"Looks like Leaf is going to lose over there." Red wasn't the least bit surprised. Gary's strength had always been ahead of both Leaf and Ash. If not for his careless and arrogant personality, he might have gone even further.
"Looks like my teammate is pretty strong!" Giselle said happily. Since she couldn't defeat Red on her own, she didn't mind cooperating with Gary at all.
"You'd better worry about yourself first," Red replied helplessly. If Pidgeot weren't still getting used to its new body, Gabite would have already been defeated.
Pidgeot shot up into the sky, moving at a speed exceeding Mach 2, confusing Gabite with its extreme velocity. Then, when Gabite wasn't paying attention, it gave its rear a heavy smack—an unmistakable taunt.
"Hey! Even if your Pidgeot is strong, there's no need to humiliate Gabite like that!" Giselle protested.
Gabite roared toward the sky, wanting Pidgeot to fight it head-on.
'Tch! You can't even track my speed and you still want a direct confrontation? You'd better evolve first and gain the ability to fly!'
Pidgeot's face was full of mockery.
'You bastard!' Gabite stomped the ground in anger. After evolving into Garchomp, it would gain the ability to fly, soaring at near sonic speed by tucking in its body and spreading its wings like a jet. But right now, Gabite's wings hadn't fully developed, and it simply couldn't fly.
(Though I really want to complain about how Garchomp even flies. Gliding briefly with that body structure would make sense, but actually flying at that speed…)
"In that case, Gabite, use Sandstorm!" Giselle ordered. Earlier, because she had to cooperate with Gary, she hadn't used Sandstorm to alter the environment. Now that it was a one-on-one battle, she didn't need to worry about affecting her teammate.
Dust swirled into a raging sandstorm, providing Gabite with cover. Its Sand Veil Ability was activated, increasing its evasion rate.
"What the heck, if you didn't want us watching, you could've just said so!" one spectator complained after getting a mouthful of sand. Helpless, he moved to Leaf and Gary's battlefield instead. Though he had been looking forward to the visual feast from the golden Pidgeot, he really didn't want to eat sand.
The rest of the audience felt the same. Most reluctantly chose to watch Leaf and Gary instead.
(Damn it! I forgot to bring a mask!)
The beach wasn't an official battle arena, so even Giselle, as the commander, ended up choking on sand. Just as she found herself in a dilemma, blue light radiated from Red's eyes, confining the sandstorm strictly to Pidgeot and Gabite's battlefield. The spectators who had left earlier returned at once.
"So cool~ Not only is he strong, he's also a psychic…" a girl watching from the sidelines gazed at Red with admiration, captivated by his calm demeanor in battle.
"Damn it, could he not suddenly be this gentle…" Giselle murmured, mistakenly thinking Red had revealed his psychic powers for her sake.
In truth, it was a major misunderstanding. Red had acted only after seeing Delia get splashed by the sandstorm. He used his psychic powers to protect Delia, Giselle, Professor Oak, and the departing spectators.
'You think hiding in a sandstorm lets you avoid my attacks? What a joke! My eyes are locked onto your body!' Pidgeot scoffed. Not only did it possess the well-developed chest muscle trait, it also carried the Keen Eye trait.
(Keen Eye: Accuracy cannot be lowered by the opponent in any way and ignores increases to the target's evasion.)
Aside from dealing minor damage, Gabite's Sandstorm had no real effect on Pidgeot. Naturally, Giselle had no idea Pidgeot benefited from two Abilities at once.
"Quick Attack."
Seeing Giselle still in a daze, Red launched the attack first.
With a sharp "whoosh," the Pidgeot that had been circling above transformed into a streak of golden lightning, slamming Gabite several meters back and nearly knocking it unconscious.
Spreading its massive wings, Pidgeot seized Gabite's shoulders with its talons and forcibly carried it into the sky.
"Gabite, hurry and use Dragon Breath!" Giselle shouted anxiously. Once it was completely off the ground, Gabite would have no chance at all.
A stream of cyan Dragon Breath shot from Gabite's mouth. Unwilling to be injured, Pidgeot had no choice but to 'release' it. It had just wanted Gabite to experience the 'joy' of flying for once.
'Your trainer has no sense of fun. Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy the pleasure of flight with me in advance?'
Pidgeot teased. It had grown fond of tormenting Gabite, vaguely recalling the thrill it once felt bullying Spearow on Route 1. Unfortunately, throughout the journey, it had never encountered a worthy opponent like Fearow again. Otherwise, it would definitely have left the other side with psychological trauma.
Gabite trembled slightly, puzzled at why Pidgeot harbored such malice toward it. It had only talked back a little—was that really enough to hold such a grudge?!
"The sandstorm is getting in the way. Pidgeot, use Hurricane."
Pidgeot let out a fierce cry, beating its wide wings to summon a violent storm that completely dispersed the sandstorm.
"How is that possible?! The sandstorm hasn't even ended yet!" Giselle exclaimed in disbelief. Battling Red's Pokémon had once again shattered everything she thought she knew from Pokémon Tech.
"Pokémon battles aren't a game. Do you really think Pidgeot doesn't have the strength to blow away Gabite's Sandstorm?" Red countered. Weather moves could alter the environment, but it all depended on the user's strength.
Simply put, could Torkoal's Drought override Kyogre's Drizzle? The answer was obvious. The one with greater power determined control over the environment—not whoever used the move first.
"Red, you've taught me another lesson…" Giselle murmured.
"Had enough fun, Pidgeot?" Red asked.
Pidgeot nodded.
"Then finish Gabite."
Pidgeot rapidly closed in, spinning its body to create a tornado that forcibly dragged Gabite into the vortex's core. With a Wing Attack, it struck Gabite's vital point.
"Gabite, hurry and use Dig to get away!" Giselle's eyes lit up as she found an escape.
Gabite looked unwilling at first, but ultimately yielded and used Dig to escape the tornado's grip.
It had its own pride. A move like Dig simply didn't suit its identity.
"Find where Gabite resurfaces. Finish it with Brave Bird." Red glanced toward the sea, calmly admiring the scenery, already convinced Gabite would fall to this move.
"Don't get cocky! Gabite, use Dragon Rush!" Giselle shouted, placing all her hopes on this ultimate technique.
Blue energy flared around Pidgeot as it dove from above.
Cyan draconic energy enveloped Gabite, forming a massive dragon-shaped aura. Refusing to yield, Gabite charged straight at Pidgeot.
"Boom—"
The violent clash leveled the beach. The crowd trembled with excitement, desperately anticipating the outcome. Most cheers favored Red and the golden Pidgeot. The visual spectacle Pidgeot delivered had already convinced them it would win.
"Pidgeot!"
The dust was blown away by Pidgeot's Gust. Pidgeot stood calmly, gripping Gabite's shoulders with its talons before gently placing it back on the ground.
'Though your strength is average, you've got some skill. I acknowledge you.' Pidgeot chuckled softly. It decided not to tease Gabite anymore. Although it had achieved an overwhelming victory, it had seen the longing for strength in Gabite's eyes and had even deliberately held back, taking the full force of Dragon Rush.
Before Pidgeot could relax, the recoil from Brave Bird suddenly struck. A sharp pain briefly numbed its nerves.
'Tch! I shouldn't have tried to play the nice guy!' Pidgeot complained.
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