its path had begun to lose its previous stability.
Tiny, faint deviations appeared in its trajectory—subtle, but real.
"Graveler, charge straight at Feebas with everything you've got! End it now!"
Roxanne stopped hesitating and decisively issued her final attack command.
"That's enough."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Theo's mouth, a glimmer of understanding flashing through his eyes.
He finally changed his command:
"Feebas, use Icy Wind! Aim for the battlefield!"
Feebas immediately spun around and opened its mouth wide, unleashing a burst of frigid white air.
Wherever the icy breath passed, the air itself seemed to freeze solid.
The water-soaked stone ground instantly crystallized, forming ice.
A smooth, mirror-like sheet spread outward with astonishing speed—covering more than half the battlefield in mere seconds.
The small puddles that had formed earlier now froze into gleaming mirrors of clear, solid ice, reflecting the sunlight pouring in from the skylights above so brightly that the audience had to squint.
"No—this is bad!"
Roxanne's expression changed drastically.
She finally saw through Theo's strategy and shouted urgently:
"Graveler, stop! Stabilize yourself!"
But Graveler, having accumulated unstoppable momentum, had already reached the peak of its Rollout.
Like a wild beast freed from its reins, stopping was no longer possible.
The moment it rolled onto the smooth ice, its massive body skidded violently.
The once-straight trajectory immediately twisted into a wobbling, unstable mess.
The stone sphere born from Rollout ricocheted and bounced across the ice uncontrollably, slamming repeatedly into the frozen surface, unable to adjust itself in the slightest.
It was a runaway boulder—completely out of control.
"Now! Whirlpool!"
Theo's voice rose sharply, carrying an undeniable sense of command and finality.
Feebas seized the fleeting, perfect opportunity.
Water-type energy surged explosively around its small body, the pale blue glow suddenly blazing with intensity.
On the slick ice, a massive water vortex erupted upward from the ground, swirling violently.
Fragments of sharp ice were swept into the spiraling waters, turning the Whirlpool into a destructive force like an invisible giant hand.
It slammed into the wildly skidding Graveler, engulfing it entirely.
"Grr—!"
Graveler roared inside the vortex, its four thick arms flailing in desperation.
It tried to grab onto something—anything—to stabilize itself, but it was hopeless.
Its frantic movements only churned the water harder, causing the Whirlpool to toss it even more violently.
The vortex spun faster and faster, the ice shards within cutting and scraping against Graveler's rocky body with sharp crack, crack sounds.
"Feebas—finish it! Water Pulse!"
Theo's voice echoed powerfully across the battlefield—steady, unwavering, carrying absolute confidence in victory.
Locked inside the Whirlpool with no way to gain foothold or escape, Graveler could only be tossed helplessly by the vortex.
It couldn't even adjust its posture.
It was completely exposed—a perfectly vulnerable target.
Feebas's eyes sharpened, and water-type energy surged rapidly around it—denser and brighter than before, almost tangible.
It focused its power with everything it had, gathering and compressing the energy in front of it.
A Water Pulse, several times thicker than its usual ones, formed instantly.
In the next moment, the enormous water ring shot forward with crushing force, like a thunderclap breaking the sky, slamming directly into Graveler trapped in the Whirlpool.
BOOM!
The instant the Water Pulse hit, it exploded violently—its shockwave and rushing water combining into a devastating impact.
CRASH!
With a deafening roar, the Whirlpool burst apart as Graveler was hurled downward.
Its huge body slammed hard onto the icy ground, creating a resounding thud before lying completely still.
It did not get up again.
"Graveler is unable to battle!"
The referee stood frozen for several seconds, stunned, before finally announcing in disbelief:
"Challenger Theo Glenwood, wins!"
Feebas landed lightly on the ice, its tail fin swaying, scattering tiny shards around it.
It lifted its small head toward Theo, its big round eyes shining with excitement and joy.
Its violet scales gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight, radiant with triumph.
For a brief moment, the audience fell utterly silent—still overwhelmed by the series of breathtaking reversals they had just witnessed.
Then, like an explosion, thunderous applause and cheers filled the gym, echoing without end.
The livestream barrage erupted into a flood:
"Holy crap!! That was insane! Wetting the field with Water Pulse, to freezing it with Icy Wind, to trapping with Whirlpool and then to finishing with Water Pulse! Step by step, perfectly planned!"
"I take it back! I never should've doubted the streamer! That strategy was genius!"
"Feebas is unbelievable! It went from being looked down on to completely turning the tables! I'm blown away!!"
"Who still dares say Feebas is useless trash? Come out now! See how wrong you were!"
"The synergy between the trainer and Feebas is incredible. This is what a true bond looks like!"
Roxanne returned Graveler to its Poké Ball, then approached Theo.
Her expression held open admiration, without the slightest reservation.
"Amazing.
You manipulated the battlefield itself, guiding the flow of the fight step by step… then used the ice to create the fatal opening.
This is already beyond the level of an ordinary trainer."
She handed him a badge carved with rocky patterns, her tone solemn:
"This Stone Badge—you've earned it."
Theo accepted it.
The badge felt cool and solid in his hand, the etched patterns distinct beneath his fingertips.
He bowed deeply to Roxanne.
"I'm honored, Gym Leader Roxanne. Thank you for your guidance."
After that, Theo stepped forward and picked up Feebas.
The little fish nuzzled his palm affectionately with its damp head, letting out a delighted cry as it snuggled close— its voice full of pride, joy and playfulness.
(End of Chapter)
TN: New chapters? Sorry it took so long I'm just too lazy to upload here. I translated like three Pokemon novels in my patreon and one of them is so fucking good I translated like 60 chapters in two days. I suggest you guys go to my patreon and read it there since its on free post stuff till chap 30 or wait till I upload maybe next week?
Pokemon: Master System - this one is the peak reading to me right now, its set in the real world but I edited it heavily that you'll think its on another world.
Legend of James - mid, not good but not bad. All chapters free right now up to chapter 24. I'll upload six more tomorrow on it.
Pokémon Legendary Trainer who Farms - the one which is translated here already to chapter 78 here I think? I'm on chapter 24 too there on my patreon which I'll add six more tomorrow.
And guys, if I didn't update here for so long go to my patreon and bug me there to upload since I always drag my feet when it comes to uploading here since I don't really chase things here anymore and I just wanna read stuff.