Chapter 650: Bug Gym Battle (2)
~Third POV~
[Unova Region, Castelia City – Gym]
The afternoon sun beat down upon the bustling architecture of Castelia City, casting long, sharp shadows across the concrete canyons and glass towers that scraped the azure Unova sky. Inside the sprawling, artfully designed botanical amphitheater of the Castelia City Gym, the atmosphere was thick with tension, curiosity, and the scent of crushed foliage and ozone.
High up in the spectator stands, an eclectic gathering of trainers, champions, and prodigies leaned forward as one. Black and White stood near the front rail, flanked by the visiting Blueberry Academy: Crispin, Amary, and the laid-back, lazy Blueberry Academy Champion, Drayton.
Beside them bounced Nemona, the hyperactive Paldean entrepreneur and elite trainer, alongside a starry-eyed Iris, who clutched her braids in anticipation of seeing her future Unova League opponents in action.
Down in the stands, Azure's non-combatant team members were making their presence known. Rotom buzzed excitedly, its screen flashing with animated exclamation points as it hovered beside a grinning Gengar, "This is getting good, Zzt! My analytical circuits are predicting a 78.4% chance of a high-intensity tactical shift!"
Gengar chuckled, its red eyes glowing mischievously in the dim light of the stands, "Heh. Let's see the bug-catcher handle this."
Pikachu chirped a determined "Pika-pika!" while Eevee offered a supportive squeak. On Pikachu's shoulder, the tiny Pichu (Mew) giggled softly, sensing the sheer waves of psychic and physical energy radiating from the battlefield below. From a few seats down, Meloetta's ethereal voice echoed directly into the minds of those nearby: 'Azure is focused. He won't back down easily.'
Zorua chimed in via telepathy, crossing its furry little paws with a proud smirk, 'He better not! That's our trainer down there!'
Down on the turf, the battlefield was scorched and scarred. Azure stood with his arms crossed, a confident grin plastered across his face, locking eyes with the eccentric, green-haired Gym Leader, Burgh.
The first clash had already reached its dramatic conclusion. Burgh's shell-bound Crustle had narrowly weathered the blistering flames of Azure's Larvesta. With a crunch of stone and a burst of Bug-type energy, Crustle's [Leftovers] kicked in, glowing with a soft, restorative green light that healed the wounds inflicted by the fiery insect.
Azure called out, tossing his second sphere into the air, "Next up!"
*Flash*
Appearing with a fierce, echoing cry that shook the rafters was an imposing Alpha Braviary. The majestic bird-Pokémon's eyes blazed with competitive fire, a faint, malevolent aura of the [Life Orb] clinging to its feathers, perfectly synchronizing with its Sheer Force ability.
Nemona gasped from the stands, her eyes sparkling. She exclaimed in an excited tone, "Oh, wow! Look at the size of that Braviary! An Alpha specimen?! Azure always finds the coolest partners!"
Crispin noted, adjusting his collar, "Yeah, but Crustle's defense is no joke. Breaking through that shell isn't going to be easy."
Down on the field, the battle erupted into motion.
Azure commanded, "Braviary, start us off! Hidden Power!"
*PEW*
Braviary swept its massive wings, firing a concentrated blast of prismatic energy. But Burgh was ready as he ordered, "Crustle, Protect!"
*CLANG*
A translucent green barrier flared into existence, completely nullifying the attack. Burgh ordered, pointing forward, "Don't let up! Rock Slide!"
*Krak—Koom*
Crustle slammed its heavy claws into the earth. Massive boulders manifested above Braviary, crashing downward with crushing momentum.
Azure yelled, "Tailwind!"
*WHUMP-WHUMP*
Instead of dodging away, Braviary beat its wings with hurricane force, generating a roaring tailwind that whipped the falling rocks right back up, redirecting the avalanche straight toward Crustle while drastically surging the bird's own velocity.
Burgh shouted, sweat beading on his brow as the debris bounced off a hastily recast barrier, "Quick, Crustle, Protect again!"
*CLANG*
Crustle's Protect shimmered into existence just in time, the green hexagonal barrier shattering the returning boulders.
Burgh shouted, escalating the violence, "Now, Rock Wrecker!"
*Crackle—PEW*
The massive crab-like Pokémon gathered a sphere of pure geological Rock-Type energy, its surface glowing with a blinding orange hue gathering energy. It launched the projectile with the force of a cannon.
*Snap*
Azure snapped his fingers and countered, "Agility!"
*Zip—Zoom*
Braviary blurred, utilizing its surging speed to effortlessly sidestep the projectile, gaining another +2 speed stages in a heartbeat.
