"Tsk, tsk… As expected of Senior Yozora. Even when facing Aunt Clair, he doesn't fall behind in the slightest!" Shōshi's eyes were filled with admiration.
He knew full well that Clair wasn't fighting at full strength.
But he also knew—Yozora wasn't going all out either!
Just last year, at the Indigo Plateau Conference, Shōshi had witnessed Yozora's battles with his own eyes.
Those squads of Beedrill, his mighty Charizard—after a year of honing, they must have grown even stronger by now.
In the blink of an eye, Clair had already lost three Pokémon in a row. On Yozora's side, however, all five of his were still standing.
Even so, Clair showed not the slightest trace of panic. She pulled out another Poké Ball and hurled it forward.
"Aerodactyl, to the field!"
With a shrill cry, the ancient predator of the skies burst into the arena. Its razor-sharp gaze bore down on Ampharos from above, brimming with arrogance and unshakable confidence.
As a supreme ruler of the prehistoric skies, Aerodactyl's pride in its aerial prowess and speed was absolute. No matter what kind of beast stalked the land below, it always had a way to subdue them.
"Mid–Elite Level," Yozora's eyes narrowed. This Aerodactyl was clearly in a different league from the Pokémon Clair had sent out before. Not only was its level higher, but its aura radiated a sharpness forged through countless battles.
This was unmistakably a battle-hardened Pokémon.
"Aerodactyl—Wing Attack!" Clair struck first.
Fwoosh!
The Aerodactyl suddenly transformed into a streak of white light, diving from above straight at Ampharos like a thunderbolt.
"So fast!"
Yozora's heart clenched. As expected of Aerodactyl—the ancient overlord of the skies. Even among Pokémon of the same tier, its speed was easily among the very best. And this one out-leveled Ampharos besides!
There was no dodging that strike. Defense was the only option.
"Ampharos, use Cotton Guard!" Yozora commanded at once.
At his call, Ampharos puffed up, its wool expanding as it braced itself, arms raised to meet Aerodactyl's wings head-on.
The collision drove Ampharos backward with immense force, its feet gouging two deep furrows into the ground as it skidded, soil flying.
But to Yozora's relief, Ampharos' face betrayed little pain.
With its defense doubled thanks to Cotton Guard, it could withstand Aerodactyl's crushing assault.
"Cotton Guard… truly the strongest defensive move," Clair muttered, eyes flashing with admiration.
"Now's our chance—Ampharos, Thunderbolt!" Yozora barked.
"Aerodactyl, Double Team!"
Ampharos seized hold of Aerodactyl's wing, discharging a thunderous burst of electricity at point-blank range.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, Aerodactyl's body flickered—and vanished.
The Thunderbolt struck nothing.
High above, the skies swarmed with countless Aerodactyl illusions, circling in all directions.
Yozora only smirked. "Ampharos, use Thunder!"
CRAAACK!
A pillar of lightning split the heavens, crashing down with unerring aim. It bypassed the illusions entirely, striking Aerodactyl's true body squarely.
The explosion of thunder and light tore through the air. Aerodactyl screamed in agony, its body wracked with electricity as it staggered, grievously wounded.
Electric versus Flying. The super-effective strike had dealt massive damage. While not enough to fell the ancient beast outright, it left Aerodactyl reeling, gasping for breath.
"To pierce through a field of illusions and strike the true body directly… This young man is no ordinary trainer," Clair thought, her eyes narrowing as she regarded Yozora.
Did he wield the Power of Aura? Or had he awakened the Mind's Eye?
Either way, it was extraordinary.
"Aerodactyl, regain your footing—Dragon Breath!" Clair quickly shifted her strategy.
"Ampharos, Thunderbolt!"
The two clashed head-on. Ampharos withstood the searing breath of dragonfire, countering with arcs of lightning. But Aerodactyl's speed kept it just out of reach, darting nimbly to avoid every strike.
Yet as time dragged on, Ampharos' Ability—Stamina—triggered. Its defense steadily climbed higher, each attack it endured making it tougher and tougher. Aerodactyl's strikes grew increasingly ineffective.
At the same time, Ampharos' Speed Boost Ability activated. Its movements grew sharper, faster, its attacks accelerating with each passing second.
Little by little, Ampharos finally seized its chance. After gritting its teeth and tanking a blast of Dragon Breath, it fired back with a full-force Thunderbolt that struck Aerodactyl dead-on.
