The dim flames surrounding Larvesta flared up once again with intense heat.
The frequency of the burning flames was filled with a sense of power; not only had its previously consumed stamina fully recovered, but it even seemed a few points stronger than its peak state.
The entire Pokémon became energetic once more, radiating a high-spirited fighting will.
Flannery abruptly took a half-step back, her back slamming heavily against the railing of the Trainer's box, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Only at this moment did she finally understand the calculation hidden behind Lionel's previous tactic of seemingly passive evasion and taking hits.
It turned out the opponent had the recovery move Morning Sun as a trump card and had been waiting for this exact opportunity!
"It actually knows a recovery move?!"
The audience erupted into a frenzy; their previous doubts vanished instantly, replaced by exclamations of sudden realization.
Those who had originally thought Lionel's tactics were strange now showed expressions of admiration.
So, the seemingly passive dodging and taking hits were all to set the stage for a subsequent recovery and counterattack. This battle tactic was truly impressive.
At this moment, the live stream's chat was flooding the screen like a blowout:
[Holy crap! You can play like that? Larvesta knows a recovery move—how is Torkoal supposed to fight now?]
[I get it! Larvesta taking hits earlier wasn't being stupid; the streamer had the recovery move ready all along. That's incredible!]
[Larvesta actually knows Morning Sun? This is a sustain monster! Gym Leader Flannery is in trouble!]
[I see! I was just cursing the streamer in my head for bad commanding, but now it seems my perspective was too narrow. I completely failed to understand this play!]
[Not only that, the ability Torkoal showed upon entering was clearly Drought. In the end, Torkoal couldn't use it well, and it all just served as a perfect setup for the streamer. Brilliant!]
Moore, who had been standing to the side with his arms crossed, watching the battle with a somewhat leisurely attitude,
now had a solemn gaze. He slowly retracted his relaxed expression and whispered to himself, "I didn't expect... this Larvesta was hiding a recovery move. With this, Flannery's advantage has completely vanished."
"Larvesta, it's our turn to counterattack! Use Flame Wheel!"
Lionel's voice, carrying a hint of high-spirited fighting will, reached Larvesta's ears clearly, finally sounding the horn for the counterattack.
Larvesta, which had already boosted its speed to the limit, instantly curled up its body and transformed into an orange-red Flame Wheel.
This Flame Wheel, due to the speed stacks from the previous Flame Charge, spun at a frequency so fast it almost left afterimages.
Everywhere it passed, the air was torn apart, letting out sharp whistling sounds.
The barrier of black smoke Torkoal had created earlier was forcibly torn apart by this high-speed spinning Flame Wheel,
scorched, and quickly dissipated into nothingness.
Torkoal's figure was now completely exposed before Larvesta.
The moment the Haze completely cleared, Larvesta had already stopped in the center of the field.
The five antennae on its head were raised proudly, emitting a clear chirping sound toward Torkoal.
It was as if it were declaring that its moment had officially arrived.
Flannery clenched her fists, her palms drenched in cold sweat.
In this game of wits, it seemed she had fallen into the opponent's trap from the very beginning, led along step by step.
"Now! Charge!"
Lionel continued to issue commands.
The Flame Wheel, with an unstoppable momentum, charged toward Torkoal like a cannonball launched from a barrel.
Torkoal wanted to launch a Rock-type move to counterattack, but it discovered with horror that Larvesta's speed was simply too fast.
So fast that Torkoal's attacks couldn't aim accurately at all.
Whether Torkoal was gathering Ancient Power or preparing to launch a Rock Slide,
by the time it locked onto the target and prepared to attack, Larvesta had already bypassed the attack range like a phantom.
Then, it continued to slam its body with the high-speed spinning Flame Wheel.
"Damn it!"
Flannery watched as Torkoal was repeatedly struck by the Flame Wheel, charred wounds appearing on its body and its breathing gradually becoming erratic.
Her brow furrowed tighter and tighter, and a sense of anxiety grew stronger in her heart: "Torkoal, use Flamethrower!"
Torkoal immediately opened its large mouth and spat out a thick stream of fire, sweeping toward Larvesta with a scorching heat wave.
But Larvesta's reactions were extremely agile; its body nimbly flashed to the side, easily dodging the attack.
The flames grazed the edge of its body and slammed heavily into the ground of the battlefield, leaving a long charred mark.
"Switch to Fire Blast!"
Flannery commanded again, unwilling to give up.
A massive fiery character quickly formed in mid-air, pressing down on Larvesta with destructive power.
But Larvesta still easily avoided it by relying on its extreme speed advantage.
It even used the opportunity while dodging to slam into Torkoal's body again with Flame Wheel, causing Torkoal to let out a painful groan.
