Chapter 615: Triple Leaders Gym Battle (1)
~Third POV~
[Unova Region, Striaton City – Gym]
With a flourish, Azure stepped forward, his gaze sweeping the three Gym Leaders who stood on the opposite side of the arena. Chili, Cilan, and Cress—each a master of fire, grass, and water—wore their signature smirks, their eyes glittering with curiosity.
Azure asked, his voice calm but edged with a thrill that surprised even him, "Mind if I take on all three? I've never faced a trio in a single Gym Challenge. It'd be… a good experience for the League."
The three leaders exchanged glances; they'd never entertained a request like this. Chili chuckled, the sound a dry crackle. He said, patting his chin, "You're a bold one. Fine. You'll need to defeat two out of three of us. If you can do that, the badge is yours. The third… well, we'll see."
Cilan shrugged, agreeing, "A test of versatility. I'm in."
Cress, ever the quiet tactician, gave a slight nod, his dark blue hair swaying as he moved. Then he grabbed his Rotom Phone in his pocket, clicking a button.
*Click*
The scanner whirred to life, its digital eye blinking rapidly. Azure placed three Poké Balls on the glowing slots—his chosen trio—each one pulsing with latent energy. The first ball glowed a bright amber.
Azure whispered, feeling a familiar warmth bubble up in his chest, "Okay, first up for this Gym… Tepig…"
The second shimmered a steely gray. He said, eyes narrowing at the thought of the automaton's raw power, "Golett, and finally…"
The third ball flickered, containing Drilbur. But Azure made a brief pause linger in the air as he considered, then, with a decisive smile, grabbed a different Poké Ball for the third choice he added, "… Minccino."
*DING*
A soft chime sounded as the scanner completed its reading. The maid in the front row lifted three new, perfectly calibrated Poké Balls, each etched with the emblem of the Unova Gym and bearing the appropriate level markers.
Meanwhile, up in the stands, Black, Cheren, and Bianca leaned over the polished metal railing, their eyes wide with a mixture of anticipation and awe. They had already earned their Trio Badges, but watching a Pro Trainer—and specifically Azure Sky—prepare to take on all three Gym Leaders simultaneously was an entirely different beast.
Bianca whispered, her hands clasped tightly against her chest, her eyes sparkling in an excited tone, "I can't believe he actually asked to fight all three at once. Is he crazy? Or is he just that strong?"
Cheren adjusted his glasses, a look of intense analytical focus cutting across his features, and muttered, "He's a four-time League Champion and a Frontier Conqueror, Bianca. Conventional rules don't apply to him. Black, are you taking notes? This is invaluable data for the Unova League Tournament."
Black didn't answer immediately. His eyes were locked on the battlefield below, his hot-blooded spirit practically radiating a visible heat, commenting in an excited tone, "Man, look at him! That guy just radiates power! I gotta figure out how he paces his battles so I can beat him later!"
Azure's Pikachu, Eevee, Pichu (Mew), Rotom, and Gengar were in the stands. Rotom within the Arc Phone buzzed excitedly, "Bzzzt! Live feed connected! Setting up the floating commentary box, nya-ha!"
Gengar had her toothy grin wide as she crossed her arms. She spoke aloud in a raspy, echoing voice that carried effortlessly across the arena, "Hehehe, this oughta be rich. Let's see if these three cooks can handle a real-deal seasoning!"
Down on the field, the three Striaton Gym Leaders—Chili, Cilan, and Cress—exchanged astonished glances. Cilan asked in a stunned tone, eyes wide, "Did... did that Gengar just talk?!"
Chili grinned, seeing that, as he muttered in an excited tone, "Whoa! A talking Ghost-type?! That is so cool!"
Cress regained his composure as he scolded his brothers, "Now, now, brothers. We have an order battle special to do. Don't get distracted."
Hearing a Pokémon speak fluently sent a momentary jolt through them, but the thrill of battle quickly overwrote their shock. Chili shouted, stepping forward with a fiery grin, tossing his Poké Ball into the air, "Alright! I'm up first! Let's turn up the heat!"
