Chapter 30 : Celadon city [5th Gym] with Unbelievable end

Author's note: OK guys, I would like to forewarn you guys the Gym leader has their tricks. As Archer is becoming a big boy winning the gym battles, they will introduced from now on.

For example, in this chapter- The Gym leader will show a rather impressive use of Solar Beams. The mechanics are unknown even to Archer. The reason is simple- They are gym leaders for a reason. 

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CELADON CITY, POKEMON CENTRE

With my team gathered around, I mulled over the choices for the upcoming gym battle. After careful consideration, I decided on the participants: Eevee, Rookidee, Charmeleon, Kleavor, Kakuna, and Annihilape.

"Eevee," I began, turning to my furry friend, "I am happy, you are finally invested in battles. I promise you, we try the co-ordinator contests after the Kanto circuit is complete."

Eevee responded with an eager nod, seemingly ready for the idiotic gym battle and a future filled with beautiful performances.

Next up was Rookidee, the spirited bird Pokémon.

"Rookidee, your flying type will be crucial in this battle. I believe in your agility and precision. You will be the opener. Show them what you've got! "

Rookidee fluttered its wings with excitement, clearly eager to prove its worth in the upcoming gym battle. Turning my attention to Charmeleon, I spoke with a strong tone.

"Charmeleon, you're the trump card today!"

"CHARRRR!" roared Charmeleon, flames flickering on its tail in agreement. The fiery lizard Pokémon was ready for action.

Kleavor, the sturdy Rock/Bug type, was next in line, "Kleavor, you're the one who will take on the opponent if Charmeleon falls. We're counting on you!"

Kakuna, my steadfast Bug/Poison type, looked at me. "Kakuna, your Harden has been mastered. You are the first one to master a move in the team. With your agility about to reach mastery, as a Beedrill in the future, you are going to be the blade that stabs any weakness revealed. But now, your task is to function as a connecting link in the battle."

I am internally hoping he will evolve in this battle. I think he might be the only Kakuna who, despite being trained by a trainer, has spent such a long time at this stage. Not to mention my extreme breeding. Still, he didn't yet evolve.

I must say Papa Beedrill truly gave me a gem of a Pokemon, whose work ethic is unmatched in the team. He is the mighty guy of the team but with the attack style of Kakashi.

Finally, I turned to Annihilape, the old powerhouse of the team. "Annihilape, your versatility in moves is unmatched. I will be blunt, from now on, you will sent on every battle from now on. If an opponent is unavailable, you will be facing both Electrivire and Slaking. It is time you integrate your lifelong work into your strength."

Annihilape looked at the manacled hand and then clenched it with a blazing rage fist. He looked back at me to give a sombre nod convening all his determination.

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CELADON GYM

The gym, a lush haven of plants and vibrant decor, welcomed me as I strolled through its inviting entrance. The greenery and the fragrant atmosphere set the stage for the upcoming challenge. As my name echoed through the gym, I made my way deeper inside.

Facing me was Eleana, the current gym leader. A striking woman, she bore a resemblance to the canon counterpart Erika, but with a physique that spoke volumes. Her long hair flowed gracefully, and a tight-fitting kimono accentuated her S-shaped figure. Fondly referred to as the "queen of plants" by the locals, she stood ready for the battle. 

Rookidee took the stage as my first choice against Eleana.

ELEANA VS ARCHER

Eleana, the gym leader of Celadon, gestured gracefully as she prepared for the first battle. "Challenger Archer, I choose Gloom as my starting Pokémon. Show me your skills!"

I grinned, ready for the challenge. "Alright, Rookidee, you're up! Let's start strong!"

Rookidee flapped its wings eagerly, ready to make its mark in the gym battle.

Gloom, a Grass and Poison-type Pokémon stood on the opposite side, radiating a fragrance characteristic to their species.

Eleana commands the first move with a wave of her hand, "Gloom, use Poison Powder!"

Gloom released a cloud of toxic spores that wafted toward Rookidee. I called out quickly, "Dodge and counter with Peck!"

