~~~ Inside the Vermilion City's Gym ~~~
The automatic doors slid open with a metallic hiss. Heat, ozone, and the low hum of electricity rolled out to meet me. The Vermilion Gym wasn't like any other I'd seen in anime, here the air was charged, the walls alive with blue light that ran like veins through metal panels. High above, massive glass coils glowed faintly, pulsing to the rhythm of some unseen current.
In the center, beneath a wide skylight that filtered in the morning sun, the battlefield waited which has steel flooring lined with glass panels that revealed live wiring underneath, flickering like lightning caught in cages.
A sharp whistle echoed from the far side.
"Hey! You the challenger?"
Lt. Surge's voice carried across the arena like a cannon shot. The man himself stood at the opposite platform, broad-shouldered and built like the generators that hummed behind him. His cropped blond hair shone under the lights, dog tags clinking against his chest as he cracked his knuckles.
"That's right," I said.
He grinned, flashing his teeth. "Name's Surge. Call me the Lightning Lieutenant. I don't play around, kid. This gym'll shock the softness right outta you. You ready to show me your guts?"
Without waiting for an answer, he slammed a hand down on a control console. The lights dimmed, the floor panels lit up, and the sound of crackling electricity filled the room like the breath of a storm.
Across the field, the referee raised a hand. "Official League match between Gym Leader Lt. Surge and Challenger William! Three-on-three battle! Begin!"
Surge's first Poké Ball hit the floor like a flash grenade. "Voltorb, front and center!"
The sphere burst open, revealing another sphere — red and white, hovering just above the glass. Sparks danced across its smooth surface as it emitted a mechanical hum.
I unclipped my first ball. "Let's go, Nidoran!"
A beam of white light formed into the small, cerulean shape of the shiny male Nidoran. His fur shimmered faintly in the electric glow, silver-blue instead of the usual purple. His ears twitched. The faint smell of ozone made him lower his stance.
"Battle start!"
Voltorb zipped forward like a bullet, its body spinning as arcs of electricity traced a spiral around it. Surge barked, "Voltorb, Sonic Boom! Make it hurt!"
The wave hit which is a razor-sharp burst of compressed air, tearing across the field. Nidoran leaped sideways, claws skidding across the steel. The impact behind him cracked the glass panel, electricity surging through the line below.
"Double Kick!"
Nidoran's hind legs glowed white; he darted forward, springing off a broken tile. The first kick hit Voltorb square in the front and the second followed before the shock orb could spin away.
Voltorb was slammed backward, sparks erupting from its casing as it rebounded off the steel wall.
Surge smirked. "Not bad. But you're fightin' a live wire, kid. Voltorb uses Self-Destruct!"
The warning came too late. Voltorb's glow went from white to blinding gold and then boom.
The explosion shook the gym, a flash of heat and dust rising like a miniature storm. The crowd gasped from the viewing stands behind the safety glass.
When the light cleared, Voltorb lay fainted with scorched but safe and Nidoran stood barely upright, smoke rising from the ground around him. His silver-blue fur was singed, but his eyes blazed with defiance.
The referee's flag went up. "Voltorb is unable to battle! Nidoran wins!"
Surge barked a laugh that echoed like thunder. "Heh! You've got guts, little guy. Let's see how long they last. Magneton, move out!"
Three spheres of metal unfolded in midair, spinning together and locking in formation. Magneton's eye blinked red, and the whole room dimmed as the electromagnetic field surged.
The air vibrated. My hair lifted slightly from the static.
I recalled Nidoran. He'd earned his rest. "Good work. Take a break."
I reached for the next Poké Ball. "Kirlia, you're up!"
White light flared, and Kirlia landed gracefully on the steel panel, her emerald hair swaying. Her eyes locked on Magneton's.
"Battle, start!"
Surge crossed his arms. "You think some dancer's gonna handle a tank? Magneton, Thunder Wave!"
Bolts leapt outward, not to strike, but to form a net of blue lightning crawling across the air.
Kirlia twirled once and her feet barely touching the surface. A shimmer of psychic light rippled around her body, distorting the field, and she slipped through the gaps of the lightning like water through fingers.
"Psybeam!"
The two horns at the top of the head blazed with a beam of multicolored energy slammed into Magneton, pushing the steel-type back. Sparks scattered across the field.
Surge didn't flinch. "Shake it off! Thunderbolt, full voltage!"
The reply was deafening. Magneton unleashed a single, concentrated blast of lightning tearing down like a pillar from heaven.
Kirlia spun again, arms out and her psychic field condensed around her like a barrier, but the impact still flung her back. She hit the floor, skidding across the tiles, barely holding her stance.
"Magnet Bomb!"
The attack formed instantly which is dozens of metal spheres flew outward, drawn by magnetic force, orbiting Kirlia like angry satellites.
For a moment the gym was filled with whirling light and then, in the center of it, Kirlia's aura flared bright pink.
The psychic wave exploded outward, shattering every metal bomb into harmless fragments.
As the smoke cleared, she was already moving with a swift, perfect movement and her next Psybeam hit Magneton dead center, sending it spinning into the wall.
The magnets whirred, stuttered, and then went silent.
"Magneton is unable to battle! Kirlia wins!"
The referee's voice barely rose above the roar of the crowd.
Surge's grin widened, sharklike. "Not bad, not bad! You've got a real unit on your hands there. But let's see how you hold up against my pride and joy!"
He raised the last Poké Ball which has electricity crackled between his fingers and threw it.
"Raichu! Front and center!"
The flash of light hit the floor, and Raichu landed with a heavy thud. Its long tail scraped the metal, leaving a trail of sparks. It crouched low, cheeks pulsing with golden energy.
Kirlia looked to me, breathing hard. I nodded once. "Good job. Rest."
I clipped her Poké Ball back and drew another.
"Let's finish this, Shocker!"
The light burst open, and my Electabuzz appeared, sparks dancing from his shoulders to his wrists. His eyes locked onto Raichu, both Pokémon glaring across the storm-lit field.
Surge's voice dropped lower, colder. "Let's see what you've got, soldier."
"Battle. Start!"
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