Pokemon: Gym Leader

"What's going on?"

Ash looked completely baffled. He had only taken a moment to treat Pikachu, so how had things suddenly turned into this?

And what were those three Pokémon?

"Suicune, Entei, and Raikou… That's Ho-Oh's legendary trio!"

Brock widened his perpetually squinting eyes as much as he could. Seeing Ho-Oh's guardians appear alongside Ho-Oh itself—this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight!

"I'm not sure about the details, but it looks like Dylan gets to challenge one of the Legendary Beasts. If he wins, he can capture it?"

Misty's eyes sparkled with growing excitement as she spoke.

"Huh?" Ash was still confused.

"Leaf seems to have some history with Ho-Oh," Brock muttered thoughtfully, glancing at Leaf, who had recovered significantly.

It seemed that Ho-Oh had agreed to this as a way of making amends to Leaf.

"I wonder which one Dylan will choose… Suicune is just so elegant and cool!"

Misty's eyes practically turned into hearts as she gazed at the graceful and noble Suicune. As a Water-type Pokémon lover, she simply couldn't resist Suicune's charm.

But Dylan had a different opinion.

"Suicune… I'll pass."

Looking at Suicune, Dylan couldn't help but recall the pitiful scene of a Suicune he encountered on his journey, struggling helplessly in a net set by Pokémon hunters. He could hardly bear to look at it.

To be honest, he had always assumed there was only one set of Ho-Oh's guardians—it was just that these three creatures wandered all over the world.

But after his experiences, he was convinced there were multiple members of the trio. That Suicune caught in the net? It definitely wasn't the same one that had appeared before.

"I choose Entei."

Dylan didn't hesitate for long. His gaze settled on the powerful and majestic Entei.

Suicune was elegant, but Entei was imposing. Dylan had always liked Entei, perhaps because of Pokémon: Spell of the Unown—Entei.

Besides, as the Fire-type among the trio, Entei could also use Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire. That alone made it clear who the real leader of the trio was.

Upon hearing Dylan's choice, Suicune and Raikou stepped back while Entei moved forward, locking eyes with Dylan. A mighty, scorching aura radiated from its body.

"Pretty cool."

Lillie observed the Entei standing tall with an air of dominance. Its powerful and regal posture was undeniably impressive.

Its fur was a rich reddish-brown, with strong limbs adorned with iron bands. The red six-pointed star on its face, the golden crest on its forehead resembling a clover, and the flowing smoke-like mane on its back all made Entei look even more formidable.

Beep—Entei, Fire-type, Volcano Pokémon.

Ability: Inner Focus

Moves: Sacred Fire, Extreme Speed, Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Sunny Day, Swagger, Flare Blitz, Crunch…

Pokédex Entry: It is said that when Entei roars, a volcano erupts. It constantly runs across the land, unable to contain its overwhelming power.

So strong!

Ash stared at the Pokédex's data in shock. Just reading the description was enough to feel Entei's incredible power.

"When it roars, a volcano erupts"? That's insane!

"As one of Ho-Oh's guardians, its strength is indeed impressive."

Dylan carefully studied Entei. He had been about to throw his Luxury Ball when something crossed his mind.

"Perfect. There couldn't be a better opponent for it."

Dylan took out an Ultra Ball and tossed it into the air.

"Gouging Fire, get ready for battle!"

That's right—what better way to fight Entei than with its paradox counterpart?

ROAR!!

With a fierce and wild cry, a massive, orange-red Pokémon landed heavily in front of Dylan, locking its savage gaze onto Entei.

The moment Gouging Fire appeared, Ash and the others were stunned. Even Suicune, Raikou, and Ho-Oh were taken aback. Entei, in particular, froze on the spot.

The reason was simple—Gouging Fire looked far too similar to Entei.

Both had orange-red fur and the same red six-pointed star on their faces. However, Gouging Fire's markings were even larger. Most notably, the golden crest on its forehead was massive, resembling giant horns.

Like Entei, Gouging Fire also had black iron bands on its limbs, but its forelegs were tipped with large, razor-sharp claws streaked with red, giving it a far more ferocious appearance.

And unlike Entei's dignified presence, Gouging Fire exuded a wild and savage aura that was overwhelming.

But the most obvious difference was—

"It's huge!!"

Ash gawked at Gouging Fire, then looked back at Entei.

Indeed, the most striking difference between them was their size. Entei stood at about 2.2 meters, which was already quite large for a quadrupedal Pokémon.

But Gouging Fire? Even at a glance, it was at least 3.7 meters tall. A larger frame always brought a stronger visual impact—this was no exception.

