Chapter 145: Being a bit too cryptic

"The Poison-type Gym gained a lot of fame, and then they introduced the Dark-type. Along with the 'Golden Legend' mechanism in three different categories, this became known as the 'Vicious' Gym, receiving widespread acclaim."

"Afterward, they introduced the Ghost-type, which earned the name 'Vicious Ghost Gym.' Recently, they added Dragon-type Pokémon, and now the gym is considered the 'Vicious Dragon Ghost Gym.' It's one of the must-challenge gyms for any adventurer traveling through Kanto."

Hilda returned to the spectator seats and immediately jumped online to check the official Kanto website for information on the Rota Gym.

And she was shocked!

Every single title for the gym was anything but normal, yet it received widespread praise?

Is there something wrong with the mental health of the trainers in Kanto?

On the battlefield.

Dylan and Rosa's battle was still ongoing, though thanks to the Magic Guard ability, Curse was rendered useless, but it wasn't a big deal.

Perish Song began its preparation. Dark, ominous notes sank into Mismagius and Reuniclus.

The countdown to doom had started!

Rosa's face was tense, but it didn't matter. As long as she defeated Mismagius and recalled Reuniclus, she'd be fine.

In the next moment, black shadows enveloped Reuniclus. Reuniclus could no longer be recalled normally.

At the same time, Reuniclus's Shadow Ball hit Mismagius. However, Mismagius's special defense held up well enough that the attack was still manageable.

Black musical notes began to appear on Mismagius and Reuniclus's bodies, a sign that the effects of the Perish Song were taking hold.

Rosa commanded Reuniclus to launch a fierce assault. Under Reuniclus's barrage, Mismagius's condition began to deteriorate rapidly.

But time was running out, and the Perish Song's markings on Reuniclus deepened.

"Rosa's fallen into the trap," Hilda sighed from the spectator's stand. The more Rosa rushed to defeat Mismagius, the closer she moved towards her own defeat.

Having seen Mismagius's moves before, Hilda knew very well that Mismagius had a trump card.

A calm and collected Rosa would have realized this too, but there was no time to stay calm. The Perish Song's timer was ticking, and Reuniclus didn't have much time left.

"Reuniclus, Shadow Ball!" Rosa commanded decisively.

A pitch-black Shadow Ball shot from Reuniclus toward Mismagius, hitting its target directly.

Mismagius didn't dodge and took the full hit, collapsing to the ground unconscious.

"Come back, Reuniclus...?"

Rosa breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to recall Reuniclus, but before she could finish speaking, a dark, eerie energy erupted from Mismagius's body, sinking into Reuniclus.

Rosa's eyes widened. This... was Destiny Bond?

Reuniclus let out a pained cry before falling to the ground, knocked out and unable to continue battling.

It was indeed Destiny Bond!

Rosa gritted her teeth, glaring at her defeated Reuniclus. "Argh! I just managed to take down Mismagius, and I don't even get to enjoy the victory."

"It seems you were too focused on the Perish Song," Dylan said, shaking his head with a wise yet gentle tone.

Rosa's eye twitched, glaring at Dylan through gritted teeth.

This cunning and devious man! As if Perish Song and Mean Look weren't enough, he had Destiny Bond prepared as well? What kind of gym leader does that?

"Dylan, I think it's a shame you're just a gym leader. You're too talented for that," Rosa said, a forced smile on her face.

"One must find contentment in life. I actually quite enjoy being a gym leader," Dylan replied with a polite smile.

Rosa: (Cue the "confused guy" meme)

Enjoy? How could he enjoy this? His joy comes from causing others pain! Challenging his gym probably takes years off someone's life!

I worked so hard to defeat Mismagius, and then he just takes me out with Destiny Bond. Who can accept that?

"Serperior!"

Unable to hold back any longer, Rosa called out her strongest Pokémon, her starter.

With a flash of white light, a regal and elegant Serperior raised its upper body, its gem-like eyes fixed on Dylan.

This was Serperior, the final evolution of Snivy, one of the Unova region's starter Pokémon.

"Wow, what a beautiful Pokémon!" Lillie's eyes lit up as she immediately pulled out her Pokédex to scan Serperior.

'Beep~ Serperior, the Regal Pokémon. Grass-type.

