"If it can transform, then it shouldn't only have one form, right? Otherwise, why would Bugsy and Falkner praise it that much?" Morty's heart stirred with realization.
Bugsy, being a Bug-type Gym Leader, feared Fire.
Falkner, being a Flying-type Gym Leader, feared Electric.
"That time Yozora battled them with Eevee… it must have evolved into Flareon and Jolteon, respectively."Morty was a veteran, rich in experience. Piecing together the awe he had heard from the two over the phone, he had already guessed the truth with near certainty.
And yet…
Even after figuring it out, Morty's face still betrayed shock—and even a trace of fear.
An Eevee that could transform—into multiple different evolutions, no less…
Such an Eevee was far too rare, far too powerful.
"Eevee is unable to battle. Gengar wins!"From outside the field, the referee's voice rang out. Yozora immediately recalled Eevee. At this point, he had lost two Pokémon, leaving only one.
Morty, on the other hand, still had two remaining—including his Gengar.
For once, Yozora had fallen into a rare disadvantage.
Yet he showed not a trace of panic. For his final Pokémon, he decisively sent out Dragonite.
"Roooar!!"
The moment Dragonite appeared, it let out a thunderous cry. Its presence erupted like a storm, its voice carrying waves of pressure that swept across the battlefield.
Though both were at the peak Gym Leader level, even Morty's Gengar couldn't help but break into a cold sweat under the oppressive aura radiating from Dragonite.
"A Dragonite… and its level is equal to my Gengar's…" Morty's heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened in disbelief as he turned toward Yozora.
Though his body was frail, Morty's vision was still sharp. No matter how he looked at it, Yozora was nothing more than a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy.
At that age—barely one or two years into his journey—and he could already command a Dragonite?!
When had Dragonite become so common?Or rather… was Yozora simply an unmatched prodigy?
Facing Dragonite, even Morty couldn't help but feel pressure tightening in his chest.
After all, Dragonite was a pseudo-legendary Pokémon. Even if their levels were the same, its constitution was on an entirely different level. Its stamina and defenses far outclassed Gengar's.
What's more, Yozora's Dragonite was even larger and sturdier than normal. One glance made it clear—this was no ordinary Dragonite.
"Don't back down, Gengar! Strike first—use Night Shade!" Morty commanded sharply.
A black beam of energy surged toward Dragonite.
"Dragonite, blow it away with Hurricane!" Yozora ordered.
Without moving from its spot, Dragonite unfurled its wings. A cyclone of terrifying force roared to life, sweeping away the incoming Night Shade as though it were nothing.
"What? Such overwhelming force?!" Morty staggered back in shock as he watched Gengar's attack unravel.
Normally, at the same level, Gengar's frailty in defense and stamina was compensated by its blistering speed and tremendous Special Attack.
Against a tanky pseudo-legendary like Dragonite, its hits might not do much damage, but at the very least, their moves should clash evenly!
But now…
Not only had Dragonite completely overpowered Gengar, it had shattered Night Shade outright, leaving Gengar pinned down beneath the raging storm.
"Now! Dragonite—Extreme Speed!" Yozora's voice rang like thunder.
Whoosh!
Dragonite launched forward in a blur. Its acceleration tore the very air apart, white streaks of compressed wind trailing around its body.
In less than a heartbeat, Dragonite had crossed the field. Gengar, still locked by the Hurricane's pressure, couldn't move an inch.
Extreme Speed—faster than the wind itself. No, far beyond.
BOOM!!!
Gengar had no time to react. Dragonite slammed into it full-force, sending the Ghost-type flying before it crashed to the ground, unconscious.
"Gengar is unable to battle. Dragonite wins!" The referee immediately declared.
The Hurricane had only suppressed Gengar.
The true blow—was a single Extreme Speed.
Dragonite had one-shot Gengar with ease.
"So strong… truly worthy of a pseudo-legendary. Gengar went down in just one exchange…" Morty sighed, recalling his fallen Pokémon. His expression grew solemn.
He had only one left now. Though its power was no less than Gengar's, it too was fragile. Against Dragonite, the odds were slim.
Morty felt the crushing weight of pressure on his shoulders.
Meanwhile, Growlithe, watching from the sidelines, had its eyes shining.
Extreme Speed.
Something stirred within its instincts—it, too, could learn that move one day, if it trained hard enough.
"That Dragonite is incredible!"
"Yeah… Master hasn't been pushed this hard in ages."
"It's fine! Master still has his last Pokémon. Whenever he sends that one out, he's never lost. This time won't be any different!"
"Yes! We believe in Master!"
Morty's disciples were in awe. None had seen him fight so seriously in years—not since his old rival.
Flash!
A burst of light signaled Morty's final choice: Mismagius.
The evolved form of Misdreavus.
A spectral figure with a witch's-hat-shaped head, four protrusions at its back, and three red gems embedded into its chest where Misdreavus' necklace once hung.
No longer playful or mischievous—Mismagius exuded an eerie, witch-like presence.
This one, too, was at the peak Gym Leader level.
Between Gengar and Mismagius, Morty wielded two Pokémon of extraordinary strength—a testament to his status as a veteran Gym Leader.
