Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 137 – Salamence, The Ultimate Embarrassment

"Five o'clock direction, twenty meters!"

"Twelve o'clock direction, ten meters!"

Under Asahi's command, Gengar continuously formed Shadow Balls and hurled them at the ground.

After multiple consecutive attacks, Gengar was visibly exhausted.

Despite looking round and plump, it was all deceptive—Gengar had never been known for its stamina.

"Kukuku…"

Gengar landed on the ground, panting heavily, and looked at Asahi pleadingly, signaling that it really needed a break.

"Gengar, your endurance is terrible. You need more training," Asahi said.

He figured he needed to get Gengar some useful items.

Too bad the system had been so stingy with its rewards. If only it had given him a Ghost-type Plate from Arceus, he wouldn't have to worry about Gengar's stamina at all.

Arceus: Excuse me, where are your manners?

Hearing Asahi's comment, Gengar in the sky looked ashamed.

Just as Asahi and Gengar were chatting, a small bulge suddenly formed on the ground.

Seeing that Gengar had landed, Leafeon couldn't hold back any longer.

Pop!

The ground burst open as Leafeon leaped out from beneath.

Gone was its usual elegance. Now, it was covered in dirt, with multiple scrapes and ghostly burn marks from the Shadow Ball explosions.

"Leafeon!" Erika's heart ached at the sight of her beautifully groomed Leafeon in such a sorry state.

But Leafeon's eyes were filled with fighting spirit. With its razor-sharp tail, it slashed at Gengar.

After being whacked like a mole for so long, Leafeon was furious.

But anger alone wasn't enough. Gengar had already been on guard when it sensed movement in the ground. The moment Leafeon emerged, Gengar's body blurred, instantly reappearing behind it, dodging the attack.

Sensing the malicious presence behind it, Leafeon quickly whipped its tail, sending a flurry of leaves at Gengar—Razor Leaf!

Compared to when the battle first started, Leafeon's Razor Leaf was noticeably weaker.

Though Gengar had expended a lot of energy in the whack-a-mole game, Leafeon, as the one taking all the hits, had suffered even more.

"Gengar, Shadow Claw!"

With a swift swipe, Gengar's Shadow Claw shredded through the incoming leaves, confirming Asahi's suspicion.

Seeing this, Erika frowned. She knew that if she didn't go all out now, Leafeon wouldn't last—whether from Gengar's attacks or sheer exhaustion.

Her gaze hardened as she made a decisive move.

"Leafeon, use Solar Beam!"

The Sunny Day from the start of the battle wasn't just for activating Leafeon's Chlorophyll ability—it was also to set up for this moment.

Leafeon used Quick Attack to swiftly dodge another incoming Shadow Ball, creating distance from Gengar.

Ignoring the explosion's shockwave hitting its body, Leafeon stood firm.

Its leaf-like ears perked up, gathering the intense sunlight pouring through the glass ceiling.

In an instant, the brilliant energy was fully charged.

Solar Beam!

A dazzling beam of light shot straight toward Gengar.

Gengar's expression twisted in terror—it didn't have time to dodge.

Boom!

The Solar Beam struck Gengar!

The unexpected hit caught even Erika by surprise.

Leafeon, too, was stunned—it hadn't expected its Solar Beam to actually connect.

The referee from Rainbow Gym, seeing this, was thrilled for his lady. After all, this was a serious Gym assessment battle.

Only Green felt that something was off.

Would Asahi really be that careless?

She turned to look at Asahi, only to see that he didn't appear flustered at all. Instead, he wore an amused smile.

"You don't actually think my Gengar is down, do you? Look closely at the Gengar that got hit…"

Asahi's voice made Erika freeze.

Then, she noticed—

The Gengar that had been struck by Solar Beam was semi-transparent, slowly fading into the air.

"This is… No! Not good!" Erika's expression changed as she quickly tried to warn Leafeon.

But it was too late.

A chilling, eerie laughter rang out behind Leafeon.

"Kukuku~"

Gengar's grinning face emerged from Leafeon's shadow.

Leafeon's fur bristled at the sound and the cold aura creeping up its back.

Before it could react, a spectral Shadow Claw gripped its neck, locking its small body in place.

"Kukuku~"

Gengar stood triumphantly, hands on its hips, cackling like a villain.

Leafeon, trapped in its grasp, trembled.

Just moments ago, Erika had been elated—now, she knew what it felt like to fall from the highest high to the lowest low.

Seeing Leafeon trapped, she realized that Asahi had held back. But she still had one question:

"When did Gengar use Substitute?"

