Chapter 45: The Fastest Victory in Kanto
Amidst the thunderous roar of seventy thousand spectators, Logan let out a booming laugh and commanded,
"Let's give the crowd what they want, Gabite—use Dragon Claw!"
Gabite, still brimming with excitement from its recent evolution, unleashed a deafening roar to the sky. With unrestrained ferocity, it charged headfirst into the descending boulders summoned by Onix's Rock Slide.
"What?! It's charging straight into the attack?!"
Brock's eyes widened in disbelief. He had expected Logan to command Gabite to dodge, but the dragon-type didn't flinch—it surged forward without hesitation, rendering Brock's follow-up strategy useless.
"Unbelievable speed! Gabite just turned into a blur!"
The commentator's voice cracked with excitement.
With a wicked grin that curled like a shark's jaw, Gabite's eyes glinted with disdain at the massive falling stones. Back when it was just a Gible, it had trained daily by shattering rocks like these with its jaws. Now, with its newly evolved, sleek and agile form, it moved with grace and swiftness unimaginable in its previous state.
It was a dragon of the land—its place was on the battlefield, not in retreat.
With no resistance whatsoever, its fin-like arm blades sliced through the falling boulders like tofu, reducing the giant rocks to chunks of rubble. Onix's eyes flickered with panic as Gabite shredded its attack and appeared in front of it in a flash.
"Use Harden!"
Brock barked out the order instinctively, knowing Onix wouldn't be able to dodge. All he could do now was brace for the incoming blow.
But—
"Too slow. Double Slash—into Dragon Claw!"
Logan's voice rang out the moment Brock finished speaking.
With its evolution complete, Gabite no longer needed to rely on its teeth for Dragon Claw. It raised its dual blades high, crackling with a chilling aura that warped the very air around it. Onix's rugged, stone-plated body had just begun to shimmer, its Harden skill activating—too late.
Gabite's claws had already begun their symphony of destruction.
In a single fluid motion, Gabite landed gracefully—like a blade dancer ending a performance. Then came the eerie silence.
Time itself seemed to freeze.
And then, Onix's scream tore through the air.
Its massive body shattered into seven or eight segments. Gabite's relentless slashes had struck each joint in an instant. With a thunderous crash, the dismembered pieces of Onix slammed into the ground. Its eyes closed, and it lay motionless—completely unconscious, unable to continue.
A hush fell over the stadium. You could hear a pin drop.
Seventy thousand people sat frozen in awe. Even when the commentator's microphone fell and clanged on the floor, no one noticed. From start to finish—excluding the evolution sequence—the battle had lasted less than ten seconds. Just like Logan's performance in the preliminaries.
But this wasn't a preliminary match.
This was an official Gym Battle.
And the opponent wasn't just some greenhorn—it was a specialist in Rock-types. One of the most recognized Gym Leaders in all of Kanto. Even if the Onix wasn't Brock's ace, it was a Pokémon he had trained personally. Fans had expected a fierce and balanced showdown. What they got instead was utter domination.
Seconds passed.
And then, the arena exploded.
Cheers. Screams. Thunderous stomping. The arena practically shook from the roaring energy of the crowd. Even though this was Pewter City—Brock's home turf—the audience couldn't contain their excitement. It was like a boxing match knockout. Brutal, sudden, satisfying. No flashy moves, no drawn-out drama. Just raw power and precision—one slash to end it all.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
"So fast—so clean—so COOL!"
"Logan! Logan! Logan!"
The chants grew louder and more synchronized with each passing second. Girls screamed his name like he was a rockstar. The collective volume of the stadium was so deafening, Logan half-suspected he was being hit with a Dragon Pulse.
At the start of the match, they were shouting Brock's name.
Now, every single voice in that sea of seventy thousand chanted only one:
"Logan!"
"Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! I must be the most useless commentator in the world—this match didn't even need me!"
The stunned announcer fumbled to recover, voice filled with disbelief and awe.
"The referee has officially declared Gabite the winner. Onix is unable to battle. Wait—we've just received the data: the entire battle lasted exactly 7.8 seconds!"
"That's right! This isn't just a Pewter City record—not just a Kanto record—but possibly the fastest Gym victory by any rookie trainer in the world! Whether someone beats that in the future, I don't know. But I do know that no one in the past has ever done it faster. Logan—just like his Gabite—is lightning incarnate!"
"A dazzling new star has appeared on the Pokémon battlefield! I'm officially a fan now—I can't wait to follow Logan's journey through the rest of the Gyms. But... for our poor Gym Leader Brock, I'm afraid this wasn't the result he hoped for. Though I probably shouldn't say this... just look at his face. It's even darker now."
"Hahahaha—!"
Laughter rippled through the stadium. It was kind-hearted, but truthful. Brock's expression had indeed darkened—though given his already tanned skin, it was hard to notice unless you looked closely.
With a sigh and a resigned smile, Brock raised his hand to acknowledge the crowd from all sides. As a Gym Leader, he had to lead by example. Even if he was clearly frustrated, he couldn't show it. Witnessing a new record was supposed to be inspiring. But when you're the one serving as the stepping stone for that record? Unless you're a saint, it's hard not to feel a little bitter.
"Just my luck... why did I have to be the one…"
He could already picture the swarm of criticism that would hit social media.
"Is Brock even qualified to be a Gym Leader anymore?"
"Ten seconds against a rookie? Embarrassing!"
"It's like he disgraced all the Gym Leaders of Kanto!"
Even if none of those online jabs would actually jeopardize Brock's position, trolls and keyboard warriors were universal. Every world had them.
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