Author's Note: First off appreciate the sudden response in comments , both good and bad and some bold , it means there are new readers emerging for this fic. That said enjoy.
Third POV
Grey wasted no time recalling Charmander and sending out his second Pokémon.
"Axew, you're up!"
A flash of white light erupted from the Poké Ball as Axew landed on one of the dry platforms that remained after Charmander had evaporated almost the entire pool.
The small dragon immediately spotted Kingdra standing across from him.
Instead of looking nervous, a wide, almost devious grin spread across Axew's face. He looked back at Grey for a brief second, almost as if thanking him for sending him out against this opponent.
Grey couldn't help but smile inwardly.
Ever since the battle against Ryu weeks ago, he had noticed something about Axew. The little dragon genuinely loved fighting other Dragon-types. Unfortunately for him, Kanto wasn't exactly filled with dragons. The Dragonite line was incredibly rare, and very few trainers even owned one. Kingdra was probably the first proper Dragon-type opponent Axew had seen in weeks .
Naturally...
He was excited.
"Dragon Dance!"
Grey didn't waste a second.
Axew roared as draconic energy wrapped around his body while he began performing Dragon Dance.
Lily wasn't about to allow him a free setup.
"Kingdra! Hydro Pump!"
Kingdra immediately fired a massive torrent of water straight towards Axew.
"Spin while using Dragon Dance! Release Dragon Rage!"
Axew instantly changed the rhythm of his dance, spinning his body while releasing Dragon Rage around himself. The swirling draconic flames mixed with his rotation, creating a crude imitation of Counter Shield. The spinning barrier didn't completely stop Hydro Pump, but it broke apart the force of the attack enough for Axew to continue his Dragon Dance while taking only minimal damage.
It wasn't a true Counter Shield more like a budget version of it .
But it was clearly inspired by it.
By the time Hydro Pump ended, Axew had successfully completed Dragon Dance.
Grey immediately went on the offensive.
"Strength! Then Dragon Claw!"
Without hesitation, Axew exploded forward.
His already impressive speed had increased another level after Dragon Dance, making him look like a green blur racing towards Kingdra.
"Dragon Breath!"
Lily responded immediately.
Kingdra opened her mouth and released a green stream of draconic energy towards the charging Axew.
Rather than slowing down, Axew suddenly leapt high into the air.
Kingdra smoothly redirected Dragon Breath upwards, attempting to catch him before he landed.
"Dragon Claw!"
Axew crossed one glowing claw in front of himself, using it almost like a shield as he pushed through the Dragon Breath. The attack still struck him, but it was weakened enough that he could endure it.
Gravity took over.
With the momentum from his jump combined with the enhanced power from Strength, Axew came crashing down directly above Kingdra.
"Now!"
His glowing claw slammed straight into Kingdra's face.
BOOM!
Kingdra was smashed into the battlefield hard enough that small cracks spread across the stone floor beneath her.
Lily's eyes widened.
She wasn't just surprised by Axew's raw strength.
She was surprised by the sequence itself.
Using Dragon Dance to increase speed, jumping over Dragon Breath instead of simply dodging it, using Dragon Claw as a temporary shield, then combining gravity and Strength into a devastating aerial strike...
It was incredibly creative.
For one absurd moment, Lily even found herself wondering if parts of that sequence could somehow be adapted into one of their water performances.
She immediately shook her head.
What am I thinking?
This isn't the time for that.
Who even is this kid?
She already knew this year's rookie trainers were unusually talented. Those Pallet Town trainers had already surprised the Cerulean Gym enough by clearing it one after another.
But this...
This three-badge trainer was currently overpowering the Gym's six-badge level Kingdra.
It simply didn't make sense.
Lily quickly regained her composure.
If brute force wasn't enough...
Then she'd exploit the type advantage.
"Kingdra! Ice Beam!"
Axew's instincts screamed danger.
The moment he heard the command, he immediately retreated.
Kingdra climbed back onto her feet, clearly annoyed after being slammed into the ground, before firing a brilliant Ice Beam.
The freezing ray shot across the battlefield.
Axew dodged.
Kingdra tracked him.
The beam continued sweeping after the fleeing dragon.
Everywhere the attack passed, the damp battlefield rapidly froze over. A thick sheet of ice soon covered much of the arena floor.
Despite continuously adjusting the beam, Kingdra still couldn't land a direct hit.
Axew's increased speed from Dragon Dance was proving invaluable.
Eventually, the Ice Beam stopped.
The battlefield had changed completely.
The remaining water had frozen over, and the dry ground was now covered in a smooth layer of ice.
The sunlight had also disappeared .
Grey quickly noticed it.
He looked at Axew.
"Use the ice! Skate on it!"
Instead of avoiding the frozen ground...
Axew embraced it.
He lowered his center of gravity before launching himself forward, skating across the icy battlefield at incredible speed.
Lily frowned.
"Kingdra! Ice Beam again!"
Another freezing beam raced towards Axew.
This time...
