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Losing two battles in a row wiped the easygoing smile from Wattson's face. Even Volker, standing nearby, couldn't help but glance at him with visible concern.
After all, Wattson wasn't young anymore. His health couldn't take extreme emotional swings. If he lost all three matches and something happened because of it, the consequences would be far from worth it.
Compared to Volker's worry, however, Wattson himself seemed oddly unfazed. After recalling his Magneton, he reached for his third Poké Ball with a solemn expression.
A flash of blue light burst forth and Kai immediately recognized the Pokémon that appeared.
It was an Ampharos.
Ampharos resembled a large, bipedal kangaroo. Its body was covered in yellow skin, with a white belly and flattened hands and feet, each foot ending in a single toe. A bright red orb sat on its forehead, with another at the tip of its tail. Black-and-yellow striping ran along its neck, ears, and part of its tail.
Because of its unique physiology, Ampharos's tail emitted an intense light. When night fell, that brilliant glow could be seen clearly even from far out at sea, making it a natural lighthouse. In ancient times, people even used Ampharos's light to send signals to distant companions.
Kai had already battled Ampharos before during his journey through Johto, so the sight of it wasn't unfamiliar to him.
And unlike most people, Kai knew something crucial thanks to his experience with the games.
Ampharos was one of Wattson's signature Pokémon.
So that's how it is… The older he gets, the trickier he becomes.
Kai hadn't expected Wattson to quietly raise the difficulty once again. Anyone less observant would've walked straight into the trap.
Recalling his Combusken, Kai studied Ampharos carefully, gauging its strength.
Despite the word "dragon" being associated with its appearance, Ampharos was a pure Electric-type Pokémon. Even so, it was a versatile fighter, capable of learning a wide range of moves beyond Electric-type attacks.
Since Wattson had sent out one of his strongest partners, Kai knew he had to choose his response carefully.
His fingers brushed across the Poké Balls at his waist. After briefly hesitating between Dragonite and Tyranitar, his hand finally stopped.
He threw out Tyranitar's Poké Ball.
When Tyranitar emerged, Wattson showed no sign of surprise.
"I knew you'd send it out," Wattson said with a nod. "Back when it destroyed my Manectric Cannon No. 2, I could already tell that Tyranitar wasn't ordinary. I figured it'd be your choice."
Was I definitely going to send it out?
Kai chuckled softly and shook his head, not bothering to argue.
It was a natural assumption. Any Gym Leader who saw a challenger with such a powerful Pokémon would treat it as their greatest threat.
But for Kai, Tyranitar was only one option among many.
Tyranitar let out a thunderous roar almost as if it were routine by now for Kai's more ferocious Pokémon.
Ampharos, on the other hand, flinched.
Startled by the roar and intimidated by Tyranitar's massive frame towering over it, Ampharos instinctively took a step back.
Wattson's heart sank.
"Don't be afraid!" he called out quickly. "Just like always—stay confident. Believe in yourself. You're the strongest!"
Surprisingly, his words worked.
Ampharos steadied itself, its breathing calming as it lifted its head and met Tyranitar's gaze head-on.
It was clear that while Ampharos's mentality was slightly fragile, the bond it shared with Wattson was strong. It trusted its Trainer completely.
With both Pokémon ready, Volker waved the flag once more.
The third match of the Gym Battle began.
Both sides had sent out their heavy hitters, and the intensity of this fight immediately surpassed the previous two.
From the start, the battle turned into a mid-to-long-range exchange.
Ampharos fired a Signal Beam. Tyranitar countered with Dark Pulse. Two differently colored energy waves collided in midair, erupting into a violent explosion.
Smoke engulfed the battlefield.
Ampharos prepared to press the attack, aiming to fire through the smoke but at that moment, it felt the ground tremble.
The next instant, Tyranitar burst through the smoke, charging straight toward it.
That quake was caused entirely by Tyranitar like a living armored vehicle barreling forward.
Startled, Ampharos unleashed a powerful electric blast. Lightning slammed into Tyranitar's body, but Tyranitar roared defiantly and kept charging, completely unfazed by the damage.
In close combat, Ampharos wasn't weak. With moves like Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, and Thunder Wave, it could handle most opponents just fine.
But for some reason, facing this Tyranitar sent a chill through its core.
That unease made it instinctively avoid close-range combat, desperately hoping to finish the fight from a distance.
As a Trainer, Wattson noticed immediately.
But with the opponent already in its face and not at all weak in close quarters there was no room to retreat.
"Focus! Thunder Punch!"
Hearing the command, Ampharos clenched its teeth. With no other choice, it stepped forward.
And that was exactly what Kai had been waiting for.
Seeing electricity crackle around Ampharos's fists as it approached, Kai smiled.
"Tyranitar, charge straight through!"
Tyranitar lowered its stance, bracing its armored shoulders and head as it surged forward with even greater force.
Ampharos tried to pivot aside, hoping to dodge the impact and counter with Thunder Punch.
But Tyranitar was larger, faster at short distances, and far more explosive.
Before Ampharos could evade—
Boom!
The collision sent Ampharos flying, as if it had been hit by a speeding truck.
The impact itself didn't deal massive damage but the assault wasn't over.
Before Ampharos could even hit the ground, Kai pressed the attack.
"Now—let's go wild!"
Thrash.
It was a reckless, all-out assault powerful, uncontrollable, and followed by temporary confusion. Because of its high risk, it was usually only used when the opponent couldn't escape.
And right now, Ampharos, just knocked down and unable to reposition, was the perfect target.
As it looked up, it saw Tyranitar looming over it.
The next instant, Tyranitar's eyes burned crimson.
Raising both arms high, it brought them crashing down—
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
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