"You want to continue with the intermediate challenge? Are you sure?"
Gianna asked, clearly surprised by David's words.
Her nephew was certainly bold, but she was also genuinely curious — was David simply being reckless, or did he actually have the strength to back it up?
Continuing with the intermediate challenge meant he was no longer facing one of the Gym's regular trainers. He would be facing her — the Gym Leader herself.
Even though both were classified as intermediate challenges with fixed Pokémon levels, a Gym Leader's Pokémon were almost always far superior to those of an ordinary professional trainer at the same stage. Whether it was in terms of base strength, battle experience, or natural aptitude, they surpassed ordinary trainers in every way.
This gap became even more noticeable the stronger the Gym — and that was before even considering the difference in the trainer giving the commands.
Giannahad represented the Eastern Alliance in the World Pokémon Tournament over a decade ago. Even as a reserve participant, her strength was not something to be taken lightly.
At least Elite-level. Champion isn't out of the question either…
David made a quiet estimate, using his parents' strength as a reference point.
Originally, Gianna had only planned to battle David with a Pokémon of equal level — just to see whether her nephew was as impressive as her sister-in-law had made him out to be. But with a single sentence, David had voluntarily raised the difficulty of the challenge several times over.
"Of course, Aunt Gianna. Please don't hold back."
David replied without hesitation. Even if the Pokémon were trained by an Elite or a Champion, what did their level matter if they were both the same stage? He had full confidence in his Zorua and the rest of his team.
His partners were already exceptionally talented to begin with. Add to that David's access to high-grade resources, intensive training, and a few advantages most trainers could only dream of — if he didn't have the confidence to win here, then what was the point of chasing the path to becoming a legendary trainer? He might as well stay home and coast on his parents' reputation.
"Very well. I'll take you at your word."
After a brief moment of thought, Gianna accepted his request. She, too, wanted to see just how impressive her nephew really was.
It was a private battle with no audience, so there was no need for a referee. The match began without ceremony.
"Torterra, I choose you!"
Following Gym challenge protocol, the Gym Leader sends out their Pokémon first. Gianna gave a calm, practiced toss of a Poké Ball.
A Pokémon materialized on the battlefield — standing nearly three meters tall, with a thick, heavily armored shell on its back and a large, living tree growing from it. Its overall silhouette was reminiscent of an ancient armored dinosaur.
Name: Torterra
Type: Ground / Grass
Gender: ♂
Energy Level: 41 — Professional Stage One
Ability: Overgrow
Aptitude: Deep Purple
Held Item: Miracle Seed
Moves: Wood Hammer, Tackle, Withdraw, Razor Leaf, Absorb, Bite, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Synthesis, Body Slam, Stomping Tantrum, Earth Power, Earthquake, Head Smash, Frenzy Plant, Grass Knot, Grassy Terrain, Leaf Storm, Rock Slide, Seed Bomb, Growth, Superpower, Grass Pledge…
The Pokémon in front of David was Torterra — one of the final evolutions of the Sinnoh starter line, and a Pokémon often jokingly called a "living battlefield." David's expression shifted slightly as he looked at it, briefly reminded of a certain Torterra from the anime that, despite being a heavy, artillery-style Pokémon built for power and endurance, had somehow always been used as a speed attacker — with predictably unfortunate results.
This one, clearly, didn't have that problem. And judging by the stats, Gianna had indeed sent out a Pokémon at early Professional Stage One, in keeping with the rules of an intermediate challenge.
That said, even at the same stage, this Torterra was a noticeable step above the Pokémon David had faced during the Blazing Sun Gym and Profound Steel Gym challenges.
"A heavy-type opponent. Then it's settled — Shelgon, your turn! Show me what you've got!"
"Roaaaar!"
David released his Poké Ball, and with a deep, resonant dragon's cry, Shelgon's large, round-shelled body landed heavily on the field.
Name: Shelgon Energy Level: 33
Level 33. After spending a full day absorbing the residual draconic energy from the Dragon Festival, Shelgon had gained another level, climbing to 33.
This left Lucario feeling rather put out. It had only just joined the team, yet somehow it had already drawn level with Lucario — which meant Lucario was once again tied for the lowest level on the team.
Why were all his partners like this?
"Is that the Dragon-type you obtained at the Dragon Festival?" Gianna said, a hint of surprise in her voice. "It's quite… substantial."
Even she had been caught off guard when Shelgon appeared. What had this Pokémon been eating?
"We'll go first," David said, cutting straight to it. "Shelgon — Dragon Dance!"
At the command, Shelgon's massive body began to move in a slow, deliberate rhythm, each step reverberating across the battlefield floor. Its power and speed were already climbing.
"Torterra — Sunny Day, then Growth."
Almost the instant David spoke, Gianna issued her own command.
"Tor-terraaa!"
The temperature in the arena climbed quickly. Fire-type energy gathered at Torterra's command, and the light streaming in through the glass ceiling overhead sharpened and intensified, bathing the field in harsh, brilliant sunlight.
The speed with which Torterra activated Sunny Day made it clear the move was deeply ingrained — this was not its first time.
Then Torterra let out a long, rumbling cry. An invisible pressure radiated from its body as Growth took effect — its already imposing frame seemed to grow yet another size, and its presence on the field swelled considerably.
Growth — sharply raises the user's Attack and Special Attack. Under harsh sunlight, the boost is doubled, raising both stats by two stages at once.
Both sides had opened with a stat-boosting move, but David had come away from the exchange at a subtle disadvantage.
So this is what it's like to battle a Gym Leader.
A faint smile crossed David's face.
"Shelgon — since Aunt Gianna has already set up the sun for us, let's not waste it. Use Flamethrower!"
"Rooaaaar~"
A thick pillar of fire erupted from Shelgon's jaws. Flamethrower had been second nature since its days as a Bagon, and evolving hadn't dulled the move in the slightest. If anything, with Shelgon's larger frame behind it, the column of flame looked less like a standard Flamethrower and more like something several times the usual scale.
With the harsh sunlight amplifying Fire-type moves, the attack surged toward Torterra with even greater force.
"Solar Beam — counter it!"
A brilliant golden glow condensed in front of Torterra's beak. Under Sunny Day, the long charging phase was skipped entirely, and a focused beam of golden light launched directly into the oncoming flames.
Solar Beam operates differently from most Grass-type moves. Rather than being weakened by fire, it draws energy directly from sunlight — making it fully effective regardless of the conditions on the field.
The beam tore through the column of fire and struck Shelgon squarely.
"Shelgon — are you alright?"
"Roar~"
Shelgon answered with a steady shake of its body. The Solar Beam had punched through, but it had spent most of its force doing so. By the time it reached Shelgon — which resists Grass-type moves — it left nothing more than a faint scorch mark across the thick outer shell.
"Good. Let's keep going, Shelgon."