Although Kael didn't like Gary's personality, he had to admit that for a trainer who had only just set out on his journey, Gary's performance was more than respectable. To be honest, in terms of raw talent as a trainer, Gary was far more outstanding than the so-called protagonist Ash. It was just that he had only recently begun traveling, hadn't yet experienced real setbacks or harsh lessons, and his thinking was still immature. He wasn't malicious at heart and genuinely loved Pokémon—at worst, he was simply an irritating, arrogant kid.
Unwilling to give his opponent any breathing room, Gary waved his hand forward and shouted,
"Scyther, use Fury Cutter!"
"Scyther—!"
Scyther's insect wings spread wide once more. With its aerial advantage, it seized enormous freedom in initiating attacks. The sharp scythe-like arms crossed as it slashed downward again and again, each strike carrying a momentum that seemed capable of cleaving through anything in its path…
"Sneasel, dive into the water!" Kael ordered calmly.
Sneasel wasn't a Water-type Pokémon—but that didn't mean she couldn't swim. Just as Scyther's Fury Cutter was about to land, Sneasel leaned back and dropped straight into the pool.
The attack missed its target, but the floating platform Sneasel had just been standing on was chopped into several pieces.
Making full use of the battlefield was a basic quality of an excellent trainer—and likewise an essential survival skill for a bounty hunter. It was often the key to completing a mission.
Bugs weren't afraid of water, but they hated it. Scyther could only rely on the rapid beating of its wings to hover briefly at low altitude. Unlike Sneasel, it dared not enter the water. Once its wings were soaked, its combat ability would be crippled by half.
"Is dodging all you can do?"
The prolonged stalemate made Gary increasingly irritable. He knew Scyther couldn't stay airborne indefinitely like a Flying-type Pokémon, and the constant high-speed wing beats were steadily draining its stamina.
Gym Leaders naturally bore the responsibility of guiding new trainers. Kael raised his voice and said,
"You're too impatient. You want a quick win, but you can't see the situation clearly. Today, I'll give you a proper lesson."
"Sneasel—drag Scyther into the water!"
"Scyther—?!"
Sensing danger rising from below, Scyther tried to evade—but it was too late. Sneasel burst up from directly beneath it, hooking both claws around Scyther's legs and yanking hard. The two of them plunged straight into the pool together.
The moment Scyther hit the water, it began thrashing wildly. It was extremely uncomfortable—its thin insect wings quickly became soaked, and its exoskeleton made swimming nearly impossible. The more it struggled, the faster its stamina drained away.
By contrast, Sneasel wrapped her arms tightly around Scyther's slender waist and swam steadily toward the depths of the pool. Gradually… Scyther's figure disappeared completely beneath the surface.
...
"Fearow is unable to battle!"
The referee raised a red flag and pointed toward the stunned Gary as he announced,
"Challenger Gary's three Pokémon have all lost their ability to fight. The winner of this match is the Cerulean Gym!"
Gary's second Gym Challenge ended in utter defeat—he had been swept three to zero, crushed from every angle. For a twelve-year-old boy who had just begun his journey, the sense of loss and frustration was devastating.
"Did I go too far…?"
Kael muttered to himself as he dried Sneasel's fur with a towel, glancing toward the entrance where the spiky-haired boy staggered as he walked away. Behind Gary, his five cheerleaders hung their heads, their quiet sobs breaking the silence.
"But I've got to admit—this feeling of teaching someone a hard lesson…"
Kael narrowed his eyes slightly, savoring the brief calm and beauty as the sun dipped toward the horizon.
"…it's actually pretty damn good."
...
"Cheers! Let's see who still dares say the Cerulean Gym is the weakest Gym in the Kanto League now!"
Violet, the most lively of the three sisters, raised her wineglass and laughed.
"Come on, Kael, a toast to you. This is all thanks to you. Heehee—when the three of us went to the Pokémon Center today, guess what we heard?"
"What did you hear?" Kael raised his glass in return.
Violet said smugly,
"Those trainers were saying Cerulean Gym isn't the weakest Gym at all—we've all been fooled! For three days straight, not a single challenger succeeded. And there was even a powerhouse from Fuchsia City with six Gym Badges who lost to the Gym Leader here!"
…That didn't really sound like something to be proud of.
Kael felt a little awkward inside. I'm the one who beat those trainers, not you three. Once I leave tomorrow, won't you still be called the weakest Gym in Kanto?
Just then, the eldest sister, Daisy, walked over with a warm smile. She was carrying a tray with three stacks of cash and a blue disc on it.
"Here you go. This is the payment we agreed on."
Kael didn't bother counting. He simply brushed his hand over the stacks and immediately sensed something was off.
"Didn't we agree on thirty thousand a day? Why does each stack look like fifty thousand?"
"That was my decision—a bonus for you," Daisy said gently.
Lily leaned in from the side and added,
"You performed so well that the three of us really stole the spotlight. Don't feel pressured—we're not short on money. Just one water ballet performance brings in over a hundred thousand in ticket sales."
Kael almost forgot—these three sisters were seriously rich. League funding was one thing, Cerulean City's tax revenue was another, and their water ballet performances were a major source of income all on their own.
He accepted the one hundred and fifty thousand earned over three days without guilt. After this, Kael planned to give himself a proper vacation.
After all, what was the point of making money if you didn't enjoy it?
In that regard, Kael had never been one to shortchange himself.