Nidoking's massive tail struck the ground in a steady, thundering rhythm. Nova knew his partner well enough to read the feeling behind it — Nidoking was excited.
Standing on this field again stirred something deep in him.
This was the same Gym where he had once hit rock bottom. Overlooked, set aside, treated as nothing more than a tool for sparring and drills, with no future worth speaking of — until a skinny kid had walked in and changed everything. Now fully evolved, Nidoking was pushing the limits of what his strength could become, working toward the day Nova would finally give the order to bring down the old man's ace — the one that had once looked down on him without a second thought.
But that day wasn't today.
Still, winning a real battle — a clean, complete victory — on this very ground, before that long-held score was settled? That meant something too.
Across the field, Fay let out a slow breath.
She had known going in that the trainer Goldenlight City talked about wouldn't be easy. She had even imagined this moment — her Blastoise losing. But now that it had actually happened, standing here with Blastoise's Poké Ball in her hand, the feeling was harder to name than she'd expected.
She brought the ball close and held it carefully, the way you'd hold something you were grateful for.
"Thank you, Blastoise. You were wonderful. Truly wonderful."
She clipped the ball back onto her belt and reached for her next one.
"Go, Swellow!"
The Swallow Pokémon burst from its ball and swept upward in a wide arc. On Fay's command, it came back down in a sharp Aerial Ace — weaving cleanly past Nidoking's Icebeam and curving behind him to strike.
But Nidoking had no blind spot. He caught the movement, and his tail shifted, the surface hardening to a metallic sheen.
"Iron Tail!"
Swellow's attack was already committed — there was no way to redirect. It drove in at full speed and collided head-on with the Iron Tail. Base power against base power, with no same-type bonus on either side, the exchange came out nearly even.
What tipped it was mass. When the energy from both moves faded, Swellow was knocked to the ground. The impact carried no elemental power, so the damage itself was minor.
But Nidoking's ability is Poison Point.
Unlike Nidorino, whose venom lay in the soft fur between his spines, Nidoking's body is covered in dense keratin plates. The tiny, hollow stingers hidden between those plates are just as deadly — and they can extend in an instant. As the Iron Tail connected, dozens of stingers shot outward from Nidoking's tail, and Poison Point activated, flooding Swellow's system with venom before it could pull away.
Swellow narrowly avoided the Double Kick that followed, pushing off the ground and climbing back into the air — but its flight path was unsteady.
Toxic didn't just drain HP. The pain disrupted the nervous system, and the tremors in Swellow's wings were already starting to show.
This was the foundation of everything Nova had built his name on in Goldenlight City. Once a Pokémon was poisoned, the battle had a clock on it — and the clock was rarely kind.
Fay could see that. But she wasn't ready to give up Swellow just yet.
At her encouragement, Swellow steadied itself, pushed through the pain, and committed to Brave Bird. It was a gamble — the recoil would cost it, but if it could shave down Nidoking's HP before fainting, it would open a path for the Pokémon that came after.
Nova and Nidoking needed no words between them.
As Swellow folded its wings and dived, the horn on Nidoking's head began to spin. Energy gathered rapidly, forming a tight, rotating drill of force. Rather than release it immediately as a Horn Drill — a one-hit KO move with only 30% accuracy — Nidoking held it, waiting.
Brave Bird crashed into the drill. Flying-type energy met the Horn Drill's pressure head-on, and neither gave ground. The clash neutralised the attack, and Swellow was pushed skyward again — but because no damage had landed, Brave Bird's recoil never triggered.
Swellow could still battle.
Nova didn't wait. "Icebeam!"
Swellow was fast. But not fast enough.
The beam caught its left wing. Ice-type energy tore through on impact, freezing the wing solid before Swellow could bank away. Even without the super-effective damage finishing the job outright, a bird that couldn't use its wing had no answer for what was waiting on the ground below.
Swellow fought to stay airborne. Poisoned, battered, and now half-frozen, it couldn't hold itself up any longer.
Fay watched Nidoking across the field. Even his breathing looked dangerous.
She smiled.
This was what she came for.
"Go wild, Abomasnow!"
The Frost Tree Pokémon hit the field and the temperature dropped immediately.
Of course. A trainer from Goldenlight City keeping an Ice-type in reserve — it made perfect sense. Grass and Ice together formed a two-front nightmare for any Ground-type: double resistance to Ground-type moves, and super-effective STAB hits coming from both types.
But Nidoking wasn't most Ground-types.
His movepool ran deep. Whatever you brought to counter him, Nidoking had an answer waiting.