Pokemon: Gym Leader

"Selene, are you ready?"

"No problem at all, Dylan!"

Dylan asked Selene, who energetically gave an "OK" gesture, her expression excited yet slightly nervous.

Although she had been sparring frequently with trainers in the wild these past few days, and winning easily, this battle was different.

After all, it was a match representing the Rota Gym, making it a bit more significant.

"Well then, Gary and Jeanette, give it your best shot," Dylan said, his gaze turning to Gary and Jeanette on the opposite side as he enlarged a Poké Ball in his hand.

For a battle against Gary and Jeanette, he would have to rely on his backup Pokémon.

"Grimmsnarl! Get ready for battle!"

"Incineroar! Prepare for action!"

Dylan threw his Poké Ball backward, and at nearly the same time, Selene immediately threw her first Poké Ball.

Two beams of white light flashed, and two Pokémon appeared in front of Dylan and Selene.

Gary's face turned pale halfway through, as he saw that the Incineroar had landed in front of Selene, meaning it was her Pokémon.

Wasn't she supposed to have only been a trainer for three months? And she already had an Incineroar?

And the Grimmsnarl in front of Dylan… Gary thought hard for a moment before recalling its typing: Dark and Fairy.

"Ugh… its appearance is way too abstract," someone muttered.

In the audience, Gary's and Jeanette's cheering squads were sitting together—after all, they were allies.

But when they saw the Grimmsnarl, some women in the group let out quiet jeers. Its appearance was a little… startling.

The Grimmsnarl had a humanoid devil-like appearance. Its upper body was red, its lower body green, and its arms were long and thin, reaching down to its feet. The hair on its head extended down to its legs, resembling a tail.

It was the evolved form of Morgrem.

Beep! Grimmsnarl, a Dark and Fairy Pokémon, the Prankster Pokémon.

Ability: Prankster

Moves: False Surrender, Power Whip, Taunt, Spirit Break, Foul Play, Confide, Trick, Sucker Punch, and Parting Shot.

Description: Grimmsnarl prefers sneaky and underhanded tactics because it lacks confidence in its muscle strength.

However, upon seeing Grimmsnarl's move set, the cheerleaders fell silent one by one.

"Dark and Fire-type Incineroar, Dark and Fairy-type Grimmsnarl…" Gary muttered to Jeanette.

Double battles were relatively rare in the Kanto region. Typically, they required strong synergy between the trainers as well as excellent teamwork and adaptability.

Gary wanted to win. He knew Jeanette's skills and capabilities were solid and at least on par with his own.

"I understand," Jeanette replied with a polite nod.

"Go! Nidoqueen!"

"Crobat!"

Jeanette and Gary simultaneously threw their Poké Balls.

A Nidoqueen and a Crobat flapped their wings as they appeared before the two trainers.

Beep! Nidoqueen, a Poison and Ground-type, the Drill Pokémon.

Ability: Poison Point

Moves: Superpower, Earth Power, Crunch, Toxic Spikes, Flamethrower, Iron Tail, Venom Shock…

Description: Its body is covered in tough, spike-like scales, and its spines stand erect when excited.

"So that Nidorina has evolved," Asha murmured as she looked at Nidoqueen's Pokédex entry. She still remembered how Jeanette used a Nidorina to challenge Dylan in the past.

Asha then shifted her gaze to Gary's Crobat. It was clearly his Golbat, which had also evolved.

Beep! Crobat, a Poison and Flying-type, the Bat Pokémon.

Ability: Infiltrator

Moves: Cross Poison, Tailwind, Mean Look, Toxic Fang, Air Slash, Haze, Supersonic, Taunt…

Description: With an additional pair of wings, Crobat can silently glide through the dark. You might not even notice it passing by.

Upon seeing Crobat's move set, Lillie's small face showed a hint of surprise. This was a very targeted approach.

"Oh? Both of them have evolved. You've truly grown a lot. I'm pleased," Dylan said as he looked at the formidable presence of Nidoqueen and Crobat.

It was like a teacher watching the growth of their students with satisfaction.

"Please witness the fruits of my training, Dylan," Jeanette said with a gentle, elegant smile, maintaining her ladylike demeanor.

"That Incineroar will definitely use Fake Out on the first move—it won't deal much damage. Let's focus on the Grimmsnarl," Gary advised Jeanette, his determination evident. He really wanted to win!

"I understand. Although it has been a long time since I last challenged you, I have been paying attention," Jeanette replied with a soft smile.

"Good," Gary said, feeling more at ease.

The battle was about to begin. Incineroar let out a low growl, exuding an intimidating aura.

Intimidate!

Nidoqueen and Crobat's physical attacks dropped by one level.

"Crobat, use Air Slash!"

"Nidoqueen, use Helping Hand!"

Crobat flapped its four wings as a white glow emanated, while Nidoqueen raised its arms to assist.

"Fake Out!"

Selene and Dylan shouted simultaneously.

Gary's eyelid twitched. The Grimmsnarl could also use Fake Out.

Incineroar and Grimmsnarl's eyes flashed black as they darted toward Nidoqueen and Crobat like lightning.

Fake Out!

Smack!

