Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy
---------------------------------
Inside the Blackthorn Gym's battle hall, Liam and Delia rested briefly in the spectator area, while the Gym Leader, Clair, was nowhere to be seen.
It turned out that Clair had just returned from outdoor training. She asked Delia for a little time so she could clean up and change into more formal attire before coming back.
As a fellow woman, Delia naturally understood how uncomfortable it felt to be drenched in sweat, so she agreed without hesitation.
And so—
After nearly an hour of waiting, the long-anticipated Clair finally entered from the other end of the battle hall, accompanied by an elderly man dressed in a butler's uniform.
However, Clair now looked completely different from before. Earlier, she had been wearing sporty training clothes and looked bright and energetic. Now, she was dressed in a formal gown, light makeup applied, a gentle and warm smile on her face, giving off the comforting aura of a friendly older sister next door.
"Ugh~ Sorry, sorry~ I originally planned to just wash up and change quickly, but the old butler wouldn't allow it. He said it would be disrespectful to guests, so he spent all that time dressing me up like this! I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting!"
Clair hurried to her position on the battlefield, clasped her hands together, and apologized apologetically.
The "old butler" she mentioned said nothing. He walked silently to the referee's stand, his expression solemn, holding two small flags that he slowly raised.
"Ahaha… it's fine! We're not in a hurry at all. And… Gym Leader Clair really does look beautiful when she dresses up."
Delia walked stiffly to her own command position, the corners of her mouth twitching as she forced a smile and spoke as if it didn't bother her.
"Huh? Really? You think it looks good? Hehe~ Delia, do you like this style? Then after the battle, let's go try on clothes together! The butler prepared lots of outfits for me—every profession you can think of! I'm sure you'll love them too!"
Clair, completely oblivious to Delia's forced tone, focused only on the compliment. Delighted, she excitedly spoke to Delia.
Liam: "…"
At that moment, Liam was utterly speechless. He turned his head to look at the straight-faced butler, his eyes now filled with the unmistakable gaze reserved for a true gentleman.
"Ahem… Miss, it is now battle time. We should proceed with the match."
The old butler, clearly feeling the pressure from Liam's stare, coughed lightly and reminded Clair that the battle was about to begin.
"Mm, you're right. We'll talk about that after the match. Butler, please explain our Gym's battle rules to the guests."
Clair nodded, finding his words reasonable, and gestured for the butler to explain the Blackthorn Gym rules.
"Yes, Miss. First, this Gym Challenge will be a three-on-three battle. The challenger may freely switch Pokémon, while the Gym Leader may not. Victory will be determined by the final outcome. Now then—are both sides ready? Please send out your first Pokémon!"
The butler succinctly explained the rules. Raising both flags high, he signaled the start of the match.
"Alright! Then I'll go first! Go, my dear!"
"Draa!"
At the center of the Blackthorn Gym battlefield was a circular pool of water—clearly not a pointless design. Clair swiftly threw her PokeBall, and a fierce-looking Kingdra emerged into the pool.
"Oh! Kingdra, huh? A Water-type Pokémon? In that case—go! Blastoise! Let's have a Water-type battle!"
"Blastoise!!"
Seeing Clair send out Kingdra, Delia thought for only a moment before sending out Blastoise, who hadn't evolved long ago, to take on the first battle.
"Alright! Both Pokémon are on the field! The Blackthorn Gym Challenge—Kingdra versus Blastoise! Now—begin!"
"Kingdra! Use Water Gun!"
"Blastoise! Use Water Gun!"
"Draa!"
"Blastoise!"
The moment the battle began, both trainers shouted the same command. Kingdra in the pool and Blastoise on the shore simultaneously fired streams of water, the attacks colliding violently in midair.
"Kingdra! Use Dragon Breath!"
"Draa!"
After the Water Gun attacks canceled each other out, Clair issued another command. A greenish breath burst from Kingdra's mouth, rushing straight toward Blastoise at high speed.
"Blastoise! Use Water Pulse!"
"Blastoise!"
Delia never relaxed her focus. The instant Kingdra used Dragon Breath, she countered decisively. A deep-blue sphere of water shot from Blastoise's mouth, exploding into waves that blocked the incoming attack.
Then—
"Kingdra!"
"Blastoise!"
"Hydro Pump!!" ×2
"Draa!"
"Blastoise!"
Almost simultaneously, both Clair and Delia gave the same command! With two roars, massive torrents of water blasted forth—one from Kingdra's mouth, the other from the cannons on Blastoise's back—colliding fiercely in midair!
For a moment, the two attacks were locked in a stalemate.
But the balance didn't last long.
In this raw contest of power, Blastoise's superior physical strength gradually showed. The Hydro Pump began pushing forward, forcing Kingdra's attack back. Sweat poured from Kingdra's forehead.
Then—
"Kingdra! Cancel Hydro Pump! Use Twister!"
"Draa!"
Clair had clearly realized that a head-on power struggle wasn't in Kingdra's favor. Seeing her Pokémon about to be overwhelmed, she decisively ordered Kingdra to abandon the clash and instead summon a whirling Twister, infused with blue water currents, to block Blastoise's attack!
Boom!
With Kingdra's Hydro Pump withdrawn, Blastoise's attack surged forward—but was immediately intercepted by the rotating Twister.
"Mm, very good! Delia, your Blastoise has been trained extremely well—truly impressive! But my Kingdra won't be outdone! Now let me show you Kingdra's secret technique!"
After the exchange, Clair was clearly pleased with Delia's strength. Her softly made-up, mature face carried a gentle smile, yet blazing fighting spirit burned in her eyes as she shouted—
"Kingdra! Jump onto the ground! Then use Agility!"
"Draa!"
A shocking command!
At Clair's order, Kingdra leapt straight out of the pool. Its coiled tail braced against the ground—and then, its blue body began flashing rapidly across the smooth surface!
Afterimages appeared all over the battlefield, as if it were using Double Team!
"What?! Kingdra can move this fast on land too?! You've got to be kidding!"
Delia stared in disbelief as Kingdra practically "surrounded" Blastoise, her voice filled with shock.
"Hehehe~ Surprised? There's more! Kingdra! While moving like that—use Bubble Beam!"
Clearly satisfied with Delia's reaction, Clair stood proudly with her hands on her hips and shouted confidently.
"Draa!"
Responding instantly, Kingdra roared low. Streams of Bubble Beam poured from its mouth, following its rapidly flashing movements across the battlefield. Countless beams of bubbles rained down toward Blastoise at the center of the encirclement, blanketing the field in an overwhelming assault!