Riding the currents of its own Tailwind, Braviary dove forward!
*Woosh*
Azure ordered, "Steel Wing—Strong Style!"
*CRACK*
The bird's wings hardened into gleaming blades of titanium steel, crashing down with overwhelming, bone-rattling force. Super-effective damage rippled through Crustle's shell with a loud sound.
*SH-RING*
The Steel Wing carved a deep groove into Crustle's shell. Burgh commanded desperately, "Crustle! Rock Wrecker, again!"
*Krak—Boom*
Crustle fired another giant boulder. As the second massive boulder flew, Azure grinned. Azure countered, "Crush Claw! Grab it!"
With breathtaking raw power, Braviary's talons locked onto the hurtling boulder, halting its momentum mid-air, and with a mighty heave, Braviary spun, then hurled the massive rock right back at its sender!
Burgh yelled, "Protect, Crustle!"
*Clang*
The Bug/Rock type barely managed to shield itself from its own reflected attack, but the reprieve was short-lived. Braviary was already upon him as Azure commanded, "Finish the opening act! Steel Wing—Agile Style!"
*Slash-slash*
Braviary moved like a silver lightning bolt.
The blindingly fast, high-tempo strikes struck with pinpoint precision, creating a deafening screech of metal against stone. With a resounding CRUNCH, the force of the blows entirely separated Crustle from its heavy rock shell!
*CRUNCH*
Before Crustle could recover from the recoil of its own blocked attack, Braviary struck once, twice, three times in rapid succession. The speed was so blinding that Crustle was literally knocked out of its sedimentary shell. The small, soft body of the Crustle's evolution lay exposed and shivering.
Azure ordered, "Finish it! Air Slash!"
*SWISH-THWACK*
A vacuum blade of air sliced through the gym. Crustle was sent tumbling back, out of bounds and out of the fight.
*Thud*
Iris cheered from the stands, pumping her fists. She exclaimed excitedly, "Incredible! That speed control was art!"
Drayton muttered, a rare look of genuine respect crossing his face as he observed his future Unova League rival, "He completely out-maneuvered the type disadvantage. The 'Uncrowned Champion' has good instincts."
Burgh smiled, recalling his fallen partner praising him for the battle said, "Magnificent. But let's see how you handle the next one."
*Flash*
Tossing his second sphere, Burgh released Leavanny, the sleek mantis-like Pokémon landing gracefully, her [Muscle Band] pulsing with combat energy. Up in the stands, Nemona and Iris exchanged a glance.
Nemona observed as she commented, "Leavanny has the type disadvantage over many things here. Larvesta would've cooked her, but she's out. Braviary's the only one left standing for Azure's side, meaning if he drops his Flying-type here..."
Black finished grimly, his dark eyes locked on the turf, "...He'll be down to his absolute last Pokémon."
Below, Azure didn't panic. He smirked with a confident expression and said, "Keep Braviary in. Let's dance, Leavanny!"
Burgh nodded as he ordered, "Leavanny! Electroweb!"
*SPLAT*
Leavanny opened with a crackling Electroweb, sending a net of sparking electricity across the field. Azure commanded, "Agility!"
*Wooosh*
Braviary zipped upward, dodging the net with ease, its speed now sitting at a staggering +4 stages. Azure ordered, "Air Slash, keep the distance!"
*Swoosh-Shing*
Blades of wind sliced toward Leavanny, but Burgh smirked and countered, "Leavanny Swords Dance! Show him true grace!"
*Wooosh*
The Bug gracefully spun, using Swords Dance to elegantly weave between the sonic projectiles while boosting her attack power by +2 stages.
Then Burgh smirked as he called, "Now! Attract!"
*Wink-Chu*
Leavanny blinked and blew a kiss, sending out a wave of pink, heart-shaped energy. It struck Braviary dead-center. The mighty bird froze mid-air, a dopey, infatuated look crossing its face as it fluttered its wings uselessly.
Azure groaned, rubbing his temple as his Braviary was caught, "Urgh, immobilized by love?! Snap out of it, big guy!"
Nemona groaned, "Oh, man, the classic honey-trap!"
But Braviary was immobilized by love.
It was all the opening Leavanny needed. Burgh ordered, "Now! Triple Axel!"
*Krak—Thwip—CRUNCH*
With terrifying grace, she closed the distance and unleashed Triple Axel. Three successive, ice-coated kicks landed with brutal, super-effective force, sending Braviary crashing hard into the dirt.
Azure shouted, "Get up, Braviary! Fly out of there!"
Braviary tried to take to the skies, but Leavanny was too fast. Burgh ordered, "Not so fast! Electroweb!"
