Gladion watched Daisy Oak arrive at his gym. It was not everyday that he saw a canon Pokemon character in real life.
He recalled Zeus and Arsenal, back to their Pokéballs with a flick of his wrist. He stepped forward gave her a nod to recognise her.
"Welcome, challenger," he said.
Kai, his assistant, hurried over and whispered something in his ear.
Gladion raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. He turned his gaze back to Daisy, studying her for a moment. "Oh, you're looking for a six-badge difficulty match despite having only one badge. Impressive. Very impressive."
Daisy blushed, her cheeks turning a soft pink. "I've been training my Pokémon for two years since I didn't start my journey at ten," she explained. "It seemed unfair to fight Pokémon meant for a two-badge challenge. It would hamper their growth too. Besides what's the fun in battling if I can end the match with just one move."
Gladion's lips twitched into a faint smile. 'At least she understands this', he thought. 'Some trainers use strong, trained Pokémon, which is lethal for my weaker badge Pokémon who can't survive such strong attacks.'
His mind flashed to a grim memory, a trainer who had used a Flareon, clearly at a five-badge level, against one of the gym's Oddish in a two badge gym challenge.
The poor Grass-type had been so badly burned that Gladion had no choice but to retire her from gym battles. The thought still stung, and he pushed it aside, focusing back on Daisy.
'She should be a couple years older than Gary', he mused. 'That means in another year or two, I should be expecting Gary to start his journey. And that means the protagonist of this world would also start his journey. Ash Ketchum.'
Gladion's thoughts wandered briefly. He had made changes to the world, made new Pokemon discoveries, gave team rocket deadly blows, became a gym leader, have two legendary Pokemon among many other things
'I wonder, with all the changes I've made, how Ash's journey will progress.' He had no doubt Ash would still be a magnet for trouble, Fate seemed to have a way of finding him. And Gladion was beginning to believe that Fate might just be real.
'There might even be some Fate legendary Pokémon out there in an unknown region. That Pokemon might be controlling my fate and Ash's fate,' he thought with a wry chuckle.
Snapping back to the present, Gladion looked at Daisy and asked, "You ready to battle?"
Daisy nodded, her eyes bright with determination. Kai returned with a referee.
The battlefield was selected to be a normal grass field.
The referee raised his hand and announced, "This will be a 3-v-3 battle. The challenger, Daisy Oak from Pallet Town, against Gym Leader Gladion. Only the challenger is allowed to switch Pokémon. Let the battle begin!"
With a swift motion, both trainers threw their first Pokéballs. Gladion sent out a Fearow as it spread its wings and let out a piercing cry. Daisy chose her Electabuzz.
Gladion didn't hesitate, wanting to test Daisy's instincts under pressure when she was taken with suprise. He went straight on the offensive.
"Fearow, Aerial Ace!" he commanded. Fearow's speed surged, its wings slicing through the air as it dove toward Electabuzz.
Gladion watched closely. 'Would she hold her composure against the pressure or would she make a mistake?'
Daisy answered almost instantly, "Electabuzz, Discharge!"
A burst of electricity erupted from Electabuzz, spreading in all directions. The move wasn't as powerful as Thunderbolt or Thunder, but its wide range made it perfect for stopping an opponent from getting close.
Gladion realized too late that he couldn't call Fearow to stop it's aerial ace in time. The bird Pokémon flew straight into the electric field, its body seizing as sparks danced across its feathers. Fearow let out a pained squawk and flapped back, trying to gain distance.
'Smart move', Gladion thought, impressed. Most of Fearow moves were close-range attacks and with discharge Fearrow and Gladion would hesitant to get in close with the Electabuzz.
"Fearow, move higher!" Gladion ordered. Electabuzz's ranged moves, like Thunderbolt, could still hit from a distance, but keeping Fearow in the sky might buy him some time.
To his surprise, Fearow's wings faltered mid-flight. Its movements slowed, and Gladion's eyes narrowed.
'Paralysis', he realized. The Discharge had done more than just damage.
Daisy didn't miss her chance. "Electabuzz, Thunder!" she called.
A massive bolt of lightning shot from Electabuzz's fists, arcing through the air and striking Fearow dead-on. The bird Pokémon plummeted to the ground, unconscious before it even hit the dirt. The referee raised a flag. "Fearow is unable to battle! Electabuzz wins!"
Gladion recalled Fearow, his expression unreadable. "Not bad," he said, reaching for his next Pokéball. Daisy was sharp, and her Electabuzz was well-trained. But he wasn't out of the fight yet. He sent out his next Pokémon, a Graveler.
Daisy didn't hesitate, recalling Electabuzz and sending out her Poliwhirl.
Gladion raised an eyebrow—another smart choice. Poliwhirl's Water moves would have an advantage against Graveler's Rock and Ground typing.
"Graveler, Rollout!" Gladion ordered. The boulder-like Pokémon curled into a ball and sped toward Poliwhirl, gaining momentum with each rotation.
"Poliwhirl, Water Gun!" Daisy countered. A powerful jet of water blasted from Poliwhirl's mouth, hitting Graveler mid-roll. The force slowed Graveler's momentum, but it kept coming, its rocky surface glistening with water.
"Keep it up, Poliwhirl! Bubble Beam!" Daisy shouted. Poliwhirl unleashed a stream of glowing bubbles that exploded on impact, chipping away at Graveler's tough exterior. The Rock-type grunted, struggling to maintain its Rollout under the relentless assault.
Gladion ordered,"Graveler, Rock Throw!" Graveler uncurled and hurled a barrage of stones at Poliwhirl, but Daisy was ready.
"Poliwhirl, dodge and use Hydro Pump!" Poliwhirl leaped aside, avoiding the rocks, and unleashed a torrent of water that slammed into Graveler with incredible force. The Rock-type skidded across the arena, crashing into the wall with a heavy thud. When the dust settled, Graveler was out cold.
"Graveler is unable to battle! Poliwhirl wins!" the referee declared.
Gladion was impressed. Daisy was proving to be a formidable opponent, but he had one more Pokémon left not that Gladion believed that would make any difference. He sent out his final choice, a Haunter. The Ghost-type floated above the ground.
Daisy switched back to Electabuzz, clearly wanting to rely on its power. Gladion saw an opportunity. "Haunter, Shadow Ball!" The Ghost-type conjured a dark, pulsating orb and launched it at Electabuzz.
Gladion realised that she was switching Pokemon rule quite well.
"Electabuzz, Light Screen!" Daisy called. A shimmering barrier appeared in front of Electabuzz, weakening the Shadow Ball's impact. The electric Pokémon still took a hit, but it stood firm, sparks dancing across its body.
"Thunderbolt!" Daisy ordered. Electabuzz unleashed a jagged bolt of electricity, but Haunter dodged the attack.
"Haunter, Hypnosis!" Gladion commanded. Haunter's eyes glowed, sending waves of hypnotic energy toward Electabuzz. But Daisy was quick.
"Electabuzz, Thunder Wave!" A pulse of electricity rippled outward, catching Haunter before it could complete the Hypnosis. The Ghost-type shuddered, paralyzed by the electric surge.
"Now, Thunder!" Daisy shouted. Electabuzz roared, unleashing a massive bolt of lightning that engulfed Haunter. The Ghost-type wailed as it faded, unable to withstand the attack.
"Haunter is unable to battle!" the referee announced, raising his flag. "The winner of the match, with a score of 3 to 0, is Daisy Oak from Pallet Town!"
Daisy's face lit up with a triumphant smile. She had done it, she had won the Moon Badge.
-----Author Notes------
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