Pokemon: Gym Leader

Mega Absol stood tall, the "wings" on its back gently rippling—majestic and solemn.

"Looks pretty tough. Alright then, let's see what you've got."

Selene was raring to go. This was her first time facing a Mega Evolved opponent.

After all, not many trainers in Kanto used Mega Evolution—it wasn't just rare; the stones were hard to come by.

"Earthquake!"

Because Venusaur was still under the effects of Taunt, it could only use offensive moves. No matter—it just had to wait it out.

Venusaur raised its front legs and then slammed them down hard.

Rumble!

The ground trembled violently, seismic waves blasting forward toward Mega Absol.

"Dodge it—Flamethrower!"

Instead of backing away, Mega Absol dashed forward, completely unfazed by the quaking terrain.

Its snowy fur and wing-like tufts fluttered magnificently in the wind as it ran.

Just as the shockwave was about to reach it, Mega Absol leapt into the air, flames already gathering in its mouth.

A thick stream of red-hot fire burst forth—Fire-type: Flamethrower!

Boom!

Flamethrower struck dead-on—Venusaur couldn't dodge while rooted by Ingrain. Flames exploded across its body, and Venusaur roared in pain—Fire counters Grass.

The roots pulsed beneath it, and green light shimmered around Venusaur's body—Ingrain was healing it.

Its injuries eased slightly.

"Psycho Cut!"

Mega Absol landed and immediately lunged forward again, lightning-fast.

The crescent horn on its head gleamed with razor-sharp psychic energy.

"Sludge Bomb!" Selene called out without hesitation.

Venusaur opened its mouth and launched blobs of toxic sludge—Poison-type: Sludge Bomb!

But Mega Absol showed no fear. With a swift sidestep, it slid gracefully to the side, completely evading the attack, then charged again.

Its movements were clean, precise, and effortless.

"It's just as agile as that Weavile."

Watching this, Selene frowned slightly in admiration.

Wham!

Mega Absol lunged and brought its shimmering psychic blade down hard—Psycho Cut slammed into Venusaur's forehead.

Venusaur roared in pain. Psychic-type moves counter Poison—and this one hit hard.

But again, the roots swelled, and green sparks rose from its body, healing it.

"Seed Bomb!"

Venusaur gritted through the pain and roared, spitting massive green seeds at the retreating Mega Absol.

"Dodge."

Mega Absol reared back, the seeds barely grazing its body.

Selene's eyes twitched. Wait—Mega Absol had no foothold midair!

Still, it twisted mid-fall, landed on its feet, skidded to a stop, and calmly looked back at Venusaur with its cold crimson eyes.

"Strong physical attacks… its physical strength must be way higher than its special."

Selene quickly assessed. That Psycho Cut had hit much harder than Flamethrower.

She still didn't know what Mega Absol's ability was, though…

Meanwhile, Ingrain kept steadily healing Venusaur. Though it couldn't move or retreat, the sustained healing was a solid advantage.

"Venusaur, Energy Ball!"

Despite the damage taken, Venusaur had great bulk and healing. It could hang in there.

Venusaur formed a glowing green orb and launched it at Mega Absol.

"Sucker Punch!"

Mega Absol's eyes flashed black, its body blurring forward—Dark-type priority move: Sucker Punch!

Smash!

It rammed into Venusaur, pushing it back. Venusaur growled at its opponent.

"Psycho Cut!"

"Leech Seed!"

Mega Absol's expression stayed icy, its horn glowing as it slashed down once more.

Venusaur, its flower trembling, scattered a spray of green seeds—Grass-type: Leech Seed.

That's right—Taunt had worn off. Venusaur could now use status moves again.

But just as the seeds were about to land—

A shimmering barrier appeared around Mega Absol.

Not only did it block Leech Seed—it reflected it.

"Magic Bounce!!"

Selene's eyes widened in realization.

Magic Bounce!

Reflects status moves targeting the user. Completely nullifies and rebounds certain support moves.

A powerful ability.

Of course Selene knew about it—Pokémon like Xatu and Espeon had it. So did Mega Sableye.

But she never expected Mega Absol to have it too.

The Leech Seed bounced back—but Venusaur, being Grass-type, was immune.

Lucky it wasn't Sleep Powder—that would've been trouble. Then again, Sleep Powder wouldn't affect Venusaur either.