The lightning exploded with a deafening crack, super effective—and this time, at last, Aerodactyl was brought crashing to the ground.
"Aerodactyl is unable to battle. Ampharos is the winner!" the referee announced.
"Awesome!" Outside the field, Shōshi clenched his fists in excitement as he watched the match unfold.
Ampharos' level was clearly far lower than Aerodactyl's, and yet, it had managed to take it down in a relatively straightforward manner.
The fight had been anything but easy—but what shocked Shōshi even more was that Ampharos stood victorious without suffering any truly severe injuries. That, in itself, was terrifying.
"It's not just Cotton Guard… That Ampharos' natural defenses are unbelievable," Shōshi muttered under his breath, inwardly awed.
What she didn't realize was that it was the effect of Ampharos' Stamina Ability, constantly boosting its endurance with every blow.
"Go, Dragonite!"
After recalling her fallen Aerodactyl, Clair finally revealed her last Pokémon—just as everyone expected, it was Dragonite.
As the current core figure of the Blackthorn Dragon Clan, it was only natural that Clair possessed Dragonite. In fact, because she also bore the duties of a Gym Leader, she owned several Dragonite—her strongest ace and dearest partner, as well as other Dragonite used specifically for Gym matches.
But the one she was calling on now—
This Dragonite radiated an aura unlike the rest.
Elite Four-level.
The Dragonite Clair sent out had reached the very threshold of the Elite Four, standing at the initial stage of that realm.
"As expected… Even if Aunt Clair didn't use her ace Dragonite, the one she chose to send out is no ordinary opponent," Shōshi whispered, his lips twitching as he stared at the battlefield.
An Elite Four–class Dragonite.
That was truly terrifying.
Even in the Dragon Clan's homeland, Dragonite of this caliber were exceedingly rare.
Clair herself seemed aware that bringing out such a Pokémon was excessive—after all, this was just a Gym battle, not some formal challenge where the outcome absolutely had to be decided.
She looked straight at Yozora and said candidly, "Yozora, this Dragonite has already reached Elite Four level. Use every ounce of your strength—do your best to defeat it."
Pausing, she added gently, "And don't feel pressured. No matter how this match ends, even if you lose, I'll still award you the badge."
It was meant kindly, but Yozora only frowned, displeasure flickering across his face.
Him, accepting charity?
"Unnecessary. If I can't win, then I won't accept the badge," Yozora declared proudly.
"Heh… As expected of a hot-blooded youth. Very well—come at me with all you've got," Clair replied with an amused smile, utterly confident.
At this point, she had only one Pokémon left, while Yozora still had five.
Yet the way she carried herself, it was as if she was the one with the advantage.
Her overwhelming self-assurance only made Yozora grit his teeth harder.
"Ampharos, use Thunder!" he barked.
The Ampharos, sensing its Trainer's suppressed fury, roared in kind. It unleashed its power at full throttle, a pillar of lightning as thick as a tree trunk splitting the heavens as it came crashing down toward Dragonite.
But Clair only smiled faintly, her tone dripping with contempt. "Dragonite, Flamethrower."
From high above, Dragonite opened its maw. A torrent of fire surged forth, colliding with the thunderbolt in midair—then effortlessly tore through it like paper, the flames pressing onward until they slammed into Ampharos' cotton-covered body.
BOOOOM!
The instant the flames met its fluffed-up wool, a violent explosion erupted.
When the smoke finally cleared, Ampharos lay sprawled on the ground, limbs splayed, eyes spinning in dizzy swirls. Completely unconscious.
"Ampharos is unable to battle! Dragonite is the winner!" the referee raised his arm.
"Tsk… Auntie is way too scary," Shōshi muttered, twitching at the corners of her mouth. That was sheer level suppression, nothing more.
On the other side, Yozora's expression didn't change. Silently, he recalled Ampharos, then sent out his next Pokémon.
"Your turn—Crystal Steelix!"
"Crystal Steelix…"
Clair's eyes flickered with intrigue as the gleaming serpent emerged, its crystalline body glinting under the light. "Strange… It doesn't seem to fear fire. Could it be… that this Steelix has a third typing—Dragon?"
But she didn't dwell on the thought.
"Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!" she commanded.
No matter what typing it held, she didn't believe Crystal Steelix could withstand Dragonite's might.
