Practical Battle Demonstration, Part Two

Gary and Erika's Gym demonstration match was still underway. Erika was somewhat annoyed that Gary had encouraged everyone to try their dirty tricks at the Celadon Gym.

Still, with so many university students eagerly waiting to learn at the sidelines, she could only roll her eyes at him and bring out her second Pokémon.

"Weepinbell, get ready to battle." Erika straightened her sleeves, her expression turning serious.

Gary coughed twice and continued his shameless commentary. "Those of you who haven't challenged the Celadon Gym yet, pay attention.

"Weepinbell is another of Ms. Erika's regular Pokémon. It's a dual Grass/Poison-type Pokémon.

"As for its Ability, let's take a blind guess. It should be Chlorophyll."

Erika nodded helplessly. "That's correct..."

"So, to boost Weepinbell's speed, this Pokémon will definitely use the Weather Move Sunny Day.

"And our best choice at a time like this is, of course-a powerful Flame-type Pokémon. Growlithe, I'm counting on you!" Gary brought out his Pokémon as he explained.

"Chlorophyll will give Weepinbell a huge speed boost.

"But if the opponent dares to use Sunny Day, a single hit from a Fire-type move will deal devastating damage.

"And for a Fire-type Pokémon, even tanking two Grass-type moves is a favorable trade." Gary raised an eyebrow.

"Woof!!" The moment Growlithe took the field, he bared his teeth and roared.

Weepinbell shuddered and shrank back in fear. Blue light flashed over him as his Attack fell.

"I see. A Growlithe with Intimidate." Cynthia nodded from beside the stands.

Compared with a Growlithe with Flash Fire, one with Intimidate could fit into more team compositions.

Having your physical ace hit by Intimidate the moment it took the field really hurt...

"Can we start now?" Erika frowned. The match hadn't even begun, and she had already taken a debuff. It hadn't dealt any actual damage, but it certainly rattled her.

"Please, go ahead." Gary spread his hands with a faint smile.

"Weepinbell! Use Sunny Day!" Although Gary had already predicted it, Erika still chose to set up Sunny Day for the rest of the battle.

"See? She has to use it. Refusing would be throwing away an advantage out of fear. Once she uses it, we get to share the sunny-weather boost. Lovely!" Gary explained with a grin.

"Wow, Professor Oak really knows his psychological warfare."

"Right? Not only does he predict his opponent's move, he makes you carry it out exactly as he planned. That's so frustrating."

"I'm learning so much. When you can predict this far ahead, your opponent has to jump into the trap even though they know it's there."

"Am I the only one who thinks Mr. Oak is trying to mess with her head? It's the same principle as trash talk."

The students whispered among themselves at the sidelines. Erika came to her senses, too.

That's right. How could I let an opponent lead me around so easily in an official match?

Professor Oak really lives up to his reputation. He's an expert at psychological warfare, too!

Having worked that out, Erika took two deep breaths and looked calmly at Gary. "I've seen through you, Professor Oak. You won't interfere with my judgment using psychological tricks!"

Gary tilted his head awkwardly. "All right, good luck with that. Growlithe, use Leer."

Growlithe fixed Weepinbell with a fierce, burning stare. Weepinbell's mouth puckered, and he looked ready to cry.

The teary-eyed Weepinbell: Guys, does anyone understand what I'm going through? First this dog scares me by baring his teeth, and now he's glaring at me... This is terrifying...

Erika faltered. Wonderful. The match had barely started, and both Attack and Defense had already dropped by one stage.

"Growlithe, Flamethrower!" Gary launched his attack without hesitation.

Boom! Boosted by Sunny Day, a thick, bright-orange pillar of fire surged from Growlithe's mouth toward Weepinbell.

"Weepinbell, use Vine Whip to move!" Erika reacted in time. Weepinbell whipped out a vine, wrapped it around a small tree at the edge of the field, and pulled hard, sending his entire body flying.

"Tsk, tsk. Chlorophyll is a little tricky, but..." Gary snapped his fingers. "Growlithe, can you pinpoint his position?"