*SPLAT*
Another Electroweb surged forward, entangling one of Braviary's massive wings and grounding the bird forcefully. It snagged Braviary's left wing, pinning it to the floor with a crackle of electric static.
Under the weight of the web and the paralysis of the "Attract," the bird was a sitting Ducklett. Burgh ordered, "Now another Triple Axel!"
*Krak—Thwip—CRUNCH*
Leavanny followed up with a second Triple Axel, driving the bird further into the turf, before winding up for a devastating knockout blow. Burgh smirked, ordering, "Finish this with Hyper Beam!"
*VREEEE—DOM*
A concentrated pillar of golden destruction erupted from Leavanny!
Azure yelled at the top of his lungs, "Protect!"
*CLANG*
A shimmering shield absorbed the worst of the cataclysmic blast, though the sheer concussive force kicked up a massive cloud of dust. As the dust cleared, Leavanny stood panting, locked in the mandatory recharge state of Hyper Beam.
*Snip-Snap*
Simultaneously, Braviary snapped its head down, its razor-sharp beak biting through and tearing away the crackling electric webbing ensnaring its wing. Azure yelled, "She's in recoil! Strong Style Brave Bird! Take her with you!"
Braviary ignited in a blazing aura of white-hot, reckless energy, rocketing forward like a literal shooting star. Because Leavanny was immobilized by recoil, she couldn't evade the incoming attack…
*SHHH—OOM*
The impact was deafening—a shockwave rippled across the gym floor, shattering nearby decorative planters. When the light cleared, Leavanny slumped forward, knocked completely unconscious.
*Thud*
The stands erupted.
White gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in sheer excitement. She said excitedly, "Oh, my goodness! What a comeback!"
Crispin yelled over the din, "That trade was insane!"
Burgh chuckled darkly, retrieving Leavanny. He said boastfully with a confident grin, "You push my artists to their absolute limits, Azure. But an artist always saves his masterpiece for the grand finale."
With a grand flourish, Burgh tossed his final Ultra Ball…
*POP*
Out popped Heracross, flexing its massive, horned carapace. Around the Fighting/Bug type's wrist flashed the [Heracronite]. Burgh swept back his coat to reveal his Mega Scarf, embedded with a glittering Keystone.
Burgh shouted, pressing the stone, "Let our passions ignite!"
*FLASH*
Energy erupted in a brilliant rainbow helix. Heracross underwent a violent, awe-inspiring transformation, morphing into Mega Heracross, its horn elongating into a massive pincher, its new Skill Link ability flaring to life.
Nemona squealed, bouncing up and down in the stands, "Mega Evolution! Oh, I love seeing a good Mega shift!"
Rotom shouted, "Skill Link ability activated-zzt! His multi-hit moves will now always hit five times! Dangerous! Very dangerous!"
Down on the field, the battle turned frantic.
Burgh commanded, "Rock Blast!"
*Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump*
Mega Heracross reared back and fired a rapid-fire barrage of jagged stones. Thanks to Skill Link, all five shots fired true.
Azure countered, blocking the first wave: "Protect!"
*Clang*
… but the sheer kinetic barrage pushed Braviary back.
Azure ordered, "Air Slash, retaliate!"
*Sh-rring*
Braviary fired a desperate wind blade, but Mega Heracross simply shattered it with another five-hit Rock Blast…
*Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump*
Azure ordered, "Heat Wave! Burn through it!"
*FWUMP—Hisssss*
Braviary exhaled a torrent of fire, but Burgh countered, "Protect!"
*CLANG*
Heracross casually deflected the heat with a timely Protect. Then Burgh ordered, "Now Rock Blast into Seismic Toss!"
*Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump*
Battered, exhausted, and outmatched in raw power, Braviary couldn't dodge the next incoming Rock Blast. Then Heracross grabbed it from the air, followed immediately by a devastating Seismic Toss that slammed the bird into the floor.
*THUD*
Braviary was slammed into the ground and fainted, knocking him out of the fight. Azure recalled his loyal partner, offering a warm, grateful smile to the sphere. He said thankfully, "You carried us through hell and back, big guy. Take a well-deserved rest."
Azure reached to his belt, pulling out his final sphere. He smirked as he said confidently, "Alright... time for the main event."
*POP*
He tossed it forward. With a dual-headed snarl and a menacing dark aura, Zweilous materialized onto the battlefield, its held item [Scope Lens] glinting sharply in the gym lights.
Burgh smirked, crossing his arms. Mentally, the Gym Leader felt victory was assured; his Bug/Fighting-type Mega Heracross held an absolute type advantage over Azure's Dark/Dragon-type Zweilous.