*Clack-hiss*
Chili's Pansear hit the battlefield, a small [Fire Gem] clutched tightly in its claws, which instantly dissolved into a burst of crimson energy, supercharging its fiery aura. Azure smiled faintly, catching the gaze of his starter.
He tossed his Poké Ball, declaring, "Your turn, buddy. Show 'em how we do it."
*Flash*
Tepig materialized on the field, a rustic [Charcoal] strapped securely to its tail, amplifying its own flames. Azure smirked as he briefly checked Tepig's status screen, confident in his choice against Chili.
|Name: Tepig (Fire Pig Pokémon)
|Type: Fire
|Tera: Fire
|Level: 16
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: [Charcoal]
|Ability: Blaze
|Nature: Jolly
|Moves: Protect, Endure, Defense Curl, Smokescreen, Odor Sleuth, Ember [A][S], Flame Wheel [A][S], Flame Charge [A][S], Smog [A][S], Rollout [A][S], Yawn (EM) (0 moves left to learn)
Azure smiled mentally as he thought excitedly, 'Tepig needs a small boost. Just one more battle to evolve; let's see if Chili can bring it out.'
Cilan stood off to the side as the referee, raising a green flag. He then announced aloud, "The match between Striaton Gym Leader Chili and Challenger Azure is officially underway. Begin!"
Azure commanded, his voice sharp and precise, "Tepig, let's open up! Defense Curl, right into Rollout!"
*Clang-whir*
Tepig curled his body into a tight, dense sphere, hardening his hide before launching forward in a spin, gathering momentum!
Chili smirked, refusing to flinch. He ordered in a confident tone, raising his fist, "Pansear, don't sweat it! Ember!"
*Hissss*
Pansear inhaled deeply, summoning a concentrated ball of fire right in front of its face. Because of the consumed [Fire Gem], the flame flared with unnatural, brilliant intensity. But instead of launching it at Tepig, Chili threw everyone for a loop.
Chili ordered, "Now, eat it!"
*Gulp*
Pansear unhinged its jaw slightly and swallowed the ball of scorching fire whole…
*BOOM*
A surge of blistering energy erupted around the fire monkey. Its eyes flared bright red as its hidden Ability, Blaze, activated with explosive force. Up in the stands, Bianca gasped, covering her mouth, and exclaimed, "It... it ate its own attack?!"
Cheren murmured, rapidly scribbling down the events, "Incredible… It ingested the fire-empowered Ember to bypass the charging phase and instantly trigger Blaze. That's high-level tactical adaptation."
Down on the field, Azure chuckled, crossing his arms as he thought, 'Well, well. Looks like he took a page right out of my playbook. Reminds me of when my Bulbasaur ate an Energy Ball to force-trigger Overgrow. And I'm willing to bet they probably mastered how to awaken the other two Abilities. These Brothers managed to unlock their Pokémon Blaze, Torrent, and Overgrow to the fullest. Interesting…'
*Bam—Zoooom*
Pansear hit the ground running, a blinding blur of speed. With a fierce punch wreathed in roaring flames—Fire Punch—it intercepted Tepig dead in his tracks!
*CRASH*
The sheer concussive force sent Tepig spinning backward, tumbling hard across the dirt floor and breaking his Rollout momentum. Chili roared, "Keep the pressure up, Pansear! Flamethrower!"
*Fwooosh—Hissss*
Pansear thrust its hands forward, unleashing a torrential stream of roaring fire.
Azure countered instantly, "Tepig, block with Ember!"
*Fwooosh*
Tepig scrambled to his feet, spitting a localized burst of fire to intercept the incoming blast. The two flames collided with a deafening ROAR, kicking up a massive, blinding cloud of thick dust that obscured the entire center of the battlefield.
Chili commanded, "Now, Pansear! Dig!"
*Rmbl*
Before the dust could clear, Pansear slammed its paws into the ground, burrowing underground with lightning speed. A trail of shifting earth carved its way toward Tepig like a torpedo.
*Thud-bam*
Pansear burst upward from beneath, striking Tepig squarely in the chin and sending the Fire Pig Pokémon tumbling. Chili pressed the advantage by commanding, "Don't let up! Keep using Dig!"
