Chapter 14: Battle against Lt. Surge
After disembarking, Ryan, Lillie, and Akira arrived at the Pokémon Center. Upon entering, they were immediately met with a chaotic scene—injured Pokémon with electrical burns were everywhere, receiving emergency treatment.
Seeing this, Ryan knew Lt. Surge must be responsible. However, with Nurse Joy so busy treating patients, it seemed she wouldn't have time to heal their Pokémon anytime soon.
Ryan didn't mind—none of his six Pokémon were injured anyway. Besides, Lt. Surge's Raichu, whose moveset lacked proper refinement, should be easily handled by Ryan's current team.
However, Akira's Pokémon weren't in good condition, so he had no choice but to wait.
Ryan took Lillie to challenge the gym. When they arrived, they saw someone frantically running toward the Pokémon Center carrying an unconscious Raticate.
Looking at the low-level Raticate and recalling the other weak Pokémon he'd seen at the Center, Ryan felt a mix of understanding and disapproval toward Lt. Surge. While he could sympathize with the gym leader's frustration at facing inexperienced trainers all day, he strongly disagreed with such extreme methods.
Though his current life in the Pokémon world was facilitated by his system and he had few human connections, his Pokémon had always been by his side—traveling, eating, and living together. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them family.
Therefore, he deeply despised any unnecessary harm to Pokémon, and Lt. Surge's actions had crossed a serious line. Suppressing his anger, Ryan led Lillie into the gym.
Lt. Surge, dressed in military fatigues, stood at one end of the battlefield, flanked by four subordinates with a large Raichu positioned in front of him. Seeing Ryan and Lillie enter, he sneered, "Two more little babies. Who's going first?"
"Neither. I'm challenging the gym alone. I'm Ryan from Pallet Town. What's the battle format?" Ryan replied calmly.
"Hah! Confident, are we? I like that attitude, kid," Lt. Surge said, stroking his chin. "Standard two-on-two battle. My first Pokémon will be Raichu."
"Go, Beedrill!" Ryan called, releasing his shiny Beedrill.
"Ooh, a shiny Pokémon! But bug type are still weak to my Electric attacks," Lt. Surge boasted.
"Only if you can hit Beedrill," Ryan said calmly. "Honestly, Lt. Surge, I understand your frustration with weak challengers, but your methods are excessive. If you don't want to battle beginners, you could have your subordinates screen challengers first, selecting only the strongest."
"Ha! Seems like you get it, kid. I'll consider your suggestion, but don't expect me to go easy on you!" Lt. Surge laughed.
"Then don't blame me for what happens next. Beedrill, Focus Energy!" Ryan commanded.
Beedrill concentrated its power, dramatically increasing its critical hit ratio. Lt. Surge responded, "Raichu, let's start with Thunder Shock!"
Raichu launched an electrical attack at Beedrill. Ryan gave Beedrill a subtle signal, and it immediately used Agility to dodge the Thunder Shock while boosting its speed. Ryan called out, "Too slow! Beedrill, Fell Stinger!"
Beedrill's twin stingers glowed ominously as it rushed toward Raichu at incredible speed. Lt. Surge shouted, "Don't back down, Raichu! Use Mega Punch to counter!"
Naive, Ryan thought. Beedrill's speed was far too great for Raichu to react properly. It easily sidestepped Raichu's Mega Punch and drove both stingers into Raichu's side. Raichu screamed in agony as it was sent flying, crashing hard into the gym wall. When it hit the ground, it was already unconscious.
Lt. Surge gasped: "That much damage from one hit?!" Ryan understood why—Beedrill's Attack stat was naturally high, and with Focus Energy increasing critical hit rate, plus the Focus Lens he'd given it, Fell Stinger had an excellent chance of hitting vital points. Combined with Beedrill's Sniper ability, landing a critical hit against the frail Raichu resulted in devastating damage.
Recalling his Raichu, Lt. Surge took a deep breath and said, "I underestimated you, kid. Time to get serious. Go, Magneton!"
Seeing Magneton enter the battlefield, Ryan recalled Beedrill. Steel and Electric types completely countered Beedrill—keeping it out would be suicidal.
Sending in Charizard was the optimal choice! Charizard immediately used Sunny Day upon entering, intensifying the battlefield lighting. Lt. Surge launched his counterattack: "Magneton, Thunderbolt!"
"Protect, then Flamethrower!" Ryan commanded.
The protective barrier blocked the electrical attack, then Charizard unleashed a powerful stream of fire at Magneton. Lt. Surge gritted his teeth and shouted, "Lock-On, then Zap Cannon!"
Ryan's blood ran cold—Lock-On guaranteed the next move would hit with perfect accuracy, and Zap Cannon was one of the most powerful Electric-type attacks available!
"Charizard, use Protect!" Ryan could only hope for luck and successful protection.
The Flamethrower successfully struck Magneton, dealing massive damage and reducing its HP by nearly 90%. However, it didn't faint, and judging by Lt. Surge's confidence in Magneton's durability, Ryan knew it must have impressive defensive stats.
Data streams flashed across Magneton's optical sensors before it aimed forward, unleashing a devastating electromagnetic cannon blast at Charizard. Charizard attempted to use Protect, but before the barrier could form, the Zap Cannon connected.
Charizard shrieked as electricity coursed through its body, leaving it charred and occasionally sparking with residual current. Ryan realized with dread that not only had Protect failed, but Charizard was now paralyzed as well.
"Magneton, finish it with Thunderbolt!" Lt. Surge commanded.
This frustrated Ryan immensely—that was usually his finishing line! In desperation, Ryan shouted, "Charizard, use Protect, then Outrage!"
He had no choice but to gamble everything. Success would turn the tide completely, but failure would mean certain defeat. Even with Beedrill as backup, losing Charizard here would be devastating!
Unconsciously, Ryan extended his bond powers toward Charizard. The connection allowed Charizard to execute Protect just a fraction faster, successfully blocking the Thunderbolt. Then, dragon energy erupted violently as Charizard slammed into Magneton with overwhelming force, defeating it in one devastating blow!
"Tch. Just luck," Lt. Surge said reluctantly, recalling his Magneton. He walked over to Ryan and handed him the Thunder Badge. "Kid, you got lucky there. Otherwise, this battle could've gone either way."
"Yeah, you're right," Ryan admitted without arguing. It had been his mistake—he hadn't expected Magneton to know Lock-On, which led to the dangerous situation.
He patted Charizard's back apologetically. "Sorry, buddy. That was my error. Won't happen again."
Charizard snorted and lightly punched Ryan's shoulder with its claw: Be more careful next time.
To be continued...
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