◉◉◉◉◉
Flannery released her third Pokémon.
It was a Camerupt.
Not long ago, Kai had fought Tabitha of Team Magma and his Camerupt, so the Pokémon was still fresh in his memory. He already had a solid grasp of its abilities and battle style, which made handling this matchup far easier.
That said, familiarity didn't guarantee victory.
This time, the Pokémon he sent out was Scizor.
To be honest, it was an absolutely terrible matchup.
Scizor is a Bug/Steel-type Pokémon and Fire-types deal quadruple damage to both of those typings. A single direct blast of flames could end the fight instantly.
Even Ash, famous for pulling off type-disadvantaged miracles, rarely challenged an opponent with a Pokémon that was four-times weak!
Seeing Scizor enter the field, Flannery frowned, clearly conflicted.
She couldn't understand Kai's choice.
Was he careless? Overconfident? Had he made a mistake?
But when she looked up and met his calm, steady gaze, she immediately realized this was intentional.
Either he had absolute faith in this Scizor…
Or he was testing something.
Given how Tyranitar and Dragonite had performed earlier, Flannery instinctively leaned toward the first possibility.
Could this Scizor be his strongest Pokémon?
The moment the battle began, however, she realized she'd been overthinking it.
Scizor was strong undeniably so. Its attack power and mobility were exceptional. Against a slow-moving Pokémon like Camerupt, it darted in and out with precision, repeatedly creating openings. Using Double Team and Agility, it evaded multiple attacks and pushed itself to the limit.
But no matter how skilled it was, it couldn't overcome its natural disadvantage.
You could succeed a thousand times but you couldn't afford to fail even once.
Camerupt might not have been Flannery's ace, but its strength was nothing to scoff at. Even with Kai's careful commands, a battle like this was bound to expose an opening eventually.
As Scizor continued to maneuver, its stamina began to drop. Its movements slowed just slightly.
Flannery seized the moment.
She calculated Scizor's landing point perfectly and immediately ordered Camerupt to unleash a wide-area fire attack.
A raging inferno swept across the battlefield!
Scizor had nowhere to go.
It was swallowed whole by the flames, crying out in pain as the fire engulfed its body.
That hit was devastating.
Sensing victory within reach, Flannery pressed the advantage without hesitation.
Before Scizor could escape, Camerupt fired another blast of intense heat, striking it head-on and slamming it to the ground.
She'd won.
Kai could only shrug helplessly.
This wasn't him throwing the match it was simply the rotation. After Tyranitar and Dragonite, Scizor was next. And honestly, he'd wanted to see whether Scizor could overcome such a brutal matchup.
Clearly, it still needed more experience.
On the other side of the field, Flannery jumped into the air in excitement, completely unrestrained by courtesy or appearances.
Seeing her like this, Kai couldn't help but smile.
She really does act on pure impulse…
That kind of personality might be troublesome at times but it was undeniably charming. Not in a romantic sense, but in a straightforward, admirable way.
He recalled Scizor and glanced once more at Camerupt.
Compared to Tabitha's Camerupt, Flannery's was no weaker. The two were nearly evenly matched clear proof of just how deep the reserves of organizations like Team Magma and Team Aqua truly were.
If even one executive could rival a Gym Leader, it was no wonder they'd dominated Hoenn for so long.
Kai hesitated briefly between Tyranitar's and Dragonite's Poké Balls.
In the end, he chose Dragonite.
The more exhausted one.
He believed that the harsher the conditions, the better the training.
Pushing Pokémon when they were already tired was the fastest way to sharpen their combat instincts.
When Dragonite reappeared, Flannery blinked in surprise.
Huh?
This was the final battle. Tyranitar was in much better shape, so why send Dragonite back out?
After a moment's thought, realization struck her.
So that's it…
He's using me as a training opponent.
As a Gym Leader, even a new one, she knew how challengers usually operated carefully planning teams around type advantages, conserving stamina, and preparing meticulously before even stepping into the Gym.
But this man treated the Gym like an ordinary battle…
And was still thinking about training his Pokémon mid-match.
That kind of confidence was staggering.
Some people might feel insulted by that.
Flannery didn't.
Instead, her curiosity about Kai only deepened.