Rookidee showcased its agility, evading the poisonous powder and swooping down with its beak aglow. However, Gloom wasn't one to be underestimated. Just at the last moment, it released a stun powder without the need for command.

Rookidee unable to change the moment at the last moment had proceeded with a peck. The peck stuck gloom, causing the grass pokemon to shout in pain, but the stunning powder made Rookidee crash land on its feet.

A bad start but manageable, nonetheless.

I praised, the paralysed Rookidee, "The peck done some damage. So, don't worry."

But Eleana's next command negated my praise.

"Gloom, respond with Absorb!" she commanded.

Gloom extended its petals, absorbing energy from Rookidee. I saw that the draining move weakened Rookidee slightly by absorbing a green orb of energy, but I remained focused on Rookidee. Seeing the twitch of Rookidee's wings, I set on the next command.

"Rookidee, use Air Slash now." I directed.

Rookidee gathered energy, its wings glowing brightly. With a burst of speed, it waved its wings sending various Air slashes in sequence from its position on the ground.

Eleana just smirked as she bluntly said, "Magic leaf, on the slashes."

The magic leaves erupted from the sides of Gloom clashing with the Ari Slashes making a dust cloud rise in response.

"It is not so easy to face me, little genius."

I replied immediately, "No, it is easy."

From the cloud of dust came Rookidee piercing the smoke with her beak that has flying energy like a drill. She charged towards Gloom like a bolt of lightning, delivering a powerful Drill peck.

BOOM

The impact sent Gloom reeling back, fainting from the forceful attack. Spiral eyes are here.

The referee declared, "Rookidee is the winner of the first round!"

"I must say little guy, at least the reputation is true concerning you."

Her silky tone made heat creep onto my face as, I shyly said, "Thanks for the compliment, Miss Eleana."

She put a finger on her lips as if she was thinking about something and said, "Call me Aunt."

"Huh!"

"Call me Aunty Eleana little guy. I like your confidence." She ended the statement with a small biting of her lower lip and a wink.

'Good god, this woman is a teaser. How the hell does no one know this feature of her.'

Eleana said with a roll of eyes, "It is because I know who to tease. I just choose the ones who take teasing sportively. "

Now, I felt embarrassed. It is mortifying to say my thoughts out loud like that. Not to mention my lack of experience in romance in my past life.

I then slapped myself mentally by saying, you have died once. But a treacherous thought came to my mind, so live this one fully.

I slapped my cheeks at this thinking of the uncharacteristic nature of thoughts, looking at Eleana with clear thoughts and a hint of annoyance. Sure, puberty hit me, but this is not that.

Eleana.

She just giggled as she said, "You must be the first boy to clear himself from my love fragrance so easily. At least, you will be worth my time."

She then hurled a Poke ball that sent out a Bulbasaur.

The air crackled with intensity as Rookidee faced Bulbasaur, Eleana's second Pokémon. Bulbasaur, a dual-type Grass and Poison Pokémon stood roared to continue the challenge.

"Bulbasaur, start with Razor Leaf!" Eleana commanded, and sharp leaves launched towards Rookidee.

I assessed the situation and shouted, "Rookidee, be agile and keep the dodges going!"

Rookidee expertly manoeuvred through the flurry of Razor Leaves, showcasing its nimble flying skills, the worth of the only single Flying type Pokemon.

"Bulba, now!!!"

At Eleana's command, the Razor leaves suddenly changed direction and hit Rookidee from her blind spot.

BANG

BANG

"Rookidee!!"

BANG

"Bulbasaur, follow up with Vine Whip!" Eleana continued her full-on assault strategy.

Vines shot out towards Rookidee, attempting to entangle and restrain it. Rookidee skilfully evaded most of them, but a few vines suddenly extended like a snake, wrapped around its wings, limiting its movement.

I exchanged a determined glance with Rookidee who struggling in the vines, and nodded, signalling for the decisive move. "End it now, Rookidee!"

