Taking a Beating

"Dodrio is unable to battle! The challenger wins!"

Feng looked at the frost-covered Dodrio and mercilessly declared Falkner the loser of this round.

"Nice job!"

Heiduo stepped forward and high-fived Elekid.

Falkner opened his mouth but was left speechless. He recalled Dodrio and let it rest peacefully.

"Hiss—hoo..." Falkner took a deep breath. He had never been this nervous before. It was clearly just an insignificant Pokémon battle, yet to him, it was far more important than a promotion at the police station.

This was really embarrassing.

Falkner looked at Heiduo. As a police officer, his mental fortitude was worse than that of a rookie Trainer who had only just begun traveling...

Thinking of Heiduo's identity, Falkner clenched the Poké Ball in his hand tightly. It might sound unbelievable, but just now, he had been so nervous that he failed to give an order in time.

While he was lamenting this, he suddenly noticed that Heiduo had released Kakuna.

A shimmering blue light of Evolution radiated from Kakuna's body.

"Hm?" Falkner froze slightly.

Across from him, Heiduo was just as stunned.

The string of notification sounds in his ears and the transparent lines of text popping up before him had caught him off guard.

He didn't know whether the system was bugged, but Kakuna had somehow gained five levels in a row, while Elekid had only gained one.

It seemed the experience distribution system here was different from the games. Was it based on contribution?

But that didn't make sense either! Kakuna had certainly made a considerable contribution, but the actual damage had come from Elekid's Ice Punch. Kakuna had merely served as a distraction.

And why had Kakuna... no, Beedrill, gained so little experience before, only to suddenly gain so much now?

Heiduo realized he still had much to learn. Beedrill alone was enough to leave him completely confused.

As he thought this, the Kakuna beside him had already shed its shattered shell, spread four transparent wings, and lowered two lance-like stingers.

"You evolved again! Beedrill!" Heiduo watched Beedrill rapidly beat its wings as it flew freely above his head.

Elekid held onto Heiduo's leg, its mouth forming an O.

How could it suddenly fly?

"Buzz!" Beedrill nodded. Its evolved body felt incredibly comfortable. Aside from a slight unfamiliarity, its formerly heavy body suddenly felt light, and its field of vision had become much broader.

It was as though everything was under its control.

Beedrill began circling around the entire Violet Gym. Being in the sky was a completely different perspective from crawling on the ground, and Heiduo's encouraging, smiling gaze made it even happier.

On the ground.

Heiduo withdrew his gaze. Rather than recalling Beedrill into its Poké Ball, he let it fly around nearby and adjust to its new body.

Everything required a period of adjustment. No one was born knowing everything.

"Sorry, Falkner. Let's continue."

Heiduo looked toward Falkner, who had been watching from the sidelines.

Falkner's expression remained calm, signaling that he did not mind. During those past few minutes, he had adjusted his mindset and was no longer as nervous.

Kakuna's Evolution had inspired him greatly, reminding him of what he had said as a child when Hoothoot evolved into Noctowl.

[I'll become a Flying Master like Dad, a top Gym Leader!]

When Falkner was still a child, he had deeply admired Feng's position as a Gym Leader. Whenever anyone in Violet City saw Feng, they would smile and greet him. During holidays and festivals, their home was always the liveliest.

Every adult respected his father, and every child admired him.

Even during the years when he was away undergoing police training, whenever his colleagues mentioned his father, their faces would be filled with envy and admiration.

And Falkner's dream of becoming a Gym Leader had first sprouted the instant the Hoothoot he had grown up alongside evolved into Noctowl.

When had he forgotten that dream?

Perhaps it had been when he saw a thief use a Pokémon to escape the law, laughing at everyone who pursued him.

Falkner came to a realization and lowered his head to look at the Poké Ball in his hand.

Pidgeotto. It was the Pokémon he had rescued from someone who abused Pokémon. After healing its injuries, he had released it back into the wild, but it had stubbornly insisted on following him.

"Can you... lend me your strength?"

Through the shell of the Poké Ball, Falkner saw Pidgeotto's determined gaze and felt at ease.

Bang!

Pidgeotto spread its wings, cried out loudly, and fixed a sharp gaze ahead.

Across the field, Heiduo and Elekid both jolted in alarm, frightened by Pidgeotto's eyes.

"Keen Eye can have an effect like that?" Heiduo stared in surprise at the level twenty-six Pidgeotto. The sudden palpitation from moments ago had vanished in an instant, but he was certain it had come from Pidgeotto.

Elekid turned back, and Heiduo gave it a reassuring look. They would deal with whatever came their way. Their levels were low, but their stats were not! And they had the type advantage!

"Please." Falkner spread a hand toward Heiduo.

Heiduo blinked. He felt that something had changed in Falkner's state. Had he powered up? No way, that was supposed to be a protagonist's privilege, wasn't it?

"Magnet Rise!"

At Heiduo's command, Elekid's body slowly rose into the air under Falkner's astonished gaze. Golden spheres of light gathered and spun around Elekid like Jupiter's rings.

