Pokemon: Gym Leader

The Bird Keeper in the audience looked at Red in surprise.

There was no doubt—a full-team battle meant Red was strong.

"This guy… Why does he look so familiar?"

The eldest sister in the group crossed her arms, lost in thought.

She was certain she had seen him before.

"Dylan's Fire-type team… We haven't really seen much of it. I wonder how strong it is."

The Psychic trainer was more interested in Dylan's Fire team.

Fire was a popular type, and many Trainers specialized in it.

Would Dylan's Fire-type team be any different?

In the Arena.

"Words like that should only be said after you win."

Dylan spun a Poké Ball between his fingers, smiling at Red.

"This time, I'll be using my Fire team against you."

"Red, experience the true heat of flames."

"My first Pokémon will be—this one."

With a flick of his wrist, Dylan threw out his first Poké Ball.

"Ninetales, battle ready!"

A flash of white light, and a golden-furred, elegant Ninetales landed gracefully in front of Dylan.

A Fire-type Ninetales.

"Ninetales, huh? Blastoise!"

Red's crimson eyes remained unreadable.

Ninetales wasn't exactly rare—it was actually a very popular Fire-type Pokémon.

Both Vulpix and Ninetales were highly sought after due to their beautiful appearances.

However, when it came to battle potential—Arcanine was generally considered superior to Ninetales.

Red tossed his Poké Ball, and with a burst of light, his strong and sturdy Blastoise landed with a heavy thud in front of him.

"Ah, it's that Blastoise again… But this time will be different."

Dylan chuckled softly and snapped his fingers.

"Ninetales."

Ninetales let out a long, melodic cry.

A blazing orb of light rose into the air, and in an instant—

The battlefield was bathed in intense sunlight.

The sky became so bright that looking directly upward became difficult.

Ninetales's ability: Drought!

The weather changed to Harsh Sunlight.

Red remained silent.

He had expected this.

Ninetales with Drought was rare, but not impossible.

And Dylan wouldn't settle for an inferior ability like Flash Fire.

"Well, Red—since you're the challenger, you get the first move."

Dylan gestured elegantly.

"Blastoise! Hydro Pump!"

Red gave no hesitation.

Even under Harsh Sunlight, Water still had a type advantage over Fire.

And at full health, Hydro Pump's power was immense.

Blastoise let out a deep roar—

Its cannons expanded, charging up—

A massive surge of water blasted forth, flooding the battlefield as if a tidal wave had erupted.

The sheer volume of water was overwhelming—practically drowning the entire arena.

"It's gotten much stronger."

Dylan raised an eyebrow.

This Blastoise was far stronger than when he had faced it back in Vermilion City.

But it still wouldn't be enough.

"Baton Pass."

Ninetales's eyes glowed mysteriously.

Its body turned into white light—

Just before the Hydro Pump could hit—

Ninetales disappeared back into its Poké Ball.

The attack completely missed.

Baton Pass.

A Normal-type move that switched Pokémon, transferring any stat boosts along with it.

Though Ninetales hadn't used any buffs, it was still a clean escape.

Red remained silent."Incineroar!"

Dylan threw out another Poké Ball.

With a burst of light, a muscular, tiger-like Pokémon landed in front of him.

Incineroar bared its fangs, spreading its arms wide.

Its eyes locked onto Blastoise, a wicked grin spreading across its face.

Intimidate!

A white aura flickered around Blastoise, lowering its Attack stat.

"Incineroar, huh…"

Up in the stands, several spectators frowned.

Incineroar had gained a reputation for being an absolute menace in battle.

Recently, more and more Trainers were traveling to Alola just to get one for themselves.

It had become infamous.

"Hydro Pump again!"

Red wasted no time.

"Fake Out."

Dylan smirked.

Incineroar blurred forward—

PAH!

It slapped Blastoise across the face.

Blastoise flinched—its attack canceled.

"Parting Shot."

Before Blastoise could react—

Incineroar pointed at it, muttering some very colorful insults.

Blastoise's expression darkened.

It looked incredibly pissed off.

Its Attack and Special Attack dropped.

Then—

Incineroar vanished back into its Poké Ball.

"…"

Red was completely silent.

Since when did Dylan fight like this?

"Volcarona, battle ready!"

Dylan's third Pokémon took the field.

A large, moth-like Pokémon hovered in the air.

Its blue eyes gleamed coldly as it stared down Blastoise.

A heavy, oppressive heat filled the battlefield.

Volcarona.

Red's expression grew serious.

This Volcarona was strong.

"Beep—Volcarona, Bug/Fire-type, the Sun Pokémon."

Ability: SwarmMoves: Fiery Dance, Fire Blast, Hurricane, Bug Buzz, Flamethrower, Heat Wave, Quiver Dance, Morning Sun, U-turn…

Pokédex Entry: When the land is shrouded in volcanic ash, Volcarona's flames serve as a substitute for the sun.

"This thing looks insanely strong!"

The eldest sister in the audience was shocked after reading its Pokédex entry.

"'Volcarona's flames serve as a substitute for the sun'?!

That was way too overpowered.

And this was Dylan's Volcarona.

"Volcarona is Champion Alder's ace Pokémon…"

The Psychic trainer muttered.

"How does Dylan's compare to Alder's?"

"With Harsh Sunlight, Fire moves will be even stronger."

"And good thing the challenger is using Water-types."

