Third POV
The crowd had gone absolutely wild after the previous battle.
Most of the spectators had come expecting to watch an experienced gym trainer comfortably defeat another challenger before Flint's main battle. Instead, they had witnessed one of the most entertaining trainer matches they had seen in years. Boulder had lived up to his reputation as one of Pewter Gym's finest trainers, but the young challenger had matched him every step of the way.
Cheers echoed throughout Arena 1 as people discussed the previous exchange.
"That Heracross is insane!"
"I thought Boulder had him."
"The kid's stronger than I expected."
"It was worth coming here today."
Even Forest, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn't take his eyes off the battlefield.
Grey looked at the battlefield for a moment before deciding on his next Pokémon.
Sending Charmeleon now would probably be a mistake. While he wanted to give his weaker Pokémon as much battle experience as possible, he wasn't willing to throw away the entire Challenge Mode run because of it. Losing here meant waiting quite some time before being allowed to attempt the challenge again, and after an entire week of preparation, that wasn't something he wanted.
Persian could probably handle the situation.
But Grey had someone else in mind.
Both trainers reached for their Poké Balls.
"Go!"
A red flash appeared on Grey's side as Fraxure landed on the battlefield.
Across from it, Boulder released his next Pokémon.
A sturdy, metallic dinosaur-like Pokémon emerged with a heavy thud.
"Lairon!"
The moment it appeared, murmurs spread across the stadium.
Most of the crowd had never seen either Pokémon before.
Kanto wasn't exactly known for trainers travelling to other regions very often, so both Fraxure and Lairon were completely unfamiliar to most of the audience.
Grey couldn't help making a slightly frustrated face.
A Lairon... damn it.
He doubted Flint had supplied Boulder with something like this. The older trainer had most likely caught it himself.
Boulder noticed Grey's expression and laughed.
"A Fraxure. Never seen one in person before, though I've watched recordings of its final evolution on television." He patted Lairon's steel body proudly. "Looks like we both have some rare Pokémon."
He grinned before continuing.
"Judging by your expression, you already know what Lairon is. Good. I never got the chance to use it in a gym trainer battle before. I caught this fellow during a vacation in Hoenn."
Grey resisted the urge to sigh.
Great... now even gym trainers are coming back from vacations with foreign Pokémon.
The referee looked between both trainers before raising his flags.
"Battle... begin!"
"Lairon, Rock Tomb!"
The Steel-type immediately slammed its forelegs into the ground as massive rocks shot toward Fraxure.
"Dragon Pulse!"
Fraxure opened its mouth and unleashed a concentrated Dragon Pulse.
The purple beam smashed into the incoming boulders, exploding in the middle of the battlefield as both attacks cancelled each other out.
Seeing that long-range attacks weren't getting anywhere, Boulder immediately changed tactics.
"Iron Defense!"
Lairon's metallic body glowed as its armor hardened further.
"Dragon Dance."
Fraxure responded by calmly performing Dragon Dance, increasing both its speed and offensive power.
Both Pokémon had strengthened themselves.
Now it was time to fight.
"Lairon! Metal Claw!"
The steel dinosaur charged forward like a battering ram, each heavy step shaking the battlefield beneath it.
Grey remained calm.
"Dragon Rage Burst!"
Fraxure released a concentrated burst of Dragon Rage directly into Lairon's path.
The attack exploded against the Steel-type's body, but Lairon simply pushed through it, enduring the damage as it continued its charge.
Its glowing Metal Claw swung toward Fraxure.
"Back."
Fraxure shifted backwards at the last second.
The Metal Claw slammed into the ground instead.
Boom!
The arena floor cracked beneath the impact.
Grey's eyes narrowed slightly.
That would've hurt.
The attack carried incredible force, powered by Lairon's heavy body.
Unfortunately for Boulder, missing left the Steel-type completely exposed.
"Brick Break!"
Fraxure instantly stepped forward.
Both arms crossed before uncrossing in a powerful X-shaped strike that slammed directly into Lairon's face.
The Steel-type was launched backward, skidding across the battlefield before finally stopping.
Many in the audience blinked.
The battle felt like the complete opposite of the previous one.
Earlier, Heracross had struggled against Sudowoodo's experience.
Now it was Fraxure who looked like the more experienced battler.
Boulder, however, didn't appear worried.
He simply smiled.
"Iron Defense."
Despite the damage it had taken, Lairon obeyed, reinforcing its already sturdy armor once more.
Grey frowned.
What's he planning?
He didn't intend to give Boulder any more time.
"Fraxure! Finish it with another Brick Break!"
