Chapter 649: Bug Gym Battle (1)
~Cheren's POV~
[Unova Region, Next Day, Castelia City]
The air in Castelia City was thick with the scent of sea salt and the frantic, rhythmic hum of urban life. I shoved my hands into my pockets, my fingers curling tightly around the screen of the brand-new Rotom Phone tucked away in my jacket.
The screen was still warm from my grip. It was a marvel of technology—sleek, responsive, and incredibly advanced—but looking at it, I couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness. Azure had orchestrated this.
Gifted me the discount, pulled the strings through his connections with the Paldea League, and practically insisted on it. I hated charity, but I couldn't deny its utility. I'll pay him back, every cent, I promised myself, my jaw tightening.
My Snivy walked beside me, his long, slender frame held with the usual regal posture, though he seemed uncharacteristically subdued. Nearby, my Tranquill kept watch from above, fluttering through the crowded streets.
We had just come from the hospital. Seeing Bianca lying there—pale, fragile, and caught in the crossfire of those fanatics from Team Plasma—had shifted something inside my chest. A cold, hard knot of anger had taken root.
Now, my thumb flicked over the PokéTube app pre-installed on the device. I tapped the screen, pulling up the PokéTube feed. Videos of that day were everywhere. I saw the footage of Azure, his Pikachu a blur of yellow electricity, absolutely dismantling the thugs who had laid hands on innocent Pokémon.
The trending feed was an absolute circus. At the top was a shaky-cam live-streamed video titled: [SHOCKING! PIKACHU ZAPS PLASMA GOONS IN CASTELIA IN FRONT OF THE GYM! POLICE ARRIVE! KIDNAPPING CASE SOLVED!]
I tapped the thumbnail…
The video showed a familiar dark-haired boy—Azure—standing with his hands in his pockets while a certain yellow mouse-Pokémon stood over two unconscious Team Plasma grunts, its cheeks still flickering with residual electricity.
The crowd in the video was cheering, shouting Azure's name alongside praises for the swift intervention of the BW Agency. I scrolled down to the comment section, and my jaw tightened until my molars ached.
====
Comment Section:
User_DragonTamer99: Thank Arceus for Azure! Those guys in the medieval robes tried to take my Deino yesterday near the docks!
PledgeToN_official: You guys don't understand Plasma's message! Pokémon belong in the wild, not in tiny red-and-white prisons! Stop defending the oppressor class!
SinnohExpat: Shut up, Plasma sympathizer. Stealing someone's partner isn't "liberation"; it's common grand larceny. Give 'em ten years hard labor in the Mistralton Caves.
BESTBOI: Justice served!
Peace_&_Love: Team Plasma was just misunderstood; they wanted liberation!
…
====
I let out a harsh, bitter scoff, my thumb scrolling past the endless debate. Team Plasma was a plague, and people were defending them online from the comfort of their air-conditioned apartments.
Bianca's empty Poké Balls flashed in my mind's eye. I scoffed, a harsh, guttural sound that startled a passerby. I hissed to myself, "Misunderstood my foot. My friend is in a hospital bed because of those lunatics. There is no 'right' side to kidnapping."
I clutched the phone so hard the casing groaned. The frustration was a physical weight. We shouldn't have split up, I thought, the regret stinging more than the cold wind off the pier. If I had been there—if we hadn't been so spread out—
"Excuse me, sir! Pardon, sir!"
I snapped my head up, my train of thought shattered. A man and a woman in crisp, professional attire stood in my path, clutching clipboards. Passerby Analytics HQ. They looked entirely too cheerful for a city reeling from a terrorist attack.
The woman chirped, her pen hovering over a form, "We're conducting a survey on trainer satisfaction regarding the recent safety measures implemented by the city!"
I snapped, trying to brush past them, "I'm not interested! I'm in a hurry."
The man insisted, stepping into my path. He said persistently, "It'll only take a moment! Just three quick questions. Help us help trainers like you!"
I sighed, the pressure of the moment—the hospital, the news, the frustration—bubbling over into irritation. I answered their questions with clipped, sharp sentences, my mind still on the hospital room. As I spoke, I noticed my Snivy looking toward the corner of the plaza, his gaze fixed on something.
He waved a vine, a friendly, hesitant gesture.
Across the way, another Snivy stood, shadowed by a dark, mischievous-looking Zorua. The other Snivy didn't wave back. It stared at my partner with eyes as cold as deep-winter ice. There was an unsettling intelligence in its gaze—a look that didn't belong to a wild Pokémon.
