Despite Gary's irritating personality, Hisoka had to admit that for a rookie trainer, his performance was quite impressive. To be honest, Gary was far more talented than the so-called protagonist, Ash. However, having just started his journey, he hadn't experienced many setbacks yet. He was still naive and lacked malice, simply a bratty kid who loved Pokémon.
Gary didn't want to give his opponent any room to breathe. He pointed forward and barked, "Scyther, use Fury Cutter!"
"Scy-ther!"
Scyther took to the air again. Its flight gave it a massive advantage in choosing its angle of attack. Its razor-sharp scythes crossed as it dove, each strike carrying the momentum to cut through anything in its path...
"Sneasel, dive!" Hisoka commanded.
Sneasel wasn't a Water-type, but that didn't mean she couldn't swim. She leaned back and fell into the water just as Scyther's Fury Cutter was about to connect.
The attack missed, but the floating board Sneasel had been standing on was reduced to splinters.
Utilizing the terrain to its fullest was a mandatory trait for an elite trainer, but for a bounty hunter, it was an essential tool for survival and completing missions.
Bugs didn't fear water, but they hated it. Scyther could only stay airborne for short bursts by beating its wings rapidly. It didn't dare enter the water like Sneasel; once its thin wings were soaked, it would lose half its combat effectiveness.
"Is all you know how to do hide?" Gary's frustration began to boil over as the match hit a stalemate. He knew Scyther couldn't fly indefinitely like a Bird-type, and the rapid wingbeats were draining its stamina.
As a gym leader, Hisoka had the duty to guide new trainers. He called out loudly, "You're too impatient. You want a quick victory, but you've lost sight of the overall situation. Let me give you a proper lesson today."
"Sneasel, drag Scyther into the water!"
"Scy-ther!"
Scyther sensed danger rising from beneath the surface, but before it could bank away, Sneasel erupted from the water directly below it. Her claws hooked onto Scyther's legs, and with a powerful yank, she dragged both herself and the mantis into the pool.
The moment Scyther hit the water, it began to struggle frantically. It was in deep trouble; its thin wings were instantly weighed down by the water, and its chitinous exoskeleton made swimming impossible. The more it struggled, the faster its stamina drained.
Sneasel, meanwhile, locked her arms around Scyther's slender waist and dove toward the depths. Gradually, Scyther's silhouette vanished beneath the surface.
"Spearow is unable to battle!" The referee raised a red flag toward the dejected Gary. "All three of the challenger Gary Oak's Pokémon have been defeated. Therefore, the winner is the Cerulean Gym!"
Gary's second gym challenge had ended in a total defeata clean sweep. For a twelve-year-old boy, the sense of loss and frustration was an immense blow.
Did I go too far? Hisoka wondered as he dried Sneasel's fur with a towel. He watched the spiky-haired youth stagger toward the exit, followed by five cheerleaders who were hanging their heads and sobbing quietly.
But I have to say, teaching someone a lesson feels pretty good! Hisoka narrowed his eyes, enjoying the fleeting peace and beauty of the setting sun.
"Yeah! Let's see who dares to say the Cerulean Gym is the weakest in the Kanto League now!" Violet, the most energetic of the three sisters, raised a wine glass high. "Come on, Hisoka, I'll toast to you. This is all your hard work! Hehe, guess what we heard when the three of us went to the Pokémon Center today?"
"What did you hear?" Hisoka toasted her back.
Violet said triumphantly, "The trainers there were saying the Cerulean Gym isn't weak at all and that they'd all been lied to. Not a single person has won a challenge in three days. Even a pro from Fuchsia City with six badges lost to the 'Leader'!"
There's not much to be proud of there, Hisoka thought awkwardly. I was the one who beat them, not you. Once I leave tomorrow, won't you go back to being the weakest?
At that moment, the eldest sister, Daisy, walked over with a bright smile. She carried a tray holding three stacks of cash and a blue disc. "Here, this is the reward we agreed upon!"
Hisoka didn't count it. He just ran his hand over the stacks and realized the amount was off. "Wasn't it thirty thousand a day? There's fifty thousand in each of these stacks."
"That was my decision to give you a bonus..." Lily added, leaning in. "Your performance was so outstanding that it really boosted our reputation. Don't feel pressured; we aren't short on money. A single water ballet performance brings in over a hundred thousand in ticket sales alone."
Hisoka had almost forgotten these three sisters were wealthy. They received league funding, a portion of Cerulean City's taxes, and their water ballet shows were a massive source of income.
He accepted the hundred and fifty thousand payment with a clear conscience. He planned to give himself a good vacation. Earning money without enjoying it would make him a "salted fish," and Hisoka was never one to deprive himself of life's pleasures.
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