"Iron Defense—block it head-on!" Yozora countered loudly.
But it was futile.
The Dragon Pulse struck with overwhelming force, blasting through Steelix's defenses and hurling its massive body across the arena.
The gap in power was simply too vast.
An Elite Four–class Dragonite wasn't something a mere Gym-level Pokémon could hope to withstand.
…
As Crystal Steelix was felled, Yozora's face betrayed no complaint. He simply recalled it and immediately sent out his next contender.
"Scizor, take the field!"
"Scizor!" The stalwart mantis Pokémon landed, raising its pincers with a metallic clang. Its golden eyes gleamed with unwavering determination as it stared up at Dragonite high above.
"Scizor, huh? A fine Pokémon indeed… but far too vulnerable," Clair remarked lightly. She waved her hand. "Dragonite, finish this in one strike—Flamethrower!"
A searing torrent of fire gushed forth, hurtling toward Scizor.
Against a Steel/Bug Pokémon, it was a death sentence.
But Yozora's eyes flashed, unwilling to yield. "Scizor, use Agility to evade!"
With a blur of motion, Scizor's body flickered aside, narrowly dodging the inferno.
"What?" For the first time, surprise flashed across Clair's face.
In her impression, Scizor was always bulky and slow—slower than even Scyther. Certainly not a "fast" Pokémon.
But Yozora's Scizor had just proven otherwise.
"Hmph. Impressive, but it can't outspeed my Dragonite. Chase it down—Fire Punch!" Clair snapped.
With a single beat of its wings, Dragonite blurred forward like a cannonball, closing the gap in mere moments.
Its flaming fist came down in a lethal arc, aimed to smash Scizor into oblivion.
If that landed, there would be no surviving it. Dragonite's physical might was far beyond its special attacks.
"Double Team!" Yozora shouted.
Scizor split into a dozen shimmering clones, surrounding Dragonite from every angle.
Still, Dragonite's expression didn't falter—calm, imperious, looking down upon its foe.
"Metal Claw!" Yozora barked.
The Scizor copies merged into one, slashing at Dragonite's back with glowing claws.
Clang! Clang! Clang! The flurry of blows drew a grimace of pain from Dragonite—yet it was more irritation than true damage.
In the next instant, Dragonite's claw lashed out with devastating force, a Dragon Claw that smashed Scizor down like a meteor.
BOOOOM!
Scizor's body cratered the battlefield, dust and stone erupting skyward.
When the smoke cleared three seconds later, Scizor lay unconscious in the pit.
"Scizor is unable to battle! Dragonite is the winner!" the referee declared once again.
In one sweep, Dragonite had cut down three opponents—still nearly unscathed, brimming with power.
Yozora, meanwhile, was left with only two Pokémon.
"Go, Gengar!"
Yozora threw his next Poké Ball. Rather than Eevee, he sent out his Gengar.
Against a foe like Dragonite, who could dominate the skies, a grounded Pokémon would stand little chance.
And Eevee—despite its ability to shift forms—struggled to threaten something as resistant as Dragonite, who endured Fire, Water, and Electric moves with ease.
No. The only choice was Gengar.
Among Yozora's partners, Gengar stood at the very peak of Quasi-Elite Peak.
Its level was even higher than Dragonite's… though in sheer combat strength, it still fell short.
Yozora didn't expect Gengar to defeat Dragonite outright. He only hoped it could wear it down.
"Quasi-Elite Peak?!"
Clair's eyes widened as she beheld the grinning specter. She had never imagined this young man had already nurtured a Pokémon to such a level.
Give him another year or two… What heights could he reach then?
Still, she sneered. "Dragonite, Flamethrower!"
Though impressed by Yozora's potential, she had no fear of his present strength.
Fire gushed forth like a tidal wave.
"Evade it, Gengar!" Yozora ordered.
Gengar cackled, its body bobbing like it was swinging on a swing. With a nimble leap, it easily slipped past the flames.
Dragonite's brows furrowed, frustration flashing. It unleashed a barrage of fiery blasts, sweeping the battlefield.
Yet Gengar danced through them with playful grace, every motion smoother, faster, more elusive than the last.
Its Speed Boost Ability continued to trigger again and again, driving its movements to ever greater heights.
And so, the battle between ghostly shadows and dragon's flames truly began…
(End of Chapter)