Incineroar and Grimmsnarl's claws struck Nidoqueen and Crobat, causing them to flinch.

That was the effectiveness of Fake Out.

Unlike Dylan's strategy, however, Selene didn't follow up with Parting Shot.

"Incineroar, use Throat Chop!"

Selene raised her arm and shouted at Incineroar, her demeanor completely different from her usual sweet and innocent image. In battle mode, Selene's aura was sharp and commanding.

Incineroar's muscular body spun rapidly, its powerful arms slamming ferociously toward Nidoqueen.

The Dark-type Throat Chop!

Bam!

The move struck Nidoqueen squarely, sending her crashing to the ground with a painful roar.

Seeing Nidoqueen knocked down, Jeanette's eyes narrowed. This attack power... is it really this strong?

"Crobat! Cross Poison!" Gary's expression shifted, and he immediately attempted to support Nidoqueen.

"Swagger," Dylan commanded calmly.

Grimmsnarl crossed its arms over its chest, displaying a smug, mocking grin. It let out a piercing cry, dark energy radiating and enveloping Crobat.

The Dark-type Swagger!

This sharply increased Crobat's physical attack but left it confused.

Crobat's body glowed white as a few symbols of confusion—like "X"s—seemed to hover above its head. It wavered unsteadily, clearly disoriented.

Crobat's physical attack sharply rose, but it became confused!

"Damn it!" Gary clenched his fists.

I even had it learn Taunt specifically for this challenge! But before I could use it, Crobat's already confused...

"Grimmsnarl, Fake Tears," Dylan added with a faint smile.

Grimmsnarl feigned wiping its eyes, its sobs accompanied by waves of dark energy that seeped into Crobat's mind.

The Dark-type Fake Tears!

Crobat's special defense plummeted, the white glow surrounding it dissipating as it continued to reel in confusion.

"Incineroar, Flamethrower!" Selene called without missing a beat.

"Nidoqueen, Superpower!" Jeanette finally issued a counter-command, though everything had happened so quickly that her Nidoqueen had only just managed to get back on her feet.

Incineroar raised its head sharply, unleashing a torrent of searing flames that struck the confused Crobat head-on.

Boom!

The flames exploded, and even in its disoriented state, Crobat screeched in pain. Selene's Incineroar was already powerful, and with Crobat's reduced special defense, the damage was devastating.

The intense flames sent Crobat crashing down like a kite with its string cut.

Meanwhile, Nidoqueen's arm glowed white as it delivered a heavy blow to Incineroar—a Fighting-type Superpower!

The attack knocked Incineroar backward, eliciting a pained growl.

Though Superpower was super effective against Incineroar, the move's side effect caused Nidoqueen's own attack and defense stats to drop.

Gary's expression darkened. The rapid sequence of attacks had left him unable to respond effectively. In the short time it took for Crobat to become confused and get knocked out, the tide had turned drastically.

"Nidoqueen, Toxic Spikes!" Jeanette seized the chance to set up.

"Pursuit!" Dylan shifted his focus back to Crobat.

"Crobat!"

Grimmsnarl's eyes glimmered with dark energy as it lunged toward the fainted Crobat, its claws cloaked in black.

The Dark-type Pursuit!

Pursuit's power doubled since its target had just been attacked.

Slash!

The move struck Crobat, who was still struggling to recover, rendering it completely unable to battle.

Meanwhile, Nidoqueen's Toxic Spikes scattered across the battlefield, releasing streams of unsettling purple liquid into the ground.

A faint purple glow rippled across the arena before fading.

Toxic Spikes are now active!

"Wow, the Gym Leader and Selene knocked out one already!" Asha exclaimed happily.

"But with the Toxic Spikes in play, it's not looking great for them either," Lillie noted, tapping her lips thoughtfully.

"It's fine! The Gym Leader and Selene will figure something out!" Asha said with unwavering confidence in Dylan and Selene.

Back on the field:

"That Incineroar…"

Gary withdrew Crobat with a grim expression, eyeing the standing Incineroar warily.

Something's wrong. This isn't the 'weak point' we thought it would be!

This Incineroar was far stronger than anticipated, clearly the main offensive force rather than Grimmsnarl.

Grimmsnarl seemed more like a support to enhance Incineroar's effectiveness.

The only silver lining was that Jeanette's Toxic Spikes setup was complete. With the battlefield now in their favor, they hoped to regain the advantage.

"Gary, that Incineroar is incredibly strong," Jeanette warned, her gaze fixed on their formidable opponent.

"The power behind that Throat Chop didn't seem like something a Pokémon trained for only three months could achieve. And that Flamethrower? It nearly one-shot Crobat, even with its lowered defenses!"

Compared to Incineroar, Grimmsnarl seemed less threatening. Its disruptive tactics were deadly, but Incineroar was clearly the powerhouse.

"I know... It looks like Dylan wasn't bluffing after all," Gary muttered through gritted teeth.

They had assumed Dylan was cutting them some slack as "old friends," but clearly, this was anything but a freebie.

Using us as a test run for his seemingly innocent apprentice, huh?

How despicable! These trainers are pure evil!

(End of Chapter)