Future Pokémon Master

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The next day, Ethan and Leo arrived at the Pewter Gym early in the morning. Ethan had been curious about Leo's Pokémon lineup since the previous day, but Leo remained tight-lipped, saying Ethan would find out during the match. This only heightened Ethan's anticipation, and he seemed even more excited for the gym battle than Leo.

Upon entering Pewter Gym, they were greeted by the Gym Director, who explained the rules of the gym challenge to Leo and confirmed his challenge mode.

"Player Leo has chosen the King Challenge mode, and the King selected is Flint, the Fire King of Sinnoh! Your first gym challenge will now begin. The format is a six-on-six full battle. During this match, both the gym leader and challenger may switch Pokémon freely. I look forward to your performance. Please follow me to the battle arena while we prepare the gym leader."

Leo followed the Gym Director to the arena, while Ethan was escorted to the spectator stands to watch the match. The Pewter Gym's arena was a rocky battlefield, split evenly between large boulders and open spaces. The gaps between the rocks provided effective hiding spots for certain Pokémon.

Leo entered the arena from the right side, while Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader, appeared from the left. Once both competitors were in position, Brock greeted Leo.

"Welcome to the Pewter Gym challenge! If you aim to challenge the King's seat, you must have a will as strong as stone! I will respond to your challenge with my fiercest attacks, and I hope you can endure them."

Hearing Brock's tough words, Ethan felt they seemed out of character. Was this the same Brock who constantly flirted with every girl he met? However, Ethan's amusement faded quickly as the battle began.

Brock's first Pokémon was Onix, while Leo sent out Kingdra. Based on type advantage alone, the Water-type Kingdra was a perfect counter to the Rock- and Ground-type Onix. The result seemed predictable, but battles rarely went as expected.

Brock immediately ordered Onix to use Sandstorm. A swirling yellow storm quickly engulfed the arena. Understanding the situation, Leo knew the sandstorm would slowly chip away at Kingdra's health, so he decided to end the match quickly by ordering Kingdra to use Hydro Pump.

A move with quadruple effectiveness would almost certainly knock Onix out in one hit. However, Onix leapt into the sandstorm, narrowly dodging the Hydro Pump. Despite its 80% accuracy, Kingdra's Hydro Pump missed. Whether it was luck or Brock's strategy, Ethan couldn't say.

After dodging the Hydro Pump, Brock commanded Onix to use Stealth Rock, scattering invisible sharp stones across the battlefield. While this move wouldn't harm Kingdra as long as it stayed in the battle, it would deal significant damage to any Pokémon Leo switched in. Leo dismissed the move as unnecessary, thinking it wouldn't affect Kingdra's ability to land a decisive Water-type attack.

Leo then ordered Kingdra to use Bubble Beam. The sparkling stream of bubbles raced toward Onix. Just as the attack was about to land, Brock recalled Onix, narrowly avoiding damage once again. So far, Onix hadn't taken any hits, but it had set up both a sandstorm and Stealth Rock, shifting the match's momentum in Brock's favor.

Brock then sent out Forretress. Upon entering the field, Forretress used Giga Drain on Kingdra, who was already taking continuous damage from the sandstorm. The super-effective move quickly drained Kingdra's health, knocking it out. The dramatic turn of events left Leo stunned—he had focused on defeating Onix, only for Forretress to deliver the finishing blow. Even Ethan, watching from the stands, found the situation unbelievable.

It became clear that Onix's purpose wasn't to fight directly but to set the stage for Forretress. The sandstorm and Stealth Rock had chipped away at Kingdra's stamina, leaving it vulnerable. This was the difficulty of the King Challenge mode—gym battles required strategy and resilience.

With Kingdra defeated, Leo sent out Infernape. However, as soon as Infernape entered the battlefield, it was damaged by Stealth Rock and the sandstorm. These residual effects left it at a disadvantage against the unscathed Forretress. Leo seemed unfazed, however, and had Infernape use Taunt on Forretress.

The Taunt worked, preventing Forretress from using setup moves like Toxic Spikes. Brock instead commanded Forretress to use Gyro Ball, sending it spinning rapidly toward Infernape. Leo didn't react immediately, instead watching closely as Forretress closed in.

When the spinning Forretress was less than a meter away, Leo finally shouted, "Infernape, Fire Punch!" At the last moment, Infernape launched a fiery punch, landing a direct hit. Fire-type moves dealt quadruple damage to the Bug- and Steel-type Forretress, and it seemed like a one-hit knockout.

But Forretress didn't faint. Thanks to its Sturdy ability, it survived with just 1 HP. Brock quickly seized the opportunity, ordering Forretress to use Explosion. At such close range, the powerful move hit Infernape, knocking both Pokémon out of the battle.

What seemed like a decisive victory turned into a tie. Both Leo and Ethan were stunned by the sudden turn of events. Brock retrieved his fainted Forretress and explained, "If not for Forretress's Sturdy ability, that Fire Punch would've knocked it out completely. It was sheer luck we ended in a tie. Your strategy was impressive—calm yet decisive!"

The Sturdy ability had allowed Forretress to survive, and with its last bit of strength, it managed to take Infernape down with it. Brock's tactical mindset was evident. With the battle now 4 vs. 5, could Leo find a way to defeat Brock?

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