"Go, Dewgong!"
Following standard Gym challenge protocol, the opposing Trainer sent out her first Pokémon.
A flash of red light burst from the Poké Ball, and with it came a scattering of tiny snowflakes — a deliberate flourish. A snow-white figure dropped gracefully into the pool and immediately began to glide through the water with effortless speed. Within moments, all David could make out was a pale blur cutting through the churning surface.
A Dewgong. David watched it with mild curiosity. Why does this feel so familiar?
He pulled up the Pokémon's information on his Rotom Phone.
Dewgong Type: Water / Ice | Gender: ♀ Energy Level: 42 — Professional Stage One Ability: Ice Body | Quality: Purple Held Item: Icy Rock Moves: Headbutt, Growl, Icy Wind, Signal Beam, Ice Shard, Rest, Aqua Ring, Aurora Beam, Aqua Jet, Brine, Iron Tail, Water Pulse, Icicle Spear, Horn Drill, Sheer Cold, Take Down, Aqua Tail, Surf, Blizzard, Snowscape, Smart Strike, Echoed Voice…
Average strength overall — on par with the Pokémon David had faced at other Gym challenges, the Hundred Flowers Gym aside. But the arena favored it heavily. Any Pokémon not adapted to this environment would be fighting at half capacity from the moment it hit the field.
It's a Water-type Pokémon at a Water-type Gym, but its move pool leans heavily toward Ice. David noted the pattern. That was deceptive in a way most challengers wouldn't pick up on straight away.
"Zorua, you're up."
Without further ceremony, David reached up, lifted Zorua from his shoulder — where she had been sitting quite comfortably, watching with interest — and tossed her onto the floating platform across the arena.
The opposing Trainer stared.
The platform was a good thirty meters away. David had thrown Zorua one-handed, in a casual arc, and she landed without so much as a stumble.
"This challenge is the Azure Wave Gym Intermediate Challenge," the Rotom Referee announced. "Both sides will use three Pokémon in a 3-vs-3 format. The challenged party may not switch Pokémon during the battle. The challenger's number of switches is unlimited. Victory is achieved when all three of the opponent's Pokémon are unable to battle. This match is officially certified by the Donghuang Alliance. Begin!"
"Dewgong, Snowscape!"
The command came the instant the Rotom Referee finished speaking. Dewgong surged upward and launched an ice-blue orb of light into the air above the arena. The temperature dropped sharply. Within seconds, snowflakes were drifting down across the entire field.
David raised an eyebrow.
The pool had already been cold. Now, after Snowscape took hold, the water had turned biting — the kind of chill that would drain the stamina from any Pokémon not built for it. Thin sheets of ice were already forming along the surface. Lucario could probably manage it. Kirlia too, though not without a performance hit. Zorua, whose lineage traced back to the frigid wilds of Hisui, was unfazed.
Dewgong, meanwhile, looked like it had come home. It moved through the near-frozen water with ease, and under the effect of Snowscape its defense had clearly climbed. The Icy Rock it carried extended the weather's duration further still.
This isn't just a move, David thought. This Dewgong was trained specifically to set weather. It's been doing this for a long time.
That almost certainly meant Ice-type Pokémon waiting in the opposing Trainer's remaining lineup. But that was a concern for later.
"Zorua — Psychic. Pull it out of the pool."
No elaborate setup. Zorua's level was already pushing the edge of Professional-class. The most efficient way to deal with a Pokémon at this tier was to end it cleanly.
The opposing Trainer hadn't fully processed the command when it was already done.
"Zoro~"
Zorua's eyes shifted to a soft, glowing pink. The next instant, a wave of psychic force swept silently across the arena — invisible, yet unmistakable in the way the air seemed to press inward. The little fox sitting calmly on the platform no longer looked quite so small.
The Psychic locked onto Dewgong beneath the surface and dragged it free of the water in a single motion.
Dewgong thrashed the moment it realized what was happening. It struggled with everything it had. It made no difference. Zorua's grip held absolute. The Dewgong was hauled through the air and slammed hard onto the platform.
The opposing Trainer's composure slipped — just slightly. But she was quick to recover, and she was sharp enough to notice what the situation had created: Dewgong was on the platform now, right next to Zorua.
"Dewgong — Aqua Jet, close range! Knock it into the water!"
A smart read. Zorua wasn't a Water-type. Whatever her strength on the platform, the pool was a different battlefield entirely — get her in there, and the advantage would flip completely.
Water currents coiled around Dewgong's body as it gathered itself and launched upward, riding a burst of Aqua Jet directly at Zorua with everything it had left.
Zorua was still mid-move. She didn't dodge.
"Good read," David said. "But it's over."
The air in front of Zorua darkened. Shadowy flames gathered in the space between the two Pokémon, and from somewhere within them came a low, crawling sound — barely audible, but deeply unsettling. Dewgong seized up mid-flight, its momentum breaking apart.
Then the dark fire surged forward.
Dewgong, still wrapped in its Aqua Jet currents, plunged headlong into the wave of Bitter Malice —