After teasing Lance, Gary was in a splendid mood.
Getting that champion of justice so angry he rolled his eyes was no easy feat.
But considering he was still keeping a low profile while building his strength, Young Master Mao made his decision: once he finished the Gym battle, he would get out of there!
Goldenrod City was safer, after all.
Following the butler through the lavish corridors, he arrived at Blackthorn Gym's indoor battlefield.
Looking at the enormous arena, whose ceiling was at least ten meters high, Gary's mouth twitched. With a Gym this size, she had the nerve to plead poverty?
Clair spread her hands, indicating that the Dragon Clan simply liked money, not that they lacked it.
Damn! Thinking about it, that made sense. How could a thousand-year-old family that had made its fortune taming dragons be short of money?
Young Master Mao declared himself angry. He was going to take this battle seriously!
The old butler took his place at the referee's stand without prompting and began announcing the rules. "Blackthorn Gym's official Gym battle will now begin. Each side may use three Pokémon. The battle ends when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle!
"Only the challenger may switch Pokémon.
"Let the battle begin!"
The battlefield combined a central pool with land around its edges. Clearly, a water battle was unavoidable.
"Gyarados! Go!" Sure enough, Clair's first Pokémon was Gyarados.
With so many Magikarp in her family's Dragon's Den, Gary would have found it strange if she did not have a Gyarados.
"In that case, Gyarados, you're up!" Gary brought out his own Big Spicy Strip.
"Roar!" The Red Gyarados abruptly raised himself up, standing a full head taller than the blue Gyarados!
A pale yellow aura gathered around the Red Gyarados, making