*Shiver*
It turned, the Zorua trailing behind it like a wisp of smoke, and cast one final, lingering glance toward me before disappearing into the crowd. I felt a chill trace its way down my spine. The man said in an excited tone, with a beaming expression, coming too close to my personal space, "And finally, would you be interested in joining our outreach program? You have the look of a leader, young man!"
Before I could refuse, the sheer relentless positivity of the two agents wore down my defenses. I found myself agreeing, caught in a daze of annoyance, only to realize a moment later that I'd just accidentally signed up to be an 'outreach advocate.'
I felt my face flush with hot embarrassment.
I muttered, practically running away from them, "I have to go."
As I rounded the corner, I stopped dead. A boy was walking a Snivy.
Another one?
My Snivy tilted his head, his brow furrowed, looking from the boy to the spot where the Zorua had been. He looked confused, his eyes wide as he processed the strange, shifting reality of the city. I patted his head, my own focus returning to the mission ahead. Enough distractions. I must get back to Bianca.
/////
~Third POV~
[Unova Region, Meanwhile, Castelia City – Gym]
The sun hung high over Castelia City, casting a brilliant, amber-tinted sheen across the towering, crystalline skyscrapers of Unova's bustling urban heart. Glass panels gleamed against the sky, reflecting the endless tide of commuters, taxis, and scurrying Pokémon that filled the avenues. Beneath the metropolitan roar, however, the heavy, resin-scented air of the Castelia Gym provided a stark, organic contrast.
Inside the grand combat arena, sunlight filtered through a magnificent, dome-shaped web of translucent architectural steel, illuminating a hardwood battlefield designed to mimic a sunlit forest canopy. Giant, stylized honeycombs lined the upper walls, and the gentle hum of thousands of captive, docile insect-type Pokémon echoed like a natural white noise.
The stands were packed with an eclectic, star-studded audience.
Sitting in the front row, Black leaned forward so far his chest pressed against the safety railing, his eyes burning with absolute, hyper-focused intensity. Beside him, White crossed her arms, her brow furrowed in deep concentration as she tried to wrap her head around the sheer scale of the match about to unfold.
White muttered, gesturing toward the center of the arena, "I still don't get why we needed a machine for this."
Black barked aloud, not taking his eyes off the battlefield for even a microsecond, "It's an Ace Match protocol, White! When a challenger wants an official Ace Gym Battle against a Gym Leader of Burgh's caliber, they use a level-scanning protocol. It scales the opponent's team power to match the trainer's peak tier. It's all about drawing out the absolute best data for improvement!"
White sighed, though a small, fond smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She replied, "Right, right. You just like machines that beep."
A few seats down, the atmosphere was a vibrant mix of excitement and casual chatter.
Crispin cheered, leaning back and resting his arms behind his head, and said excitedly, "Whoa, check out the tech! Unova Gyms really do things differently than Blueberry Academy. Think they've got a snack bar near the back?"
Amary scolded lightly, adjusting her glasses as she jotted down notes on her tablet, "Focus, Crispin. We're here to observe Unova's league-tier pacing, especially with the upcoming tournament. And considering who is down there..."
She glanced over at the end of the row and sighed helplessly.
Drayton sat lazily with one ankle resting on his opposite knee, a lollipop stick hanging from the corner of his mouth. Beside him, Iris bounced on her heels, her wild purple hair bobbing with every enthusiastic movement.
Iris shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth, her voice echoing off the honeycombed walls, "Come on, Azure! Show us what you got! I wanna see how a four-time Champion throws down before I must face you in the league!"
Drayton drawled, though his sharp, golden eyes were locked entirely on Azure standing across the field. He said lazily at Iris's response, "Don't burn yourself out before the match even starts, Iris."
Drayton thought, a smirk playing on his lips, 'Let's see what a guy who saved an entire planet brings to a simple Gym match.'
Further down the row, a vibrant flash caught everyone's attention. Nemona bounced in her seat, practically vibrating with uncontainable energy as she muttered in an excited tone, "Ooh! Ooh! This is going to be amazing! Azure's battle style is so cool! Hey, remember when our dads were working on the Rotom Phone specs together? Ah, good times! But right now—battling!"
Surrounding Paldea's hyperactive Elite Four was a menagerie of extraordinary creatures. Pikachu sat upright on the armrest, tail flicking with rhythmic anticipation. Eevee curled contentedly beside him, its fluffy tail draped over Pikachu's paws.
