"It's all right. Pikachu doesn't like staying in a Pokémon Ball anyway."
Su Bai quickly changed the subject.
Although Cynthia looked adorable when she wanted a full battle with him, Su Bai wasn't about to get carried away and agree so casually.
Besides, he only had two Pokémon right now.
Su Bai caught Growlithe with the new Pokémon Ball, and Growlithe was as happy as a husky.
When Cynthia bought this Apricorn Ball, she had registered it under Su Bai's ID number, which she had secretly asked Qi Shijun for.
The Dragon Nation strictly regulated Pokémon Balls. Every ball had a serial number, and trainers from outside the Dragon Nation couldn't buy Pokémon Balls there.
That was why Cynthia could only give Su Bai one ball for now.
After breakfast, the two returned to the Origin Temple, where Pikachu and Garchomp continued practicing Volt Switch and Dragon Dance.
Once Growlithe evolved into Arcanine, it would gain the Dragon type and could learn Dragon Dance, but for now, Growlithe didn't meet the requirements to learn it.
By noon, Pikachu and Garchomp had fully memorized their moves, so the two left the Origin Temple.
"Where do you want to go?"
"Hmm... I'd like to see this city's Gym."
Pokémon trainers were always interested in unfamiliar Gyms, especially trainers who loved battling as much as Cynthia did.
J City's Origin Gym was right beside Qian Da Plaza, which they had visited before. They could conveniently grab a meal after the Gym battle.
The Dragon Nation had plenty of Gyms, with more than a dozen top-tier Gyms alone.
Still, entering the Dragon Nation's Eastern Alliance Conference only required eight Badges.
Since J City was an industrial city, the Origin Gym specialized in Steel types.
Cynthia studied its decor with interest. It looked completely out of place among the surrounding shopping streets.
"Cynthia, do you want to challenge the Gym?"
"I'm definitely interested, but I'd rather get a good look at how you battle. Would that be all right?"
"Of course."
J University awarded ten credits for earning a Badge, so Su Bai had already planned to challenge the Origin Gym and had specifically researched it.
The Gym used a two-on-two format, making this the perfect time for him to challenge it.
People without trainer qualifications couldn't simply challenge a Gym, but students in the Pokémon Department could, so Su Bai met the Gym Leader without any trouble.
The Gym Leader was named Wu Zhong, a middle-aged man who looked close to fifty. After checking Su Bai's student ID, he readily accepted the challenge.
"Go, Magnemite!"
Learning that this was Su Bai's first Gym challenge, Wu Zhong followed the rules and sent out a relatively low-level Magnemite.
Using the Pokémon Pokédex provided by the system, Su Bai checked Magnemite's information.
It was a level 20 Magnemite with the Ability Sturdy.
"Go! Growlithe!"
Growlithe took its place on the battlefield and bared its teeth with Intimidate, lowering Magnemite's Attack by one stage.
"Growlithe, use Ember!"
"Magnemite, use Thunder Shock!"
Ember collided with Thunder Shock, and Growlithe was already nowhere to be seen on the battlefield.
"Growlithe, now!"
Growlithe suddenly burst out of a hole in the ground, launching Magnemite into the air.
"Finish it, Growlithe! Use Fire Fang!"
Flames filled Growlithe's mouth, and it bit down with a crunch.
Magnemite fainted on the spot.
"Kid, this is your first Gym challenge?"
"Yeah, it really is. It's the first Gym I've challenged, and I'll only be starting my third year when the semester begins."
Seeing Su Bai's innocent expression, Cynthia covered her mouth and chuckled in the spectator stands.
After all, Su Bai's performance hardly looked like a beginner's.
Ember had merely been a feint. Su Bai's real plan was to use the smoke from Ember and Thunder Shock to conceal Dig, then close in and finish things with a single Fire Fang.
The movements flowed seamlessly, and the timing was perfect. It had been an attack with an excellent rhythm.
"Magnemite, thanks for your hard work."
Wu Zhong recalled Magnemite and sent out his second Pokémon.
"I'm counting on you, Dugtrio!"
A Dugtrio sporting golden, instant-noodle-like hair emerged from the ball.
Wu Zhong seemed particularly fond of this Dugtrio.
"Well, kid, ever seen one before? I caught it down south during my annual leave this year. Pretty cool look, right?"
"A Dugtrio from the Alola Region... To think I'd see one here. The Dragon Nation really does have vast lands and abundant resources."
Cynthia murmured to herself.
"Su Bai, Dugtrio is also a Ground-type, and it's very fast. How are you going to handle it?"
Su Bai recalled Growlithe and sent out Pikachu.
"Dugtrio, Tri Attack!"
"Pikachu, dodge with Quick Attack!"
Su Bai's strategy was clear: use Quick Attack to evade the opponent's moves while pushing Pikachu's speed to its limit.
"Kid, that's some speed! Dugtrio, use Dig to hem it in!"
Dugtrio moved far faster underground than on the surface. Although Dig couldn't hit Pikachu, the battlefield was riddled with holes in the blink of an eye.
Pikachu had nowhere left to dodge.
"Tunnel warfare~ Hey! Tunnel warfare~ Millions of hidden troops lie in ambush~~~!"
Wu Zhong smugly broke into song. This tunnel blockade was his signature tactic. It not only helped him evade enemy attacks but also let him strike from any angle, making it nearly impossible to defend against.
"Challenger, let's see how you deal with this."
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the ground!"
At Su Bai's command, Pikachu slammed its Iron Tail hard into the ground.
Dugtrio, which had been happily swaying underground just a moment earlier, was jolted straight out of its tunnels. Wu Zhong was stunned.
"Wasn't that fucking Earthquake?"
Cynthia had already anticipated this move from Su Bai and couldn't help covering her face with a chuckle.
Still, using Iron Tail to break out of the predicament showed excellent battle sense. Even she had suffered at its hands.
"Pikachu! Use Surf!"
At Su Bai's command, Pikachu glowed blue. A huge wave rose and, under Pikachu's control, crashed straight toward Dugtrio.
Dugtrio had nowhere to hide and fainted immediately.
Wu Zhong recalled Dugtrio with a wry smile and sighed helplessly.
He had never suffered such an embarrassing defeat since becoming a Gym Leader.
"Young man, congratulations. Here's proof that you defeated the Origin Gym: the Liberation Badge!"
The Badge was shaped like a five-pointed star, with a crossed hammer and steel spear emblazoned on it. It was solid and imposing.
"How about becoming a coach at my Gym? Eighty a day, meals included!"
"Thank you for the offer."
Su Bai took the Badge and carefully put it away, saying he would come by if he decided to accept.
[Ding! Detected that the host has obtained an item: Liberation Badge. The host currently has 1 randomization available. Randomize?]
"No."
[The host's current total randomizations: (10/100). Please randomize more often. My fate lies with heaven, not with me.]
Out on the street, Su Bai held the Badge up to the sun and studied it for a long time.
"What did you think, Cynthia?"
"That was a wonderful battle. I'm looking forward to battling you more and more."
Before you continue