"Oh?"

Outside the field, Feng grew interested. Based on his experience traveling far and wide, Magnet Rise was a move commonly seen in Sinnoh and Kanto. It was rare for Electric-type Pokémon in these parts to know it.

Falkner watched Elekid dancing through the sky and laughed. "Amazing! I never expected there to be such a strange move in this world. Becoming a Gym Leader really was the right decision!"

He began to feel fortunate that he could become a Gym Leader. A neighborhood police officer would never get opportunities to broaden his horizons like this.

"But don't celebrate too soon! Gust!" Falkner raised his hand. Pidgeotto flapped its wings hard, flew higher than Elekid, and unleashed a violent gale at Heiduo and Elekid.

Dust flew into the air. Heiduo remained unruffled and pulled a pair of goggles from his bag. Anyone who had played the Pokémon games knew about the Goggles item, right?

Essential gear against sand and dust.

In the sky, Elekid's floating body became somewhat unstable. It had no wings, after all, and its move proficiency was not high enough for it to dance freely through the air like other Flying-type Pokémon.

"Falkner, don't cry too hard later." Heiduo gave Falkner a pitying glance and shouted, "Plan A! Rain Dance!"

If one had to name the system's biggest bug, Heiduo could responsibly say that it was neither the extra two hundred stat points nor the ability to see an opponent's moves. It was the ability to learn moves without restriction.

Massive dark clouds gathered over the battlefield. Heiduo had tested it before: level-three Rain Dance covered roughly half a battlefield, around fifteen meters by fifteen meters.

Too small.

It was hard to imagine what level a Rain Dance capable of affecting an entire town or city would be.

Falkner frowned. Unlike in the games, rain had quite a significant effect on bird Pokémon. Wet feathers increased the burden of flight. It would not stop them from flying, but it would definitely affect their agility.

"Wing Attack! Don't give it a chance to use its move!"

Rain greatly increased the accuracy of Electric-type moves. He absolutely could not let Elekid attack!

"It's useless, Thunder!" Heiduo laughed loudly. Rain Dance followed by Thunder was the combination he had specifically made Elekid train over the past few days.

Crash!

Thunder roared as a thick, massive current exploded from the rain clouds and surged toward Pidgeotto as it approached Elekid!

Pidgeotto's glowing white wing smashed fiercely into Elekid's body, knocking Elekid out of the sky, before the Thunder struck Pidgeotto directly!

"Holy shit!" Heiduo had never expected Pidgeotto to be fast enough to attack Elekid before it could use Thunder, and the damage was insane! Elekid had been knocked unconscious in midair!

Heiduo could even see Elekid's eyes roll back from below!

Ignoring Elekid's Static Ability, Heiduo lunged forward and caught the rapidly falling Elekid. The ground was covered in rainwater and dust, leaving him covered in mud.

Across from him, Falkner did the same, quickly releasing Noctowl to catch the scorched Pidgeotto.

Heiduo's face darkened. Elekid lay in his arms looking completely dazed, with two injuries on its body. One was a white mark from Wing Attack, while the other was a small black hole oozing blood.

"Goddammit! Fake Out!" Heiduo cursed under his breath as he looked at Pidgeotto's move list. That attack had been so fast that he had not even seen it clearly!

Beside them, Feng laughed and loudly announced, "Pidgeotto and Elekid are unable to battle! It's a draw!"

[ Ding! Elekid leveled up! Current level: 16! ]

[ Ding! Elekid leveled up! Current level: 17! ]

He had still underestimated others.

Heiduo patted Elekid's body and recalled it into its Poké Ball. "Rest easy. I'll avenge you."

Elekid's injuries were not life-threatening, so Heiduo did not need to apply for treatment.

Falkner's Pidgeotto was in much worse shape. Gym staff immediately took it away and sent it to the Pokémon Center for emergency treatment.

If not for Pokémon's powerful recovery abilities, Pidgeotto's injuries would not heal in a day or two.

"As expected of the son of a Flying 'Master.' I admit I underestimated you." Heiduo woke Ekans in its Poké Ball and praised Falkner.

He had nearly been misled by the Falkner who had commanded Dodrio, thinking that Falkner was no different from ordinary Trainers.

But in reality, there was a huge difference.

An ordinary Trainer's Pidgeotto would not have such speed or such swift movements. Even with Heiduo's ten points of constitution, he had failed to see Pidgeotto use Wing Attack with its wings, then use Fake Out with its claws.

That level of concealment was unmatched.

Of course, Heiduo was not stupid enough to blame Falkner for not calling out the names of the moves he used. Only an idiot would do that.

Falkner said nothing and merely smiled. The feeling of teaching someone a lesson was wonderful. He was beginning to enjoy being a Gym Leader.

"Falkner! A Gym Leader can't keep staying silent." Feng spoke up, directly interrupting Falkner's attempt to show off.

He said seriously, "You need to tell him where he went wrong!"