Misty (1)

"This is the standard of a King-class Trainer."

In the stands, a young man in red sounded somewhat impressed. The girl beside him ate potato chips and shook her head. "Gongping is really strong, but his Pokémon's moves don't feel very dazzling, do they? Still, I'll keep supporting him."

"Once you reach the level of these King-class Trainers, every Pokémon feels unstoppable in battle. Ordinary Trainers can hardly achieve that kind of control over the details of a fight."

The young man in red had once fought an exhibition match against Lorelei, the Ice-type King. Recalling that battle, what surfaced in his mind was Lorelei's graceful, slender, and enormous...

He had brought his younger sister to watch the match because he had actually thought Cerulean fourth sister Kasumi would be a mature older woman. Finding a mere little girl instead had left him terribly disappointed.

Sensing what her older brother was thinking, the girl covered her face. "You're so gross, big brother. Boys your age really do have dangerous thoughts. I hope Gongping doesn't turn out like you."

"Don't worry. This Sandstorm King won't be short of female fans. If you want to throw yourself at him, either get strong enough to stand on his level or turn into a mature beauty."

"Hmph!"

"You're flat-chested, and you think you've got a point?"

"Drop dead!"

Surging psychic power burst from the girl's entire body, instantly restraining the young man in red before tossing him away.

Leaving aside the chaos in the stands, Kasumi wasn't discouraged by her first Pokémon's defeat. Instead, her fighting spirit grew, and she swiftly threw her second Poké Ball. "Staryu, use Double Team!"

Countless afterimages surrounded the battlefield. Another Ice Ball flashed past, but it failed to penetrate those afterimages. At last, Kasumi gained some respite from the Ice Ball onslaught that had left her struggling to breathe.

The shattered Ice Ball turned into countless snowflakes in midair. Just as Kasumi breathed a sigh of relief, Gongping slowly spoke. "Use Defense Curl!"

At the command, Sandslash swiftly curled into a ball and rolled across the ice. Ice crystals swept up around Sandslash from every direction, and as Sandslash's speed continued to increase, that figure began flickering in and out of sight.

Although the surroundings weren't snowy, the shattered ice and snow had become snowflakes that would last only a turn or two. Yet even that activated Sandslash's Snow Cloak Ability, making that figure increasingly elusive.

"Staryu, Swift!"

Five-pointed lights shot out rapidly, but Sandslash, still using Defense Curl, accelerated into a spin. The swirling flurries deftly blocked Staryu's assault.

Defense Curl performed while spinning at high speed could block Swift?

This maneuver resembled combat in a Pokémon Contest, but Gongping didn't care what methods he used. His purpose in this assessment was simply to draw out as much of the Gym Leader's potential as possible and evaluate her aptitude.

Yet Sandslash's Defense Curl didn't slow down. Instead, Sandslash charged straight at Staryu, sweeping away countless afterimages before seizing Staryu with a claw. The tremendous force left Staryu unable to move for a moment.

"Staryu, use Water Gun!"

A powerful Water Gun shot from Staryu's mouth, only for Sandslash to spit out another Ice Ball. After Defense Curl, Ice Ball was even more powerful, emerging as a gigantic sphere of ice. Freezing spread through the spray, encasing Staryu as well.

As the powerful Ice Ball struck Staryu head-on, the surrounding ice shook violently. Countless fragments exploded outward, displaying Sandslash's formidable combat prowess.

Was this the strength of a Pokémon League King...?

A single Sandslash, using nothing more than the most ordinary Ice Ball and Defense Curl, had forced her into such a miserable position. She hated this feeling of facing someone she couldn't beat.

"What? That's all this girl can do? No wonder the Pokémon League wants to shut down the Cerulean Gym."

"The Cerulean Gym's Trainers put on great performances, but they really can't fight. They might as well open a new Gym in the Cerulean region."