Compared to Bugsy, Morty's prowess was unquestionably greater.
"Mismagius—use Shadow Sneak!" Morty barked the command instantly.
"Woooooo…"
The Ghost-type sank into the ground as though diving into dark waters, vanishing without a trace.
A technique like Dig—but Ghost-typed instead of Ground.
CRASH!
A second later, Mismagius burst forth beneath Dragonite, slamming into its stomach with a burst of black energy.
Yet Dragonite stood firm—immovable, like a mountain.
It was Mismagius that stumbled backward, forced away by the sheer resilience of its target.
"What…?" Morty's disciples were dumbfounded.
Mismagius' attack… had done nothing?!
It couldn't even scratch Dragonite's defenses!
Even Morty himself was shaken. Two Pokémon at the same peak Gym Leader level… yet Dragonite's durability was monstrous beyond belief.
"Impossible… No, focus! Mismagius—use Psywave!"
At his command, Mismagius let out a piercing cry. Ripples of psychic energy surged outward, battering Dragonite in waves like arcane shockwaves.
Dragonite winced. It felt the sting of the attack—but only barely.
The Psywave had technically broken through its defenses… but it was little more than a scratch.
Despair welled in Morty's chest.
"Unbelievable… To command such a Dragonite at his age… Yozora's future is unimaginable." Morty exhaled, finally surrendering in his heart.
Moments later—
Dragonite's Dragon Claw struck.
Mismagius collapsed.
The battle was over.
"Yozora, this is the Phantom Badge. You've earned it." Morty's expression softened as he handed over a black badge.
Yozora accepted with gratitude.
At last—he held his fourth Johto badge.
"Yozora, keep working hard for the Silver Conference. There's still half a year—you should be able to achieve something remarkable!" Morty encouraged warmly as they shook hands.
He meant it sincerely.
But he did not know—Yozora had already claimed the Indigo Plateau Championship once. His true strength far exceeded even Morty's imagination.
At the Ecruteak Gym—
Not long after Yozora departed, the doors opened once more.
A finely dressed young man, every bit the noble gentleman, stepped inside. His eyes swept across Morty, his voice cool and dismissive:
"Morty… after all these years, you've regressed. To lose against a mere brat?"
"Eusine!" Morty froze at the sight.
It was his childhood friend—and rival.
The two had long treated each other as lifelong opponents, locked in a silent competition.
Morty, a master of Ghost-types like Gengar and Mismagius.
Eusine, a master of Psychic-types like Alakazam.
Ghost beat Psychic.
Thus, though evenly matched, Morty had usually triumphed in the past.
"Heh… Eusine, all these years and you're still the same. But you'll always be my defeated rival." Morty smirked faintly.
"Ridiculous! You think I haven't grown stronger in all this time?" Eusine's eyes sharpened with a cold gleam.
Neither man yielded. Their rivalry flared, pressing down on the Gym's disciples until none dared even breathe loudly.
Just like old times—their duel erupted in an instant.
Gengar versus Alakazam!
But unlike the past—this time, Alakazam withstood Gengar's assault. Its psychic power slammed Gengar into the ground.
Morty's heart sank.
"Elite-level… Eusine, you've reached it!"
As Gengar lay unconscious, Eusine withdrew Alakazam, arrogance glinting in his smile.
"Of course. Did you think I'd remain stagnant, like you?"
Eusine pressed his advantage, words sharp and merciless. Morty's face darkened, his teeth clenched in frustration.
Desperate to shift the conversation, he asked:"Then why are you here?"
"Nothing much. I've spent the past years chasing Legendary Pokémon… but to no avail. I'm back only to rest, before setting out again." Eusine's tone was casual.
Morty knew his friend well. Born into wealth, Eusine scorned ordinary Pokémon. He sought only to capture a Legendary—something to prove his superiority.
But Legendary Pokémon… were not so easily claimed.
In fact, most trainers could scarcely hope to even glimpse one in their lifetimes.
Still—Morty also knew Eusine's fate was entwined with legends. He had once, as a child, glimpsed Suicune.
That fleeting encounter had marked him for life. Since then, Eusine had sworn to capture Suicune—or failing that, Entei or Raikou.
"Chasing shadows of legend… I once thought you were only wasting your life. But now…" Morty smiled faintly."At least your strength has steadily grown."
"Of course." Eusine's lips curled into a proud smile. "To claim a legend, one must have the power to match it."
The two, reunited after years apart, soon found themselves engrossed in conversation.
Meanwhile—
Having earned his badge, Yozora was on his way back to the Pokémon Center… when he suddenly ran into a familiar group.
"Yozora!!"
"Ash, Brock, Misty…"
They exchanged greetings warmly. It was their first meeting in the Johto region.
"So you really are entering the Johto League!" Ash's eyes blazed with excitement, battle spirit burning within.
Since the Indigo League, half a year had passed. Convinced of his own growth, Ash could not resist the urge to challenge Yozora again.
"Of course. Red and Gary must have joined too, right?" Yozora asked with a smile.
Ash shook his head."Gary did—but not Red. According to Professor Oak, Red went to Hoenn instead."
(End of Chapter)