Rookidee, despite the hindrance, began to gather energy, creating an aura of Flying-type power around it. With an Air slash, she broke the Vine whips.

ROOOKIDEE

"Bulba, use Razor Leaves again."

With determination in its eyes, it accelerated through the air, igniting the atmosphere with its speed, breaking the sound barrier.

As the Brave Bird took form, Rookidee powered through the oncoming Razor Leaves and struck Bulbasaur with tremendous force, distorting the bulb on the grass Pokemon.

The impact sent Bulbasaur flying, such that it hit the wall with a thud.

The referee declared, "Rookidee wins the second round!"

Eleana shook her head and said to the referee, "Look again."

The referee saw that Rookidee had collapsed with exhaustion and then declared loudly without breaking his tone. A professionality that impressed me was, "Rookidee is unable to battle, the match is a tie. Please send out your next Pokemon."

In the third round, I decided to send out Eevee, the only one who can change to another Pokemon with her Baton pass. Keeping my chance to use Return in reserve.

"Eevee, let's go!" I exclaimed, releasing the small, furry Pokémon onto the battlefield.

Eleana responded by sending out Lombre, a Water and Grass-type Pokémon with a mischievous grin.

"Eevee, start with Quick Attack!" I commanded, aiming to take advantage of Eevee's speed.

Eevee dashed towards Lombre with remarkable swiftness, attempting to land a quick strike. However, Lombre displayed agility of its own, gracefully evading the attack.

Eevee landed behind Lombre as it bent to the side to avoid the attack, remembering our training, I immediately commanded, "Eevee, follow up with Bite!" hoping to catch Lombre off guard.

Eevee lunged back at Lombre, jaws wide open. Yet, Lombre managed to evade the Bite with a nimble somersault.

"Lombre, use Nature Power!" Eleana directed.

To my surprise, the battlefield transformed as Nature Power activated. It turned into a grassy terrain, boosting the power of Grass-type moves for all Pokémon.

"Eevee, Use Swift!" I adjusted my strategy quickly.

Eevee responded by summoning a flurry of stars that homed in on Lombre, hitting it from multiple angles. The Swift attack, unaffected by the grassy terrain, dealt considerable damage to Lombre.

Eleana countered, "Lombre, let's retaliate with Bubble Beam!"

Lombre unleashed a cascade of bubbles towards Eevee, who skilfully dodged some but got hit by a few. The bubbles burst on impact, leaving Eevee soaked. I could almost see her tears forming looking at her soaked fur.

"Eevee, shake it off! Finish with Double Kick!" I encouraged, disregarding the squeal of the women in the crowd.

Eevee shook off the water, showing determination. It then executed a rapid series of kicks, striking Lombre multiple times.

THUD

THUD

The Fighting-type move worked but Lombre showed it was a different beast than the rest of our opponents till now, by catching the leg of Eevee and circling it in the air like a lasso. The dizzy Eevee cried out as she was thrown across the battlefield.

 He then jumped after her gathering grass energy in his fist to use Drain punch on her, I then called out Eevee's favourite move, "Baton pass."

Eevee exchanged herself with Kakauna who used Harden in a split second, taking the punch head-on, with not a scratch on its shell.

Eleana whistled seeing the toughness of the Shell, "That is one tough bug, but can it hold the rest."

I frowned as Lombre continued the punch combo with alternating fists, blow after blow sending sounds across the battle.

I laughed seeing Kakuna taking the blows initially in pain but soon after each usage of Harden calmly took the blows. A sign of mastery of move, able to use it no matter the condition, just as simple as scratching an itch.

"Kakuna. Now's the time to show your strength."

KaKuna buzzed, with his Shell turned shiny from the Harden, He sent String shot to the face of Lombre, making it scramble to remove the web.

Then, he repeated the move, swinging through the Gym and hitting the Lombre again and again, left and right as if it were a ball.

The scene unfolding before me reminds me of Spiderman.

