A deep rumble echoed from beneath the earth. Lt. Surge's heart felt like it was bleeding.
Although the League provided annual funds to each Gym—for maintenance and paying Gym Trainers—those funds were limited.
For someone like Surge, whose battle style was so forceful and destructive, every match meant repairs to the battlefield. The Gym's budget was already stretched thin, and now that his Steelix was digging, who knows what shape the underground of the Gym might be left in.
But not every Challenger who used Dig got treated like this. If it were Diglett or Sandslash using Dig, Surge wouldn't be so extreme. It was simply that Steelix's size was far too massive.
Perhaps the Gym would need major reconstruction afterward.
Nozomi didn't know what Surge was thinking—perhaps he did but didn't care, after all, it wasn't his money being spent.
Steelix swam through the underground passages of the Vermilion Gym. One must say, the construction quality was truly solid—nothing collapsed even under these conditions.
Meanwhile Raichu, having lost its target above ground when Steelix slipped underground, was bewildered and vulnerable. Nozomi seized the moment.
"Steelix, Iron Head!"
At Nozomi's command, Steelix erupted from beneath the surface; the huge head struck Raichu with brutal force and sent it flying.
Caught entirely off guard, Raichu's face registered shock and pain—pain from the impact. It reflexively tried Thunderbolt, but the electricity struck Steelix's bulk and did hardly anything.
"Raichu—!"
Surge cried out. "Dodge now!"
As a seasoned Gym Leader, Surge knew this Iron Head was only the beginning of the assault.
Taking the hit might be survivable, but the follow-ups must be avoided—or else it would be dangerous.
The intention was good—but reality was cruel.
Raichu was knocked into the air, limbs splayed with no leverage; it couldn't maneuver or dodge at all.
Steelix gave no chance. It twisted and unleashed a sweeping tail swipe, slamming Raichu to the ground.
That was two heavy hits in a row.
If Raichu had stayed conscious after the first strike, now it was thoroughly stunned. Crumpled on the earth, apart from registering pain, its mind was blank.
"Steelix, Overhead Press!"
Boom.
With a tremendous crash, Steelix's massive body came down. Surge's shout of Raichu's name cut off abruptly.
Watching Raichu pinned motionless beneath Steelix, Surge's mouth opened and closed—but no words came out of his throat.
His mind was muddled.
"Is it… over this fast?"
He could hardly believe that his trusted Raichu would fall so swiftly.
Clinging to a slender hope, he shifted his gaze back to Steelix.
At Nozomi's signal, Steelix rolled away, revealing the flattened, unconscious Raichu beneath.
"Gulp…" The Gym's referee swallowed hard. He had never seen a Challenger so ferocious—one blow and the Gym Leader was defeated.
Nozomi, not hearing the referee call the match, turned back and prompted: "Announce the result."
"Oh! Right away!" The referee snapped back to attention. "Raichu is no longer able to battle!"
In that state, even if the referee wanted to favor Surge, he couldn't.
"Mr. Surge, it seems my Steelix is a bit stronger," Nozomi said with a slight lift to his lips.
Nozomi still couldn't forgive Surge calling him "baby" before—he was a grudge-keeper. That comment was already jotted down in his mental ledger.
Surge's face hardened. "Baby, don't get too proud. Winning thanks to type advantage isn't something to boast about."
Steelix had a Ground typing, which severely counters Electric types like Raichu—he was grasping at any justification for his defeat!
"Heh." Nozomi regarded Surge with a cool expression.
Surge knew he had spoken rashly. Under Nozomi's stare, he flushed with a mix of shame and anger—and he tossed out his second Pokémon.
"Go, Electrode!"
A flash of white light, and a giant spherical Pokémon (white above, red below) appeared on the battlefield in a flamboyant show.
Electrode—a dangerous Pokémon known for detonating itself when bored.
When Nozomi saw that Pokémon, his expression turned serious, warier than before.
It wasn't fear of Surge; it was respect. Electrode was notorious throughout the Pokémon world.
Countless Trainers had suffered from Electrode's self-destruction in the wild.
Nozomi did not wish to repeat their fate.
Seeing Nozomi's expression change, Surge mentally exhaled a little. He had reclaimed some dignity.
"Now… I just need to figure out how to win this." Surge thought.
He was confident about this battle. Electrode's speed and its signature Explosion might at least force a draw. Even losing neatly would be difficult.
As Surge began plotting tactics, Nozomi gave no time for him to think.
"Steelix, surge forward! Use Rock Slide!"
Roar!
Steelix's menacing face twisted into a feral grin, its body surged, and with a sweep of its tail it sent a barrage of rocks raining down on Electrode.
Surge's chain of thought was disrupted—but he hardly hesitated. "Electrode, dodge—and counter with Sound Blast!"
At Surge's command, Electrode did not hold back. Its form flickered with electric arcs, vibrating at high speed. As it rolled aside, an invisible shockwave shot toward Steelix.
The sound blast was dramatic—but Nozomi, thoroughly familiar with Pokémon moves, knew its damage was limited. Its impact was more flashy than deadly.
He waved to Steelix.
"Steelix, use Harden!"
A white light ran over Steelix's surface. It rammed through the shockwave unscathed, dispersing the force.
But it could not continue attacking Electrode—Electrode's speed was tremendous; in an instant it had rolled to a corner of the battlefield.
Steelix turned its head and looked to Nozomi for the next command.
When the opponent is faster, Steelix itself was at a loss.