"Gary sure hasn't been slacking off lately," Nozomi thought to himself as he studied the Arcanine before him.
With his sharp eyes, Nozomi could easily tell how well-trained the Pokémon was. The sheen of its coat, the intensity in its gaze, the battle spirit that radiated from it—everything about this Arcanine was top-tier.
Aside from its trainer's occasional overconfidence, this Arcanine was virtually flawless.
"This is my proudest Pokémon—Arcanine!" Gary declared, eyes gleaming with self-assurance.
Ever since being humiliated by Nozomi aboard the S.S. Anne, Gary had resolved to close the gap between them. To do that, he poured everything he had into raising his Growlithe.
He spent a fortune providing Arcanine with the best training equipment and even hired a professional Pokémon Breeder to design a custom diet and scientifically optimized training regimen.
After months of relentless training, the results spoke for themselves.
In his recent battle at Celadon City, Gary's Arcanine had defeated Erika's Pokémon in a single strike, earning him the Rainbow Badge.
"Let's begin!" Gary called, raising his hand sharply.
Arcanine roared, and the battle began.
The first to attack was Koga's Weezing.
As a ninja, Koga would never relinquish the initiative once he decided to fight seriously. The moment Gary gave the signal, Koga's command rang out.
"Poison Sting!"
A flurry of purple needles shot toward Arcanine.
Arcanine didn't even need Gary's order. It darted aside with effortless agility, dodging every poisonous barb.
Without slowing down, Arcanine lunged straight toward Weezing, jaws parting wide.
"Bite," Nozomi noted under his breath.
Given Arcanine's powerful bite force, if it landed that hit, Weezing would suffer serious damage.
Of course, what Nozomi understood, Koga—an even more experienced battler—knew perfectly well.
"Weezing, use Smog!"
Thick purple gas burst from Weezing's body, enveloping itself in a dense, noxious barrier several meters wide.
Using Smog as a defensive screen—an excellent tactic.
Now, if Arcanine wanted to engage in close combat, it would have to risk being poisoned.
Gary clearly had no intention of letting that happen. Facing the rolling cloud of toxins, he shouted, "Arcanine, use Heat Wave!"
Arcanine puffed up its cheeks, then exhaled a blazing gust of scorching air.
"So this Arcanine inherited Heat Wave, huh?" Nozomi murmured, clicking his tongue. "Gary really hit the jackpot with this one."
The searing wind swept across the field, dispersing the poisonous haze instantly and exposing Weezing once more. The flames licked at Weezing's body, leaving it slightly scorched.
"Impressive," Koga admitted, glancing sideways.
Though this Weezing wasn't one of his main battlers, he hadn't expected Gary's Pokémon—whose overall strength was below Nozomi's—to perform this well. It was enough to earn his respect.
"In that case," Koga said, "let me show you my true power. Weezing—use Sludge Bomb!"
Hovering midair, Weezing opened its twin mouths and hurled two massive blobs of toxic sludge at Arcanine.
Sludge Bomb—one of the strongest Poison-type moves. Gary didn't dare take it lightly.
"Arcanine, intercept it with Flamethrower!"
Arcanine braced itself, then unleashed a blazing stream of fire.
The flames met the incoming Sludge Bombs, forming a burning curtain in midair.
Fwoosh!
The toxins ignited instantly upon contact, bursting into twin fireballs that disintegrated into black ash before they could reach Arcanine.
"Don't stop now, Arcanine—press the attack!" Gary commanded eagerly.
But when he looked up, Weezing was gone. Only a slowly dispersing smoke cloud remained.
Gary hesitated for a brief second—just long enough.
A bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the sky.
"Weezing, use Thunderbolt!" Koga's voice rang out.
The Thunderbolt struck Arcanine dead-on.
Caught completely off-guard, Arcanine howled in pain, its fur standing on end in a crackling storm of sparks.
"Still too green, Gary…" Nozomi sighed inwardly.
He had already noticed Weezing's maneuver.
The earlier Sludge Bomb had only been a feint; under cover of the smoke, Weezing had ascended high into the air. Neither Gary nor Arcanine had spotted it—and Koga seized the perfect moment to strike.
If Gary had realized sooner, he could have evaded or counterattacked, keeping the momentum on his side.
Now, the advantage had shifted entirely to Koga.
"Weezing, use Sludge!"
Weezing spewed a cloud of thick, murky gas toward the paralyzed Arcanine.
Sludge was a Poison-type move that enveloped the opponent in toxic vapors, often leaving them badly poisoned.
Normally, Arcanine could've easily dodged with its tremendous speed—but paralyzed by Thunderbolt, its body refused to move.
It wanted to dodge… but simply couldn't.
The smog surrounded Arcanine, wrapping it in a choking haze.
"Arcanine, hold your breath! Don't inhale that gas!" Gary shouted desperately, hoping his command would help his partner endure.
But paralysis had robbed Arcanine of control over its body. Holding its breath was impossible.
After just two gasps, the toxins took effect. Arcanine's majestic coat dulled, its luster fading into a dusty gray.
"Damn it… what do I do now?" Gary muttered, his confident composure finally breaking as the battle slipped through his grasp.
(End of Chapter)