Axew didn't dodge immediately.
"Rock Smash!"
Brown energy coated both of his arms as Rock Smash reinforced them.
Rather than allowing Ice Beam to strike his body, Axew deliberately raised his strengthened arms to intercept parts of the attack while continuing to slide across the ice.
Chunks of frost rapidly formed around both arms.
His claws slowly disappeared beneath thick layers of ice.
Kingdra continued redirecting the beam, trying desperately to stop him before he got close.
But Axew never stopped moving.
Each time the beam threatened to fully connect, he adjusted his path across the ice while allowing Rock Smash to absorb just enough of the attack to protect the rest of his body.
By the time he reached striking distance...
Both of his arms had become almost completely encased in ice.
Grey's eyes flashed.
"Strength!"
Axew suddenly accelerated one final time.
Kingdra barely had time to react.
"Dragon Claw!"
The instant draconic energy surged through Axew's arms, the thick ice surrounding them shattered apart.
Massive emerald claws burst free from the frozen prison.
"Point-blank Ice Beam!"
Lily shouted desperately.
Kingdra fired one last Ice Beam directly into Axew's face.
For a brief second...
Axew's advance slowed.
The freezing energy desperately tried to stop him.
Then...
With a roar, Axew simply powered through it.
The Dragon Claw tore straight through the Ice Beam before slamming into Kingdra with overwhelming force.
BOOM!
Kingdra was launched backwards before crashing onto the battlefield, completely unconscious.
The referee immediately raised his flag.
"Kingdra is unable to battle!"
For a brief moment, complete silence filled the Cerulean Gym.
An Axew...
Had just beat a six badge level pokemon
————————————————
Third POV
Violet stepped forward, signalling for Lily to switch out as she took over the final battle herself. She looked at Grey for a moment before smiling wryly.
"I have to admit," she said, "you're quite good. So are your Pokémon. We clearly aren't dealing with an average three-badge trainer anymore."
She raised another Poké Ball.
"Come on out, Lapras."
A large Lapras appeared in the battlefield, gracefully entering the remaining pool of water.
Axew tightened his stance. The dragon was still breathing heavily after its battle with Kingdra. Although its recent training with Cloyster had noticeably improved its endurance against Ice-type attacks, it hadn't magically erased its weakness. Taking that point-blank Ice Beam earlier had left it bruised and exhausted.
Violet immediately took the initiative.
"Lapras, use Sing."
A calm, beautiful melody echoed throughout the gym. The soothing voice spread across the battlefield as if it were flowing together with the water itself.
Grey's expression immediately changed.
"Oh no..."
"Axew! Cover your ears!"
Unfortunately, his warning came a second too late.
Axew swayed where he stood, blinked twice, then collapsed onto the battlefield fast asleep.
Violet didn't hesitate.
"Ice Beam!"
A freezing ray shot across the arena and struck the sleeping dragon head-on.
Boom!
The attack exploded into a shower of frost.
Axew was blasted backwards, sliding several metres before finally coming to a stop.
Grey quietly recalled him.
"You did well," he muttered. "You fought exactly how I wanted you to."
Grey returned Axew to his Poké Ball, he was disappointed that his battle had ended while axew was asleep, but even he knew there wasn't much to complain about. Sleep was a legitimate battle strategy, and Violet had simply capitalized on it perfectly.
Grey reached for his final Poké Ball.
"Your turn, Exeggutor."
The massive coconut Pokémon appeared on the battlefield.
Seeing the Grass-type standing before her, Violet's eye twitched.
You've got to be kidding me...
The battle began instantly.
"Sunny Day."
Grey's command came without hesitation.
At almost the exact same moment, Violet ordered,
"Ice Beam!"
Exeggutor moved with incredible efficiency.
Without even waiting for Sunny Day to finish activating, psychic energy erupted from several of its heads simultaneously. The incoming Ice Beam froze in midair under Psychic's influence, while at the same time another portion of Exeggutor's concentration completed Sunny Day.
The artificial sunlight filled the arena.
Its Chlorophyll activated immediately.
Only after accomplishing both tasks did Exeggutor dedicate all of its focus to Psychic.
The invisible force slammed into Lapras like a giant hammer.
Boom!
Lapras was hurled across the pool, crashing against the opposite side before managing to regain its footing.
Even Violet looked genuinely surprised.
It... used Psychic and Sunny Day at the same time?
Grey wasn't surprised in the slightest.
Among his Pokémon, Exeggutor's multitasking ability was unrivalled. Having multiple minds sharing one body allowed it to split its concentration in ways almost no other Pokémon could replicate.
Violet quickly recovered.
"Lapras! Sing again!"
The melody spread across the arena once more.
"Giga Drain!" Grey ordered immediately.
Exeggutor fired countless green energy toward Lapras, beginning to absorb its vitality.
Unfortunately...
Halfway through the attack, every one of Exeggutor's heads drooped.
The energy disappeared.
The giant Pokémon had fallen asleep.
Grey clicked his tongue.
