"Poliwrath?"
Meng Hua froze for a moment—then burst into loud, piercing laughter. The sound echoed across the battlefield, startling several Pidgey from the nearby trees.
"Hahaha! Red, have you gone stupid from fear? Using a Water/Fighting-type Poliwrath against my Shiny Butterfree?"
"Flying-type counters Fighting—you're asking to lose!"
Red ignored the mockery and said calmly:
"Win first. Then talk."
A flash of blue light—
A well-built Poliwrath appeared on the field.
Its deep-blue skin gleamed, its white belly marked by a bold spiral pattern, muscles sharply defined.
After Red's recent training, although Poliwrath's level hadn't increased much, its combat ability had multiplied several times through new tactics and moves.
Red was certain—
If Gary's Wartortle fought Poliwrath now, the loser would definitely be Wartortle.
[Pokémon: Poliwrath ♂]
[Level: 28]
[Talent: Mid-tier (Atk: 28, SpA: 22, Def: 20, SpD: 18, Spe: 25, HP: 23) Total: 136]
[Ability: Swift Swim (Speed doubles in rain)]
[Moves: Tackle, Bubble, Hypnosis, Rain Dance, Belly Drum, Body Slam, Abyssal Roll, Mind's Eye, Dynamic Punch, Waterfall]
[Evaluation: A solid Poliwrath with diverse tactics and a rich move pool]
Joy Xue frowned slightly.
"His Poliwrath is decent, but it's lower level—and at a type disadvantage…"
"Just watch," Gary interrupted firmly.
"Master never makes a move without confidence."
Xiao Wen said nothing, her eyes locked onto the battlefield, fists clenched.
"Battle rules: 1v1. The match ends when one side loses all battle capability."
Red spoke calmly.
"Challenger goes first."
"Perfect!" Meng Hua snapped his fingers.
"Butterfree—Gust!"
The Shiny Butterfree flapped its wings, sending a spiraling wind infused with shimmering powder toward Poliwrath.
Under the sunlight, the scales glittered like stars.
Red's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Poliwrath—Rain Dance."
Poliwrath brought its palms together, forming a massive swirling water sphere, then launched it into the sky.
Dark clouds rolled in instantly—
Rain poured down like a waterfall.
Under the heavy rain, Butterfree's Gust weakened drastically. More importantly, the shimmering powder was completely washed away.
The scattered powder seeped into the mud, causing nearby vegetation to wither visibly.
The weakened Gust still struck Poliwrath—super effective, but far from decisive.
Meng Hua clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed.
His plan had been disrupted.
"You mixed Stun Spore into that Gust, didn't you? Too bad—it didn't work."
"Our turn."
"Poliwrath—Aqua Jet!"
A burst of water exploded around Poliwrath as it shot forward like a missile, instantly closing the distance.
"So fast! That's Swift Swim!"
"Double Team!"
At the last moment, Meng Hua managed to react.
Butterfree split into seven identical copies.
Poliwrath crashed through one illusion and slammed into the ground, leaving a crater before it was quickly filled by muddy water.
"Now! Wing Attack!"
All eight Butterfree dived at once, their golden wings gleaming sharply.
Poliwrath crossed its arms to guard but was still pushed back, several cuts appearing across its body.
"Poliwrath!" Xiao Wen gasped.
Red's gaze sharpened.
"Again—Aqua Jet!"
Poliwrath surged forward once more.
Meng Hua sneered.
"Relying on luck to hit the real one?"
"So this is all Songzao Gym can do?"
Clearly, he didn't believe Poliwrath could identify the real Butterfree.
—BAM!
At that exact moment—
Poliwrath suddenly changed direction mid-air, as if receiving a precise command—
And struck the real Butterfree.
Meng Hua's heart sank.
A fragile, airborne Butterfree knocked to the ground?
The outcome was obvious.
"Protect!" he shouted desperately.
A green barrier appeared.
But under Red's command—
There was no escape.
"Jump! Smash down—Waterfall!"
Riding a crashing wave, Poliwrath slammed into the barrier with overwhelming force.
The Protect shield creaked under pressure—
Then both Butterfree and the barrier were driven straight into the muddy swamp.
As Protect faded, Butterfree could only watch as it sank, struggling helplessly.
Its movements slowed… then weakened…
Red snapped his fingers.
"Poliwrath—give it a rinse. Hydro Pump."
A high-pressure blast shot out—
Blasting Butterfree clean out of the swamp and off the battlefield.
When Meng Hua rushed forward—
Butterfree was already unconscious.
"Butterfree is unable to battle! The winner is Gym Leader Red!"
Gary once again served as referee.
Meng Hua silently recalled his Pokémon.
Veins bulged on his forehead, his grip on the Poké Ball turning his knuckles white.
Gary walked over and slapped his shoulder.
"Hey. Didn't your dad teach you? Trainers take responsibility for their losses."
"Hand over the bet and get lost. This isn't a place for you to act wild."
Whether it was those words—or the crushing defeat—
Something snapped.
Meng Hua's eyes turned bloodshot, like a gambler who had lost everything.
"I didn't lose! I didn't lose!"
"Butterfree isn't my strongest! I'll keep fighting—keep going!"
He threw out two Poké Balls.
A Magnezone and an Electivire appeared, electricity crackling violently around them.
Both were around Level 40.
If unleashed, they could tear the Gym apart.
Red quietly gripped Tyranitar's Poké Ball.
Elsewhere—
Unnoticed—
Joy Xue slowly pulled out a necklace from beneath her collar.
Hanging from it—
Was not a gem.
But a Master Ball.
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