Chapter 72: Battle with Bugsy
Arriving at the Azalea Gym, which looked more like a botanical conservatory than a traditional gym, Ryan easily found Bugsy, the Gym Leader.
"Please wait a moment. I'll finish feeding the Bug-type Pokémon, and then we can start our Gym Battle," Bugsy said.
After feeding a large group of Bug-type Pokémon, Bugsy turned to Ryan and said, "You're Ryan from Pallet Town, right? I've heard some interesting things about you. Did you bring your Beedrill? I'm dying to see Beedrill's Mega Evolution! Bug-type Pokémon are truly incredible!"
"Sorry, Beedrill is training back at my ranch right now," Ryan said. "But I do have another Bug-type Pokémon here. Want to see it? It's one of my main team members now."
"Oh, really? Then I'll bring out my ace as well. I petitioned the League for months to get this one, and it's now the strongest Pokémon in my collection," Bugsy said, leading Ryan to the battle arena. "A three-on-three match sounds good, right?"
"Perfect, let's begin," Ryan agreed.
A referee approached, nodded to both trainers, and announced, "The official Gym Battle will now commence!"
"Go, Ariados!" Bugsy sent out his first Pokémon.
"Gengar, you're up!" Ryan called out his Ghost-type.
"First move advantage—Ariados, String Shot!" Bugsy commanded.
Ariados shot white silk from its spinnerets, quickly creating an intricate web above the battlefield.
Ryan frowned and said, "Gengar, Shadow Ball."
Gengar brought its hands together and launched a barrage of Shadow Balls, sending countless dark purple energy spheres hurtling toward Ariados. The spider Pokémon slid along its web with incredible agility, easily dodging the attacks. Ariados's speed on the web was more than double its normal pace.
"It's no use, Ryan! As long as there's a web, my Ariados won't lose in terms of speed," Bugsy shouted. "Ariados, quick movement—multi-directional Signal Beam attack!"
Ariados instantly darted across the web, appearing and disappearing as it continuously fired Signal Beams, changing position after each shot.
"Heh, same old strategy," Ryan said calmly. "Just exploiting the terrain. Without that web, it's nothing special. Will-O-Wisp!"
Gengar smirked wickedly and used Pain Split, instantly draining a significant portion of Ariados's health. Then, ghostly blue flames erupted around the web, and Ariados fell directly from the burning silk.
"Oh no! Ariados, use String Shot!" Bugsy yelled.
"Too late—Hypnosis, then Dream Eater to finish it!" Ryan commanded.
Gengar vanished instantly. Just as Ariados was about to fire more silk to escape, Gengar appeared face-to-face with it and cast Hypnosis. Gengar then transformed into a dark shadow and dove into Ariados's unconscious form. When it emerged, Ariados had already lost its ability to battle.
"Return, Ariados," Bugsy said. "You're quite the troublesome opponent! Your turn, Shedinja!"
Looking at the peculiar Pokémon floating before him, Ryan thought: Are you serious?
"Don't underestimate this Pokémon! It has incredible defensive capabilities!" Bugsy exclaimed. "Shedinja, use Wonder Guard!"
Incredible defense? Ryan almost laughed. A Pokémon with only 1 HP would be completely useless without Wonder Guard's protection.
"Take care of it, Shadow Ball," Ryan said, barely containing his amusement.
Gengar scratched its head in confusion—this seemed too easy. But it trusted Ryan's judgment. Bringing its hands together, it launched a scattered Shadow Ball at Shedinja.
"Shedinja, dodge!" Bugsy yelled, suddenly remembering that Gengar was a Ghost-type—sending Shedinja against it was practically suicide.
Shedinja wasn't particularly fast, and despite its attempts to evade, it was still struck by one of the Shadow Balls, instantly knocking it out.
"Return, Shedinja," Bugsy sighed. "Ryan, do you recognize this Pokémon?"
"Yes, I do. It's native to the Hoenn region," Ryan nodded. "Wasn't that supposed to be your ace?"
"Of course not! Oh, what a mistake—I should have sent out Ninjask instead," Bugsy said regretfully. "But now comes my true strongest Pokémon!"
As Bugsy's final Pokémon took the field, a whirlwind of flames ignited across the arena. Ryan pondered aloud, "Fire and Bug-type... could it be?"
As Ryan expected, the flames subsided to reveal a majestic Volcarona on the battlefield.
Volcarona resembled a large moth with a white collar around its neck and red antennae. It had three pairs of reddish-orange wings with black spots that resembled eye patterns. Its body appeared robust, with wings arranged in large, medium, and small pairs in a flower-like formation.
"Now this is my true ace Pokémon. Come on, Ryan!" Bugsy said with renewed seriousness.
"Return, Gengar," Ryan said, recalling his Ghost-type. "Out of respect for your dedication, let's have a proper Bug-type battle. Pheromosa, you're up!"
Pheromosa appeared on the field, striking a pose with one hand on its hip, gazing proudly at Volcarona. Bugsy looked at Pheromosa with sparkling eyes, clearly fascinated by the Ultra Beast.
"First strike—Triple Kick!" Ryan commanded.
Pheromosa instantly closed the distance to Volcarona and launched a kick. However, Volcarona twisted its body at an impossible angle, dodging Pheromosa's attack before flapping its wings to create distance.
"What incredible speed! It's comparable to my Ninjask at full acceleration," Bugsy said seriously.
Ryan silently noted his oversight. If Bugsy had a Ninjask that could potentially match Pheromosa's speed, this battle would be more challenging than expected. Among known Pokémon, speed rankings typically placed Deoxys (Speed Forme) at the top, followed by Ninjask, then Pheromosa. While Pheromosa's stats were maximized, Ninjask's Speed Boost ability could theoretically allow unlimited acceleration—though physical limitations applied.
"Fiery Dance!" Bugsy called out.
"Quiver Dance!" Ryan countered.
Volcarona became enveloped in flames, its wings performing an ancient, graceful dance. The fire moved like ribbons, following the moth's movements as it attacked Pheromosa. Pheromosa rose on its toes, performing an elegant dance of its own, gracefully dodging the attacks while significantly boosting its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed.
"Now try again—Agility, then Bounce!" Ryan commanded.
"I can't let you gain more advantages—Heat Wave!" Bugsy shouted.
Pheromosa instantly accelerated, using its legs to spring to the conservatory's ceiling. Using the roof as a launching point, it dove toward Volcarona with a devastating kick. Volcarona flapped its wings, sending scorching winds toward the descending Ultra Beast.
"Push through it—don't stop!" Ryan yelled.
Unable to change direction mid-air, Pheromosa gritted its teeth and endured the intense flame damage, successfully striking Volcarona directly on its wing.
Both sides took heavy damage. Both Pokémon stood panting heavily—Pheromosa was charred black with occasional flames flickering across its body, clearly burned. Volcarona had one wing hanging limply, temporarily unable to fly properly.
"Flamethrower!" Bugsy shouted.
"Swift!" Ryan countered.
Both Pokémon used their remaining strength for one final attack. Their moves crossed in mid-air, striking simultaneously. Both Pokémon collapsed to the ground at the same moment, unable to continue battling!
"Both Pokémon are unable to battle! This match is a draw!" the referee announced.
Bugsy approached Ryan with a smile, extending his hand. "That was an incredible battle! Your Pheromosa's power and elegance were amazing. You've definitely earned this—the Hive Badge!"
Ryan accepted the golden hexagonal badge with pride. Two down, six to go on his journey through Johto.
(End of Chapter)
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