Growlithe twitched his nose and nodded.

"Then don't hold back. Flame Wheel!" Gary waved a hand.

Growlithe suddenly charged forward, breathing flames around his body as he ran. Like a blazing wheel, he hurtled toward an empty patch of ground.

Thud! A moment later, Growlithe's Flame Wheel struck dead on, almost as though Weepinbell had thrown himself into it.

Weepinbell lay on the ground, barely hanging on. He truly was a Grass-type Pokémon raised by Erika: at the moment of impact, he had twisted his body to avoid a fatal hit.

Seeing his opponent fall, Growlithe lowered his body and slowly approached, remaining alert.

"Wait, Growlithe! Back off!" Gary frowned. His opponent wasn't completely unable to battle yet. How could he approach to check at a time like this?

"Weepinbell, use Sleep Powder!" Erika finally revealed her hidden weapon.

But thanks to Gary's advance warning, Growlithe had already retreated two steps, moving out of the Sleep Powder's range.

"Flamethrower!" Gary ordered the finishing blow without hesitation.

Boom! The flames hit their target. Weepinbell's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious.

The referee immediately called a halt. "Weepinbell is unable to battle! Growlithe wins!"

"There isn't much to explain about this round. It's basic Flame-type versus Grass-type play: suppress them with firepower and predict their movement in advance." Gary recalled Growlithe with a sigh.

Erika looked at the Sunny Day still in effect, her brows knitted with worry.

Knowing Gary, his next Pokémon will probably be another Flame-type. I really want to send out Victreebel or Vileplume and finish this with one Solar Beam, Erika thought.

Meanwhile, Gary solemnly reminded the students around him, "One thing worth noting is the finishing blow. Remember, a match is a real battle. You must make absolutely sure you've defeated your opponent.

"As long as the referee hasn't called a halt, keep attacking. Don't give your opponent any chance to catch their breath, unleash a sudden burst of strength, or take you down with them."

Whew... Erika took a deep breath. Mr. Oak really is ruthless...

There was nothing for it. She had agreed to this match, and she had to finish it even if she fell apart. Erika brought out her final Pokémon. "Normally, a best-of-three means Professor Gary has already won this Gym battle.

"But to ensure everyone gets the full lesson, let's finish the last round. Come on out, Gloom!"

A Pokémon with round flower buds on his head and drool hanging from his mouth appeared.

The surrounding crowd made Gloom nervous, and an indescribable stench drifted out.

"Holy crap! A biological weapon!"

"Help, I'm going to puke..."

"Σ_(꒪ཀ꒪"∠) Urgh... Ms. Erika, we're on your side! Don't shoot..."

The university students staggered under the assault of the smell. Erika smiled mischievously and looked at Gary.

Gary simply picked up a gas mask from beside him and leisurely put it on.

"Thanks for the help, Caitlin." Gary nodded.

Caitlin gave him a thumbs-up. "No problem, Young Master Mao."

Erika's mouth twitched. "What is that?"

Gary spread his hands, then turned to the students. "This is another key point I want to make. Before challenging a Gym, always look up a guide!

"Ms. Erika's signature Pokémon, Gloom, is a special case. His unusual smell alone can scare off most Pokémon.

"I just prepared a gas mask in advance. Problem solved."

Erika smiled and shook her head. "But that only protects you from Gloom's smell, Professor Oak. How will your Pokémon... huh?"

Watching Gary calmly open his Poké Ball and send out a Charmeleon with two rubber plugs stuffed into his nostrils, Erika was dumbfounded.

"Raaah!" Charmeleon opened his mouth wide and worked his jaws, twitching his nostrils twice before standing on the field with his arms proudly folded.

"Um... is that allowed?" Even Erika wasn't sure.

Everyone turned toward the referee in the middle. The Head Referee, who had been reduced to foaming at the mouth by the stench, was lying at his station receiving oxygen.

Seeing their eager, questioning gazes, the Head Referee struggled upright and explained, "In Pokémon battles, a Pokémon may carry one Held Item, and only one.

"As long as it isn't a dangerous offensive weapon, the rules permit it. Professor Oak's setup is fully within the rules."