After the experiences gained from pure hard work comprising of only watching and learning from various matches and agility training, kakuna's reaction speed surpassed the levels of the naked eye,

That when combined with his Bug anatomy, gives me the scope to say only a single comment-He is fast.

I can't wait for him to evolve.

Lombre under the constant beating stuck in a daze, is unable to hear the shouts of Eleana.

"Kakuna, end it".

With a long parabola swing, kakuna reached Lombre gathering his Bug-type energy in the shapes of fangs and used Bug Bite to catch Lombre.

It then swings in a circle, reminiscent of Lombre's treatment of Eevee and then smashes it into the ground.

BANG

"Lombre is unable to battle. The winner is Kakuna."

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Eleana simply snorted and took back Lombre. I soon saw her face becoming serious with a baseball swing, she sent out a Venusaur.

Venusaur. The majestic Grass/Poison-type loomed large on the battlefield, radiating an aura of power and beauty. The final evolution of Bulbasaur.

I glanced at Kakuna, realizing that it hadn't evolved yet and might struggle against the fully evolved Venusaur. With a quick decision, I returned Kakuna to its Poké Ball.

"Kleavor, it's your turn!" I declared, releasing the sturdy Rock/Bug-type Pokémon onto the battlefield.

KLLLEAVVOOOR

Venusaur and Kleavor faced each other, ready to stumble. I didn't want to wait any longer and aimed for the first blood.

"Kleavor, start with Air Cutter!" I commanded, hoping to take advantage of Venusaur's dual typing.

Kleavor moved with fluid movement, slashing at Venusaur with its blades, sending slashes of Flying energy one by one.

SLAASH

SLASH

VENUSAAURR

SLAAASHHH

I smiled at the screams of Venusaur, this is my advantage of having an unknown Pokemon- Nobody has a clue regarding their move pool. Otherwise, if the Air Cutter came from a come one Pokemon, just from the sheer experience of facing them, one can recognise the Air Cutter coming.

Venusaur, however, showcased its resilience, enduring the attack. But the next part shook me to the core, the Venusaur absorbing the grass energy in a single breadth of his mouth and retaliating with a powerful Solar Beam.

WHRRROOOOOM

"Quick, Kleavor! Use Rock Tomb to block the Solar Beam!" I called out, recognizing the urgency of the situation.

Kleavor swiftly conjured large rocks from the terrain, creating a protective barrier against the incoming Solar Beam.

BOOOM

BOOOM

BOOOM

The rocks absorbed most of the powerful Grass-type move, preventing significant damage to Kleavor.

Still, looking at TV is one thing but experiencing the fast charge of Solar beam under Eleana's Grassy Terrain is fucking scary.

I could feel from the passing breeze, that my clothes were wet. Realizing the smell of my sweat, I could only say that each Gym Badge showed the difference between me and the Gym leaders to be more and more.

Eleana proved my thoughts by saying.

"There isn't a need for holding back. Venusaur, follow up with Sludge Bomb!" Eleana commanded, determined to break through Kleavor's defences.

Venusaur launched a barrage of toxic sludge towards Kleavor. The agile Rock/Bug-type Pokémon skilfully dodged the projectiles.

Despite that, the crazy toxic fumes that arose from the ground filled the field. I could only feel the urgency when I saw the Poisoned skin of Kleavor.

"Kleavor, retaliate with Rock Slide!" I directed, taking advantage of the slight pause from the exhausted Venusaur.

Kleavor triggered a cascade of rocks left from the Rock Tomb, sending them tumbling towards the bulky Venusaur. The Rock Slide dealt substantial damage, causing Venusaur to roar in response.

VENNNUSAUUUR

But my Pokemon, kept his blades inserted in the ground. Kept sending waves of Rock Slide one after the other turning into a mini mountain Pile. I am sure the pile can break Slaking much less Venusaur.

