Victory, the Gray Badge

"Too late!"

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"Boomerang."

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The Shiny Cubone closed in, and without a moment's hesitation, it swung the bone club in its hand forward.

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The straight-ahead bone club struck the Kabuto with an unstoppable offensive force.

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Harden!

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Withdraw!

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They happened at the same time, but it was useless; the bone club had already adjusted to the rebound and simply could not be deflected.

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It landed a direct, heavy blow on the Kabuto, sending it flying hard.

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Thud.

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With a dull sound of impact, the Kabuto landed belly-up, defeated and unconscious.

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The bone club spun back in a flashy arc into the Shiny Cubone's hand, a hint of pride in its gaze.

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Cubone, cubone!

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Declaring its victory and strength with voice and gestures—what a truly show-off Pokémon.

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Jiro put away the Kabuto, smiling faintly. "Thanks for the effort."

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"A fine Shiny Cubone. Your strength is far from as simple as I imagined."

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"Then, the final match begins."

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"Come out, Lairon."

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Lairon:

Level: 23

Attack: 240

Special Attack: 190

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A Steel and Rock-type Pokémon.

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Short and low to the ground, it had dark gray skin, sky-blue eyes, and resembled a small terran dragon.

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Its back was covered in segments of sheet-like steel armor, each with a protruding ridge down the center and circular holes along the sides.

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Its lower jaw had several flat protrusions, and its mouth held only two sharp fangs, though they were extremely keen.

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Each of its feet had a pair of horned bands—the upper ones dark gray and the lower ones silver—making it look from a distance like a small armored car.

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For the first time, here was a Pokémon whose attack power came infinitely close to the Shiny Cubone's.

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It seemed this fellow was a formidable rival.

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Cubone, cubone!

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The Shiny Cubone sensed it; right from the start, it taunted and provoked, its fighting spirit blazing.

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Lairon!

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The opponent refused to be outdone, equally bellicose as hot air puffed from its large nostrils.

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"Lairon, use Rock Tomb."

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"Follow up with Headbutt!"

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Swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

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The ground around the Shiny Cubone began to shake wildly, and earth spikes burst forth from the surroundings, assaulting it.

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Like a prison, they intended to trap the Shiny Cubone.

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The Shiny Cubone would not sit idly by; the bone club in its hand possessed formidable attack power, shattering one earth spike per swing as it quickly broke through.

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Yet before it could react, the Lairon's Headbutt was already upon it.

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Boom!

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A massive sound rang out as the Shiny Cubone was sent flying, crashing into a wall of earth.

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Ding, Lairon used Headbutt against Shiny Cubone. It's super effective.

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The Shiny Cubone leapt out from the earth wall, a good many scars added to its body. After all, defense was not its area of expertise.

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Cubone, cubone!

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Another provocation, and its fighting spirit grew even fiercer.

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Liu Xin let out a long breath and roared, "Well, naturally we can't let the opponent look down on us. Let it see our strength!"

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"Recall the battle strategy we used against the Rhyhorn back then!"

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The Shiny Cubone nodded, took a deep breath, and gazed seriously at the Lairon before it.

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"We can't give the opponent the slightest breathing room!"

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"Rock Tomb, Metal Claw!"

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Attacking simultaneously, earth spikes surfaced once more.

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Yet the Shiny Cubone of this very moment was long since different, perfectly evading and executing every move.

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Battle Armor, activate!

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Shattered stones began to emerge all over its body, the bone club radiated an earthy yellow, and its attack power and defense began to rise.

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It dodged continuously, evading the earth spike attacks on one hand while dodging the opponent's Metal Claw on the other.

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Several times it was almost struck, but the highly focused Shiny Cubone was no joke, its dodging technique top-tier.

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Perfect evasion.

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Perfect evasion.

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Perfect evasion.

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Watching it dodge, even the Lairon began to grow somewhat fatigued, gradually failing to keep up.

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Jiro gritted his teeth. "Damn it, this Shiny Cubone's speed is actually that fast!"

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"We can't lose, absolutely cannot fall here."

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"Lairon, use Roar!"

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Agh!

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A piercing sound rang out, and sonic waves spread, carrying through the entire gym.

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The Shiny Cubone's movements suddenly slowed down, its expression turning unsightly.

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The Roar seeped straight into its mind, affecting its nerves in a very sickening way.

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Liu Xin sneered, "That's enough. The Shiny Cubone's buildup is complete."

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The Shiny Cubone stood frozen in place, covered in faint shattered stones and flickering with a pale yellow light. Viewed from afar, it looked as though it had donned a suit of armor.

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The Lairon and Jiro thought they had found an opening and launched straight into a Headbutt.

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The Shiny Cubone did not dodge this time; it gripped the bone club in its hand tight, its gaze turning resolute.

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Smash!

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The simplest attack, yet it exerted an extraordinary momentum.

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The two engaged in their final clash.

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Headbutt and bone club collided fiercely together, producing a deafening sound with tremendous deterrence.

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The shockwave that swept outward caused Liu Xin and Jiro to both step back, waiting for the dust and smoke to clear.

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Three seconds, five seconds, ten seconds, thirty seconds passed just like that.

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Whoosh.

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A bone club swept out from the smoke and dust, waved with force, and the dust blanketing the battlefield vanished in an instant.

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And at the center of the battlefield, only the panting Shiny Cubone remained standing.

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As for the Lairon, it had collapsed unconscious within. In terms of physical offense, the Shiny Cubone still came out on top.

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Cubone, cubone!

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It let out an excited roar, proclaiming its victory.

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Liu Xin's heart followed with joy as he rushed forward and hugged the Shiny Cubone. "Awesome!"

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"Shiny Cubone, you did an amazing job."

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"This time, I'll allow you to use the bone club to bash me in celebration."

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Watching the scene before him, Jiro put away the Lairon and smiled helplessly.

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"Your Pokémon are too outstanding. Though I didn't get to see your third Pokémon, your strength has earned my recognition."

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"This Gray Badge belongs to you."

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First badge, acquired.

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Gazing at the Gray Badge in its hand, the Shiny Cubone let out a single cry and passed out, evidently having reached its limit.

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Liu Xin put away the Shiny Cubone and said gratefully, "Thanks for the effort."

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"I thoroughly enjoyed this battle. Many thanks."

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Jiro waved a hand. "Not at all, not at all. Being able to battle your Pokémon is what opened my eyes."

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"What are your plans afterward? Continuing your journey?"

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"If you aren't in a rush to hit the road, you can hang around Pewter City for a bit. After all, Pewter City has undergone some major development lately."

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Liu Xin politely refused, "My destination was set long ago. I'll be heading to challenge the South China Gym next and will set off shortly."

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"Well, that's a shame. You're welcome to come tour Pewter City anytime."

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As soon as Ito Hei saw Liu Xin emerge, he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "How come you came out so fast?"

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"Could it be you lost? It's fine, failure is the mother of success; just try again next time."

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Don't look at how long Liu Xin's battle felt; in reality, he had only been inside for seven or eight minutes, vastly faster than Ito Hei.

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Without a word, Liu Xin flashed the collected Gray Badge and said proudly, "Did you really think I'd lose?"

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"You underestimate me, future top Trainer, way too much."