Still… this was getting tough.

Mega Absol's next Psycho Cut struck clean—Venusaur roared again in pain.

Though Ingrain kept healing it, the damage was adding up fast.

A faint green glow now shimmered across Venusaur's body—Overgrow had activated. Its HP was critically low.

"Venusaur, Frenzy Plant!" Selene's brow furrowed. This wasn't looking good.

If that's the case… go all in.

Venusaur roared, the green glow intensifying.

Rumble!

The ground split open—giant, root-like vines exploded upward, thrashing wildly.

"Detect."

Dylan chuckled softly.

Mega Absol remained calm, trying to escape the attack radius—but the Frenzy Plant was massive.

Thick vines surged up on all sides, enclosing Mega Absol.

Under Venusaur's control, they shot toward their target with terrifying force.

Mega Absol leapt and twisted, dodging again and again. When it couldn't, its eyes glinted—

Perfect evade—Detect!

"Whoa!"

"This Absol is insane! I've never seen anyone dance through Frenzy Plant before!"

"So fast and elegant—but Selene's no joke either! I've watched her grow up—never thought she'd get this strong!"

The crowd was electric with excitement.

"Venusaur!"

Selene barked out a command.

Mega Absol kept weaving through the vines—but the space was shrinking fast.

Venusaur roared again. More roots burst up, tightening the net around its opponent.

BAM!

After so much dodging, Mega Absol finally took a direct hit to the back. It grunted, staggering.

The next moment, multiple vines smashed into it in a flurry of blows.

Mega Absol hit the ground hard.

Frenzy Plant ended, the roots withdrawing into the earth, leaving the field a mess of torn-up soil.

Venusaur stood panting, unable to move—Frenzy Plant's recoil: immobility.

But Mega Absol was still moving. It pushed itself up and charged forward again.

"Megahorn!"

Its yellow-green horn glowed brightly and slammed into the motionless Venusaur—Bug-type: Megahorn!

Venusaur's hefty frame was thrown clean off its roots—Ingrain cut off. The attack had serious weight behind it.

It hit the ground, groaning… then slowly went still.

"Venusaur is unable to battle. Mega Absol wins."

Leaf announced the result.

"Thanks for everything, Venusaur. Take a good rest."

Selene recalled it, glancing toward the elegant, freshly-shaken fur of Mega Absol—flawless once again.

Tch. A bit frustrating.

She clicked her tongue. If Frenzy Plant had landed earlier, the damage might've been enough.

But it only hit near the end. A few blows before the move ended—that wasn't ideal.

Still, it was something. She'd gotten a better grasp of Mega Absol's strengths.

"That Venusaur was impressive—but it's still no match for my Mega Absol."

Dylan offered a compliment. Selene had trained her Venusaur well. With Taunt and Magic Bounce shutting down many of its usual tricks, it still held up admirably.

Knowing Selene, she probably started with Ingrain just to be cheeky.

"Tch~ Then I'll just have to beat your Mega Absol next!"

Selene pouted, then threw out Incineroar again. Mega Absol's physical attacks were too strong—Intimidate would help.

Incineroar landed and roared, a wave of pressure spreading—Intimidate activated!

Mega Absol's Attack dropped by one stage.

"Return, Incineroar."

Selene recalled him right after—Magic Bounce could reflect a lot, but not trash talk. No reason to push her luck.

"Gallade! Get ready to fight!"

She tossed her fourth Poké Ball.

In a flash of light, Iron Valiant landed—standing tall with blade-arms glowing, eyes locked on Mega Absol.

A futuristic paradox Pokémon: Iron Valiant.

"Whoa~ it's the Iron Valiant Boss gave Selene back then!"

Asha blinked in surprise. She had high hopes for this cold, intimidating Pokémon—it was a gift from Dylan when Selene first set out.

"Gallade's really powerful. Good pick. With Magic Bounce, support moves are off the table. You have to fight it head-on."

Leaf nodded.

Status moves wouldn't work on Mega Absol and would just bounce back. A direct clash was the best bet.

Selene must've realized that too—hence Iron Valiant.

Even if she was usually more about trickery—uh, status tactics.

After all, the very first thing Dylan taught her was: use support moves smartly.

(End of Chapter)