CLAP

CLAP

CLAP

At the clapping of the crowd, Kleavor turned to the audience. In a burst of happiness, he lifted his blade to wave back at the cheers from the crowd. I could understand him, especially -

Eleana commanded, "Venusaur, this is your chance! Solar Beam, now!", the suddenness of the events got both me and Kleavor off guard as the concentrated attack dug through the boulders.

KLEEVVVORR

BOOOOM

The referee announced, "Venusaur's Solar Beam hits a home run! Kleavor is unable to battle!"

I returned Kleavor to its Poké Ball, thinking about our blunder in the battle. I decided that both of us would reflect on it after this match.

I then turned to the smirking Eleana and gave a nod. Observing the Venusaur that is on its legs. I have made a mistake believing the tons of rock could defeat it. I have to improve my mindset to be ready until the spiral eyes of my defeated opponent.

With a sigh, I took a Pokeball from my belt.

"Annihilape, you're up!" I declared, releasing the Ghost/Fighting-type Pokémon onto the battlefield.

Venusaur and Annihilape locked eyes, each ready to battle. Eleana maintained her focus, determined to secure victory for the Celadon Gym.

"Venusaur, Petal Blizzard!" Eleana commanded, hoping to exploit Annihilape's Fighting type.

Annihilape, however, was quick to respond. "Phantom force and counter with Focus Punch!" I directed.

Annihilape evaded the oncoming blizzard by disappearing using Phantom force. As Venusaur prepared to shred the field using the petals, Annihilape appeared beneath it with a powerful Focus Punch.

BANG

Annihilape's Focus Punch landed squarely on Venusaur's head. The toad Pokémon roared in pain, but it wasn't ready to back down.

Eleana commanded, "Venusaur, use Solar Beam!" A move, I come to realize is the speciality of this Venusaur similar to Harden is for Kakuna. With grassy terrain prepared beforehand, this is going to be a pain in the ass.

Venusaur, whose mouth opened to roar in pain, directly summoned the grass energy and attacked annihilape with a last-minute Solar Beam.

Annihiape on his instincts powered up Focus punch on both hands and held them up as a guard.

The combination of the two attacks created a dazzling clash of energy, lighting up the battlefield.

WHRROMM

WHROOOM

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The referee watched closely at the centre of the explosion and did his duty by declaring, "It's a double knockout! Both Venusaur and Annihilape are unable to battle!"

The Celadon Gym fell into a hushed silence as the referee confirmed the unexpected outcome. It was a rare occurrence, but both Pokémon had fought valiantly and reached their limits simultaneously.

The surprising thing is the emphasis on Annihilape using only Focus punch, even though he knows many punches.

Frankly speaking, it was a self-imposed training regime from Annihiape. According to it, he would use only a single type of punch in every battle, to gain experience in the various ways and situations he could use each punch.

Eleana and I exchanged nods, acknowledging the result of this round.

"An impressive match, Archer. Your Annihilape is quite the daring one. Use the battle as training." Eleana commented well.

I could only stay silent at that, it is not like I could reject Annihilape's wishes when it represents a faster rate of growth for him. Besides, if I lose this match, I could rechallenge again the very next day, but with this time including Electrivire and Slaking in the battle.

Shaking my head to clear the thoughts of the maybes, I choose the next Pokemon

Considering that Eevee and Kakuna are not up to the task without their surprise tactics, the battle has finally fallen to Charmeleon.

"Go Charmeleon! Time to show your strength."

Eleana released her Meganium, Johto Grass-type Pokémon starter, and the crowd was charged with excitement as Charmeleon and Meganium faced each other, representing Kanto and Johto. At least, it is a rival feeling, not the occasional murder speech I see in the old folks.

Eleana's Meganium, a towering figure adorned with vibrant petals, exuded an aura of serenity and strength.

"Charmeleon, let's make this a battle to remember!" I encouraged my fiery companion.

"Mega!" Meganium responded with a confident cry as if acknowledging the sentiment.

"Start the battle."

The referee signalled the start of the battle, and the arena was instantly illuminated by Charmeleon's Flamethrower.

However, Meganium skilfully dodged the flames, by directly jumping over them with her 4 legs.