The chatter from many spectators made the already silent Kasumi shudder. Sandslash's next Ice Ball assault drew ever closer, yet neither Staryu nor Kasumi knew how to respond.

"Kasumi, come on! What are you afraid of? Keep using Double Team!"

Ash's impassioned shout suddenly came from behind her. Kasumi's spirits shifted, her pupils contracting as she turned to look. Her simple-minded companion and Pikachu had clenched their fists and struck an incredibly overdramatic pose!

"Don't give up! You're going to become the world's best Water-type Trainer! How can you stop here?"

He really was fired up...

Gongping turned his attention toward the eternally ten-year-old Ash, a trace of curiosity and scrutiny entering his gaze.

You big idiot...

Warmth filled Kasumi's heart, and she faced Gongping again with renewed fighting spirit. "Staryu, keep using Double Team to dodge Ice Ball, then use Water Gun from several directions!"

Countless afterimages reappeared, surrounding Sandslash. Ice Ball abruptly swept past, but countless Water Guns shot in from multiple directions at once. Sandslash swiftly struck the ice, preparing to burrow inside to evade them, only for Staryu to burst through the ice and charge at Sandslash, spinning at high speed.

This thoroughly unscientific yet surging combination of Water Gun and Rapid Spin formed a unique combination attack. Before long, that force engulfed Sandslash completely, leaving no room to move.

In the real Pokémon world, comparisons of stats from the games were no guide at all. It had to be said that this vortex-like Water Gun far surpassed an ordinary Water Gun in power. Sandslash was swept high into the air, and then Staryu turned swiftly, plunging straight toward the ground.

"A beautiful counterattack, but the battle isn't over yet. Sandslash, use Metal Burst!"

At Gongping's command, dazzling silver light flashed from Sandslash, becoming a terrifying radiance. Staryu couldn't withstand that dreadful impact, and the vortex of Water Gun was instantly torn apart!

Amid the shattered spray, Staryu still hadn't given up completely. Forcing through the terrible reflected destructive force of Metal Burst, Staryu spun rapidly and stayed fixed on the falling Sandslash, using the very last scrap of strength to drive them both toward the ground.

It was an extraordinarily brutal counterattack. Both Pokémon crashed to the ground together, blasting a huge crater into the vast sheet of ice. Countless clouds of mist billowed up over the battlefield, making it impossible to see what had happened inside for a time.

Unlike the spectators, who cared about the outcome, Kasumi watched Staryu anxiously from the command platform. She hadn't expected Staryu to display such tremendous willpower at the final moment and force Sandslash down.

"Staryu..."

"Don't worry. Staryu is all right."

At some point, Gongping had entered the center of the battlefield and carried both the badly injured, unconscious Sandslash and Staryu out of the arena.

"Thank you..."

Gongping took out a newly developed special medicine and gave Staryu and Sandslash some basic treatment. Kasumi thanked him with a blush. She had never expected such a stern King to personally treat her Pokémon.

"Staryu and Sandslash weigh over ninety kilograms together. This Sandstorm King looks thin and frail, but his strength really is astonishing. He's practically a second Bruno."

At the television station, Lorelei adjusted her glasses, shocked by the tremendous arm strength Gongping had suddenly displayed.

"He managed to massage over seventy Pokémon by himself. Of course he's incredibly strong."

Word that Gongping had massaged over seventy Pokémon in a single day in Pallet Town had long since spread throughout the Pokémon League. Apart from a dozen or so especially large Pokémon that required lengthy massages, he sometimes massaged four or five ordinary-sized or small Pokémon at once, constantly shifting between them, tapping and kneading, displaying his formidable physical fitness.

Having successfully defeated Sandslash through Staryu and Starmie's efforts, Kasumi finally prepared to use her third Pokémon. But just then, something unexpected happened...

PS: Judging by Kasumi's Staryu's performance and battle record in the anime, Staryu actually did considerably better than Starmie. A very curious thing.