She hadn't noticed when Gengar had created the decoy, nor when it had slipped into Leafeon's shadow.

"Of course, it was when Leafeon attacked."

"Gengar used Substitute while dodging and hid in Leafeon's shadow at the same time."

Recalling the scene, Erika realized—there had been a brief moment when Gengar's figure flickered.

She had assumed it was just an afterimage from its high-speed movement. She never imagined it was actually a Substitute.

It wasn't her fault for missing it—Gengar was just too fast.

Watching Gengar now, puffing out its chest proudly next to Asahi, Erika couldn't help but wonder—where had Asahi caught this Gengar?

---

Two losses in a row.

Erika felt like she was facing an unprecedented challenge.

Even when assisting Lance in raiding Team Rocket's base, she hadn't been this overwhelmed.

Retrieving her final arrow, she nocked it with a serious expression.

"This is my strongest partner. Commissioner Asahi, please go easy on me."

The moment she spoke, she released the arrow.

With a flash of light, a Vileplume appeared—its vibrant petals exuded a peculiar fragrance.

Erika's eyes burned with determination.

She refused to believe Asahi's Gengar could take down her ace.

Just as she was planning her strategy for victory, she saw Asahi recalling Gengar.

Erika: "?"

Seeing her confusion, Asahi smiled.

"Since Miss Erika has sent out her ace, it would be rude of me to keep using Gengar."

"So, as a sign of respect, I'll show you a little of my true strength."

With that, he tossed out a Poké Ball.

Boom!

A massive figure emerged.

Roar!

A Salamence, easily several times the size of Vileplume, took the battlefield.

Its massive crimson wings spread wide, casting a shadow over Vileplume and even blocking out the sunlight.

Its predatory gaze locked onto Vileplume, making the usually fearless Pokémon tremble.

The sparks flickering in Salamence's maw sent waves of fear through Vileplume's tiny eyes.

Erika: "...."

She glared at Asahi in frustration. Are you serious?!

Asahi simply shrugged.

Gengar and Salamence are both my Pokémon—how is this unfair?

Erika wanted to punch him.

But for the sake of her dignity and the Gym assessment, she forced herself to command Vileplume to fight.

---

Ten minutes later.

"Stop! I surrender!"

Erika covered her face, unable to watch anymore.

Even the referee, seeing the brutality of the battle, hurriedly announced, "Vileplume is unable to battle—Salamence wins!"

Hearing this, Salamence reluctantly released Vileplume.

It licked its lips, savoring the taste of Vileplume's nectar.

Erika: …

She shot Asahi an angry glare.

Asahi coughed. "If I said that was an accident… would you believe me?"

Erika, glaring daggers, clearly did not.

Green was well aware of Salamence's gluttonous nature, but knowing didn't help at all.

Seeing the way Erika was looking at him, Asahi knew there was no way she'd believe anything he said now.

So, he didn't bother explaining.

His expression turned serious as he changed the subject. "Ahem, I now formally announce the results of this Gym assessment for Rainbow Gym."

At these words, Erika and the Rainbow Gym staff tensed up.

Losing three consecutive battles—there was no way they weren't nervous.

Although there had been a precedent with Pewter Gym, where Brock had lost three times but still passed the assessment, rumor had it that Brock only passed because of his deep friendship with Asahi.

Erika and Asahi, on the other hand, were practically strangers before today.

Under Erika's and the Rainbow Gym trainees' nervous gazes, Asahi smiled.

"The Gym Trainer assessment—passed!"

"That's amazing!"

The Rainbow Gym staff erupted into cheers.

But before they could fully celebrate, Asahi's voice suddenly took a turn.

"However…"

A "however"?!

The Rainbow Gym staff immediately felt their hearts sink.

Everyone knew that whatever came before "however" was usually insignificant. What followed was what really mattered.

Asahi didn't keep them in suspense.

"However, your Gym's fire safety measures are seriously inadequate."

"There are flammable plants everywhere, yet your fire prevention system is only built to standard building codes. On top of that, your emergency exits are blocked by plants. If a fire were to break out, the consequences could be devastating."

The Rainbow Gym staff blinked in surprise.

Fire safety? That's what this was about?

Erika was equally stunned. She recalled how Asahi had been jotting things down in his notebook while she gave him a tour earlier.

So that's what he was writing about?

In that instant, all of Erika's previous complaints about Asahi vanished, replaced by deep respect.

Most Gym assessment officials only focused on evaluating the Gym Trainer's battle strength, and sometimes even that was just a formality.

