"Why didn't you have Excadrill dodge with Dig?" Gary asked suddenly, just as Clay was about to recall the defeated Excadrill.
"I prefer to compete with honor. Dodging just isn't my style," Clay said.
Gary: "…!"
If this had been a serious competition, Gary would have called Clay a fool for that mindset. But it was only a Gym battle, and Clay was clearly a rather unique Gym Leader.
"Since you value a dignified contest, I'll match that." Gary took out a Poké Ball and recalled Chandelure.
"Oh? Interesting. My next Pokémon is stronger than Excadrill. I trust you'll face it head-on," Clay said with a confident smile.
"Of course."
Gary also preferred fighting with integrity, and since Clay felt the same way, he was more than happy to oblige.
"All right! Then take a look at my next Pokémon. Time to clock in — Krookodile!" Clay threw out his Poké Ball.
Go!
[LV49 Krookodile♂ / Gym-tier]
A massive crocodile with crimson-and-black patterned skin emerged.
"Bisharp, you're up." Gary threw out his own Poké Ball.
Go!
[LV52 Bisharp / Champion]
"Not bad — a shiny Bisharp." Clay looked a little surprised at Bisharp's coloring.
"This guy actually has a shiny Bisharp too!"
"What? Does he have other shiny Pokémon as well?"
"Yeah, he's also got a shiny Excadrill. He's incredibly lucky, but he's still a bit behind me."
Although Benga envied Gary for capturing two shiny Pokémon, he still felt he had the edge, since his own shiny Dratini and shiny Gabite were both pseudo-legendary species.
Lacey simply smiled and said nothing. As Benga's classmate, she already knew exactly what kind of Pokémon he had.
"Then let me see what you've got. Krookodile, use Dragon Claw!"
"All right! Use Metal Claw!"
Both sides issued their commands almost simultaneously.
"GRAAH!"
A wild, primal aura radiated from Krookodile, as though it were some ancient prehistoric predator. It charged forward, its sharp claws wreathed in draconic energy that suddenly extended outward.
In contrast, Bisharp's body showed no burst of visible energy. It simply surged forward and attacked with the twin blades mounted on the back of its hands.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Blade and claw clashed repeatedly, sending countless sparks flying between them. Even the condensed energy around the claws was scattered into the air with each impact.
After more than a dozen exchanges, the Dragon Claw energy wrapped around Krookodile's claws finally shattered completely, and Bisharp landed a clean slash across Krookodile's body.
"Iron Head!"
At the command, Bisharp planted its legs and launched itself forward like a coiled spring.
"Crunch!"
Krookodile opened its jaws, dark energy coating its teeth, and bit down hard on Bisharp's head.
Clang!!
Bisharp's head proved harder than expected. The moment its teeth made contact, the dark energy coating shattered instantly. Fortunately, Krookodile's jaws were forced shut on impact and it was knocked backward — otherwise, the blade atop Bisharp's head would have pierced straight through its throat.
"You've got some backbone. Let's see if you can handle this — Earthquake!" Clay ordered.
"GRAAH!"
Krookodile immediately slammed its body against the ground.
"Block it with Iron Defense, then use Metal Burst!" Gary ordered.
"BISHARP!"
Bisharp's body was wrapped in a layer of silver light, its surface taking on an increasingly metallic sheen.
Rumble!
The battlefield shook violently as Bisharp absorbed the Earthquake's damage. Silver light flickered around its body, quickly gathering into a massive sphere of condensed energy.
The sphere launched forward.
Bang!!
The silver Energy Ball struck Krookodile directly.
"GRAAH…!"
Krookodile collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.
Metal Burst was a retaliatory move similar to Counter, but it only returned 1.5 times the damage taken instead of double. Even at that reduced multiplier, the payback was still devastating — especially since Earthquake was already super effective against Bisharp, making the rebounded damage even more severe.
"Krookodile is unable to battle! Bisharp wins!"
"This guy's Bisharp actually won…!"
"That's incredible!"
Benga and Lacey were both stunned to see Bisharp defeat Krookodile.
In their experience as students, a type disadvantage usually meant a lost cause, with almost no chance of turning the tide. Yet Gary had flipped the outcome with apparent ease.
"Gary, I'm liking you more and more. Now for my last Pokémon. Time to clock in — Golurk!" Clay sent out his final Pokémon.
Go!
[LV49 Golurk / Elite-tier]
A massive green giant, nearly three meters tall, appeared on the field.
Gary hadn't expected Clay to actually have a Pokémon like this on hand. It seemed the man had genuinely struggled during his Gym battle against Ash back in the anime.
But this also confirmed just how much of a doting father Clay truly was. Believing Gary to be Lacey's classmate, he'd sent out a high-level Pokémon specifically to put Gary in his place.
Though Clay's daughter was undeniably cute, Gary already had a reputation to maintain. Knowing Sabrina's personality, he wouldn't dare so much as flirt with anyone else.
"Night Slash!" Gary ordered.
"BISHARP!" Bisharp surged forward, the twin blades on the back of its hands coated in dark energy that made them expand and flatten.
"High Horsepower!"
In terms of agility, Golurk was no match for Bisharp, so Clay opted for a brute-force approach, using its body as a battering ram.
Bang!!
Bisharp's energy blade collided with Golurk's fist, the two locked in a stalemate, straining against each other as their bodies trembled from the sheer force.
Snap!
Night Slash's energy blade shattered. Golurk was pushed backward, while Bisharp staggered back several steps as well.
Bisharp's level was clearly higher, yet the two had essentially fought to a draw. Weight had given Golurk a massive advantage in the clash — despite being a Ghost-type Pokémon, its body weighed a staggering 700 kilograms.
"Bisharp, use Iron Head!" Gary switched tactics, opting for a Steel-type move. Bisharp was holding a Premium Metal Coat, which would boost the attack's power enough to overpower Golurk.
"BISHARP!"
Bisharp coated its head in steel-type energy and launched forward at full speed.
"If you've got the guts, then we'll meet it head-on — Thunder Punch!" Clay ordered.
"GOLURK!"
Golurk swung its enormous fist, not the least bit concerned with whether it would connect, and threw the punch straight at Bisharp.
Bisharp didn't dodge and collided with it head-on.
Electricity exploded on contact. The lightning coursing through Golurk's fist surged instantly into Bisharp's body, while the sheer force of the impact sent Golurk's fist rebounding backward.