Azure didn't panic. His eyes tracked the subtle tremors in the earth.
Azure barked, "Tepig! Keep moving! Use Odor Sleuth!"
*Sniff-sniff*
Tepig bolted across the arena, relying entirely on his heightened sense of smell to sniff out the underground heat signature of the approaching Pansear. Just as Pansear erupted from the earth right in front of him…
*Wooosh*
… Tepig sidestepped the ambush. But Pansear was too fast; with a sweeping tail-swipe, it tripped Tepig, flinging the pig Pokémon high into the air.
Chili barked, "Sink back down! Dig!"
*Rmbl*
Pansear vanished into the earth once more.
Azure's smirk widened. He countered in a loud voice, "He thinks he's got us cornered. Tepig, dive right in after it!"
Defying expectations, Tepig tucked his limbs and dove headfirst straight into the tunnel Pansear had just excavated. Deep underground, the darkness was illuminated only by the faint glow of their respective tails.
*POP*
Pansear emerged from a pocket cave, turning around just in time to find Tepig rocketing toward it. Before the fire monkey could react, Tepig clamped his jaw down fiercely on Pansear's long, flexible tail!
*CHOMP*
Pansear screeched in surprise, performing a desperate, acrobatic backflip to shake its attacker off, "Ch-cha! (Oi! Emergency food, back off!!)."
*CRUNCH*
Tepig took offense to Pansear's words. Tepig locked his teeth down harder, refusing to let go. With a mighty grunt, Tepig used the centrifugal force of the flip to spin Pansear around by its tail like a lasso, hurling the fire monkey completely out of the tunnel and sending it crashing hard onto the open battlefield above!
*SLAM*
Pansear scrambled to its feet, gasping for breath, struggling to regain its balance. Azure commanded, his voice ringing with absolute authority, "Now, finish it! Defense Curl! Into a Strong Style Rollout!"
Tepig bounced out of the tunnel, curled into a tight ball, and slammed into the ground. A second later, he bounced violently off the far concrete wall of the gym, rebounding with catastrophic, building velocity.
Black's eyes went wide as saucers. He muttered, "Wait...!"
He saw the move as he mentally did the math in a split second: 'Normally, Rollout's base power starts at 40 and doubles to 80 if you use Defense Curl first. But Azure just used a Strong Style move... from previous records, his Strong and Agile Style help boost moves' power or priority. Strong Style boosts base power, which seems to add another 10 base power to make it 50, and when doubled by Defense Curl...!'
*KA-BOOM*
Tepig—moving like a hyper-accelerated cannonball—slammed directly into Pansear with an absolute shockwave of concussive force. Pansear's eyes rolled back. The sheer 100-base-power impact blasted the fire monkey backward, where it bounced twice and hit the ground, completely unconscious.
*THUD*
Silence fell over the arena for a fraction of a second, broken only by the crackle of lingering flames. Then, right in the center of the field, a brilliant, blinding white light erupted from Tepig's body!
*FLASH*
Bianca squealed, jumping up and down in the stands, her hands gripping the railing, "Whoa! Look at him evolve!"
Cheren pushed his glasses up, staring intently. He muttered in an impressed tone, "Fascinating… The physical exertion and adrenaline of a high-tier battle catalyzed an immediate evolution."
As the brilliant light faded, Tepig stood taller, broader, and significantly more imposing. He was now a robust Pignite, letting out a deep, proud oink as he shook his mane, "Pig… NITEEEE!!! (I'm Super Pignite now!)."
[Pignite learned the inherited move: POWER-UP PUNCH AND ARM THRUST!]
Pignite trotted back over to Azure, panting lightly. Azure reached down, scratching his partner right behind his newly grown snout. He smiled, praising his partner, "Hell of a job, buddy. Take a well-deserved rest."
*Click*
He recalled the newly evolved Pignite with a gentle click of his Poké Ball. Azure then checked his partner's info update.