Up in the stands, Black and White frowned at the scene, commenting, "Larvesta and Braviary would've been great here, but they're both down…"
Black murmured, "Zweilous is all he has left."
Burgh said confidently, his voice brimming with confidence and an assured grin, "Mentally, I win this, Azure. My Heracross is Fighting and Bug. Your Zweilous is Dark and Dragon. I have every advantage."
*Click*
Azure smirked. His thumb hovered over a dial on the Omni Ring. He clicked it to a specific icon—a Terastallization Emblem. Azure said calmly, with no worry in his tone, "Is that what you think, Gym Leader Burgh? In Paldea, they have a saying: 'The type you see isn't always the type you get!'"
*SHIII*
Azure struck a jo-jo pose, his arm sweeping in a wide arc as the Omni Ring began to glow with a crystalline, prismatic light. With a flourish, he raised his left wrist. Strapped to it was the Omni Ring—the legendary device gifted by Arceus itself, capable of channeling every known super-gimmick across the Pokémon multiverse: Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Dynamax, and Terastallization.
The stands went dead silent.
Azure's thumb dialed the device's interface straight to the Terastallization symbol. He roared, "Let's turn the tables. Terastallize!"
*FLASH*
A brilliant, dazzling prism of light erupted from the Omni Ring, enveloping Zweilous in a blinding rainbow vortex. When the light shattered, a massive, ornate Tera Jewel materialized above the two-headed dragon, settling down to form a magnificent, reddish crown shaped like a fortress castle tower. On its front gleamed a cyan hexagonal crystal featuring a pair of fierce, angry eyes, topped by a majestic black dragon spreading crimson crystal wings.
A collective gasp echoed through the arena.
Black and White stood up, eyes wide.
Nemona gasped, her eyes wide as saucers as she stared from the stands, exclaiming, "No way...! He didn't even use a Tera Orb... he used that ring?! But Terastallization is supposed to be exclusive to Paldea and Blueberry Academy's tech!"
Students from Blueberry Academy—Crispin, Amary, and even Drayton—stood up in absolute shock, whispering frantically among themselves.
Down on the field, Burgh's confident smirk vanished, replaced by a bead of cold sweat as he thought, 'A Pure Dragon Tera Type?!'
Azure commanded, "Dual Dragon Pulse!"
*VRE—EEEOM*
Zweilous's two heads reared back, unleashing two massive, swirling shockwaves of draconic energy.
Burgh yelled, "Detect!"
*Swoosh*
Mega Heracross sidestepped the first pulse with feline grace…
*BOOM*
… but the second caught it square in the chest, sliding the heavy bug back across the turf. Up in the stands, Black's eyes lit up with tactical realization as he muttered, "Wait... look at how he's using it. Zweilous has two heads! It can bait out moves like Detect and Protect with one head, and strike with the other!"
Nemona nodded rapidly, her trainer instincts kicking into overdrive. She explained to Black about Terastallization, "And remember the mechanics! Thanks to Terastallization, Pokémon receive STAB on moves matching their Tera Type, alongside their base types! Since its Tera Type is Dragon, and it's already a Dragon-type, it's getting a massive x2 damage boost instead of the usual x1.5!"
Black's eyes widened further as he processed the sheer offensive output unfolding below as he focused intently, thinking, 'x2 damage… yikes.'
On the field, the clash intensified.
Burgh shouted, "Protect, Heracross!"
*CLANG*
A barrier blocked an incoming Dragon Tail.
Burgh yelled, "Now, Rock Smash!"
Mega Heracross lunged, its fists glowing with fighting energy.
But Azure wasn't giving an inch as he was prepared, commanding in a confident tone, "Dual Strong Style Tera Blast! Overwhelm it!"
Channeling the pure, concentrated power of the fortress crown, Zweilous opened both maws. A beam of pure, crystalline dragon energy erupted, converging into a single, massive pillar of light that dwarfed even Leavanny's Hyper Beam. The sheer power of the 2.0x STAB bonus tore through the air.
*VREEEEE-SHOOOOM*
The attack blasted right through; The Rock Smash was completely swallowed, slamming into Heracross and sending shockwaves rippling through the gym. Heracross screamed as the energy washed over him, pinning him against the wall.
Iris cheered, "He's still standing! What a tank!"
Burgh roared, "Mega Horn, smash through!"
Heracross's massive horn glowed with terrifying Bug-type energy, charging forward to gore the dragon. Azure ordered smoothly, "Protect, then counter!"
