The First Badge Obtained

Cotton Guard: A Grass-type move that uses soft, fluffy fur to protect the body, greatly increasing its defense.

Dragonite had already dived in front of Ampharos, and its immense power sent the transformed Cotton Spore Ampharos flying.

It tumbled on the ground a few times, but it was apparent that the Ampharos inside had not suffered much damage.

Chen Yue quickly ordered a pursuit, "Use Flamethrower!"

A scorching hot flame instantly spewed out from Dragonite's mouth, directly enveloping the transformed Cotton Spore Ampharos.

Cotton Guard was instantly broken, and Ampharos let out a painful growl as it was burned by the flames.

Wattson frowned. Was it really not going to work?

Just from this first encounter, he could see how strong that Dragonite was.

Its strength was definitely above his Ampharos!

Doubts arose in Wattson's mind.

Was this person really just a new trainer who had just started traveling?

On the other side,

Brawly observed Wattson's performance and sighed, saying, "His heart is in turmoil; this is not the behavior a Gym Leader should have."

Roxanne pursed her lips, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, "It's evident that the trainer has a very rich battle experience, whether in commanding or controlling the battlefield's timing, it's all very precise."

"From this perspective, he couldn't possibly be a trainer who has just set out on a journey!"

Fang Shu also considered this and felt puzzled, "Could he be a trainer traveling from the Kanto region?"

In the past two years, with the opening of Hoenn region policies, trainers from other regions who come to Hoenn for travel need to collect all eight Gym Badges, just like local trainers, to participate in the League Championship.

"It's possible, but I'm more curious about why he's lying," Roxanne said, her face showing a hint of confusion.

While the two were chatting, the battle continued.

Dragonite and Ampharos both unleashed Dragon Pulse, and two purple dragon flames collided in the air.

The stalemate unexpectedly resulted in a violent Explosion.

The powerful shockwave from the explosion swept out in all directions.

Ampharos gasped for breath as it slid backward for several meters before finally coming to a stop. It propped itself up with one arm on the ground, its forehead covered in sweat.

On the other hand, Dragonite floated in the air without a hint of fatigue, and it secretly turned back to reveal a cute smile at Chen Yue.

Then, when it looked back at Ampharos, its smile suddenly turned malicious.

Compared to its experiences in the Dragon's Den, this level of battle was far from enough!

"Finish it!" Chen Yue commanded, "Use Hyper Beam!"

"Don't give up!" Wattson shouted, "Use Dragon Pulse!"

A white beam of light condensed in Dragonite's mouth, while the purple glow gathered in the red gem on Ampharos.

The next moment, two completely different moves shot out and collided in mid-air.

This time, the struggle wasn't like the previous one.

Ampharos only held on for three seconds before its energy waned.

Dragonite's destructive Hyper Beam overwhelmed its opponent with overwhelming force.

Intense white light flashed, and Ampharos was sent flying after being hit. Its eyes swirled like mosquito coils, and it fell unconscious on the ground.

"Ah!"

Wattson sighed and recalled Ampharos into its Poke Ball. His face was filled with frustration. "Are all trainers from your Oldale Town this strong?"

Chen Yue: ...

Wattson seemed to think of something and muttered, "I really want to see what this Bug Catcher named Chen Yue is like."

Chen Yue: ...

Wattson sighed again, and when he looked at Chen Yue, his eyes lit up.

"Oh my, with age, the brain doesn't work as well. I almost forgot. You're the trainer who came to travel from Oldale Town, right? Then you must have met that guy named Chen Yue, right? Can you tell me what he looks like?"

Chen Yue: ...

He hesitated for a moment and slowly spoke under Wattson's expectant gaze, "Chen Yue... he's a very handsome man."

"And what else? Is he really a Bug Catcher? Does he have a Caterpie as his Pokemon?" Wattson curiously asked.

Once Chen Yue started talking, the words flowed more smoothly, "Yes, he really is a Bug Catcher. As for whether he has a Caterpie in his Pokemon team, I'm not sure. I don't know much else about him. He's a very mysterious guy."

"Alright." Wattson didn't dwell on it and took out a lightning-shaped badge from his floral shirt's pocket, handing it to Chen Yue. "Looking forward to your outstanding performance in the League Tournament. Good luck!"

Chen Yue accepted it.

The League Tournament? Well, he could join in for the fun, as he had some free time anyway.

After finishing the Gym battle, Chen Yue planned to head to the Pokemon Center to heal Mimikyu and Dragonite.

Just as he was about to leave, Wattson suddenly called out to him, "Hey! You haven't told me your name yet!"

Chen Yue paused his steps, raised his hand, and waved it without turning around. "Zhou Tao!"

The young man walked away, disappearing into the sunlight.

Wattson rubbed his chin and muttered, "Zhou Tao..."

On the other side, Brawly and Roxanne, who had been watching the battle, immediately called Wattson over when they saw that the match was over.

Roxanne smirked, "Old man, how does it feel to be beaten like that?"

Wattson rolled his eyes, "You just wait in the Gym. He'll come to challenge you soon enough!"

Roxanne was taken aback, "Really? Did he tell you that?"

Wattson nodded, "He didn't say it directly, but this is his first Gym challenge in Hoenn, and unless something unexpected happens, it won't be long before it's your turn."

Silence fell for a moment before Brawly asked, "Tell us about the feelings during this battle?"

Wattson replied, "It was very uncomfortable. I haven't felt this completely suppressed in decades. He exuded too much pressure. What's most frustrating is that he predicted my commands several times. Otherwise, my Ampharos wouldn't have lost the battle so quickly."

Roxanne thought for a moment and asked, "How does he compare to Mr. Steven Stone?"

Wattson turned to look at her and said seriously, "Completely different!"

"Steven Stone would launch rapid and intense attacks targeting the weaknesses of the opponent's Pokemon in battles, making it impossible for opponents to react. But when I battled that young man just now, it felt like I was facing an impenetrable web."

Hearing this, both Roxanne and Brawly fell into silence.

After a while, Brawly's voice came again, "What's his name?"

Wattson replied, "Zhou Tao."

Roxanne chuckled, "I'll be waiting for him at the Gym. Looks like I'll be busy again for a while!"

Brawly calculated in his mind and advised, "We still have over nine months until the Celadon Conference. During this time, train your Pokemon well. Don't let trainers from other regions think that our Hoenn Gym Leaders are weak."

"Don't worry, I'll give them a warm welcome!" Roxanne said.