Fraxure accelerated forward.
Its Dragon Dance boost made it significantly faster than Lairon, allowing it to close the distance before the Steel-type could react.
The instant Lairon completed Iron Defense, Fraxure's crossed arms flashed again.
Boom!
Another dual Brick Break smashed directly into Lairon's head, sending the Steel-type flying across the battlefield for the second time.
This time, Lairon struggled to stand.
Its legs trembled as it slowly forced itself upright.
Grey expected Boulder to recall it.
Instead...
Boulder simply smirked.
"Lairon..."
A calm smile spread across his face.
"Rest."
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The moment Grey heard the command, his expression changed.
"Fraxure! Don't let it rest! Brick Break!"
Fraxure immediately burst forward, its Dragon Dance-boosted speed carrying it across the battlefield in an instant. It swung both glowing arms downward, hoping to interrupt the technique before it could take effect.
Unfortunately, it was just a fraction too late.
Lairon's eyes had already closed.
The Steel-type had fallen asleep.
Fraxure's Brick Break crashed into its body, the impact echoing throughout the arena, but instead of knocking it out, the damage rapidly disappeared as Rest restored Lairon to perfect condition.
Grey clicked his tongue.
"So that's your plan."
Boulder simply smiled.
"Sleep Talk."
Lairon murmured something unintelligible in its sleep.
The next instant, its body was coated in brilliant steel energy as it suddenly launched itself into the air.
"Hea—"
Before Grey could finish his warning, Lairon came crashing down.
Heavy Slam!
The Steel-type's entire body slammed into Fraxure like a falling boulder.
"Dragon Claw!"
Fraxure reacted quickly, coating both arms in dragon energy and crossing them upward to meet the descending attack.
The two moves collided with a deafening crash.
For a brief second, it looked like Fraxure had managed to stop it.
Then Lairon's sheer weight took over.
The miniature steel dinosaur forced its way through the Dragon Claws, driving Fraxure straight into the battlefield.
BOOM!
The ground shattered beneath them as a large crater formed.
Dust exploded into the air.
A few moments later, Fraxure leapt out from the side of the crater and landed back on its feet, breathing heavily. It had managed to avoid taking the full force of the attack, but there was no hiding the injuries covering its body.
Grey studied Lairon carefully.
Heavy Slam...
So that's the Rest-Sleep Talk strategy.
Rest healed all of Lairon's injuries.
Sleep Talk allowed it to continue attacking while asleep.
If it had evolved into Aggron already, that combination would have been significantly more troublesome.
Fortunately...
Grey still had one ace left.
He looked at Fraxure and gave a small nod.
Time to finish this.
"Dragon Dance."
Fraxure calmly performed another Dragon Dance.
Its movements became even sharper as its already impressive offensive power increased once more.
Boulder frowned slightly.
He could feel something coming.
Grey raised his hand.
"Fraxure."
The dragon looked back.
"Rampage Slash."
Fraxure's eyes sharpened immediately.
This was one of the techniques Grey and Fraxure had spent weeks developing together.
Normal-type energy surged throughout Fraxure's body as it activated Strength, reinforcing every muscle. At the same time, brilliant Fighting-type energy gathered around both of its arms, forming two glowing Brick Breaks, while Rock Smash energy coated the tusks protruding from either side of its jaw.
Fraxure lowered its body.
Then exploded forward.
The battlefield cracked beneath its feet.
Even Boulder could feel the pressure coming from the attack.
His expression became serious.
This is the finishing move.
Unfortunately, Lairon was still asleep.
There was only one command he could give.
"Sleep Talk!"
Lairon muttered again.
A soft metallic glow surrounded its body.
"Iron Defense!"
Grey's eyes narrowed.
"So that's what it picked."
Lairon's already durable steel armor became even tougher.
But Grey didn't stop Fraxure.
He simply pointed forward.
"Finish it."
Fraxure roared.
The distance between them disappeared almost instantly.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!!
The impact echoed throughout the entire arena.
Fraxure's Rampage Slash crashed into the sleeping Lairon with overwhelming force. The combined momentum from Strength, the twin Brick Breaks, and the Rock Smash-coated tusks struck all at once, overwhelming even Lairon's reinforced defenses.
For a brief second, the Steel-type resisted.
Then its feet left the ground.
Lairon was launched across the battlefield like a cannonball before crashing violently into the arena wall.
The wall shook from the impact.
Dust slowly settled.
Silence filled the arena.
Lairon remained slumped against the wall.
It didn't move.
The referee glanced at the Steel-type for a few moments before raising his flag.
"Lairon is unable to battle!"
