As the dust cleared, Magnemite shakily floated back up. Its Steel typing provided excellent defense, and although Normal-type moves dealt reduced damage, Headbutt still had a full 70 power!
George breathed a slight sigh of relief at the sight. On Yong's side, meanwhile, the little Pokémon looked thrilled by his praise.
Magnemite had little stamina left, but Aron lacked a truly effective means of attack.
The two exchanged a glance, each recognizing what the other had in mind.
One final strike!
"Magnemite! Give it everything you have left! Spiral Spark!"
"Aron, use Headbutt at full power!"
"Kweeeeeee!"
"Kwak kwak!"
Both Pokémon answered with loud cries, mustering all their strength as they charged at each other!
Without the rocks weighing it down, Magnemite was still faster than Aron, even though its injuries had slowed it!
Yellow electricity enveloped Magnemite's body, mingled with white metallic energy as it spun rapidly through the air.
Aron, brimming with confidence from the battle, lowered its head and charged straight ahead!
It all came down to who was tougher!
Bang!
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the two Pokémon slammed into each other. The clang of metal rang throughout the battlefield, and three streams of energy struggled for dominance at the point of impact.
In the end, the combination move proved slightly stronger. It actually pushed Aron backward, gouging a trail across the ground!
"That's it! Hang in there, Magnemite!"
George shouted excitedly, his blood pumping!
Yong refused to be outdone.
"Come on, Aron! Unleash your strength! You still have to surpass your dad-how can you lose here?"
"Kwak kwak!"
The boy's words reminded the little Pokémon of its father.
Its fighting spirit broke through its limits!
With a furious roar, Aron gathered all its strength into its head. Powerful Steel-type energy suddenly enveloped it, making its entire head gleam like metal! It rammed forward with everything it had!
"Excellent potential!"
In the final arena, Wattson praised Aron's performance.
"With proper development, it'll make a fine mainstay on his team!"
Chengjie nodded happily.
"It's the most talented one in its entire group!"
"What's this?"
George was stunned!
Yong, however, was delighted.
Ding! Aron learned Iron Head!
"Headbutt broke through, and it learned Iron Head? Great! Keep it up and beat your opponent! Aron! Iron Head!"
"Kwak kwak!"
The power, far greater than Headbutt's, disrupted their stalemate. The sudden surge caught Magnemite off guard. With Aron's furious roar, the fourth stream of energy rampaged through the clash, finally breaking the deadlock. The energy erupted!
Boom!
A blinding flash, an explosion of energy, and a tremendous shock wave sent both Pokémon flying!
"Kwee!"
"Kwak kwak!"
Magnemite seemed plagued by bad luck. It flew backward and slammed into another rock!
Aron, on the other hand, was lucky today. It merely slid across the ground.
Sometimes, luck simply couldn't be stopped!
Battles were all about the right timing, favorable terrain, and everyone working together!
As both Trainers watched, Magnemite ended up buried beneath the rocks, motionless.
Aron struggled to its feet, panting heavily. Clearly, the explosion had done considerable damage!
The referee stepped forward to check Magnemite's condition, then delivered his verdict.
"Magnemite is unable to battle! The challenger, Yong, wins this round!"
Ding! Aron won a Gym battle. Awarded 100 Training Points! Ding! Gained a large amount of experience! Aron leveled up to Lv22! Ding! Proficiency increased for Headbutt, Harden, Rock Slide, and Rock Tomb! Learned Iron Head!
"Yes!"
Yong ran over to Aron and gently stroked its little head, smiling happily.
"That was amazing! You did it, Aron!"
"Kwak kwak..."
Aron looked wearily at its Trainer. Knowing it had won, it grinned, then could no longer hold itself up and collapsed.
"Get some rest, little one! We still have a long road ahead!"
After recalling Aron, Yong returned to the Trainer's box.
Across from him, George shook his head, comforted the injured Magnemite, and recalled it as well.
Watching from the sidelines, Chengjie punched the air.
"He took the first round!"
Harada smiled.
"I didn't expect Headbutt to actually break through! Impressive!"
Wattson watched the screen with a smile, saying nothing.
On the battlefield, George looked at Yong and smiled.
"That was a wonderful performance! You've raised Aron very well!"
Yong scratched his head sheepishly and waved a hand at him.
"Oh, not really. I just got lucky. The little one happened to make a breakthrough!"
"Luck is part of strength, too!"
George took out a Pokémon Ball. His earlier theatrical air vanished, and his gaze sharpened.
"The testing is over. Let's start the real battle!"
Yong's smile faded as well, and he braced himself.
Is he getting serious now?!
"Now this is getting interesting. He's fired up George's fighting spirit, hehe!"
Wattson nodded, looking eager to enjoy the show.
"This is where the battle really begins, kid!"
The referee raised the green flag, confirming that both sides were ready.
"Then, the second round between Gym Trainer George and challenger Yong begins!"
The instant the green flag dropped,
both sides threw their Pokémon Balls!
"Go! My partner!" they shouted together.
The Poké Balls opened, and two Pokémon appeared on the battlefield!
"Rai-cha!"
"Marsh!"
That Pokémon is...?
Yong looked at the opposing Pokémon and quietly checked its information with the system.
Pokémon: Electrike, Lv25. A Pokémon that can run faster than the eye can follow. It generates electricity through friction with the air and stores it in the fur covering its body. Gender: Female Type: Electric Nature: Sassy Ability: Static. May paralyze opponents that make contact. Moves: Tackle (proficient), Thunder Wave (proficient), Howl (proficient), Quick Attack (mastered), Shock Wave (proficient), Bite (proficient), Thunder Fang (proficient) Egg Move: Headbutt (beginner) TMs: Fire Fang (proficient), Ice Fang (proficient)
Electrike
Electrike resembled a small canine. She had yellow markings, a broad head with three protruding crest sections, and four sharp teeth.
Electrike, huh? Her Electric-type attacks aren't much of a threat, but she has a wide range of moves. I can't let my guard down!
Yong silently reminded himself as he studied the opposing Pokémon.
George, meanwhile, frowned slightly when he saw Marshtomp.
Immune to Electric-type attacks? He's come well prepared!
After a moment's thought, he decided, Perfect. I'll let Ice Fang give it a surprise!
Meanwhile, in the final arena,
Wattson smiled at Chengjie and asked kindly,
"Say, Chengjie, you haven't been spilling anything, have you?"
They all lived in Mauville City, and Chengjie's father was also a Pokémon League observer, so Wattson knew his family well. As a result, Chengjie was no stranger to the Mauville Gym-in fact, he knew it very well.
"Haha! Of course not! My lips are sealed!"
"Good! That's a good boy!"
Wattson nodded and looked away.
Chengjie also breathed a sigh of relief, laughing awkwardly to brush things off under Harada's suspicious gaze.
Good thing Yong turned me down earlier!
"Marshtomp, huh? Looks like you made plenty of preparations to challenge the Mauville Gym! Not bad!"
George looked at Yong approvingly, clearly having misunderstood.
"Only natural!"
Yong didn't explain. Instead, he acted very modest.
George nodded in satisfaction.
"Then let's begin! First move, Howl!"
A wolf-like howl rang from Electrike's mouth. Her fur stood on end, electricity crackled, and her fighting spirit surged!
Boosting her Attack first? A head-on showdown?
Yong looked across the field.
Then bring it on!