Tucked snugly inside an oversized yellow jacket pocket was a tiny, seemingly innocent Pichu—though anyone with psychic senses would feel the playful, ancient cosmic aura radiating from Mew. Floating just behind the row, a pitch-black shadow drifted lazily through the air. Gengar's crimson eyes gleamed with mischief as a long, purple tongue lolled out of her mouth.
Gengar rasped softly, her voice echoing to those nearby, "Heh. Wonder how long that bug over there is gonna last against the boss's little sun-bug."
Beside her, Zorua crossed his front paws, his eyes narrowing critically. Zorua spoke telepathically to all nearby in a proud tone, 'Don't underestimate Burgh, Gengar. He's a Master of Bug-types for a reason. Though… Azure's Larvesta isn't exactly normal either.'
High above them all, a faint, musical chime drifted through the air. Meloetta twirled gracefully on a floating stave of psychic notes, humming a soft, encouraging melody that washed over the entire arena like a cool breeze.
Down on the battlefield, the center stage belonged to two men.
Burgh stood with effortless, artistic flair, his green-striped overalls dusted with subtle traces of pollen and charcoal. Across from him stood Azure Sky, his eyes cool, collected, and carrying the weathered wisdom of someone who had stared down legendary deities and conquered four distinct regional leagues.
Burgh called out, his voice rich and theatrical as he gestured grandly, "Alright, my dynamic challenger! For this Ace Match, we play by the three-on-three format! Show me the colors of your soul!"
*Click*
Burgh tapped the screen of his Rotom Phone. With a soft pneumatic hiss, a sleek, white-and-blue scanning machine materialized right beside Azure. Three empty, glowing holographic slots hovered in the air.
Azure didn't hesitate. With practiced fluidity, he drew three Poké Balls from his belt and slid them gently into the machine's receptors. The names echoed softly in the back of his mind: 'Larvesta, Braviary… and Zweilous.'
Azure didn't need to speak them aloud; the machinery of the Unova League system was sophisticated enough to read the biometric data encoded within the capsule cores. He checked their status screens with a proud expression.
|Name: Larvesta (S) [Alpha] (Torch Pokémon)
|Type: Bug/Fire
|Tera: Fire
|Level: 53
|Gender: Female
|Held Item: [Wise Glasses]
|Ability: Flame Body
|Nature: Timid
|Moves: Protect, String Shot, Screech, Double-Team, Attract, Sunny Day, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Safeguard, Ember [A][S], Flame Charge [A][S], Incinerate [A][S], Flamethrower [A][S],Flare Blitz [A][S],Struggle Bug [A][S], Bug Bite [A][S], Bug Buzz [A][S],Leech Life [A][S], U-Turn [A][S], Absorb [A][S], Solar Beam [A][S], Take Down [A][S], Psychic [A][S], Harden (IM), Endure (IM), Foresight (IM), Magnet Rise (IM), Morning Sun (EM) (7 Moves left to learn)
|Name: Zweilous (Hostile Pokémon)
|Type: Dark/Dragon
|Tera: Dragon
|Level: 60
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: [Scope Lens]
|Ability: Hustle
|Nature: Bashful
|Moves: Protect, Roar, Work Up, Scary Face, Nasty Plot, Taunt, Thunder Wave, Screech, Crunch[A][S], Snarl [A][S],Beat Up [A][S],Draco Meteor [A][S],Outrage [A][S],Dragon Rush [A][S], Dragon Tail [A][S],Dragon Breath[A][S], Dragon Pulse [A][S], Hidden Power [A][S], Dragon Rage [A][S], Hyper Beam [A][S], Giga Impact [A][S], Hyper Voice [A][S], Round [A][S], Tera Blast [A][S], Slam [A][S], Body Slam [A][S], Headbutt [A][S], Fire Fang [A][S], Thunder Fang [A][S], Ice Fang [A][S], Incinerate [A][S], Dark Pulse [A][S] (IM), Assurance [A][S] (EM) (5 Moves left to learn)
|Name: Braviary [Alpha] (Valiant Pokémon)
|Type: Normal/Flying
|Tera: Flying
|Level: 62
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: [Life Orb]
|Ability: Sheer Force
|Nature: Quirky
|Moves: Protect, Leer, Hone Claws, Tailwind, Scary Face, Whirlwind, Agility, Bulk Up, Double-Team, Air Slash [A][S],Peck[A][S], Aerial Ace[A][S], Wing Attack [A][S],Hurricane [A][S], Crush Claw [A][S],Sky Drop [A][S],Slash [A][S],Fury Attack [A][S], Thrash [A][S], Hidden Power [A][S], Tera Blast [A][S], Shadow Claw [A][S], U-Turn [A][S], Rock Slide [A][S], Superpower [A][S], Heat Wave [A][S], Steel Wing [A][S], Defog (M), Cut [A][S] (HM),Strength [A][S] (HM), Fly [A][S] (HM), Rock Smash [A][S] (IM), Roost (IM), Brave Bird [A][S] (EM) (5 Move left to learn)
*Bzzzt—*
The scanner hummed softly, casting a warm blue light over Azure's face before flashing green. Azure reached out, scooping his three Poké Balls back into his palm with a smooth, practiced motion.
