Chapter 11: That Gyarados Is Scary

As Julian wakes up in the motel room, he finds himself alone. He gazes at the desk and spots a note left behind. The note reads, 'Thank you for last night; it was the most exciting battle I've ever had. Hope we meet again - Jenny.'

Julian shook his head as he read it. 'These Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys have such demanding lives; they can't enjoy the ordinary life of regular people, being busy all day,' he thought to himself.

Julian muttered, "I better get ready and go challenge the gym."

Julian got ready and headed to the reception desk. The receptionist greeted him with a wide smile, clearly aware of his pleasant time with Jenny the previous night. Julian, unfazed, returned the smile, checked out of the motel, and made his way outside.

He spotted his new bike and affectionately ran his hand over it before mounting it and setting off towards the gym. It was morning, and there was no performance, so he entered directly. Inside, he was greeted by an unexpected sight: three girls reclining on beach chairs, sunbathing under the sunlight filtering through the roof. These were the renowned Sensational Sisters.

When the sisters noticed Julian's arrival, they couldn't help but be captivated by his presence. They got up from their chairs and approached him, trying to catch his attention with their charm. Julian, however, remained unfazed. With a wealth of life experience, he was no stranger to a woman's allure. He appreciated their beauty but remained focused on his goal."

Daisy: "What brings such a handsome young man to visit us? Are you here for our autographs?"

Violet: "We don't typically give autographs, but we could make an exception if you spend some time with us."

Lily: "Indeed, we'd be delighted to have such a handsome companion."

The sisters took their time admiring Julian's appearance and spoke to him flirtatiously.

Julian, while enjoying the attention, was no pervert and politely declined their offer.

Julian: "I appreciate the offer, but I'm not here for autographs. I've come to challenge you to a Pokémon battle."

Daisy: "Oh, that's disappointing, but we accept your challenge."

Julian was surprised by their swift acceptance. It seemed that they were not as easygoing as they appeared in the anime.

Julian thought, Looks like they've lost some confidence after their defeat by Gray and other trainers from Pallet Town in the anime, but that incident won't happen for another month. Right now, they seem to be in high spirits.

Julian: "That's great. My name is Julian. Let's start the battle. What are the rules?"

Daisy: "You'll battle all three of us sisters, but each of us will use only one Pokémon. You can use three Pokémon. The first person whose three Pokémon are unable to battle loses."

Julian: "That's fair. Let's begin."

Julian took his place on the battle platform, and his first opponent was Lily.

Lily: "I hope you're ready for a challenge. Go, Goldeen!" She threw a Pokéball, and a Goldeen emerged.

Julian: "Don't worry, Gyarados, I choose you!"

When Lily heard that Julian was sending out Gyarados, she was already startled. But when she saw the colossal, red Gyarados emerge, she began to literally sweat. The beads of sweat were suddenly washed away by the water splashing from Gyarados. Daisy and Violet, too, were visibly intimidated by the sight of the giant Gyarados.

Lily stammered, "That Gyarados is huge! This feels like cheating."

Julian responded with a confident smile, "Cheating? Is there a rule against using a Gyarados in a gym battle?"

Lily, momentarily distracted by his smile, quickly regained her composure and muttered, "No, there's no such rule."

Julian nodded. "Alright, then let's begin."

Lily commanded her Goldeen, "Goldeen, use Horn Attack!" Goldeen lunged at Gyarados with a Horn Attack, but it proved futile as Gyarados's defense far surpassed Goldeen's attack.

Lily exclaimed in disbelief, "Impossible!"

Julian commanded confidently, "Gyarados, send Goldeen flying with a Tail Whip!" Gyarados obeyed, effortlessly sending Goldeen soaring out of the water.

Daisy declared, "Goldeen is unable to battle. Gyarados wins."

Violet stepped forward, exchanging places with Lily, and said, "I'll be your next opponent. Go, Seaking!"

Julian replied with a smile, "It's a pleasure."

Violet wasted no time, instructing her Seaking, "Seaking, use Water Pulse!"

Julian countered, "Gyarados, use Water Gun to deflect it!" The clash of Water Gun and Water Pulse created massive waves underwater.

Seizing the opportunity, Julian commanded, "Gyarados, now's your chance! Use Headbutt and finish it off!"

Amidst the swirling, confused waters, Seaking was suddenly struck by a powerful headbutt and sent flying.

Violet clenched her teeth, watching as her Seaking fell defeated.

Daisy declared, "Seaking is unable to battle. Gyarados wins."

She approached Julian and admitted, "Challenger Julian, we don't have any Pokémon that can defeat your Gyarados, so we must admit defeat."

With a graceful acceptance, Julian received the Cascade Badge. He had been prepared for this event, knowing the sisters' aversion to losing in battles. They preferred admitting defeat rather than losing in a Pokémon battle, which was why they had stopped accepting challenges after their defeat by Gary and other trainers from Pallet Town in the anime.

Misty, who had been observing the battle from a corner of the gym, clenched her hands tightly. She was now determined to become stronger to prevent such a humiliating defeat from happening again.

Julian offered some advice as he prepared to leave, "Train yourselves and your Pokémon to become stronger. You wouldn't want just anyone to defeat you as easily as I did. It might hurt your pride."

He then exited the gym, leaving the three sisters in a contemplative silence. Today's defeat had ignited a newfound determination within them.

Julian had purposely sown the seeds of determination in the Sensational Sisters because he wanted them to become strong opponents, especially for Gary. Although he wasn't directly related to Gary, their time spent together had brought them closer. Julian's intention was to provide Gary with challenging battles as he began his journey. He didn't have much concern for other trainers from Pallet Town, as he had never met them and wasn't overly concerned if he had made their journey more difficult.

Julian grinned and said to himself, "Now that I have my second badge, it's time to head to Cinnabar Island to resurrect that fossil. Just thinking about the Kabuto evolving into Kabutops gets me excited. Kabutops boasts incredible defense, but what's truly frightening is its speed and attack power. Even Kabuto, in its own right, isn't weak. Its attack and defense are top-notch, and there aren't many Pokémon that can match its speed in the water."

With a sense of anticipation, Julian hopped on his bike and headed toward the nearby seaport.