He turned toward Grey's side.
"Fraxure is still able to battle!"
"The winner of this match is Challenger Grey!"
The crowd erupted into applause once again.
Another convincing victory.
Grey let out a quiet breath before recalling Fraxure.
"You did well."
Fraxure gave a tired nod before disappearing into the Poké Ball.
To be honest, Grey knew he had revealed more than he would have liked. Rampage Slash had been one of Fraxure's strongest techniques, and showing it before facing Flint wasn't ideal.
Still...
He wasn't too concerned.
He had won.
His Challenge Mode trainer battles were complete.
And Flint now had only one day to prepare for him.
Grey, on the other hand, still had tomorrow.
One more day to train.
One more day to think.
One more day to come up with something new.
If Flint was already planning strategies against Fraxure after seeing today's battle...
Grey would simply make sure he had another answer waiting.
Now only one battle remained.
The Gym Leader battle.
The final obstacle standing between Grey and Pewter City's Boulder Badge.
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Third POV
(At the Pewter Gym, in the Leader's Room)
Flint was watching the match between Grey and Boulder, and after seeing that Rampage Slash move, he had a grimace on his face before facepalming.
"Goddammit!"
Mentally, Flint wasn't sure how he was supposed to fight Grey anymore.
His initial plan had been to use a six-badge-level team against Grey, but that Fraxure was definitely above the six-badge level. That Pokémon alone could probably steamroll most of his team.
The problem was that Flint couldn't simply increase the level of his Pokémon either. How the heck was he supposed to justify that?
Some degree of difficulty was still fine, but if he suddenly brought out an eight-badge-level Pokémon, the entire Pewter population might turn against him. What would people say? That to beat a child, Flint had to use Pokémon that were far stronger than what a five-badge challenger was supposed to face?
What the heck was wrong with this kid?
Why were his Pokémon so strong?
The main issue was that this was Grey's first League circuit. Flint genuinely couldn't increase the strength of his Pokémon by a huge margin.
He couldn't exactly claim that Grey was an experienced trainer who was simply restarting his journey again either.
Flint sighed.
This was getting annoying.
He began analysing Grey's possible team based on the Pokémon he had used in previous gyms and tournaments, eventually getting a rough idea of what he could potentially face.
Heracross.
Persian.
Charmeleon.
Fraxure.
Exeguttor.
And Shellder or Cloyster.
Grey had used Shellder during the tournament, but he hadn't used it in any of his gym matches since then. It was entirely possible that the Pokémon had evolved in the meantime.
"Great."
Flint rubbed his forehead.
"Just great."
Grey had a powerful Grass-type and Water-type to deal with his Rock-types.
Heracross and Fraxure could both hit them with Fighting-type moves.
And then there was Charmeleon, which could potentially change the weather with Sunny Day.
Exeguttor could do the same.
Why had this kid decided to challenge Pewter Gym now instead of doing it earlier in his journey?
Flint genuinely couldn't understand it.
Most trainers who challenged Pewter Gym at this point in their journey would have teams specifically designed to deal with Rock-types, but Grey's team seemed to be built for a much higher level of challenge its like his team was a bane for rock-types.
Flint leaned back in his chair.
He needed to figure out how to use his own Pokémon effectively.
After thinking for a while, he finally came to a decision.
The battle would be a four-on-four.
Giving Grey the opportunity to use more Pokémon would only make things more difficult. The more options Grey had, the harder it would be for Flint to maintain control over the battle.
Four Pokémon would give him enough room to challenge Grey properly while still keeping the battle within the expected difficulty for a five-badge challenge and pushing that a bit further to 6 badge level maybe.
Flint then began considering another possibility.
Sand.
He could potentially build his team around abusing the Sandstorm weather condition.
Flint knew that Grey had two Pokémon capable of setting up Sunny Day, Charmeleon and Exeguttor. That meant Grey could potentially try to control the weather and boost the power of his Fire-type attacks.
Flint was willing to play the weather war for now.
He needed the increased defensive capabilities that Sandstorm could provide, especially if Grey decided to bring his stronger Pokémon.
It wasn't a perfect plan.
But it was a plan.
Flint would have to make the most of what he had.
Overall, he did have a strategy to keep Grey in check.
The problem was that the success of that strategy depended heavily on which Pokémon Grey actually decided to use as if he used his best choices against a rock type gym it would cause a huge problem for him.
Flint sighed again.
"Why couldn't this kid just be normal?"
He stared at the screen showing Grey's victorious Fraxure.
One thing was certain.
The battle tomorrow was going to be much more difficult than he had originally anticipated.