Sleep...
Out of every status condition, this was still the one he disliked fighting the most.
He genuinely didn't have many answers for it.
Violet naturally seized the opportunity.
"Ice Beam!"
Lapras immediately fired another freezing beam toward the sleeping Exeggutor.
Inside Exeggutor's shared consciousness...
Most of the heads were peacefully asleep.
Except one.
There was always Kevin.
Among Exeggutor's many heads, Kevin was infamous. His thought process differed from everyone else's, he was absurdly hyperactive, and somehow he always seemed capable of waking up faster than the rest.
Kevin slowly opened his eyes.
"Huh?"
He looked around.
"...Why's everyone sleeping?"
Outside, Grey noticed something unbelievable.
"One head is awake?"
For a split second, even he was confused.
How...?
There wasn't time to think.
"Exeggutor! Use Psychic on yourself! Wake everyone up through your telepathic link!"
Kevin's eyes sparkled.
A mischievous grin spread across his face.
"Oh, I know exactly how."
Within Exeggutor's shared consciousness...
Kevin took a deep breath.
Then...
He began singing.
Not Sing.
Just...
His own singing.
It was absolutely horrific.
The other heads shot awake almost instantly.
"KEVIN!"
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
"YOUR VOICE IS TERRIBLE!"
"You couldn't have just nudged us?!"
Kevin looked incredibly proud of himself.
"It worked."
Outside...
The Ice Beam landed directly on Exeggutor before the others fully regained control.
The giant Pokémon was shoved backwards, ice rapidly covering portions of its trunk and leaves.
Despite the super-effective hit...
It remained standing.
The collective consciousness of Exeggutor had one unified opinion.
Forget Kevin.
Forget Sleep.
Now they were annoyed with Lapras.
Very annoyed.
"SolarBeam!" Grey shouted.
Green energy rapidly gathered around Exeggutor.
Although SolarBeam wasn't yet mastered despite learning it through a TM, under Sunny Day the charging time became nearly instantaneous.
Combined with Chlorophyll boosting its speed...
The beam fired almost immediately.
"Counter with Ice Beam!" Violet ordered.
Both attacks collided.
For a brief moment, green and blue struggled against one another.
Then...
SolarBeam overpowered Ice Beam completely.
The emerald beam smashed directly into Lapras, forcing the massive Pokémon backwards.
Lapras was still standing, breathing heavily.
Grey didn't let up.
"Psychic!"
Invisible force wrapped itself around Lapras.
The enormous Pokémon suddenly found itself being dragged across the battlefield against its will.
Violet immediately reacted.
"Lapras! Ice Shard! Break free!"
Sharp chunks of ice formed around Lapras and exploded outward.
But Exeggutor's Psychic grip barely weakened.
The coconut Pokémon simply pulled harder.
Grey couldn't help smiling.
It was doing something Grey had once suggested it to do with psychic that is "Bansho Tenin".
Lapras was literally dragged through the air toward Exeggutor despite desperately trying to resist.
The moment it entered range...
"Giga Drain."
Green Energy wrapped around Lapras once again.
Its strength rapidly flowed into Exeggutor.
Once enough health had been recovered...
Exeggutor finished the sequence.
With a powerful burst of Psychic...
It slammed Lapras straight into the battlefield.
Crash!
The arena shook.
Lapras struggled.
Tried to rise.
Its legs trembled.
Then...
It collapsed.
The referee immediately raised his flag.
"Lapras is unable to battle!"
"Victory goes to Challenger Grey Mallory!"
Exeggutor calmly levitated itself over the remaining water before floating back beside Grey.
Grey smiled and patted its trunk.
"Good work."
Several of the heads smiled proudly.
Kevin looked especially smug.
The others collectively ignored him.
Across the battlefield, the three Cerulean Sisters gathered together for a quiet discussion.
Naturally, they were disappointed they had lost.
However, after replaying the battle in their minds, they reached the same conclusion.
This wasn't like losing to the Pallet Town kids.
Those trainers had been talented.
This boy...
...was simply an anomaly.
Despite initially thinking he was arrogant when he requested their strongest Pokémon, he had actually backed up every word with skill.
After a brief discussion, the sisters nodded among themselves.
Daisy stepped forward carrying the Cascade Badge.
"You've earned your victory, Grey."
She handed him the badge before smiling.
"And because you specifically asked us to use our strongest Pokémon and won we'd like to reward you with something extra."
Lily produced a Technical Machine from behind her back.
"The TM for Water Pulse."
"Think of it as a bonus reward for giving us a battle that was far more entertaining than we expected."
Author's Note: Ok so the battle is done , I was initially thinking of him just sweeping the matches but I thought they would have some strong pokemon despite thier dendencies after all even toh misty does become the gym leader they did manage it until then so they should have some strong pokemon and also I had made many changes in this world for this fic so it would be consistent
Second thing, should I still keep the poll for pseudo legendary pokemon as the outcome for both polls in patreon and RR have a clear winner.