"…"

Entei stared at Gouging Fire, its expression shifting unpredictably. Why does this thing look so much like me???

Could it be my original form? But Entei had long forgotten its past. It only remembered being revived by Ho-Oh and granted new life.

"Huh? No data?"

Ash hurriedly scanned Gouging Fire with his Pokédex, but it failed to retrieve any information.

"But I already had Professor Oak upgrade it!"

"Let my brother's Rotom Pokédex handle it. Right now, only his has data on Paradox Pokémon."

Lillie smiled and gestured.

"Here I come, Rotom~" Rotom Pokédex floated over from Dylan's side.

Beep—Gouging Fire, Fire/Dragon-type, Paradox Pokémon.

Ability: Protosynthesis

Moves: Flare Blitz, War Cry, Dragon Rush, Rending Claws, Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Flame Cloak…

Pokédex Entry: It closely resembles a Pokémon featured in a paranormal magazine. The magazine claims it was revived from Entei's fossil.

A Paradox Pokémon? What the heck is that?

Ash was completely lost, but one thing was clear—Gouging Fire was ridiculously powerful.

"A fossil-revived Entei? That's amazing!"

Misty was astonished after hearing the Pokédex's explanation. No wonder Gouging Fire looked so much like Entei!

So it was an ancient version of Entei brought back to life?

"No, not really. That's just what the magazine speculates."

Lillie shook her head. Pokédex entries were compiled based on existing knowledge and assumptions. She knew for sure that Gouging Fire wasn't revived from a fossil.

"Huh?" Misty was confused.

Ho-Oh and the others, who had keen senses, also heard Rotom's explanation.

Ho-Oh, of course, knew the truth. Entei and its companions had been revived by its power 150 years ago. There were no ancient fossils involved.

Even Entei quickly realized the same.

"(Who… are you?)"

Entei growled lowly at Gouging Fire.

"ROAR!! (I'm your dad!)"

Gouging Fire bellowed back, brimming with ferocious dominance.

"???!!" Entei's expression instantly darkened.

"Gouging Fire, use War Cry."

Dylan smirked.

Gouging Fire lifted its head and let out a deafening battle roar. Powerful sound waves rippled through the battlefield, carrying an intimidating force that made even Suicune and Raikou tense up.

Entei let out a low growl, its body flashing white before it shot forward as a red blur toward Gouging Fire.

Extreme Speed!

BAM!!

Extreme Speed slammed into Gouging Fire's body. It let out a muffled grunt and staggered back a step, but quickly steadied itself, its eyes gleaming with a vicious glint as it locked onto Entei.

Its defense was strong.

Entei swiftly retreated, maintaining its distance. It had confirmed that its Extreme Speed hadn't inflicted much damage on Gouging Fire.

And thanks to War Cry, Entei's Attack and Special Attack had already dropped.

"Sunny Day." Dylan still wasn't in a rush to go on the offensive.

"ROAR!!"

Gouging Fire opened its massive jaws and lifted its head, a fiery red glow forming in its mouth before a blazing orb shot high into the sky.

Visibly, the sunlight above intensified, shining down with scorching heat.

The weather changed to Sunny Day!

Entei rushed behind Gouging Fire, raising its front paws as earthy brown energy surged around them before slamming down.

Stomping Tantrum!

The Ground-type energy burst forth, striking Gouging Fire directly. It let out a pained howl—Ground-type moves were quite effective against it.

But at the same time, the intense sunlight had now fully set in.

"Does Sunny Day even help? Entei is a Fire-type too."

Misty was confused.

Sunny Day boosted the power of Fire-type moves, but both Entei and Gouging Fire were Fire-types.

"It does help. Gouging Fire is a Fire/Dragon-type, which means it resists Fire moves four times, while Entei only has a two-time resistance."

Brock spoke up, his eyes fixed on the Rotom Pokédex screen in front of him.

"And besides, Gouging Fire's Protosynthesis ability has now activated!" Brock's eyes sparkled as he turned toward the battlefield.

On the field, a faint red glow flickered around Gouging Fire, its presence becoming even more terrifyingly powerful.

Protosynthesis!

"What's Protosynthesis?"

Ash and Misty were both puzzled.

"It's the signature ability of Ancient Paradox Pokémon," Lillie explained in detail. "Under Sunny Day, their ancient bloodline is awakened, drastically boosting their highest stat."

"And for Gouging Fire, while its natural strongest stat is its Physical Defense, Dylan has specifically trained its Attack to the highest level. So under Protosynthesis, its Attack is now greatly increased."

Yes, Dylan had told her as much.