[Pignite the Fire Pig Pokémon. Pignite is willing to defend its friends from opponents, no matter how strong they are. It has a fire in its stomach, which it fuels with food. This fire can affect its body temperature. The intensity of this flame increases as fuel is added or when Pignite is angered.
As the flame grows stronger, Pignite's speed increases. On occasion, Pignite's body temperature will go so high that it becomes engulfed by a scorching fireball. However, it has no strength remaining when it has an empty stomach. If in danger, it will blow out large smoke clouds to escape.]
|Name: Pignite (Fire Pig Pokémon)
|Type: Fire
|Tera: Fire
|Level: 17
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: [Charcoal]
|Ability: Blaze
|Nature: Jolly
|Moves: Protect, Endure, Defense Curl, Smokescreen, Odor Sleuth, Ember [A][S], Flame Wheel [A][S], Flame Charge [A][S], Smog [A][S], Rollout [A][S], Power-Up Punch (IM), Arm Thrust (IM), Yawn (EM) (0 moves left to learn)
Cilan lowered his green flag, a professional smile on his face, declaring, "Pansear is unable to battle! The winner of round one is Challenger Azure!"
Chili groaned good-naturedly, jogging over to retrieve his fainted partner. He said coolly, "Man! Talk about a heavy hitter! Good match, Azure!"
Azure replied smoothly, stepping back to center stage, "Good hustle, Chili."
Cress stepped forward, adjusting his tie with a calm, analytical demeanor. He pulled out his own Poké Ball, a [Water Gem] glinting between his fingers before he tossed it down, declaring, "It's our turn! Come clean! Panpour!"
*Splash*
Panpour materialized on the field, instantly consuming the [Water Gem] to supercharge its aquatic aura with its Hidden Ability Torrent. Azure reached for his second Poké Ball, tossing it forward with a metallic clack and declared, "Let's go! Golett!"
*Zzzzt—CLANG*
Golett, the ancient Automaton Pokémon, appeared on the field, its stone body humming with residual ghost energy. A [Muscle Band] was strapped tightly around its arm, bulging with kinetic potential. Azure gazed at his partner's status screen upon summoning Golett out to battle.
|Name: Golett (S) (Automaton Pokémon)
|Type: Ground/Ghost
|Tera: Ground
|Level: 18
|Gender: Genderless
|Held Item: [Muscle Band]
|Ability: Iron Fist
|Nature: Jolly
|Moves: Protect, Iron Defense, Defense Curl, Curse, Telekinesis, Astonish [A][S], Mud-Slap [A][S], Shadow Punch [A][S], Mega Punch [A][S], Rollout [A][S], Magic Coat (IM) (0 moves left to learn)
Cress remarked smoothly, a confident smirk playing on his lips as he saw Golett enter the field, "A Golett against a Water-type… Type disadvantage, Challenger. This match will require a bit more than brute force."
Azure replied calmly, "Let's see if your strategies hold up against ancient engineering. Golett, Defense Curl into Rollout!"
*RMBL*
Golett's stone gears ground together as it curled into a dense, rocky sphere, preparing to spin. Cress didn't hesitate. He ordered in a smooth tone, "Panpour, Water Pulse, and devour it to gain a boost by Torrent!"
*Splash—GULP*
Panpour unleashed a swirling, compressed orb of high-pressure water. Then ate it as the [Water Gem] dissolved into its body, activating its Hidden Ability Torrent. But before Golett could finish rolling, Panpour unleashed the water energy of its Torrent, surging forward with a blinding burst of Aqua Tail.
*SPLASH*
Using the aquatic propulsion, Panpour vaulted high into the air, gracefully dodging Golett's initial rolling charge as it smashed harmlessly into the floorboards where Panpour had stood a moment prior.
Landing lightly on its feet, Cress commanded, "Double Team!"
*Swooosh*
Panpour spun in a circle, multiplying into a dozen identical, shimmering clones that scrambled across the battlefield, creating a disorienting maze of blue and white. Azure clicked his tongue and softly whispered, "Tch. Right."
He knew the limitation of his partner. As an automaton, Golett possessed immense raw power and defensive fortitude, but its critical thinking and situational adaptability in complex, illusion-heavy scenarios were limited compared to sentient, highly experienced Pokémon.