*CLANG*
Zweilous erected a shimmering barrier, dead-stopping the Mega Horn. Then Azure grinned, ordering, "Now, Fire Fang!"
*CRACKLE—BURN*
Before Heracross could retreat, both of Zweilous's heads lunged forward, sinking their razor-sharp fangs deep into the bug's arms. Heracross wailed in agony, shaking violently, trying to slam the dragon into the ground to dislodge it. Heracross cried in pain, "HERA!! (GET OFF! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!!)"
*THUD—THUD*
Heracross tried to shake them off, slamming Zweilous into the ground, but the dragon was relentless. Zweilous clamped down harder, its tenacity unbreakable, scorching the bug's flesh with searing flames.
Burgh shouted in panic, "Get it off you! Circle Throw!"
With a mighty heave, Heracross managed to grab one of the dragon's necks and fling it off. Zweilous tumbled across the dirt, but recovered instantly. Azure commanded, "Agile Style Dual Tera Blast!"
*Pew-pew-pew-pew*
The two heads fired rapid-fire bursts of crystalline light. They hit Heracross like a machine gun, staggering the beetle back into the far wall of the gym's reinforced stone wall with a thunderous CRASH!
*CRASH*
Burgh gritted his teeth, his artistic composure cracking. He shouted, "Mega Horn, one more time! End this!"
*BOOOM*
Mega Heracross surged forward, fueled by pure desperation, its horn gleaming like a guillotine. Azure simply smirked, pointing forward. He commanded, "Take it head-on... and finish him with Dual Strong Style Hyper Beam at point-blank range!"
*BOOOM*
Heracross drove its Mega Horn straight into Zweilous's chest. A plume of dust and debris obscured the impact, Burgh holding his breath in desperate hope that the attack was enough. It wasn't.
Through the smoke, Zweilous stood firm, its two heads looming directly over the exhausted bug. With a terrifying roar, both mouths opened wide, gathering a hyper-dense sphere of destructive orange energy.
*VRE—EEEEEM-BOOM*
Two point-blank Hyper Beams detonated against Mega Heracross. The blinding flash illuminated the entire Castelia Gym, sending a shockwave that rattled the spectator glass. When the light finally faded…
*Thud*
Mega Heracross slumped forward against the gym wall, its Mega Evolution breaking apart in a flash of rainbow light as it reverted to its base form and fainted.
*Crackle*
The energy crown atop Zweilous dissolved into sparkling crystals, the dragon's Terastallization fading as it reared back on its hind legs and let out a triumphant, earth-shaking roar that echoed across the city blocks outside: "ZWEIIILOUSSSS!!"
The stadium erupted into cheers, knowing Azure won. Rotom zoomed around the arena taking pictures, while Gengar cackled with glee. Meloetta hummed a victorious melody, and Zorua barked happily.
Burgh walked onto the battlefield, a weary yet deeply respectful smile on his face. He extended his hand, holding out a shimmering green hexagon. He said in a proud tone, eyeing Azure, "An absolute masterpiece of a battle, Azure. You've painted a victory I won't soon forget."
Azure shook the Gym Leader's hand firmly, his grin bright. He said in a respectful tone, "Thanks, Burgh. That was definitely one for the books."
Burgh officially presented him with the Insect Badge, a generous monetary cash reward for gym victory against him, and the technical machine for TM Struggle Bug. Azure accepted them with immense pride, carefully placing the Insect Badge into his gleaming badge case alongside his others.
[Item: Insect Badge
Rarity Item: A+
Type: Badge
Description: A Gym Badge, commonly referred to as simply a badge, is an item that serves as proof of a Pokémon Trainer's victory in a battle against a Gym Leader at a Pokémon Gym. With this badge, Bug-Type Moves are increased by 12.5%, and control of Pokémon is easier for the Trainer to command.]
[Item: TM Struggle Bug
Rarity Item: -
Type: Technical Machine
Description: A Technical Machine used to grant memory knowledge of how to perform the move [Struggle Bug].]
With the battle concluded, Black, White, Nemona, Iris, Drayton, Crispin, and Amary all clambered down from the stands, rushing onto the battlefield to crowd around the triumphant trainer with high-fives and congratulations.
But just as Azure turned to thank his cheering friends, Burgh raised a hand, stopping them in their tracks. Burgh called out, a mysterious glint in his eye as he gestured for them to wait, "Hold on just a moment, young maestro. Before you all scurry off to celebrate... I have a rather unique proposal to make, if any of you are interested."
The entire group paused, turning their attention back to the Gym Leader as the afternoon breeze swept through the botanical arches of Castelia City, setting the stage for whatever awaited them next.
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter!