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Torkoal withdrew into its shell. Although its sturdy carapace absorbed most of the impact and it didn't suffer serious damage, the Stone Edge still knocked it clean into the air.
Kai understood Torkoal's battle style well. In this defensive stance, it balanced offense and defense perfectly protected by its hard shell and capable of spinning at high speed. Getting in close would be a huge mistake.
So instead of pressing the attack, he called out firmly, "Tyranitar, use Sandstorm!"
A swirling wave of golden sand surged across the battlefield, blanketing most of the arena and completely concealing Tyranitar within it.
Kai had used this tactic before and was already highly proficient with it.
With Tyranitar hidden, Flannery lost sight of her target. Torkoal landed safely back on the ground, unharmed.
After waiting for a while without seeing Tyranitar reappear, Flannery had no choice but to order Torkoal out of its defensive stance.
"Torkoal, use Flamethrower aim there!"
Unwilling to recklessly charge into the Sandstorm, she could only attack from a distance, hoping to flush Tyranitar out. But the battlefield was massive, and she could only target the spot where Tyranitar had been standing moments earlier.
Kai had anticipated this. The moment the Sandstorm covered Tyranitar, he had already repositioned it.
A torrent of flames blasted into the storm, illuminating the sand in a fiery red glow but when the flames faded, there wasn't a single sign of movement.
The attack had missed completely.
Flannery tried again. And again, the flames accomplished nothing.
"Tch…"
She clicked her tongue in frustration. If she didn't close the distance, there was no way to track her opponent!
Gritting her teeth, she shot Kai a glance and made her decision.
"Torkoal—advance!"
As the Gym Leader being challenged, Flannery technically could have waited. She could have forced Kai to make the first move, or simply stalled until the Sandstorm subsided.
But as a relatively new Gym Leader, she lacked that kind of experience. She treated the match like a standard Trainer battle and her aggressive personality made defensive play completely against her instincts.
Fortunately, Torkoal's thick shell left only its head and limbs exposed. Combined with its excellent defenses, the Sandstorm damage was negligible.
Still, voluntarily sending her Pokémon into a dangerous situation was undeniably risky.
And that recklessness came at a steep cost.
With both Pokémon swallowed by the Sandstorm, neither Trainer could clearly see what was happening inside. Precise commands were impossible the outcome would depend entirely on the Pokémon themselves.
Although Torkoal was one of Flannery's strongest partners, she hadn't traveled extensively. Compared to Tyranitar, who had fought in League-level battles and countless high-stakes clashes, there was a clear gap in experience.
And in this terrain, under these conditions, everything favored Tyranitar.
Moments after Torkoal vanished into the storm, flashes of orange fire lit up the sand, followed by Tyranitar's thunderous roars.
There was no doubt they had already clashed.
Who held the advantage, however, remained unknown.
Kai stood calmly, listening to the chaos. Flannery, on the other hand, was visibly tense. She craned her neck repeatedly, shading her eyes with her hand as if that might somehow pierce the storm.
Then—
The ground shook violently.
Even from a distance, Flannery felt the tremor beneath her feet.
A Ground-type move.
Her anxiety spiked instantly. "Torkoal! Fall back—now!"
But her voice vanished into the Sandstorm without response.
Her heart sank.
After several agonizing seconds, the sand finally began to settle. As visibility returned, Flannery hurriedly scanned the battlefield.
What she saw made her gasp.
Tyranitar stood firm. In front of it, the ground had been shattered open—and wedged within the cracked earth lay Torkoal, completely unconscious.
"Torkoal!!"
The result shocked her.
She knew Torkoal's strength better than anyone. She never imagined it would fall so decisively.
Her gaze shifted back to Kai, reevaluating him entirely. His presence felt even more imposing now.
He's incredible… He's every bit as strong as my grandfather.
Recalling Torkoal, Flannery immediately grabbed her second Poké Ball.
"My next Pokémon let's go! Magmortar!"
She hurled the ball forward, and a Pokémon engulfed in blazing heat emerged with its red-and-yellow body radiating power.
Magmortar, her other ace.
