"Did happiness really come this suddenly?"
Kael stared at the red-and-white Poké Ball in his hand, his mind still a little dazed. Just yesterday, he'd been wondering how on earth he might obtain a Feebas—and now, the little thing was already his.
When Daisy said he could freely choose any unowned Water-type Pokémon, Kael's very first thought had gone to the Feebas in that small pool. What followed went surprisingly smoothly. The three sisters were admittedly shocked by his choice—after all, why would he pick a Pokémon with virtually no combat ability? Calling it a vase would be generous. Feebas's appearance was so far removed from normal human aesthetics that even "decoration" felt like a stretch.
Still, the Feebas had only been picked up by the youngest sister from the beach anyway. Giving it away wasn't a loss.
...
"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"
A passionate, youthful voice echoed through the Cerulean Gym.
"Feebas, Splash," Kael said calmly.
The vines tore through the air and struck Feebas squarely as it leapt from the water. Grass countered Water, and with Feebas's pitiful stamina, Bulbasaur's Vine Whip might as well have been tearing through paper.
"Feebas is unable to battle!" the referee announced at once.
"Haha!" Seeing his opening victory, the hot-blooded rookie—clearly someone who had only just begun traveling—excitedly wiped his nose and said with a grin, "Wow, so the Cerulean Gym really is this weak! I didn't quite believe it at first. Bulbasaur, let's keep it up and win our very first Gym Badge!"
"Bulba! Bulba!"
Encouraged by its Trainer, Bulbasaur waved its vines enthusiastically in the air. Trainer and Pokémon alike seemed completely carried away by their early success, already treating the rest of the match as a formality.
Kael recalled the dizzy Feebas into its Poké Ball and looked at the overly excited rookie across from him. He almost felt bad—because what came next would likely be a confidence-shattering nightmare for a brand-new Trainer.
Bang—
A red beam of light twisted in midair, then landed cleanly on the floating platform with a stylish somersault. Arms crossed, the Pokémon stood tall—less feral than before, replaced by a composed, mature presence.
Kael noticed that Sneasel seemed to be imitating his posture more and more. At this moment, both Trainer and Pokémon stood with arms crossed, embodying what could only be described as perfect synchronicity.
"Bulbasaur, let's finish this in one push!" Seeing a new opponent take the field, the rookie immediately shouted, "Keep using Vine Whip!"
The vines lashed out again with a sharp whistling sound. Sneasel didn't dodge. Its claws shot forward and seized the Vine Whip midair.
With Sneasel's exceptional dynamic vision, catching a vine of that speed and force was effortless—an innate advantage of feline Pokémon.
With a powerful yank backward, Bulbasaur was ripped off the ground and sent flying straight toward Sneasel.
"Bulba—bulba…!"
Bulbasaur cried out in panic, flailing helplessly in the air. The rookie Trainer, who moments ago had been brimming with confidence, now stood frozen in disbelief.
You can catch Vine Whip with your bare hands?!
Bulbasaur was dragged right up in front of Sneasel, still held by its vines. With nowhere to brace itself, it curled into a tight ball in fear. At that moment, it truly understood what terror meant—the instinctive dread provoked by the aura of a Dark-type Pokémon.
"Bulbasaur, don't panic! Hold that position and use Razor Leaf!"
For a novice Trainer to react at all in such a situation was commendable.
Unfortunately, it was meaningless in front of Sneasel.
Before Bulbasaur could launch its attack, a chilling uppercut slammed into its face. With a sharp cry, Bulbasaur was sent flying backward.
The Gym referee immediately waved the flag. "Bulbasaur is unable to battle!"
"Bulbasaur… you'll be fine."
The rookie recalled his unconscious Pokémon, then pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it.
"Oddish, I'm counting on you!"
Oddish landed on the floating platform, wobbling unsteadily. Surrounded by water on all sides, it was clearly uncomfortable—hesitant, shrinking back, barely daring to move. It was obviously a Pokémon that hadn't been caught very long.
Grass might counter Water—but when there's too much water, grass drowns all the same.
Don't tell me this kid caught a whole team of Grass-types just to challenge Cerulean Gym…
The corner of Kael's mouth twitched slightly. Crude as the strategy was, it was undeniably effective. If the Gym were still defended by the three sisters, this match might genuinely have gone the other way.
The rest of the battle held no suspense.
Against Sneasel's overwhelming strength, the rookie Trainer had no room to fight back at all. Oddish was defeated in an instant. By now, Kael could clearly see that the boy's emotions were starting to unravel—yet he still summoned his third Pokémon.
Just as Kael had predicted, it was another Grass-type.
Victreebel.
...
"Match over! Challenger Isamu from Celadon City has lost all three Pokémon. Victory goes to the Cerulean Gym!"
With the referee's final ruling, the Gym battle came to an end. The novice Trainer named Isamu left the Gym in a daze, clutching his three Poké Balls as he slowly walked out the door.