But Asahi was entirely different. By pointing out Rainbow Gym's fire hazards, he had proven his professionalism.

Erika nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Commissioner Asahi. We will take this matter seriously and make the necessary improvements."

Asahi looked at her and asked, "How do you plan to address the issue?"

Erika smiled. "I was already planning to expand the botanical garden. Since you pointed out this problem, I will construct an artificial lake in the new section and hire a dedicated Blastoise firefighting team to handle fire safety."

Asahi: "….."

Damn rich people showing off again!

…Wait. I'm rich too.

Never mind, then.

"That sounds like an excellent plan," Asahi replied.

"Please, both of you, come to the reception room for a chat," Erika invited.

Asahi didn't refuse. He had some things he wanted to ask her anyway.

After signaling the staff to return to their duties, Erika led Asahi and Green to the reception room.

---

Reception Room

Erika knelt on the floor, skillfully preparing four cups of tea and serving them to Asahi, Green, Gardevoir, and Eevee.

"This tea is made from leaves cultivated by my family. Please enjoy."

Asahi took a sip.

Since he was more used to drinking juice and soda, he couldn't really tell if the tea was good or bad. But given that Erika had specifically brought it out for guests, it had to be high-quality.

Green was in the same boat—she couldn't tell the difference either.

Gardevoir, on the other hand, had some knowledge of tea. However, she usually drank black tea, so this was her first time trying green tea.

After one sip, Gardevoir's eyes lit up.

Seeing Gardevoir's reaction, Eevee assumed it must taste amazing. Excited, it grabbed its cup and took a big gulp.

A second later, its little face scrunched up in horror.

So bitter!

Erika covered her mouth, laughing at Eevee's reaction, before turning to Asahi. "By the way, Commissioner Asahi, like me, you're also a lecturer at Rainbow University."

She had discovered this while reviewing Asahi's background earlier.

She hadn't mentioned it before to avoid seeming like she was trying to build a connection. But now that the assessment was over, there was no reason to hold back.

"No need for formalities. Just call me Asahi," he said, waving a hand. "I'm only a temporary lecturer in name. I haven't even taught a single class yet."

He had wanted to visit Rainbow University, teach a few lectures, and maybe even level up his teaching title.

But he had been too busy—between dealing with Team Rocket and handling Gym assessments, there was never enough time.

"By the way, there's something I wanted to ask you," Asahi said.

"Go ahead." Erika was curious.

Considering Asahi's role as an assessment official, was he going to ask about Sabrina from Saffron Gym?

But what Asahi said next caught her off guard.

"I wanted to ask about Team Rocket's presence in Celadon City."

"Lance and Elite Four Bruno took down their base here before, but I don't believe they would give up so easily. They might be planning a comeback."

"Your family has significant influence in Celadon. Do you have any leads?"

Hearing Asahi's question, Erika's hand paused mid-pour, and hesitation flashed across her face.

But then she remembered that Asahi had been personally appointed by Lance as an assessment officer.

After a brief moment of consideration, she made her decision.

Looking at Asahi, she said, "Since Champion Lance trusts you… then yes, you're right."

"I recently received intelligence suggesting that Team Rocket is attempting to reestablish itself in Celadon City. But without solid evidence, I haven't reported it to the League."

"It's not just about evidence, is it?" Asahi remarked.

As a noble family in Celadon and the Gym Leader, Erika's suspicions alone would have been enough to warrant action.

But Asahi knew the real issue—the League had been infiltrated by Team Rocket at every level.

If she reported it, not only might the League do nothing, but Team Rocket would retaliate before any action was taken.

For someone like Erika, whose family was deeply rooted in Celadon, this would be nothing but trouble.

Erika simply smiled in response.

Asahi understood—it was a matter of trust.

Instead of pushing further, he simply pulled out his badge and placed it on the table.

Erika looked at the ID, puzzled at first. But when she opened it, her eyes widened in shock.

"…International Police?"

Wasn't the International Police wiped out by Team Rocket? When were they rebuilt?

"That's right. The Kanto division has been reestablished," Asahi confirmed. "If you have any intelligence on Team Rocket, you can share it with us."

He gestured toward himself and Green.

Now Erika finally understood why Lance had entrusted the Gym assessments to Asahi.

After calming herself, she nodded seriously.

"If you're with the International Police, then I have no problem cooperating. I've worked with your department before… but let's just say your predecessors left much to be desired."

Asahi nodded in agreement.

Frankly, calling those guys "incompetent" was putting it kindly.

---