With consecutive attacks missing and its body being constantly hit,
Torkoal's aura grew weaker and weaker, and the burning red light inside its shell dimmed significantly, showing extreme exhaustion.
Flannery's expression grew more and more unsightly. She knew that if this continued, she would just be worn down to death. Finally making up her mind, her voice carried a hint of resolve: "No other way! Torkoal, use Overheat!"
This was Torkoal's most powerful move and its final trump card.
However, using it would greatly consume its own energy and even significantly weaken the power of its special attacks.
Following Flannery's command, the red light on Torkoal's shell flashed violently, as if it were carrying a small volcano on its back.
Immediately after, violent flames erupted from Torkoal's shell like a volcanic eruption.
A massive fire vortex formed around it, completely enveloping the surrounding several meters.
This time, the attack range was so large it was almost impossible to avoid.
Although Larvesta reacted quickly and immediately retreated, it was still caught by the edge of the fire vortex.
It let out a cry of pain and was violently blown away by the powerful heat wave, rolling on the ground several times before barely stopping.
The flames on its body flickered violently; it had clearly sustained significant damage, and its antennae drooped slightly.
"Larvesta!"
Lionel frowned slightly, a flash of concern in his eyes.
But before he could issue a command, Larvesta struggled to its feet, bathed in the sunlight once more, and unhesitatingly activated the Morning Sun move.
Golden healing light flowed around its body again, and its injuries recovered rapidly at a pace visible to the naked eye.
Before long, it was high-spirited once again.
It was as if Torkoal's powerful Overheat attack had never caused it any harm.
Watching this scene, Flannery's face turned completely pale, her eyes filled with despair.
She knew she had lost.
After using Overheat, Torkoal's aura was withered, its internal fire energy reserves were greatly reduced, and the power of its subsequent attacks would be far inferior to before.
Meanwhile, Larvesta could use Morning Sun to recover quickly. In such a war of attrition, she couldn't afford the cost, and she couldn't even see a sliver of hope for a comeback.
Just then, Moore, who had been silently watching, suddenly spoke, his voice clearly reaching the entire field: "In this match, Flannery forfeits."
"Grandpa!"
Flannery turned her head sharply, her face written with unwillingness as she said urgently: "The match isn't over yet! I can still—"
"You've already lost."
Moore interrupted her, his tone calm but carrying an unquestionable authority: "Continuing would only be a futile drain on Torkoal's stamina. There's no need to make it suffer more damage for nothing."
He looked at Flannery, his gaze carrying a hint of warning: "Acknowledging the strength of an opponent is a mandatory lesson every Trainer must learn."
Flannery bit her lip hard.
She looked at the energetic Larvesta on the field with a complex gaze, then at her own dying Torkoal, and finally slowly lowered her head.
She reached out to recall Torkoal into its Poké Ball, her voice carrying an unmistakable trace of defeat: "I understand, Grandpa."
Moore nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze toward Lionel, his eyes shining with undisguised admiration.
He walked slowly to the center of the field, and at some point, a bright red Heat Badge had appeared in his hand.
It was the badge of the Lavaridge Gym, engraved with flame patterns and faintly radiating a warm aura.
"Lionel!"
Moore handed over the Heat Badge, his tone somewhat solemn: "You have successfully challenged and won at the Lavaridge Gym. This Heat Badge is yours."
Lionel took the badge; it felt warm in his hand, as if it still held the temperature of fire. He bowed slightly, his tone sincere: "Thank you, Senior Moore."
"Don't be so quick to thank me."
Moore waved his hand, his tone shifting as a hint of eager fighting spirit appeared in his eyes: "Seeing such a young and promising Trainer really makes my hands itch. Are you interested in having a battle with me?"
Lionel was stunned for a moment and looked at Moore with surprise: "Senior is going to step in personally?"
"Don't worry, I won't bully the young."
Moore explained with a smile: "I have a Blaziken that just finished evolving a few days ago, and I was worrying about not having a suitable opponent to spar with. Are you interested in battling my Blaziken?
You can use any Pokémon for the battle. I've seen your videos; besides Larvesta, you have three other Pokémon.
A Rock + Dragon-type close-combat Pokémon, a shiny Metang like that Steven kid's, and a Water-type shiny Milotic, right?"
Moore paused and threw out an extremely tempting condition, his tone carrying a hint of enticement: "If you can beat my Blaziken, I'll have my Typhlosion provide move tutoring for your Larvesta.
It's best at move tutoring; all those Fire-type ultimate moves Flannery's Pokémon know were taught by it personally.
When the time comes, it will expend its own energy to help your Larvesta quickly comprehend and learn those powerful Fire-type moves, like Fire Blast, Overheat, and so on.
So, do you dare to battle me?"