Eleana strategized, "Meganium, use Petal Dance!"

Meganium spun gracefully in the air, creating a whirlwind of razor-sharp petals that surrounded Charmeleon. The dance of petals intensified with each passing moment, making it challenging for Charmeleon to find an opening.

"Charmeleon, use your Dragon Breath!" I called out.

Charmeleon responded with remarkable agility, narrowly evading the razor-sharp petals. Seizing the opportunity, he unleashed a powerful Dragon Breath that surged toward Meganium, crushing the petals in its path.

I choose Dragon Breath over Flamethrower because it is faster.

Meganium, unable to dodge midair, braced itself in by curling upon herself and absorbed the Dragon Breath head one.

BOOOM

BANG

The impact of the attack sent Meganium into the wall.

MEganium slowly got to its feet, I could see the surprise attack worked.

Eleana smiled, acknowledging the fierce challenge. "Impressive, Archer. But the battle is just beginning."

As if her words were commands, Meganium directly sent Bullet seed to Charmeleon who directly punched them away with a Fire punch.

Meganium not giving respite, directly sent a leaf storm that surrounded my Pokemon and closed in fast.

I shouted out for him, "Flamethrower."

As the Flames burned away the leaves, plants grew all over the field and attacked Charmeleon in a frenzy. Charmeleon used fire spin to clear the field in an instant. Just as the grassy terrain was flickering as if it ended, it glowed anew.

It was only now I realized that each Pokemon sent by Eleana is reusing Grassy terrain, to keep it strong and enforce it. I cursed myself for not noticing such a simple thing, but the difficulty of this match, made me console myself for that.

Charmeleon and Meganium were heaving from the intense exchange of moves, The gym echoed with the cheers and gasps of the spectators, as the fate of the match hung in the balance.

Seizing the moment, I called out to Charmeleon, "Finish it with Flamethrower!"

Meganium threw out a "Solar beam" in response.

BOOOM

BOOOM

As the smoke erupted from the clash, Charmeleon ran like a ninja, using it as cover, emerging from the smoke with a Dragon claw.

CHARRRRR

Meganium, valiant until the end, tried to counter with a final Petal Dance, but the Dragon Claw cut through the whirlwind of petals, overpowering Meganium's last defence, and struck the Grass-type Pokémon.

BANG

Then another Flamethrower for good measure was given.

WHROOOOOM

The referee stepped forward, raising a hand in the air to stop the battle and checked the result. "Meganium is unable to battle. Charmeleon is the winner!"

CLAP Clap

While indulging in the sportive crowd of Celadon, I wondered why none of the previous gym battles had such support for me.

MY eyebrows twitched seeing Eleana calmly sending her last Pokemon, her 3rd royal starter in this match, Sceptile.

I just sighed, sending the only royal starter I have, "Charmeleon, Let's show them our strength."

ROAAAARRRR

Charmeleon stood ready, flames flickering at the tip of its tail, while Sceptile just looked cool.

The referee gave the signal, and the battle commenced.

"Charmeleon, let's start strong! Ember attack!" I commanded, eager to take the initiative. Charmeleon unleashed a flurry of fiery embers toward Sceptile, who skilfully dodged most of them but got grazed by a few. But such an attack is not meant for damage.

The distraction worked as the Flamethrower hit Sceptile, but my joy didn't last even a minute as Sceptile Slashed through the flames with a swift Leaf Blade. The sheer condensation of leaf energy can't even be burned.

Sceptile with a few jumps reminding me appeared near Charmeleon, with both Leaf blades ready to strike.

 Charmeleon evaded some strikes but took a hit on its side due to the sheer agile nature of Sceptile. Irritated by the close combat, He roared out a Flamethrower to create some distance

The crowd cheered as the two Pokémon readied themself.

"Charmeleon, show 'em your Flame thrower!" I shouted, and Charmeleon responded with a burst of intense flames, creating a dazzling display.