Caught in the sea of illusions, Golett paused, its stone head swiveling back and forth in mechanical confusion. Cress ordered, "Now! Hydro Pump!"
Panpour raised its hands, unleashing a catastrophic, high-pressure geyser of water straight into the center of the clones!
*BOOM*
The torrent hit Golett dead-center, blasting the heavy automaton backward. Golett slammed hard against the ground, skidding across the stone floor, its health bar visibly flashing in the red.
Azure called out sharply, "Golett!"
Up in the stands, Black leaned forward so hard his chest pressed against the metal railing. He exclaimed in awe, "Man, Cress's setup is brutal! He's exploiting Golett's lack of complex tactical processing!"
Cheren analyzed, then added, "It's classic tactical zoning. He's using Panpour's speed and illusions to dictate the entire tempo of the engagement."
Down on the floor, Golett groaned, struggling to lift its heavy stone torso off the ground. Cress adjusted his collar and ordered in a smooth tone, "Water Pulse, Panpour. Let's finish this."
*Shiii*
Panpour readied another swirling jet of water, aiming directly for Golett. Azure muttered, his eyes narrowing, "Don't count it out yet. Golett! Use Telekinesis!"
*Shiiii*
Even as it struggled, Golett's eyes glowed with a faint, psychic blue light. Instead of letting the water hit it head-on, Golett manipulated the ambient gravitational pull around its own body, violently sliding sideways across the floor just as the jets of water slammed into the space where it had been a second before.
*Woooosh*
Panpour blinked in surprise. Cress blinked and uttered, "Oh…"
Azure commanded, "Shadow Punch!"
*SWOOOSH*
Golett raised a fist wreathed in dark, ghostly energy, lunging forward with terrifying speed to close the distance. Cress's eyes widened slightly, but he adapted instantly, ordering, "Mud Sport! Intercept its footing!"
*SPLAT*
Panpour slammed its paws onto the ground, splashing a thick, viscous layer of heavy mud directly across the center of the arena floor. As Golett charged, its heavy stone foot slammed right into the slick mud.
*Slip—SMACK*
The automaton lost its traction, its legs sliding wildly out from under it as it spun out of control, completely missing its Shadow Punch and crashing face-first into the dirt. Rotom's voice crackled cheerfully from the floating speaker box, its digital eyes spinning in amusement, "Whoa, slip-and-slide! That's gotta hurt the joints!"
Gengar chuckled darkly from the stands, floating up an inch. She said happily, "Kehehehe, dirty tricks in a kitchen! I like this chef's spice rack!"
Panpour didn't waste a microsecond. And neither did Cress, ordering firmly, "Water Gun, point-blank!"
*SPLASH*
Panpour fired a sharp, concentrated blast of water directly into Golett's chest. The concussive impact hit like a physical sledgehammer, lifting the massive stone Pokémon completely off the ground and sending it flying backward across the entire length of the arena.
*CRASH*
Golett hit the floor with a heavy, bone-rattling thud, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. For a long, tense moment, the automaton lay completely motionless, its internal lights flickering and dimming.
Cilan raised his green flag, blowing his whistle. Then declared, "Golett is unable to battle! The winner of round two is Gym Leader Cress!"
The gym erupted into murmurs from the spectators.
Bianca gasped, her hands flying to her cheeks. She shrieked, "He actually beat Golett! Cress's strategy was so fast!"
Black said, his eyes burning with competitive fire as he watched Azure calmly recall his fainted partner with a sympathetic nod, "It wasn't just speed. Cress read every single mechanical limitation Golett had and weaponized the environment against it. But... look at Azure. He's not panicking at all."
Down on the battlefield, Azure caught Golett's returned Poké Ball, clipping it securely to his belt. He brushed a speck of dust off his jacket sleeve, a calm, confident smile spreading across his face as he reached down to his belt for his final Poké Ball.
The score was tied 1-1. The final round was about to begin. And Azure's secret weapon—Minccino—was waiting in the wings.
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter!