Theo glanced at the livestream comments and smiled. When he had introduced Deino earlier, he had deliberately only mentioned its Dragon typing and left out its Dark typing. After all, Mossdeep Gym specialized entirely in Psychic type Pokémon, and that hidden advantage was simply too valuable to give away.
The gym trainer gave a wry smile and stepped aside, making way for him.
"You win, I only got one Pokémon so please go ahead. There are more apprentices waiting in the next rooms. Good luck."
Theo nodded and led Deino into the next chamber.
The following stages were all challenges from Gym trainers and apprentices, and as expected, the Pokémon they sent out were almost entirely Psychic types. However, without exception, every single one of them was effortlessly defeated by Deino.
With the absolute type advantage of Dark over Psychic, Deino was like a fish in water.
Whether the opponents used Confusion, Psybeam, or Psyshock, none of their attacks could harm it in the slightest. Meanwhile, Deino's Bite and Dark Pulse could easily overwhelm them.
Of course, Theo did not send Deino out blindly in every battle.
Whenever the system panel indicated that the opponent's Pokémon knew Ice type or Fairy type moves, he immediately called Deino back and sent out Larvesta instead.
Naturally, he would not tell Deino that it could not handle the opponent. Instead, he simply said it was time for a short rest and that Larvesta should get some exercise as well.
Deino did not mind at all. It had already won so many battles that letting that annoying chubby bug take a turn or two was acceptable.
The unfortunate ones were the opponents.
They had prepared moves to counter Deino, but those same strategies were completely ineffective against Larvesta. On top of that, Larvesta's strength far exceeded theirs, and its Bug typing also countered Psychic types. They stood no chance at all and were defeated one after another.
In this way, Theo cut through every challenge with ease, passing all the apprentice trials without much effort.
Finally, the teleportation gate to the last room opened, and Theo stepped inside.
What greeted him was a spacious and brightly lit battle arena. The ground was made of a special metallic material, faintly glowing with a soft blue hue. Surrounding the field, the spectator stands were already packed with a dense crowd.
At the opposite end of the battlefield stood two figures quietly waiting. They were the Gym Leaders, Tate and Liza.
Both wore matching white and green outfits. Their slender builds and delicate features made them look almost identical. Without prior knowledge, it would have been difficult to tell that they were twin siblings, one male and one female.
It was no wonder their father often mixed them up. Their resemblance was simply uncanny. However, the difference became clear the moment they spoke.
When Liza spoke, her eyes curved slightly, giving her a gentle and warm expression. Tate, on the other hand, carried a sharper and more defiant tone in his voice.
Liza spoke first, her gaze settling on Theo with a hint of scrutiny.
"Theo, although we are both affiliated with the Devon Corporation, there are no exceptions in Gym challenges. Our father often mentions you and says you are the most talented newcomer in recent years. Today, my brother and I will personally verify that."
Tate crossed his arms, a competitive smirk appearing on his lips.
"Do not think that having a type advantage guarantees victory. The badge of Mossdeep Gym is not so easy to obtain."
Liza continued calmly,
"Our Gym follows double battle rules. Only by defeating both of us can you earn the Mind Badge. Are you ready?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the twins exchanged a glance and simultaneously threw their Poké Balls.
"Solrock, Lunatone, come out!"
A flash of red light burst forth, and the two Pokémon that Theo had previously seen in the Meteor Falls mountain range appeared on the field.
Solrock was a blazing orange, its surface marked with crater like patterns, radiating a scorching aura. Lunatone, on the other hand, was a cool blue white, resembling a miniature moon, surrounded by a faint chilling presence.
The moment they appeared, they established a telepathic link with Tate and Liza. Invisible waves of psychic energy spread through the air.
Theo was just about to take out Milotic's Poké Ball when Deino could no longer hold itself back. Provoked by Tate's earlier attitude, it pawed at the ground with its short legs, eager to charge forward and prove its strength.
Theo quickly pressed a hand down on Deino's head and spoke in a low voice,
"Relax. You have already fought enough. Let Metagross and Milotic handle this one. They deserve a chance to battle too."
In his mind, Theo had already reviewed the move sets of Solrock and Lunatone. Lunatone in particular possessed several Fairy and Ice type moves such as Moonblast, Ice Beam, and Blizzard.
If Deino were sent out against that, the outcome would be far from favorable.
Though unwilling, Deino obediently stepped back, its eyes still fixed intently on the battlefield.
Theo raised his hand and threw his Poké Balls.
"Come out, Metagross, Milotic!"
Two flashes of red light erupted simultaneously as both Pokémon appeared on the field.
The moment these two differently colored Pokémon entered the arena, the audience erupted into gasps of astonishment.
The livestream chat exploded even more violently, scrolling so fast that the messages blurred together:
"Oh my god! A once in a century combo! Metagross and Milotic finally appearing together!"
"Is this not basically a replica of Champion Steven and Champion Wallace? What a legendary crossover!"
"Quick, take screenshots! This scene must be saved!"
Tate and Liza stared intently at Metagross and Milotic, their expressions growing noticeably more serious.
With their powerful psychic abilities, they could clearly sense the strength of these two Pokémon. Although they had watched Theo's battle videos before, seeing them in person was an entirely different experience.
It was almost unbelievable that Theo had only trained his Pokémon for a single year and yet brought them to such a level.
Liza's gaze sharpened as she softly said to her brother,
"Tate, take this seriously. We go all out."
"As if I needed you to tell me that."
Tate snorted and shot her a side glance.
No further words were needed. The telepathic connection between the twins had already synchronized their battle intentions perfectly.
"The battle begins!"
The referee waved the flag.
At nearly the exact same moment, Tate and Liza issued their commands, not through spoken words but through direct telepathic communication with their Pokémon.
A deep hum filled the air.
Solrock and Lunatone began to radiate intense psychic energy. That power condensed into thin, translucent barriers that enveloped their bodies.
These were the Psychic type moves Light Screen and Reflect.
Light Screen formed a special barrier of psychic energy that reduced damage from special attacks.
Reflect created another psychic barrier that reduced damage from physical attacks.
With both layers stacked together, the two Pokémon were thoroughly protected, clearly preparing for a defensive strategy.
Seeing this, Theo simply smiled faintly and spoke calmly to Milotic,
"Milotic, fall back to the edge of the field and provide support for Metagross."
(End of Chapter)