The attack was successful in causing cheers in the crowds as it burned its way to Sceptile. But unfortunately, Sceptile jumped high, gathering grass energy in its mouth.

"Solar beam."

Fucking hell, how many Heavy hitter does that make the count, in this Battle today?"

Sceptile easily balancing itself in the air, unleashed a powerful Solar Beam. The gym was bathed in bright light as the energy beam charged towards the Charmeleon in the ground. Seeing the imminent danger, I quickly called out, "Charmeleon, dodge with Dig!"

Charmeleon dug underground with nary a care, letting the solar beam bypass it.

"Sceptile be ready."

Charmeleon waited in silence, ready for my command. Since the Long range isn't working let's go back to close combat, "Fire Punch."

Charmeleon broke through the ground from Sceptile's blind spot. He came out while charging up his Fist not wanting to give sceptile time to react.

I frowned, while it was a good tactic from Charmeleon, its inexperience didn't take into account the Sceptile line's speciality. My thoughts came through with a shout from Eleana, "Leaf blade."

A leaf blade rose from its back to stop the fire punch. 

RUMBLE RUMBLE 

The air was thick with anticipation as their Fire Punch and Leaf Blade clashed, each Pokémon pushing themselves to the absolute limit. Cracks form on the ground centring on the clashing Pokemon.

I watched in nervousness as Sceptile slowly pushed Charmeleon.

CHARRR

CHARMMEEEE

CHARRRRRRR

Charmeleon kept producing more flames to his fist, increasing in concentration that reminded me of the sun until the brightness exploded.

My eyes were blinded by the glow as I shielded myself from it, I saw the shadow of the battling Pokemon on the ground.

CHARRRRRRRR

The shadow changed shape with the punch turning to a clawed fist holding the Leaf blade.

CHARRRRRRR

Wings grew from his back as he grew in size. In unimaginable excitement, I looked at the ground to see my Pokemon Roaring in anger.

CHARRRIIIIIZAAARRRRDDDD

The gym resonated with the cheers of spectators as Charizard, with newfound strength, gathered the surrounding flames onto his fangs. He unleashed a formidable Fire Fang that clamped onto Sceptile's neck.

"SCEPTILLEEEEE"

Under the worried shouts of Eleana and cheers from the ground, the Grass-type Pokémon was forcefully slammed into the ground, the impact echoing through the gym.

But Charizard wasn't finished yet. Concentrating flames gathered in his mouth, glowing like the sun itself. With a mighty roar, Charizard released the scorching Inferno upon Sceptile, a torrent of searing flames engulfing the Grass-type Pokémon.

WHROOOOM

The Flames gathered to make a ball of inferno that soaked my dress in sweat, soon the flames exploded.

BOOOOOOOOM

Soon, the aftermath cleared up to show Sceptile on the ground with Burns in various places.

The referee raised a hand, signalling the end of the battle. The gym fell into a momentary hush, followed by thunderous cheers as Charizard stood victorious.

============================================================

After receiving the Rainbow Badge from Eleana, I was basking in the victorious glow of another gym battle. The cheers from the crowd were still echoing in my ears when a shadow fell over me. A majestic Pidgeot descended, capturing everyone's attention.

As it gracefully landed beside me, a sense of foreboding washed over me. The unmistakable symbol of a Pokéball on its wing marked it as an official letter carrier. Eleana, always one to add a touch of humour, chuckled and said, "Lucky me, I am the first one to know the news then. Well, the second one is after you. Now open it, it should be the official response from the League. I am quite curious about the dates of the Announcements of your achievements."

Her logical words clashed with the heavy feeling in my heart. Something about this letter sent a heavy feeling to my heart.

Nevertheless, I took the letter from the Pidgeot, a Pokemon that seemed to rival even my Annihilape in strength. Shaking off the intrusive thoughts of Alliance power, I unfolded the letter and began to read it aloud.

"The Pokémon League hereby informs Archer of Bharatsa that he should attend the dying will reading of one, Dregen of Bharatsa in the village of Plains..."