"But Volcarona has a 4x weakness to Rock."

The Bird Keeper nodded.

Fire/Bug had a massive weakness to Rock moves.

And Blastoise knew Rock Slide.

"But Blastoise's Attack was lowered twice already."

"If Red wants to take down Volcarona, he might need to switch."

In the Arena.

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!"

Red didn't switch.

He wanted to test Volcarona's strength first.

Even with its stats lowered, Blastoise wasn't afraid of a Fire-type.

It was also a good way to gather information.

Blastoise's cannons glowed blue—

"Fire Blast."

Dylan smirked.

Volcarona remained still.

A massive flaming kanji "大" (Big) formed before it—

Blastoise's Hydro Pump and Volcarona's Fire Blast collided in mid-air.

Classic Water vs. Fire.

Blue and Red clashed violently.

BOOM!

Blazing Flames vs. Raging Waters!

Scorching flames and icy water clashed violently, red and blue light intertwining in a spectacular battle.

Yet, to everyone's shock—

Hydro Pump failed to overpower Fire Blast.

In fact, Volcarona's Fire Blast was slowly pushing Hydro Pump back.

"It's useless, Red."

Dylan's lips curled into a smug grin.

"Even Hydro Pump can't stop my Volcarona!"

Even against Red's Blastoise, it didn't matter.

With Harsh Sunlight active, Fire-type moves gained extra power, while Water-type moves were weakened.

Plus, Blastoise's Special Attack had already been lowered by Incineroar's Parting Shot.

What could it possibly do against Volcarona?

If not for Hydro Pump's naturally high power, Fire Blast would have already scorched Blastoise's shell.

"Blastoise!"

Red's crimson eyes sharpened.

He calmly issued a command.

Blastoise let out a deep roar.

Its Hydro Pump surged, intensifying its force against Fire Blast.

BOOM!

The two attacks finally lost balance and exploded.

Fiery embers and steam erupted, sending powerful shockwaves through the battlefield.

"Volcarona."

Dylan's voice was steady.

Volcarona flapped its six blazing wings, effortlessly floating above the aftermath.

Tiny embers danced around its body like fire spirits.

Moving with an almost hypnotic grace—

Volcarona glided through the fiery wind, arriving right above Blastoise.

"Blastoise! Rapid Spin!"

Red's expression darkened.

Something wasn't right.

Blastoise tucked its limbs and head into its shell, spinning at high speed.

"Fiery Dance!"

Volcarona's wings flared.

The floating embers ignited instantly, transforming into a rain of flames.

Fiery Dance!

Once, Fiery Dance had been Volcarona's signature move.

Now, Iron Moth could also learn it—so technically, it wasn't exclusive anymore.

Still—

On this battlefield, under this sun…

Volcarona was the only one dancing in the fire.

A sea of crimson flames cascaded downward.

Volcarona twirled midair, weaving gracefully through the embers, as if performing a ritualistic dance.

The sight was—

Mesmerizing.

"Blastoise!"

Red's gaze sharpened.

Blastoise's sturdy shell could withstand physical blows.

But against pure elemental power?

Not as well.

Blastoise spun faster, enduring the searing flames while trying to escape the attack.

The scorching heat licked at its shell, but Blastoise pushed through, fighting to break free.

"Blastoise! Water Gun!"

Red issued a sharp command.

Still spinning, Blastoise's cannons glowed blue—

Then—

A high-pressure water jet blasted outward, clearing a temporary path through the flames.

Blastoise burst through the inferno, emerging from the attack's range.

But Volcarona was already on the move.

"Fiery Dance—again."

Dylan's voice was calm but firm.

Volcarona soared higher—

Then—

Another wave of fiery embers rained down.

More Fiery Dance!

BOOM!

Flaming projectiles collided against Blastoise's shell.

The explosion sent Blastoise flying, knocking it out of its spin.

Blastoise crashed onto the ground, its limbs splayed out, panting heavily.

Red frowned.

Meanwhile—

Volcarona's body began to glow faintly.

A soft aura of flames flickered around it.

Its Special Attack had increased!

Fiery Dance's secondary effect had activated!

Now—

Floating high above the battlefield, backlit by the blazing sun, Volcarona looked almost like a miniature sun itself.

From above, it gazed down at Blastoise, its pure blue eyes cold and indifferent.

Even as smoke curled from Blastoise's scorched shell, Volcarona remained still.

But its presence alone was suffocating.

Even as a spectator, you could feel its overwhelming power.

"That… That was insane…!"

The eldest sister in the audience finally snapped out of her daze.

Her voice trembled slightly.

"What kind of monster is that?!"

From start to finish, Volcarona had only used Fire-type attacks.

Yet—

It had completely dominated Blastoise.

Even though Bug-type moves weren't resisted, Dylan had chosen to rely only on Fire.

This was a statement.

A declaration—

"I will defeat you with Fire alone."

"No…"

The Psychic trainer shook his head.

"Volcarona is incredibly strong, but its dominance here is also due to the weather advantage—and Blastoise's lowered stats."

During the first Fire Blast vs. Hydro Pump clash, it was already clear—

Volcarona wasn't significantly stronger than Blastoise.

Their levels were close.

"The sunlight won't last much longer."

The Psychic trainer glanced at the sky.

The artificial sun created by Ninetales was beginning to fade.

But until it did—

Blastoise had no chance to recover.