Ability: Overgrow Moves: Frenzy Plant, Giga Drain, Leaf Blade, Slam, Mega Drain, Leech Seed, Magical Leaf, Synthesis (Egg Move)...

Description: Serperior only fights seriously against strong opponents who show no fear despite its noble gaze.'

It looked strong!

"This Serperior is Rosa's starter Pokémon and her strongest partner," Hilda whispered.

"So graceful and elegant, it's absolutely stunning," Lillie was completely mesmerized by Serperior's regal appearance. It was just so beautiful!

Comparing it to the Decidueye from the Alola region or Kanto's Venusaur, there was no competition—Serperior was in a league of its own.

"A well-raised Serperior," Dylan commented after sizing it up. He couldn't help but nod in approval.

As expected of Rosa, the protagonist of "Black and White 2." Her ability to raise Pokémon was exceptional. This Serperior was in peak condition and quite powerful.

"If this is your ace, then I'll prepare a strong opponent as well," Dylan said, still maintaining his polite demeanor as he threw out another Poké Ball.

"Annihilape, get ready to battle!"

With a low, menacing growl, a wild-looking Pokémon with tangled white fur appeared in front of Dylan. Its blood-red eyes locked onto Serperior, its gray and black body exuding a violent, primal energy. White fur twisted around its head like a mane, and dark cuffs wrapped around its wrists and ankles, giving it a feral appearance.

This was Annihilape, the evolved form of Primeape that Dylan had recently captured.

'Beep~ Annihilape, Fighting/Ghost-type. The Rage Monkey Pokémon.

Ability: Defiant.

Moves: Earthquake, Close Combat, Rage Fist, Outrage, Pursuit, Cross Chop, Swagger, Shadow Punch, Shadow Claw...

Description: It condenses its deep-seated rage into its fists, its power reaching deep into an opponent's bones, crushing them.'

This Annihilape was strong!

Hilda's eyes flickered with surprise as she read through Annihilape's data. Unlike Mismagius, Annihilape represented the opposite extreme—it was a powerhouse of pure offense!

"A Fighting and Ghost-type Annihilape?" Rosa's expression grew serious. The oppressive aura from Annihilape was undeniable.

This Annihilape was incredibly powerful! But...

"Serperior! Charge in with Leaf Blade!"

Without hesitation, Rosa commanded an aggressive attack.

Serperior let out a cool, elegant cry as its green form shot toward Annihilape. Despite being a serpent, its slithering movements were incredibly fast.

"Let it come," Dylan smiled faintly.

Annihilape tilted its head slightly, watching the green serpent rush toward it.

Serperior closed in, raising its tail high, which glowed with the sharp green light of Leaf Blade, before slashing down toward Annihilape.

A Grass-type Leaf Blade!

"Cross Chop to block it!"

Annihilape raised its arms, crossing them to perform a Fighting-type Cross Chop.

Bang!

Leaf Blade slammed heavily against Annihilape's crossed arms, the impact strong enough to crack the ground beneath it, but...

That was all it did!

"What?" Rosa's eyes widened. Her Serperior's STAB Leaf Blade was just blocked like that?

Even though Annihilape had taken some damage, it was minimal. Instead, the bloodlust in its eyes deepened.

Rage +1!

"Grab it," Dylan ordered.

The Annihilape swiftly grabbed Serperior's tail with a reverse hand motion, holding it tightly in its grasp.

"Serperior! Wrap around it!" Rosa reacted quickly, immediately giving the command to Serperior.

Serperior lunged forward, its snake-like body coiling several times around the Annihilape, tightly binding it and squeezing with force.

It was like the legendary constriction of a python!

The Annihilape let out an angry growl, its eyes flashing with a blood-red gleam as it struggled to break free from Serperior's bind, but Serperior resisted with all its strength.

Rage x2!

However, there was a difference in strength between the two. Serperior's constriction was gradually being broken apart by the Annihilape, and Serperior could no longer maintain its hold.

"Serperior! Use Giga Drain!" Rosa immediately commanded.

A deep green light shone from Serperior, and small green particles began to be drawn from the Annihilape into Serperior's body.

The Grass-type move, Giga Drain!

The Annihilape roared furiously, exerting great force to break free from Serperior's bind. It then grabbed Serperior with its right hand and started spinning it wildly.

Rage x3!

