Pokemon: Gym Leader

If there was one thing Ash Ketchum had the most fate with, Dylan could confidently say—

It was Legendary Pokémon.

From the main anime to the movies, Ash had encountered Legendaries in every region he traveled.

Some were allies.

Some were foes.

But the fact remained—

Compared to normal people who might never see a Legendary Pokémon in their lifetime—

Ash's luck was downright insane.

But even Dylan hadn't expected this.

A 1-in-7 chance?

And Ash managed to hit it three times in a row?

Gambling Talent?

Leah's eyes shone.

"Ash, have you ever considered playing the lottery?"

She grabbed his shoulders excitedly.

"I'll lend you money!"

"If we win, we split it 70-30!"

Ash blinked.

"Huh? No way! My mom says gambling is bad."

Leah clicked her tongue.

"This isn't gambling…"

"Don't corrupt him."

Dylan sighed and dragged Leah back.

"You really have no shame, huh?"

Leah pouted.

"Ugh, but this is wasted luck!"

A guy who could triple-pull Legendaries shouldn't be wasting it on a gym battle.

He should be rolling for cash!

Ash turned to Dylan.

"So… should I spin again?"

Dylan exhaled.

"...No."

"The rules are the rules. And if you spun again… I have a feeling it'd just be gold again."

Ash grinned.

"Alright! Let's battle!"

Dylan sighed inwardly.

Truthfully, he didn't want to use Legendaries against Ash.

If Ash were at his peak, he wouldn't hesitate—

But right now, Ash was still in his early days.

Unfortunately—

The dice had spoken.

They quickly found a public battle arena.

Dylan and Ash stood at opposite ends.

Leah stepped forward.

"Alright! This is an official challenge for the Rota Gym!"

She raised her hand.

"The battle will be 3v3!"

"Gym Leader Dylan cannot switch Pokémon!"

"If all three of Dylan's Pokémon faint—"

"Ash wins!"

She smiled.

"Battle—START!"

"Wow!"

Misty's eyes sparkled.

"That was super official."

She turned to Leah.

"You sound like a professional referee."

Leah grinned proudly.

"Heh~! Of course!"

"I'm an official assistant at Rota Gym now! My experience is top-tier!"

Misty nodded.

"Honestly, though…"

She sighed.

"I feel bad for Ash."

Brock rubbed his face.

"Yeah… this is gonna be rough."

Leah shrugged.

"Honestly, no one's ever beaten Dylan yet."

"And at least Ash gets to see a Legendary battle firsthand!"

Lillie smiled.

"Exactly! In a way, he's actually very lucky."

Misty and Brock paused.

"...That actually makes sense."

On the battlefield, Ash clenched his fists.

"Man, I'm so excited, Pikachu! Are you ready?!"

"Pika!!"

Dylan chuckled.

"Since this is your first challenge, I'll give you my official introduction."

He slowly adjusted his collar—

Then slipped on his black gloves.

With a graceful flick of his wrist, he looked up and smiled.

"I am Dylan."

"A multi-type trainer."

"And the Gym Leader of Rota."

Misty and Brock froze.

Leah clapped her hands excitedly.

"Ahhhh! It's here! Dylan's intro speech!"

Even Lillie nodded enthusiastically.

Misty gasped.

"He's so… cool."

Brock nodded firmly.

"The charisma is insane."

Dylan smiled faintly.

"Today, I will be using my Legendary team."

"Ash, do you know about Legendary Pokémon?"

Ash blinked.

"...Um?"

Dylan chuckled.

"As I thought."

"Then allow me to show you—"

Dylan flipped a red Poké Ball into the air.

A burst of white light shot out—

A golden figure emerged.

"Zapdos, battle-ready."

A sharp cry echoed—

A massive, golden thunderbird spread its wings—

Electricity crackled from its body.

Zapdos' intense gaze bore down upon Ash—

Like a judge from the heavens.

"IT'S A LEGENDARY!!"

Misty and Brock jumped in shock.

Misty quickly scanned it with her Pokédex.

[Zapdos – The Electric Pokémon]

"A Legendary bird Pokémon that controls electricity.

It lives in thunderclouds, and lightning increases its power.

It is said to appear during violent thunderstorms."

Brock winced.

"That… sounds terrifying."

Lillie smiled.

"This is actually one of Dylan's weaker Legendaries."

Misty and Brock stiffened.

"…Excuse me?!"

Brock gulped.

"How many Legendaries… does Dylan even have?"

Lillie tilted her head thoughtfully.

"Enough to make two full teams."

Brock and Misty: "TWO TEAMS?!?!"

Ash grinned.

"Whoa! Zapdos looks so strong!"

Instead of fear, his eyes shone with excitement.

"This is awesome!"

Dylan smiled.

"You have a good attitude, Ash."

"Now—show me what you've got."

Ash clenched his fist.

"Alright! Let's go!"

He grabbed a Poké Ball—

And threw it high into the air.

"Bulbasaur! I choose you!"

A small, four-legged Pokémon appeared.

Bulbasaur landed, looking determined—

Until it saw Zapdos.

Bulbasaur's face froze.

Zapdos stared down majestically—

Golden lightning flashing around its body.

Bulbasaur slowly turned to look at Ash.

It was visibly sweating.

(Bulbasaur's Thoughts): …Ash. Are you out of your damn mind?!

Bulbasaur turned back—

Then turned back again.

It blinked twice.

Then slowly shook its head.

It opened its mouth.

"Bulba…?"

(…You serious?)

Ash beamed.

"Alright, Bulbasaur! Let's do this!"

Bulbasaur stared at him.

No. No, I don't think we will.

Pikachu waved an encouraging cheer stick.

"Pika pika~! (Good luck, Bulbasaur!)

Bulbasaur: "..."

Bulbasaur slowly turned toward Pikachu.

It narrowed its eyes.

"WHY DON'T YOU FIGHT IT THEN, YOU ELECTRIC RAT?!"