"Magmar is unable to battle, Weavile wins!"
Moore's voice carried a hint of undisguised amazement as he took a deep look at Ariel.
This young man... is he really just an ordinary Trainer?
From using Agility to test the waters, to being restricted by Smokescreen, then using Ice Shard to break the deadlock, and finally ending the battle with a thunderous Night Slash.
The entire process was seamless and frighteningly calm.
This was not the tactical literacy and psychological quality a young Trainer should have; these were clearly the judgments only a battle-hardened veteran could make!
The entire arena fell silent.
Flannery stared blankly at the fallen Magmar, then at the Weavile still standing tall in the center of the field, her small mouth slightly agape, unable to say a word for a long time.
She had lost, and she had lost completely in the tactical environment she excelled in most.
Ariel's Weavile was not unscathed either. Its fur had several marks from high-temperature burns, and its breathing was somewhat ragged. After all, staying in the high-temperature Smokescreen created by Magmar for a long time was a huge drain for an Ice-type like it.
But it still stood there, its gaze sharp, its fighting spirit undiminished.
"Type disadvantage... and yet it still has the strength to continue fighting..."
Stormy waves surged within Moore's heart.
He had seen countless people in his life and encountered many geniuses, but someone like Ariel, who had trained a Weavile to such a level, was unique!
This Weavile's strength had already surpassed the scope of type advantages.
Moore only now truly realized how ridiculous his previous suspicions of Ariel were.
What Team Rockets spy? If Team Rockets had a young man of this caliber, the League would have had a headache long ago!
This kid is clearly a tiger in sheep's clothing!
Flannery recalled Magmar and remained silent for a moment. She looked up at Ariel with a complex gaze—unwillingness, frustration, but more than that, a sense of respect won over by the strong.
"You and your Weavile... are truly strong," she said sincerely.
After speaking, she gripped a Poké Ball in her hand, the confusion on her face swept away, replaced by an unprecedented determination.
As a Gym Leader, she could lose, but she could not lose her fighting spirit!
"But, I haven't lost yet!" Flannery held the Poké Ball high. "This is one of my original partners! Let it be your opponent!"
She threw the Poké Ball out abruptly.
"Go, Arcanine!"
"Roar—!"
A majestic roar echoed throughout the Gym!
Amidst the red light, a Pokémon with a sturdy build and hair flowing like golden flames appeared majestically on the field.
It was taller than an ordinary Arcanine, with stripes as deep as ink, strong and powerful limbs, and a raging fighting spirit burning in its eyes.
With Arcanine's appearance, the air in the entire Gym seemed to be ignited, and a sense of pressure far exceeding that of Magmar rushed toward them!
Ariel's expression finally turned solemn.
This Arcanine is very strong!
Just standing there, it brought a sense of pressure far exceeding that of Magmar.
Old man Moore on the referee's stand leaned forward slightly, a glint flashing in his cloudy eyes.
This Arcanine was hand-picked by him for Flannery, and it was one of the Pokémon in Flannery's team that had been trained for the longest time.
However, due to a certain injury, it had rested for a while, causing its level to fall behind Flannery's main force.
But the strength of this Arcanine was still beyond doubt!
Ariel looked at his Weavile, which was still panting in front of him.
The wounds on its body had been there since the battle with Magmar—wounds caused by skill splash damage and steam burns—and now it looked even more bedraggled.
But he could clearly feel that what was being transmitted from Weavile was not exhaustion or fear, but an even higher, purer desire for battle.
Those red eyes were staring fixedly at the new opponent, and its claws swiped lightly across the ground, making a sharp scraping sound.
It wanted to fight!
It wanted to put a perfect period on its first Gym battle after evolving!
Ariel understood.
For a Pokémon eager for battle, the best response is trust.
"Do you still want to continue?" Ariel asked softly.
"Weavile!"
Weavile didn't look back, only giving a short and powerful cry as an answer, its body crouching slightly in a hunting posture.
"Your Weavile is already injured, are you sure you want to continue?"
Flannery couldn't help but speak; it wasn't out of sympathy, but the basic confirmation one Trainer gives to another.
Ariel didn't answer, only showing his attitude through action.
He knew that when a Pokémon showed such passion for battle, all the Trainer needed to do was clear the obstacles ahead.
"In that case, Arcanine, Flamethrower!" Flannery no longer hesitated and immediately issued the command.
Arcanine opened its large mouth, and a thick pillar of orange-red fire erupted instantly, carrying the momentum to incinerate everything as it lunged straight for Weavile!
"Evade with Agility!"
Weavile's figure moved rapidly. The fire pillar came head-on, and Weavile barely dodged it; immediately after, the fire pillar left a charred trench on the ground.
"It's useless!"
Flannery's voice was calm and confident.
"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!"
Ariel's heart tightened.
Here it comes!
Arcanine's most troublesome skill!
The Arcanine on the field blurred, without even a run-up motion, its entire body turned into a streak of orange lightning that was almost impossible for the naked eye to catch.
Bang!
Arcanine slammed violently into Weavile, sending it flying and successfully interrupting Weavile's X Speed!
Too fast!
Ariel's pupils shrank suddenly. This was Extreme Speed, a skill with absolute priority.
In the face of absolute speed, any evasion technique seemed pale and powerless.
"Weavile, are you okay!"
Weavile shook its head and struggled to its feet. That impact just now made its already injured body even worse, and its breathing became heavy.