No wonder his Pokémon are so strong… He never wastes an opportunity.
Still, curiosity aside, she wasn't about to lose easily.
Once Dragonite was ready, she pushed aside all distractions and focused on the battle.
Unlike before, without any type of disadvantage holding him back, Kai's offense became relentless.
For Flannery, the situation turned grim in an instant.
Air versus ground there was no contest.
Though Dragonite was injured, Camerupt had also taken damage earlier. And while Dragonite had rested inside its Poké Ball, Camerupt hadn't. Their conditions were closer than they appeared.
But Camerupt lacked Magmortar's overwhelming firepower.
It simply couldn't suppress Dragonite's assault.
Despite spewing thick smoke and molten lava in defiance, Camerupt was steadily overwhelmed.
It didn't last long.
A direct Dragon Rage struck its massive body, causing it to sway before crashing down onto a large rock.
Thud.
Kai could tell Flannery had been right this Camerupt was clearly weaker than her Torkoal and Magmortar. Compared to the earlier battles, this one ended far more cleanly.
"I lost," Flannery said cheerfully as she recalled Camerupt. "You're seriously amazing."
She walked up to Kai with an open, satisfied grin no resentment, no frustration.
That alone set her apart from many other Gym Leaders. Some claimed not to mind defeat, but their stiffness always betrayed them.
Flannery was different.
There wasn't a trace of bitterness in her.
"Your Pokémon were impressive too," Kai replied politely. "I just got lucky this time."
After that, the two of them simply stared at each other in silence.
The atmosphere grew awkward.
Misty finally cleared her throat. "Um… Flannery? Aren't you forgetting something?"
"Forgetting what?"
It wasn't until Misty said the word 'Badge' that Flannery froze.
"Oh! Right!!"
She smacked her forehead and hurriedly rummaged through her pockets.
Kai and Misty exchanged looks, completely speechless but by now, they were used to it.
After searching for a while, Flannery suddenly realized she hadn't brought it with her.
"S-sorry! Just wait a second! I think I left it somewhere else!"
Before they could respond, she bolted out of the room.
Misty sighed deeply. "…Do you think she's really suited to be a Gym Leader?"
Kai hesitated. "Probably… maybe… hopefully?"
Her passion, at least, was undeniable.
After a long wait, just as Misty was about to go look for her, Flannery came rushing back, out of breath.
Without stopping, she held out her hand.
"Here! This is the Lavaridge Gym's Heat Badge!"
Kai examined it carefully.
The badge shimmered with a gradient of color a deep red circle topped by a blazing flame.
It was easily the coolest badge he'd collected so far.
"Thanks."
With the Heat Badge safely stored, Kai and Misty bid Flannery farewell and left the Gym.
Flannery waved enthusiastically until they disappeared from view.
With two badges secured, Kai was one step closer to competing in the Ever Grande Conference.
Since night had fallen, they decided to stay in Lavaridge Town.
Seeing Misty's expectant expression, Kai laughed. "I know, I know. Coming to a hot spring town and not bathing would be a crime."
"Yay! Best day ever!!" Misty cheered.
They healed their Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, then found a spotless inn on Hot Spring Street.
The inn even had a mixed-gender open-air bath.
Misty turned bright red, stealing glances at Kai the entire time.
After dinner and a quick wash, they wrapped themselves in towels and stepped into the outdoor spring beneath the stars.
Kai sank into the water with a sigh, gazing upward.
Misty hesitated… then slowly joined him.
The two sat in silence, shoulders nearly touching, staring at the night sky.
The scene stirred an old memory in Misty's mind of the hot springs on Cinnabar Island.
Back then, they'd been this close too.
And that was when—
The pink menace.
Jigglypuff.
She remembered its song…
The way it lulled them to sleep…
And the doodles they woke up with.
She smiled faintly.
How did that song go again?
"Puff—puff—laa puff puff laa"
The sound felt soothing.
Too soothing.
Her eyelids grew heavy—
Splash!
Misty jolted upright just as Kai dove underwater.
He resurfaced instantly, scanning the area.
"Misty, get up—listen. That's Jigglypuff's singing!"
◉◉◉◉◉
~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◉◉◉◉◉
For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!