"Thank you for clearing that up for everyone, Head Referee." Gary smiled and nodded. "Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

The Head Referee nodded. "Yes... I need an ambulance..."

Thump! With that, the Head Referee collapsed and didn't get back up.

In the end, they had no choice but to have another Deputy Director specializing in refereeing take the referee's stand, wearing a gas mask and a chemical-protection suit.

"Ahem. For this final match, let's try to finish quickly, all right... Begin!" The referee chopped one hand downward to signal the start.

"Gloom, Solar Beam!" With her proud stench-based threat neutralized, Erika didn't dare be careless. She opened with her strongest attack!

"Dragon Rage!" Gary met it head-on. There was no need to defend, and it wasn't as though he would lose a clash of blasts.

Boom! The golden Solar Beam and blue flames of Dragon Rage crashed against one another, setting off an enormous explosion in the center of the field.

Taking advantage of the clouds of dust and smoke, Gary started muddying the waters. "Charmeleon, use Smokescreen!"

Whoosh! Thick black smoke poured into the dust from the explosion, plunging the field into darkness.

"Gloom, use Lucky Chant!" Erika preemptively used an uncommon move.

A ring of blue symbols circled Gloom before sinking into his body.

"What move was that?"

The battle students looked blankly toward the theory students.

The theory students puffed out their chests and explained, "Lucky Chant is a Normal-type move. After it's used, it prevents critical hits for a certain amount of time."

"Oh... you're never too old to learn." The battle students, a bunch of muscleheads, nodded with only a vague understanding.

Gary watched Charmeleon still diligently pumping out smoke and snapped his fingers in satisfaction. "All right, let's finish this. Smoke Burn!"

Click! Charmeleon abruptly shut his jaws, a spark flaring between his sharp teeth.

Boom!! The smoke covering the entire field ignited, instantly turning it into a sea of fire!

Cynthia rose straight out of her seat in the stands. "Smokescreen can be used like that? I can't wait to see how strong he becomes."

Honestly, she was getting a little tired of beating up Lucian and Flint every day.

What? Aaron? He was even less suitable. That Bug-type slacker practically wet himself whenever he saw Cynthia...

She wanted fiercer battles, battles with more unknowns. Now, it looked as though Gary had the potential to become an opponent worthy of the Valkyrie's recognition!

Thanks to Erika's Sunny Day, the flames' power soared. Surrounded by the sea of fire, Gloom shut his eyes and fainted on the spot. Whether the flames or the fright had knocked him out was anyone's guess...

Seeing that Gloom was thoroughly roasted, Gary nodded. Charmeleon opened his mouth and sucked all the flames on the field back into his belly.

Pulling a bottle of vodka out from behind his rear, Charmeleon gulped down two mouthfuls and belched contentedly. With a forceful snort, he shot both nose plugs out of his nostrils, striking Gloom in the face...

"All right, come back, Charmeleon." Gary looked thoroughly embarrassed. Where did this guy steal that vodka from? Don't tell me it's medical alcohol mixed with water...

Erika recalled Gloom and gave Gary a complicated look. "The demonstration match is over. Everyone, go back and review it at your own pace. I'm a little tired..."

"Um, Erika, thanks for all your hard work..." Gary scratched his head, feeling rather sheepish.

Erika shook her head. "A match is a match. I'm prepared to accept that much."

Gary accepted the Badge the young woman offered without standing on ceremony.

Principal Monet approached with a beaming smile. "We're holding a dinner in the Grand Hall tonight to welcome the scholars from the Sinnoh Delegation. Gary, come along with me."

Gary nodded. "Sure, I'll be there. Ms. Erika, are you coming?"

Erika sighed tiredly. "I'd like to rest a little. I won't be coming tonight..."

Gary tilted his head and watched Erika leave, unable to resist muttering, "Honestly, if you're not eager to eat, something's wrong with your head. Is it that time of the month?"

The students beside him rolled their eyes. Mr. Oak, she's probably just going back to pull herself together. After battling you, it really is hard to keep saying she admires you!