Prompted by the referee's reminder, Winona suddenly snapped back to her senses.
She took a slow breath, and the gentle warmth that had lingered on her face while speaking with the children faded instantly. In its place came a sharp, focused gaze, as though she had become a completely different person.
"Theo, if I remember correctly, this is your eighth Gym challenge, isn't it?"
Theo gave a slight nod and answered calmly, "Yes, Gym Leader Winona."
"If you win this badge, you will step onto the stage of the Ever Grande Conference, but I will not let you take victory so easily."
Winona's voice was cool and firm, carrying an undeniable authority.
"The Feather Badge of Fortree Gym will not be something you can simply take from me."
Her eyes locked onto Theo's, unwavering, as she spoke each word clearly and deliberately.
"Under this sky, victory or defeat will be decided by me."
Hearing her words, Theo could not help but feel that something was off. Her tone felt unusually intense, almost overly aggressive.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat was already filled with teasing and commentary.
"This line is so cool, under this sky, victory is mine. I did not expect Leader Winona to be this dominant. I love her even more now."
"Hahaha, this is the first time I have seen Winona so fierce. Did she mistake the streamer for someone else?"
"If the streamer loses this match, he totally deserves it. He looks so much like Wallace and still dares to dress like that. That is basically asking for trouble."
"Now that you mention it, he really does resemble Wallace. This guy probably does not even know about Wallace and Winona's relationship, yet he dressed like that. It feels like a direct provocation."
"Leader Winona, I support you. Beat this streamer and send him packing."
"Agreed. Agreed."
This was truly an undeserved disaster.
If Theo could see these comments, he would definitely shout injustice in his heart. He had absolutely not dressed this way on purpose.
Every piece of clothing in his wardrobe had not even been bought by him. They were all gifts from Devon Corporation after he participated in various Poké Ball advertisement shoots. The styling department had prepared the outfits, and after filming, they simply handed them over to him.
Most of those outfits happened to be in white and green tones, matching his hair color.
Aside from contests, Theo never put much thought into coordinating his outfits. He simply grabbed whatever was convenient from the closet.
He was not like Volcarona, who obsessed over appearances.
The reason he wore this white and green outfit today was nothing more than coincidence. How could he have predicted all this?
If anyone was to blame, it should probably be the fashion designers at Devon Corporation.
Moreover, Theo did not think his clothing resembled Wallace's style at all. His outfits were simple, sharp suits that looked clean and handsome.
As for Wallace's attire… Theo did not even know how to comment on it. In any case, he would never wear something like that.
Before Theo could think further about why Winona's attitude had changed so drastically, she had already acted.
Without hesitation, she pulled a Poké Ball from her waist and threw it forward.
"Come out, Swellow!"
A flash of red light burst forth, and a bird Pokémon with deep emerald feathers shot into the sky. Its wings spread wide, stirring up a strong gust as it let out a series of crisp, piercing cries.
It was one of Winona's ace Pokémon.
A shiny Swellow.
Theo's gaze focused on it, and its information appeared clearly in his mind.
[Pokémon: Swellow (Shiny)]
Type: Normal / Flying
Category: Swallow Pokémon
Ability: Scrappy (Allowing Normal and Fighting type moves to hit Ghost type Pokémon while ignoring Intimidate)
Moves: Quick Attack, Aerial Ace, Wing Attack, Double Team, Tailwind, Air Slash, Endeavor, Facade, Roost, Rain Dance, Brave Bird, Hyper Beam, Giga Impact
"Gym Leader Winona actually sent out her shiny Swellow right away?" someone in the spectator stands exclaimed. "That is one of her main Pokémon!"
The children nearby did not care about such details. Seeing their favorite Pokémon appear, they immediately raised their hands and cheered excitedly.
"Shiny Swellow, go!"
"Go, Winona!"
Theo did not dare to take this battle lightly.
Originally, he had planned to let the newly evolved Zweilous take the stage first and make a strong debut.
But seeing Winona in this full powered state, he quickly abandoned that idea.
If one were to compare levels in terms of a game system from his previous life, Winona's Skarmory and Pelipper would likely be around level fifty.
Her strongest core Pokémon, however, were approaching level seventy, brushing against the threshold of Elite Four level strength.
Among all the Gym Leaders in Hoenn, Winona was undoubtedly among the top tier.
For years, she had consistently participated in the selection battles for the Hoenn Elite Four.
Her goal had always been clear.
First secure a seat among the Elite Four, then challenge Wallace and claim the title of Champion of Hoenn.
Just like Cynthia, she wanted to stand at the very top as a regional Champion.
Because of that, the strength of her main Pokémon could not be underestimated.
As for Theo, although his livestream system had fully come into its own after so many major events and now provided him with a steady supply of high level energy clusters, allowing him to rapidly train his Pokémon, there was still a process of absorption and adaptation that required time.
These advanced energy orbs were essentially like experience items from his previous world, capable of quickly increasing a Pokémon's internal energy reserves and significantly accelerating their growth.
This was Theo's greatest advantage, the reason he could catch up to veteran trainers who had spent years training their Pokémon.
Ordinary trainers had to rely on long and difficult training.
Those with special abilities such as psychic power, dragon affinity, or the power of Viridian could accelerate their Pokémon's growth to a certain extent.
But Theo's livestream system operated on an even higher level.
Take Lance from Kanto, for example. He possessed the strongest Dragon Force ability within his clan, allowing him to significantly boost the growth of Dragon type Pokémon, which was a key factor in his rise to Champion.
Or Giovanni, whose ace Beedrill would never have reached such terrifying strength without the support of his Viridian power.
That was not merely a matter of resources.
Bug type Pokémon were known for forming combat strength quickly, but this came at a cost. Their lifespans were shorter, and their peak potential was often lower compared to other Pokémon.
It was only through Giovanni's Viridian Power, which could replenish vitality, that his Beedrill achieved such a monstrous foundation.
As for psychic abilities, there was no need to elaborate.
Sabrina of Kanto stood as the perfect example, a human who could rival Pokémon themselves.
She could even use her psychic power to forcibly evolve Psychic type Pokémon, a testament to just how terrifying her abilities were.
(End of Chapter)