Flannery's gaze completely changed.
If she had felt a bit of nervousness and uncertainty during the first battle against Frogadier, now, only pure fighting spirit remained in her eyes.
She recalled Ponyta into its Poké Ball, and her finger slid over the second one with a crisp, decisive movement.
"Come out, Magmar!"
A flash of red light appeared, and a bright red Pokémon with flames burning on its head, resembling a duck, appeared in the center of the field. A wave of scorching heat spread outward upon its appearance, causing the temperature of the entire Gym to rise by several degrees.
"Magmar, the Spitfire Pokémon, Level 32, Ability: Vital Spirit. Found in volcanic craters, it spits fire from its mouth and has a body temperature reaching 1200 degrees..."
Ariel glanced at his opponent, his expression unchanged as he silently recalled Frogadier.
"Weavile, it's your turn."
Following his words, a black and red figure flashed out like a ghost and landed steadily on the field.
Weavile's body was agile, its bright red crown and ear feathers swaying gently in the warm air. Its crimson eyes stared coldly at the Magmar across from it, and its sharp claws left a shallow white mark on the ground with a light scratch.
Seeing Weavile take the field, Flannery was momentarily stunned.
"Weavile? Ice and Dark-type..."
She analyzed instinctively,
"You actually chose a Pokémon that takes double damage from Fire-type?"
In her view, this was almost equivalent to giving up.
It was common knowledge for all Trainers that Ice-types were defenseless against Fire-types.
She admitted that Ariel's Frogadier was well-trained, but this choice for the battle seemed a bit overconfident.
Ariel simply looked at Flannery calmly, his tone devoid of any emotion:
"I am challenging a Fire-type Gym. No matter who I face, Weavile is destined to be at a disadvantage. Since that's the case, what difference does it make?"
His words were soft, yet they carried an unquestionable confidence.
Flannery took a deep breath. Ariel's calmness made her set aside her last bit of disdain.
This man was definitely not joking.
"Since you're so confident, then show me where your assurance comes from!"
Flannery's gaze sharpened,
"Magmar, Flamethrower!"
She was taking this seriously now.
Magmar opened its large mouth, and scorching orange-red flames, like a roaring dragon, instantly tore through the air and swept toward Weavile!
Wherever the flames passed, even the hard rock field emitted a'sizzling' sound from being scorched.
The raging fire was reflected in Ariel's pupils, but his heart was like a frozen lake.
"To the left, Agility!"
The moment the command was given, Weavile moved.
Its body turned into an afterimage, and just as the flames were about to touch it, it shifted to the left in a hairsbreadth escape.
Only a phantom remained in its original spot, which was instantly swallowed by the fire and dissipated.
It had used a buffing skill while simultaneously dodging the opponent's move.
It was killing two birds with one stone.
"That speed!"
Old Man Moore's heart stirred.
This Weavile's speed was somewhat absurdly fast!
It was even faster than when he had seen it last time!
"Did this kid hold back during the battle against my Houndoom last time?"
Watching Weavile's performance, Moore was somewhat surprised.
One should know that when he commanded Houndoom against this Weavile, it hadn't shown such startling speed!
If Weavile had shown such incredible speed back then, his Houndoom would have only lost even more miserably!
"Brat, I was actually underestimated!"
Old Man Moore cursed under his breath, but his gaze toward Ariel held a bit more appreciation.
"To know how to hide one's strength at such a young age, his temperament is truly decent."
Flannery's commands didn't pause for a second as she immediately judged Ariel's intent.
"Don't be fooled! Use Smokescreen, cover the whole field!"
Magmar immediately stopped breathing fire, instead spewing a large amount of thick black smoke from its mouth and the flames on its head.
In just a few breaths, the entire battlefield was shrouded in black smoke so thick one couldn't see their hand in front of their face.
Visibility was completely stripped away.
Within the Smokescreen, the speed advantage Weavile took pride in was also greatly restricted.
"Well done."
Ariel silently praised in his heart.
This new Gym Leader had immediately found the most correct response after a brief exchange.
She didn't try to distinguish the real body with her eyes, but instead created an environment that was fair to both sides but more beneficial to her Magmar.
In thick smoke, a Fire-type Pokémon's perception of heat was far more sensitive than that of an Ice-type.
"Grandpa, did you see that? This is my command!"
A confident smile rose at the corners of Flannery's mouth.
Moore didn't speak, but his gaze became more focused on the field.
He knew that the real contest was only just beginning.
Inside the Smokescreen, there was a dead silence.
Ariel slightly closed his eyes, feeling for the tiniest movements in the air.
Suddenly, he caught a hint of abnormal heat.
"Now, Magmar, rush in with Fire Punch!"
Flannery's clear voice echoed in the Gym.
Within the thick smoke, a fist burning with intense flames broke through the haze, accurately striking toward Weavile's hiding spot!
Flannery had predicted Weavile's position by relying on Magmar's perception of heat sources!
If this punch landed solidly, the double-effective damage would be enough to knock Weavile out of the battle!
However, just as the Fire Punch was about to hit, Ariel's voice rang out calmly.
"Ice Shard."
The command was simple to the extreme.
A black shadow moved forward instead of retreating. Several shards of ice flickering with a cold light condensed on Weavile's claws. It didn't attack Magmar's body, but instead accurately fired them at that burning Fire Punch!
"Bang!"
The collision of ice and fire exploded into a cloud of eye-piercing Mist within the thick smoke.
The freezing Ice Shard contacted the scorching Fire Punch and instantly evaporated, creating a violent steam explosion.
This small-scale explosion not only temporarily hindered Magmar's assault, but more importantly, it forcefully blew a gap in the surrounding thick smoke!
Magmar's form was completely exposed the moment the smoke cleared!
The opportunity lasted only a second!
"Now, Night Slash!"
Ariel's voice was almost synchronized with Weavile's action.
Using the thrust from the explosion, Weavile's figure was like a bolt of black lightning, instantly circling to Magmar's side.
Its claws crossed, flickering with an ominous dark purple light as Dark-type energy was pushed to its limit!
"Not good!" Flannery's face changed drastically.
She never expected Ariel's reaction to be so fast. A simple Ice Shard had not only neutralized her finishing move but also created a perfect opportunity for a counter-kill!
"Magmar, dodge quickly!"
But it was too late.
Weavile's speed was simply too fast—so fast that Magmar had no time to make any reaction at all.
"Slash!"
The sharp claws sliced through the air, creating a piercing whistle.
Night Slash accurately slashed across Magmar's weakly defended abdomen!
"Wu-ga—!"
Magmar let out a cry of pain as its body was sent flying as if hit by a heavy hammer, crashing heavily onto the field several meters away and kicking up a cloud of dust.
It struggled to get up, but on the deep claw mark on its abdomen, wisps of black energy remained, continuously eroding its stamina.
Finally, the flames on Magmar's head flickered and went out completely, and its eyes turned into spirals.