ROAR!!

On the battlefield, Gouging Fire—its body now surrounded by a faint crimson glow—tilted its head back and let out a massive, violent roar. The sheer force of the sound waves rippled through the air, creating an oppressive aura that sent chills down spines.

Even Suicune and Raikou, watching from the sidelines, tensed with caution.

"Gouging Fire, use Dragon Rush!"

Dylan glanced at the now-serious Entei.

Gouging Fire crouched low, a ferocious, dragon-like aura enveloping its body. Then, in an instant, it lunged forward, the spectral image of a snarling dragon roaring silently as it charged toward Entei.

The killing intent was bone-chilling.

Entei's flames erupted intensely around it, showing no fear as it dashed forward to meet the attack.

Flare Blitz!

It wasn't using Flare Blitz to counterattack—it was using it to block the incoming Dragon Rush.

Especially under Sunny Day, Flare Blitz's power would be significantly enhanced.

BOOM!

Flare Blitz and Dragon Rush collided violently.

Scorching flames and powerful Dragon-type energy clashed fiercely, the sheer impact causing the ground beneath them to crack and shatter.

The shockwave from the impact blasted outward.

With a loud explosion, both Entei and Gouging Fire were knocked back.

But before it could fully recover its footing, Entei instantly turned into a red blur again, using Extreme Speed!

"Flame Cloak."

Gouging Fire growled lowly, its fur suddenly bursting into an intense flame that formed a protective barrier around its body.

BAM!!

Entei's Extreme Speed attack crashed into Flame Cloak, but the blazing barrier completely blocked its advance. Instead, the flames crawled up Entei's body.

BOOM!

The searing flames detonated, forcing Entei to retreat with a muffled grunt.

Gouging Fire's signature move—Flame Cloak!

This move functioned similarly to Baneful Bunker, but instead of poisoning opponents, it inflicted a burn status.

However, since Entei was a Fire-type Pokémon, it couldn't be burned. The flames had only caused it some discomfort.

"Earthquake!" But even a moment of discomfort was enough.

Gouging Fire slammed its powerful front limbs into the ground, sending out waves of intense Ground-type energy.

Entei immediately leaped to avoid the Earthquake.

"Stone Edge."

Gouging Fire roared, summoning jagged stones that shot toward Entei in midair.

Entei countered with Flamethrower, but it wasn't enough to stop the barrage of stones.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Stone Edge attacks struck Entei one after another, triggering explosions with each impact. Entei's pained roars filled the air—Rock-type moves were super effective against it.

And these weren't just any Rock-type attacks—these were attacks from a Protosynthesis-boosted Gouging Fire.

Entei plummeted like a broken kite toward the ground—right where Dylan was waiting.

"Earthquake!"

Another devastating Earthquake shook the battlefield, sending rippling waves of Ground-type energy directly at the falling Entei.

The moment Entei hit the ground, the Earthquake attack struck it head-on.

Entei let out a deep, agonized growl. The super-effective hit was brutal, the pain overwhelming. It couldn't even stand up immediately.

Meanwhile, Gouging Fire had already lunged forward, unleashing a barrage of Scale Shots to pummel the downed Entei.

"Classic Dylan style—'kick them while they're down,'" Brock sighed in admiration.

The moment Dylan found an opening, he wouldn't let up—he'd keep attacking nonstop until his opponent was completely defeated. No breathing room, no mercy.

And on the battlefield, with one final Earthquake, Entei finally collapsed, unable to continue fighting.

"Poké Ball, go."

Dylan threw an empty Luxury Ball toward Entei.

The moment the ball touched Entei, it was absorbed inside.

Beep… Beep… Beep… Ding!

The ball settled. Entei was successfully caught!

"Not bad." Dylan picked up the Luxury Ball. As for why capturing Entei had been so easy…

That was obviously thanks to Ho-Oh. Otherwise, if Entei had resisted, Dylan would have needed dozens of Poké Balls just to weaken it.

"Ho-Oh, I think…"

Dylan twirled the Luxury Ball in his hand, preparing to discuss something with Ho-Oh.

But when he turned to look at Ho-Oh, he noticed something strange.

Ho-Oh was staring at him with dark, solemn eyes, an aura of quiet resentment radiating from its entire body—so much so that even Ash and the others could feel it.

No, that wasn't the real issue.

Dylan looked at the now-empty space in front of Ho-Oh.

"Wait… Where are Suicune and Raikou?"

What the—he had only caught one Entei! Was that really enough to make Suicune and Raikou bolt?

Come on, it's not like I'm some unreasonable bandit…