"Go! Magneton!" Wattson threw his second ball, and the three-unit magnet Pokémon hovered onto the field, its magnets rotating ominously. The hum of electricity grew louder.
"Sableye, return," I decided instantly. "You did your job. Rest up." My ghost Pokémon vanished in a flash of red light.
Magneton was Steel/Electric-type, a formidable obstacle that resisted Sableye's attacks. I needed a clear advantage.
"Go, Torchic!"
My starter materialized, shaking its downy feathers. It looked at the floating fortress of steel and chirped confidently.
"Oho? A Fire-type!" Wattson stroked his mustache. "A classic choice! But my Magneton is tougher than it looks! Magneton, Thunder Wave!"
The paralyzing beam shot out instantly.
"Torchic, dodge it and use Ember!" I commanded.
Torchic leaped sideways, narrowly avoiding the blue beam, and spat a small stream of fire. The Ember struck Magneton directly. The super-effective damage caused the steel exterior to glow red, but Magneton remained hovering.
"Hah! Not enough!" Wattson laughed. "My Magneton has been using its magnets to slightly levitate above the ground! It gains the Float Attribute! No direct hit from a ground attack for you, Stephen!"
My eyes widened. Wattson hadn't just relied on type; he used a clever mechanic to nullify potential Earthquake threats. A true technician!
"Fine! Torchic, use Ember again!"
"Magneton, Magnet Bomb!"
Torchic's fire hit, dealing chip damage, but Magneton countered with homing metallic spheres.
"Jump high and then use Ember on the center Magneton!"
Torchic leaped and launched a powerful stream of fire. The flames hit the core unit, causing Magneton to shudder.
"Too slow!" Wattson yelled. "Magneton, finish it with Spark!"
Magneton rushed Torchic, crackling with electricity. The attack was too fast for Torchic to dodge.
"Torc!"
Torchic cried out as the charged body hit it directly. It stumbled backward but didn't fall. The damage was substantial, but the Fire-typing saved it from a critical blow.
"Finish it now, Torchic! All your power! Flamethrower!"
Torchic channeled all its remaining fire energy into a large, powerful burst. The stream of fire engulfed Magneton completely. The steel shrieked under the intense heat.
When the fire dissipated, Magneton wobbled erratically. One of its smaller magnet units broke away and clattered to the floor. The remaining two units spun rapidly for a moment before slowing to a painful halt.
Watt raised the green flag toward me. "Magneton is unable to battle! Torchic wins!"
I sighed in relief. Two down, but Torchic was heavily damaged.
"Recall, Torchic," I said. "You were brilliant."
"Wahahaha! A fiery victory, Stephen!" Wattson boomed, recalling his Magneton. "But your Fire-type is exhausted. I'm afraid your winning streak ends now."
He grabbed his final Poké Ball—the air felt charged with genuine menace. "My Ace is waiting! Let's see how your defense holds up against pure, raw power!"
"Go! Manectric!"
A flash of blue light revealed the canine Pokémon. Manectric snarled, its spiky mane bristling with electricity, looking infinitely more aggressive than Wattson's previous Pokémon.
Watt raised the flags. "Gym Leader Wattson sends out Manectric. Challenger Stephen has the right to substitute."
I knew Torchic couldn't take a hit from this monster. I needed a way to mitigate special damage, and I had a specialist ready.
"Go, Sableye!"
Sableye returned to the field, grinning at the new threat, but even it looked a little intimidated by the intense electric aura around Manectric.
"Sableye, use Light Screen!"
Sableye's eyes flashed, and it focused its energy. A shimmering, green translucent barrier spread across my side of the field.
"Good move! Halving my special attack damage won't save you!" Wattson yelled. "Manectric, Thunderbolt!"
Manectric instantly unleashed a massive, whipping bolt of lightning. The energy slammed into the Light Screen, which flared brightly, absorbing the majority of the damage.
The remaining electricity still struck Sableye hard. The Ghost-type shrieked as its body absorbed the potent electric attack.
"Now, hit back! Night Shade!"
Sableye bravely focused its energy and fired a black, ghostly projection. The Night Shade struck Manectric.
Manectric flinched but shook the fixed damage off easily. It was built for endurance.
"Too weak!" Wattson declared. "Manectric, a quick Bite!"
Manectric lunged, closing the gap instantly. The bite didn't do massive damage, but it was enough to overwhelm the weakened ghost.
Sableye stumbled backward, its limbs shaking. It tried to stand, but the residual electric energy and the heavy blow were too much. It collapsed.
Watt raised the green flag toward Wattson. "Sableye is unable to battle!"
I recalled Sableye. My Prankster did its job—it set up the Light Screen. Now, I had to capitalize.
"Torchic, I know you're tired, but I need you!" I sent my starter back out.
"Torc!" Torchic chirped weakly, swaying on the metal floor.
"A damaged Fire-type against Manectric?" Wattson scoffed. "You must be desperate, Stephen! Manectric, show him the power of a charged-up Thunderbolt!"
The air screamed as Manectric gathered an immense amount of electricity—a bolt far larger than the previous one. It launched the full-power attack.
The bolt tore through the arena and smashed into Torchic. The Light Screen glowed intensely, mitigating the vast majority of the damage, but the attack was so powerful that Torchic was lifted off its feet and thrown into the wall behind me.
CRASH!
"Torchic!"
The Fire-type slumped to the ground. If not for the Light Screen, it would have been instantly knocked out. But Torchic slowly, painstakingly pushed itself up. It was scorched and barely standing, but its eyes still burned with defiance.
"Torc... chic!"
"Incredible!" Wattson gasped. "That Light Screen saved it from a one-hit kill! Manectric, finish it! Thunder Fang!"
Manectric obeyed, its teeth crackling with sharp, yellow electricity as it rushed forward.
"Torchic! Use Peck! All your speed! Aim for the throat!"
Torchic lunged forward on pure adrenaline, meeting the electrified maw with its sharp beak. Peck struck Manectric hard, capitalizing on the short distance.
But simultaneously, Thunder Fang sank into Torchic's body. The electrical current coursed through my starter. Torchic cried out one last time before falling limp, its energy completely depleted.
Manectric stumbled back from the Peck attack, its head swimming, but it remained standing.
Watt raised his flag. "Torchic is unable to battle!"
Wattson smiled, a hint of respect in his eyes. "That was a warrior's stand, Stephen. But now, it's one-on-one. You have one Pokémon left. I have Manectric. What's your final move?"
I recalled Torchic, placing the ball gently on my belt. I looked at the final Poké Ball remaining.
"I won't back down, Wattson," I said, meeting his gaze. "The Dynamo Badge is mine."
I grabbed the last ball.
"Go, Mawile!"
The battle against Manectric and my final chance at the Dynamo Badge would be decided now.