Compared to Magmar, Magmortar was bulkier, its body constantly smoldering as if aflame. Heat poured from its mouth with every breath, and its arms ended in massive cannon-like launchers.
Although they had encountered Magmar many times during their travels, this was Misty's first time seeing Magmortar.
Curious, she raised her Pokédex.
"Magmortar, the Blast Pokémon. A Fire-type. Magmortar lives near volcanic craters. It's said that only one pair inhabits a single volcano. Its body resembles molten rock, and it possesses magma chambers that allow it to fire blazing projectiles reaching temperatures of over 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit hot enough to melt iron instantly."
Just from the description alone, it was obvious how dangerous it was.
Kai recalled Tyranitar, giving its armored hide a brief pat of praise before returning it to its Poké Ball. He then reached for his second.
Those who knew him well understood unless circumstances demanded it, he rarely used the same Pokémon twice in a row.
Misty wasn't surprised at all.
Flannery, however, was briefly puzzled.
Tyranitar was still in fighting shape… Why switch it out? Doesn't he know Magmortar is one of my strongest Pokémon too?
Her confusion vanished the moment Kai threw the ball.
A Dragonite burst into the air, hovering above the battlefield.
Flannery instantly felt the same overwhelming presence Tyranitar had radiated.
So that's it… He has another ace.
Naturally, she assumed both Tyranitar and Dragonite were Kai's strongest partners.
"I haven't faced an opponent like you in a long time!" Flannery grinned, hands on her hips. "I'm fired up now! I'll give everything I've got to take down your strongest Pokémon!"
She thinks those two are my top tier…
Kai smiled but didn't correct her.
Telling her they were actually his second-string team would've crushed her confidence entirely.
Despite the battlefield being heavily damaged, neither Trainer's resolve wavered though the uneven ground would clearly hinder Magmortar's movement.
"Round two begins!" Flannery declared.
Magmortar struck first.
Raising its cannon-like arms, it fired a barrage of blazing fireballs straight at Dragonite in midair.
Dragonite twisted sharply, the fireballs narrowly missing its body.
A split-second slower, and it would've been hit.
Recovering instantly, Dragonite retaliated with Dragon Rage, initiating a long-range exchange.
For the opening clash, both Pokémon acted on instinct neither Trainer issued commands. At this level, reacting immediately was often faster than waiting for orders.
After the exchange, control returned to the Trainers.
"Counter it with Flamethrower!" Flannery shouted.
At the same moment, Kai commanded,
"Dragonite—Dragon Rush!"
Dragonite surged forward, cloaked in draconic energy, charging straight at Magmortar.
Keeping distance from Magmortar's dual cannons was a losing strategy. Closing in was the smarter play.
Seeing this, Flannery didn't back down.
"Fire Spin!"
Magmortar charged head-on, flames roaring around its body.
The collision was explosive.
With a deafening crash, both Pokémon slammed into each other, locked head-to-head, neither willing to yield.
Dragonite had the size advantage but Magmortar's scorching heat quickly took its toll.
Before Dragonite could falter, Kai's next command rang out.
"Dragonite—Aqua Tail!"
Dragonite leapt skyward, its massive tail wrapped in rushing water, then whipped it down with crushing force.
"Fire Punch!" Flannery countered.
The attacks landed simultaneously.
Magmortar staggered backward, clearly unable to withstand the Water-type strike. Dragonite, however, wasn't unscathed after repeated Fire-type hits, it was afflicted with a burn.
Both Pokémon were wounded. One suffered lingering damage; the other had taken super-effective blows.
The battle surged toward its climax.
In the end, Dragonite pushed through, delivering another Aqua Tail that sent Magmortar crashing to the ground.
Unlike Torkoal's sudden defeat in the Sandstorm, this battle left everyone breathless even Misty was thrilled by the intensity.
Flannery recalled Magmortar, smiling despite her loss.
"That was amazing!!" she exclaimed, eyes sparkling. "Aside from my grandfather, you're the strongest Trainer I've ever met! Now, hurry up, let's start the third battle! I can't wait!"
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
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