Under the intense dizziness, Serperior had no way to resist. Its entire body was being swung around by the Annihilape like a windmill.

"Serperior!" Rosa's expression changed.

"Annihilape, Rage Fist," Dylan's lips curled into a smile.

With a low growl, the Annihilape gathered its strength and slammed Serperior into the ground.

Boom!

Serperior was smashed heavily into the ground, pain surging through its body, causing it to tightly shut its eyes and whimper.

Even though this wasn't a special move, the impact of being slammed to the ground was excruciating.

But it wasn't over yet. The Annihilape clenched its left fist and raised it, a massive amount of eerie blue energy forming a field around it and surging into its body.

A Ghost-type Rage Fist! This was the Annihilape's signature move!

In terms of game stats, this was a move that grew stronger the more the Annihilape was attacked. Its base power started at 50, but with each hit the Annihilape took, the power of Rage Fist increased by 50 points.

Since Serperior had just attacked the Annihilape three times, Rage Fist's power had increased by 150 points, making the total power 200 points!

This was even more terrifying than moves like Hyper Beam, Giga Impact, or Frenzy Plant.

"Wait! Serperior! Use Protect!"

As the Annihilape's aura grew more intense, Rosa urgently called out to Serperior.

But it was clear that the still-reeling Serperior had no time to use Protect.

With a low, violent growl, the Annihilape unleashed a powerful punch, and a massive ghostly blue shockwave erupted.

Rage Fist!

Boom!

The shockwave from Rage Fist struck Serperior squarely, creating an explosive sound that echoed loudly. The fierce blast of energy surged like a storm.

"This…"

Rosa struggled to shield herself with her arm as her ponytail whipped in the wind. Her heart sank—such power…

As the dust and wind settled, Serperior lay collapsed in a large crater, though it hadn't completely lost its fighting ability. However, it was close to being knocked out.

Serperior had great defense, so Dylan wasn't surprised by this.

"Stomp."

With one final stomp from the Annihilape, Serperior fainted.

Rosa bit her lip, looking at her fainted Serperior, her eyes filled with confusion. Had she… lost?

She had lost to a wild Gym Leader she'd happened to meet, and the loss had been so decisive. How could this be…

The girl named Rosa lowered her head, spiraling into self-doubt.

"Serperior is unable to battle. Annihilape wins. Since all three of Rosa's Pokémon have been defeated, the winner of this battle is Gym Leader Dylan."

Hilda announced the result of the battle, then walked over to the dazed Rosa.

"Well done," Dylan walked over to the Annihilape and patted its furry head in praise.

The Annihilape tilted its head slightly, its blood-red eyes giving no hint of its current mood.

"How is it so strong… It doesn't make sense. Am I too weak?"

"Rosa, are you okay?"

Hilda's lips curled slightly at Rosa's confused muttering, but she quickly straightened her expression, pretending to be concerned as she spoke to Rosa.

"Rosa??"

Seeing no response, Hilda grabbed Rosa's shoulders and shook her.

"Hilda? Hilda! Hilda!!"

Rosa finally snapped out of it, her eyes slowly brightening before she suddenly burst into tears and threw herself into Hilda's arms.

"Oh no! Hilda! That guy's such a bully!" Rosa wailed about her unfortunate encounter.

"There, there. It's okay." Hilda calmly patted her head, clearly used to this situation.

"Then Hilda, go get revenge for me!"

"Huh?"

"You can definitely beat him, right? Aren't you going to finish what I started?" Rosa asked in confusion. Wasn't the plan for her to battle first, and then Hilda would take over?

"Rosa, why are you always so obsessed with fighting? Gym Leader Dylan and Miss Lillie just arrived in Unova today. They haven't even had a chance to rest, and now you want to bother them with another battle?"

Hilda quickly distanced herself from Rosa and coughed, taking on a serious tone as she lectured her.

"Huh?" Rosa looked puzzled.

"What 'huh'? It's late, let's head back and get some sleep."

Hilda said seriously. Challenge Dylan? No, no, Hilda didn't think today was the right day.

Just as Dylan was about to approach the two of them, that mysterious, ethereal voice echoed in his ears once more.

"The truth… Your truth… Come… to Dragonspiral Tower…"

Dylan paused, his expression becoming slightly odd. Why did it feel like this White Dragon was being a bit too cryptic?

Merry Christmas!!!