At that exact moment, a rustling sound came from the edge of the gym floor. Burgh's signature Leavanny scurried out, carrying a polished wooden tray resting on its leafy hands. Upon it sat three pristine Ultra Balls.
Burgh's eyes widened, a brilliant, excited grin spreading across his face. He said excitedly, "Oho! Ultra Balls! And the resonance coming off that scanner… My word, Azure, you've brought some truly high-level partners to my humble canvas today!"
Burgh reached out, taking all three Ultra Balls from the tray. With theatrical reverence, he clipped two securely to his belt, leaving the third resting in the palm of his gloved hand. The artist's chest rose and fell with a sharp intake of breath; his artistic spirit was practically humming with inspiration.
Burgh declared, throwing his hand forward, "Let's paint this battlefield with absolute brilliance! Come forth, my armored masterpiece!"
*Thwump*
The Ultra Ball popped open in mid-air, releasing a blinding flash of white energy that resolved into a massive, bipedal Pokémon encased in heavy, hexagonal rock formations. The ground trembled slightly under its weight, and a faint, shimmering aura of residual healing energy—[Leftovers]—flickered around its stony shell.
Crustle.
Up in the stands, Black pulled out his Pokédex, flipping it open with practiced speed. The device whirred, casting a holographic projection of a standard Crustle above the screen. Black squinted, comparing the blue wireframe data to the creature standing on the battlefield below.
Black muttered, leaning closer to the screen, his eyebrows shooting up, "Wait a second… That Crustle's data profile… its mass distribution is completely different from standard Pokédex registry specs! It's… It's lighter?!"
White guessed, resting her chin in her hand, "A customized build? Can Gym Leaders modify their Pokémon's physical traits?"
Black corrected himself, his eyes widening as the pieces clicked together. He said, surprised, "Not modify—conditioned… He's optimized its shell weight for speed!"
Down on the field, Azure didn't even blink. He unclipped his first Poké Ball, spinning it once between his fingers before tossing it into the fray.
Azure whispered, "Show them the heat, girl!"
*Flash*
The arena temperature spiked instantaneously.
A wave of shimmering, desert-like heat rolled across the hardwood floor as an Alpha Shiny Larvesta materialized. Her exoskeleton gleamed with a gorgeous, burnished gold sheen, dwarfing normal members of her species in sheer, imposing size. Wisps of white-hot vapor curled from her six fiery appendages, and the heavy, rectangular [Wise Glasses] perched over her glowing eyes hummed with concentrated thermal energy.
Iris gasped from the stands, leaning so far over the rail that Drayton had to casually grab the back of her jacket to keep her from tumbling forward. She exclaimed, "Whoa! Look at the size of that Larvesta!"
Drayton smirked as he commented, "Easy there, shorty. That's not just any bug. Look at the way she carries herself. That's an Alpha specimen from Hisui-adjacent lineage or wild frontier breeding. This match is gonna get messy."
Nemona squealed, clapping her hands together rapidly, "An Alpha Shiny Larvesta?! So cool! So, so cool! I want to battle it! Azure! Let me battle it after this!"
With this, the battle began!
Azure commanded, his voice sharp and steady, "Let's set the tempo! Larvesta! Strong Style—Flame Charge!"
The giant moth Pokémon let out a piercing, war-like cry, "Lar-ves-TA!"
Flames erupted across her entire body, turning a blinding, incandescent white under the Strong Style execution. She lunged forward like a blazing missile, the hardwood floor scorching black beneath her feet.
*Fwosh*
Burgh called out, waving his hand artistically, "Crustle, evade! Too heavy to take that head-on with raw force—slip away!"
