"Before the battle starts, allow me to introduce myself."
Grey slowly raised the Ultra Ball in his hand. It was as if thunder flashed and faded inside it, faint crackling sounds of electricity hissing from within.
"I'm Grey, the third Dojo Master of the Fighting Dojo."
"The types and tactics I'm good at change from battle to battle. It's not just Fighting-type Pokémon—I dabble in all kinds of types."
"So when I face different Trainers, I'll take completely different approaches."
"I'm curious… what kind of performance will a Trainer like you show in front of it? I'll be watching closely."
With that, Grey snapped his arm forward and hurled the Ultra Ball onto the field.
"I choose you—Zapdos!"
"Jiji!" (I finally get to come out! I took part in a Gym battle before that domesticated Articuno—this time I win!)
The freshly arrived Zapdos was abnormally fired up.
Its razor-sharp golden feathers flashed with electricity, dazzling arcs of lightning dancing along its plumage. The light alone made Drapion stumble back half a step.
The pressure of a legendary Pokémon…
Even though Zapdos's Ability wasn't Pressure or something like that, the aura that belonged solely to a legendary meant that, when it faced ordinary Pokémon, it naturally exuded a far heavier sense of oppression.
[F**k! Zapdos?! Grey, where did you even catch a Zapdos? Why didn't you tell me?!]
[Grey, say something, Grey! I wanna see Zapdos too, Grey!]
[OMG, you're a Fighting-type Trainer—can you even command a Zapdos properly? Tell you what, you just sit tight; I, a retired Unova army colonel, will handle this battle for you!]
[I'm losing it, I can hear Gym Leader Lt. Surge's little scheme all the way over here in Johto.]
[I'm from Hoenn—who's this Lt. Surge guy? Is he close with the streamer?]
[Total passerby here, but it feels like Gym Leader Lt. Surge and Dojo Master Grey have that love–hate frenemies thing going on.]
"It's just Zapdos! Drapion, get ready to fight!"
Facing the Zapdos Grey had sent out, Reggie noticed Drapion's urge to back away and barked out a harsh order. Only then did the big guy force itself back into a fighting stance, baring its sharp fangs at Zapdos.
But on the inside, Drapion was still rattled.
After all, the opponent was Zapdos, and the pressure rolling off that body of its didn't lie.
Power like that was the real deal, not something a Ditto could copy with a Transform and call it a day.
Which meant…
The Zapdos in Grey's hands was the genuine article!
"The rules are three-on-three. When all of one side's Pokémon lose the ability to battle, the match is over."
Silver stepped up to his post. Compared to last time, he was much smoother on the mic today.
"Then, let the battle… begin!"
With his announcement, big portraits of both Trainers appeared on the large screen set into the wall of the Fighting Dojo.
Three Poké Balls flashed beneath each portrait, and the first ball next to each of their faces lit up with the image of their respective Pokémon.
Zapdos and Drapion!
Grey waved a hand toward Reggie. "Challenger moves first."
"Drapion, use Cross Poison!"
Watching Zapdos flying overhead, Reggie shouted his order to Drapion.
"Dronk!"
The instant his command fell, Drapion's pincers crossed into an X-shape.
Dark purple Poison-type energy surged wildly between the edges of its pincers, and in the blink of an eye it condensed into a glowing, ominous X-shaped blade of toxic energy!
Whoosh—!
As the poisonous blade tore through the air, even the atmosphere itself seemed to corrode and twist along its path.
That three-meter-wide cross of death hurtled toward the Zapdos in the sky at terrifying speed!
In Zapdos's pupils, the poisonous edge grew larger and larger as it rushed closer.
"Jiji!" (The paltry venom of an insect dares to approach the glory of thunder?!)
No one knew what Zapdos had been watching lately, but the way it talked was dripping with dramatic edginess.
Grey rubbed his brow and gave his command. "Thunderbolt!"
"Jiji!" (Haaah, behold my thunderous divine judgment!)
Zapdos's wings shuddered violently, countless serpents of lightning weaving together in front of it into a blinding column of light.
Zz-BOOM!!!
The moment the golden thunderbolt collided with Cross Poison, purple-gold sparks exploded out from the poisonous haze!
Even before the aftershock faded, several stray arcs of electricity rained down onto Drapion's armor.
High-voltage current raced wildly across its body, and scorch marks quickly spread over its dark purple shell!
"Dronk!" (As expected of Zapdos—just one move and the power's already this insane! But I, Drapion, am no pushover. Let me see what this electricity really feels like!)
Drapion roared in pain, and toxic light gathered between its pincers again!
That first salvo had just been the appetizer.
This aerial vs. ground slugfest was far from over!
"Use Poison Sting in a sweep—try to get it poisoned!"
Reggie's command rang out once more.
Poison Sting, as a move, had extremely low base power.
Even with STAB, Drapion couldn't really salvage its lackluster damage.
But Reggie wasn't aiming for power—he wanted quantity!
He was going to win through sheer volume. As long as he could leave even a single mark on Zapdos, that would be enough!
"Dronk!"
Drapion's armor glowed with an eerie purple light as all of its offensive organs locked onto their target simultaneously.
Sh-sh-sh-sh!
Hundreds of poisonous needles fired out from its pincers, tail claw, and even the gaps between its joints!
These venom-laced energy needles were as fine as ox hair, but in midair they wove into a dense, interlocking net that even blotted out the sunlight, turning it into a sinister purple-black haze!
"The number's honestly not bad, but the power is… a bit heartbreaking."
Grey shook his head helplessly.
Of course he knew Poison Sting was weak, and he'd already guessed at Reggie's goal.
No matter the cost, he wanted to put Zapdos into a poisoned state, huh?
Honestly, Reggie, you…
"Alright, Zapdos, don't toy with it anymore. Just use Discharge."
The moment Grey's order fell, dazzling golden light burst from between Zapdos's feathers.
Countless bolts of electricity shot out from the gaps in its plumage, weaving together in the sky into a massive electrical grid!
Crackle!
As the poisonous needles collided with the thunder net, the explosive shockwave blew the surrounding purple-black toxic miasma outward, revealing a clear view of the battlefield!
The still-surging current raced back along the path of the Poison Stings, rebounding straight into Drapion and frying its shell until it turned yellowish. Even the edges of its pincers were smoking!
Seeing this, Reggie's expression instantly grew as dark as a thundercloud.
Drapion wasn't even able to put up a real fight…
It was getting absolutely schooled out there…
He could tell that, in terms of raw strength, the gap between the two Pokémon wasn't actually that huge.
At least they were in the same overall tier; it wasn't some massive leap across a whole rank.
Yet even under those conditions, his Drapion still couldn't do a thing to Zapdos!
What was the reason?
Was it simply because Drapion couldn't fly?
As Reggie lowered his head in thought…
He suddenly realized that the closed dojo had somehow become shrouded in a layer of dark clouds overhead!
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