*Woosh*
With surprising, almost unnatural agility for a creature made of solid stone, Crustle sidestepped. The massive rock shell shifted with a slick, scraping slide, dodging the blazing projectile by mere inches. Larvesta's Flame Charge scorched the empty air, carving a smoking trench into the back wall of the arena.
Azure commanded without missing a beat, "Again! Don't let him settle!"
Larvesta banked hard in mid-air, pivoting on a heel of fire to barrel back toward the rock Pokémon.
Burgh countered smoothly, "Dig!"
*Scratch-scrape-boom*
Crustle slammed its massive forelegs into the hardwood, tearing through the fortified flooring in a fraction of a second as it burrowed underground, vanishing from sight entirely. Larvesta's charge hit nothing but splintered timber and empty air.
*Rumble*
The ground beneath Larvesta's feet vibrated violently…
Azure warned sharply, "Beneath you!"
*Crack*
The floor exploded upward in a shower of sawdust and debris as Crustle burst from the earth, its heavy claws driving straight upward in a vicious surprise strike.
White gasped from the stands, her fingers digging into the metal railing. She said in a shocked tone, "Fast! How did a Crustle move that fast underground?!"
Meloetta murmured telepathically from the stands, her green hair flowing with appreciation, 'Clever. It shed excess mineral layers from the interior of its shell. Less dead weight, higher rotational torque.'
Down on the battlefield, Larvesta was caught right at the apex of the subterranean eruption. But Azure's reflexes were forged in countless battles as he roared, "Magnet Rise! Now!"
In a fraction of a second, Larvesta's body snapped rigid. Electromagnetic pulses crackled violently around her copper shell, creating an immediate repulsive field against the metallic foundation beneath the wood.
*Zing*
With a sharp zing, Larvesta shot straight up into the air, hovering safely out of reach just as Crustle's crushing claws snapped shut on empty space. Burgh shouted, a triumphant glint in his eye, "Not done yet! Crustle! Smack Down!"
Before Larvesta could stabilize her airborne trajectory, Crustle whipped its heavy rock tail upward, unleashing a compressed, hyper-dense kinetic wave of rock-type energy straight into the sky.
*Thud*
The wave slammed directly into Larvesta's side. The magnetic field shattered with a sharp, glass-like chime, and Larvesta was driven violently downward, crashing hard against the wooden floor with a heavy, dust-raising impact. Burgh commanded, wasting zero recovery frames, "And follow through! Stone Edge!"
*Cr-crack-BOOM*
Before the dust from Larvesta's landing could even begin to settle, jagged, glowing pillars of razor-sharp stone erupted from the floor in a rapid, cascading circle, converging directly on the fallen moth.
*KRA—BOOM*
A thick cloud of white smoke and pulverized timber engulfed the center of the arena. Crispin yelled from the stands, leaning forward, "Whoa! That speed is insane! That's not a defensive Bug-type; that's a living boulder with an engine!"
Black analyzed, his eyes darting back and forth as he watched the smoke clear. He commented in a focused tone, "It's Burgh's masterpiece strategy. He sacrifices the absolute maximum physical defense of a standard Crustle's shell for explosive burst mobility. If you treat it like a slow tank, it'll run circles around you before you can even launch an Agility-tier counter."
Down in the dust, Larvesta pushed herself up, her gold armor scuffed with grey stone dust, though the [Wise Glasses] remained firmly in place, glowing with a fierce, unbroken intensity. She let out a low, rumbling hiss of defiance, "Larrr…"
Azure asked softly, "You alright, girl?"
Larvesta turned her head slightly, letting out a sharp click that communicated total readiness. Azure smiled, his eyes locking onto the artist across the field commanded, "Good. Let's turn up the heat. Flamethrower! Strong Style!"
Burgh countered instantly, "Meet it head-on! Protect!"
Larvesta opened her mandibles, releasing a torrent of roaring, white-hot fire that illuminated the entire gym in a blinding flash of orange and gold. The sheer thermal output caused the air to ripple with heat distortion.
In response, Crustle crossed its massive forelegs, a translucent, hexagonal green barrier flashing into existence around its shell.
*HissSSSS—*
The Flamethrower crashed against the barrier, bathing the arena in an overwhelming wall of light and roaring combustion. But the Strong Style energy pushed relentlessly, the barrier beginning to groan and fracture under the intense, sustained pressure.
Burgh roared, "Hold the line, Crustle! X-Scissor, right through the break!"
*CRACK*
With a sharp crack, the Protect barrier shattered into a million glittering pixels...
But instead of being overwhelmed, Crustle burst through the dissipating flames with terrifying momentum, its massive forelegs glowing with a pair of emerald-green energy scythes aimed at Larvesta!
Azure ordered sharply, "Incinerate!"
*Fwoosssssh*
Larvesta spat a rapid burst of concentrated, superheated embers right into Crustle's path. The rock Pokémon took the hit directly, its outer shell smoking and blackening, but its forward momentum didn't even stutter…
*WHUMP*
The X-Scissor crossed the distance in a blink, slamming into Larvesta's side with a concussive whump that sent her skidding backward across the charred flooring. White worriedly murmured, biting her lower lip, "She's taking too much cumulative damage if this keeps up."
Black said calmly, though his own knuckles were white as he gripped the railing from the tension of the battle, "Relax, White. Azure's just probing the limits of that shell. Look at his face. He's having the time of his life."
Down on the field, Azure's eyes flashed with an unmistakable, competitive fire. He raised his hand, pointing straight at the opposing rock behemoth as he commanded, "All-in, girl! Flare Blitz! Strong Style!"
Larvesta didn't hesitate...
*FWOOOSH—ISSSSSH*
Every single flame on her body detached, swirling around her in a roaring, cataclysmic vortex of pure, unadulterated solar heat until she resembled a living, breathing meteor descending from the heavens. The sheer atmospheric pressure made the glass windows of the Castelia skyscraper overhead hum in resonance.
Burgh's eyes widened in genuine awe. He felt his artist side inspired by the golden flames as he said excitedly, "Magnificent… What a stroke of raw, unbridled passion! The fiery shell of a golden fire bathed your Larvesta just like a Golden Experience!! But art demands precision! Crustle, one more time—Protect!"
*Shinng*
A second green barrier flared to life around Crustle, thicker and more concentrated than before. Larvesta struck like a falling star.
*KABOOM*
The impact shook the entire Castelia Gym to its foundations. Dust, smoke, and blinding sheets of white-hot fire erupted outward in a massive shockwave that rattled the front row seats in the stands. Iris squealed, throwing her arms up to shield her face, while Nemona cheered at the top of her lungs through the roaring wind.
*CLANG*
For a split second, the green barrier held. But the sheer destructive weight of the Strong Style Flare Blitz began to crack the energy shield from top to bottom. Burgh shouted, his voice cutting through the roar of the fire, "Now! Rock Wrecker!"
Even as the Protect barrier shattered beneath Larvesta's onslaught, Crustle's eyes flashed with cold, tactical brilliance. Drawing upon every ounce of stored kinetic energy within its lightened shell, it scooped its massive claws upward, conjuring a glowing, house-sized boulder of concentrated geode energy at point-blank range.
*CRASH*
The Rock Wrecker detonated directly against Larvesta's chest at zero distance. The concussive blast swallowed the fiery moth entirely, sending a shockwave rippling across the hardwood floor that tore the remaining timber panels to splinters.
*THUD*
When the smoke finally cleared, Larvesta was sliding backward across the charred ground, coming to a halt near Azure's feet.
The fiery aura around her flickered out, and she slumped gently to the floor, panting heavily as the heavy exhaustion of the exchange caught up to her.
*Click*
Azure walked forward a step, kneeling to gently pat the top of her warm, copper-scaled head. He murmured, recalling her in a beam of crimson light with a gentle click of his wrist, "You fought brilliantly, girl. Take a well-deserved rest."
Across the field, Crustle stood rooted in place, steam hissing heavily from the joints of its customized stone shell. The glowing [Leftovers] item on its side pulsed once, mending a fraction of the structural damage it had sustained from the relentless assault. Burgh let out a long, trembling breath, wiping a smudge of soot from his cheek as a wide, deeply satisfied smile stretched across his face.
Burgh called out, raising a hand in an artistic salute in an excited tone, "Splendid! An absolute masterpiece of an opening stroke! You push your Pokémon to burn with the intensity of a dying star, Azure!"
Azure stood up, clipping the empty Poké Ball back onto his belt. A sharp, confident grin played across his lips as his slate-grey eyes locked onto the Gym Leader. Azure called back, his voice ringing clear across the silent, smoke-filled arena, "Don't go packing your paints just yet, Burgh. We're just getting started."
Up in the stands, Black slammed his fist onto the railing with a grin that could rival a feral hound's. He shouted in an excited tone, "Hell yes! Round one goes to the bug, but the real match starts now!"
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A/N: Hope you like the chapter!