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Pangoro drove a crushing Sky Uppercut straight into Hariyama's jaw, launching the massive Pokémon clean off the ground and into the air.
"Hariyama!!"
Brawly cried out in shock, his voice breaking but no matter how desperate he felt, there was nothing he could do. All he could watch was Hariyama's eyes roll back as it crashed onto its back with a heavy thud, completely motionless.
The entire Gym fell silent.
The Gym Trainers stared in disbelief at Hariyama lying unconscious on the battlefield. None of them could accept what they were seeing Brawly's ace Pokémon had actually been defeated.
"Th-this…"
The battle had dragged on for a long time. The two Pokémon had traded blow after blow, neither willing to give ground. Both were battered and worn, their injuries obvious.
And yet, in the end, Pangoro was the one still standing.
Why?
Even Brawly himself staggered back a step, his expression empty.
Before the match, he had been overflowing with confidence.
After it ended, that confidence was completely shaken.
Hariyama his most trusted partner had lost to Bea's Pangoro.
He couldn't understand it.
Why was her Pokémon so powerful?
How had it defeated two of his Pokémon in a row?
But while Brawly was lost in doubt, Kai saw the truth clearly.
They were both Gym Leaders, yes but Brawly spent most of his days surfing and enjoying island life. His Pokémon trained lightly, often just playing in the water alongside him.
How could they possibly compare to Bea?
Bea trained alongside her Pokémon relentlessly.
In the battle, the two Pokémon had appeared evenly matched but Pangoro possessed superior raw strength, a sturdier body, and, above all, ironclad willpower. Several times, even after taking heavy hits, it clenched its teeth and fought back without hesitation.
Losing to an opponent like that was only natural.
Pangoro returned to Bea's side, lifting its head proudly. Its fierce gaze swept across the Gym Trainers, who instinctively looked away under its intimidating stare.
Its Trainer might be quiet but that didn't mean Pangoro wouldn't stand up for her.
And the clearest way to do that… was victory.
The referee finally snapped out of it and raised the flag.
"H-Hariyama is unable to battle! The challenger wins this Gym Match!"
Hearing the announcement, Brawly took a deep breath and forced himself to clap.
"That was an incredible battle," he said, smiling despite the bitterness in his heart. Walking toward Bea, he continued, "That Pangoro is amazing. I knew it the moment I saw it. Honestly, you're the strongest female Trainer I've ever faced."
As he spoke, he pulled out a Gym Badge and offered it to her.
"Please accept this, you've earned it."
To his astonishment, Bea didn't even glance at the Badge.
She bowed politely and then turned and walked straight toward the exit.
Only when she passed Kai and Misty did she pause slightly. After a moment's hesitation, she sat down beside Misty instead of leaving.
Brawly was completely dumbfounded.
…What?
Didn't want the Badge?
Winning a Gym and taking the Badge was supposed to be the whole point, wasn't it?
Had something gone wrong?
Seeing his confusion, Kai stood up and approached him with a smile.
"Sorry," Kai said. "She's not very talkative, so I'll explain. She didn't come here for the Badge. She's not aiming for the League she just wanted to train her Pokémon."
Only then did Brawly understand.
"I see…"
Just as he was about to say more, he noticed Kai heading toward the challenger's side of the field.
"…Are you here to challenge me too?" Brawly asked.
"That's right," Kai nodded, then glanced at Hariyama still lying on the ground. "Oh? Do you not have any Pokémon left that can battle? Or is your Gym only held together by those two?"
"Hahaha—of course not!" Brawly laughed, though his eyebrow twitched.
What a ridiculous question. He was a Gym Leader—how could he only have two Pokémon?
Still… that tone was irritating.
He sized Kai up. The man looked younger than him—and annoyingly confident. Then he glanced toward the stands.
Aside from that impressive female challenger, Kai had come with a cute girl as well. She was still young, but it was obvious she'd grow into a beauty.
…Lucky guy.
That only made Brawly more annoyed.
"So," Brawly asked again, forcing a smile, "you're challenging the Gym?"
"Of course," Kai replied cheerfully. "Though I'm nowhere near as strong as she is. My Pokémon aren't very impressive, so go easy on me, okay?"
Oh?
Brawly's eyes lit up.
Perfect.
He'd lost badly just moments ago—his pride had taken a hit in front of everyone. This was his chance to reclaim his dignity.
His expression softened instantly.
"No problem at all," he said warmly. "I've got a few Pokémon that aren't very strong either. Let's keep going."
Up in the stands, Misty couldn't help but laugh.
Kai's acting was terrible.
And yet Brawly bought it completely—thinking Kai was an easy win.
She could already tell what he was planning.
Honestly… this guy has no idea who he's dealing with.
What could he possibly use to compare himself to Kai?
Kai was younger, more accomplished—and even the girls who liked him, whether it was Sabrina, Erika, or herself, were leagues beyond the Gym Trainers here.
And did Brawly really think Kai's Pokémon were actually weak?
Misty didn't bother warning him. She just called out, "Good luck, Kai!" and leaned back to enjoy the show.
Bea, meanwhile, glanced at Misty with curiosity after hearing Kai claim he wasn't strong. She hadn't seen Kai battle before—but based on today's matches, Brawly didn't seem overwhelmingly powerful.
Should this fight should be manageable… right?
Misty caught her gaze and simply shook her head, holding back laughter.
Some things were better discovered firsthand.
On the battlefield, Kai and Brawly took their positions.
Unlike before, some of the Gym Trainers began cheering for Kai, impressed by his looks alone—only further irritating Brawly.
Without repeating the rules, both Trainers prepared to send out their Pokémon.
"Go! Hitmontop!"
A Pokémon resembling a breakdancer flipped onto the field, balancing effortlessly on its head.
Brawly had chosen wisely.
After losing Makuhita and Hariyama, this was one of his strongest remaining Pokémon.
Kai smiled.
"Your turn," Brawly said confidently.
"Alright," Kai replied. "I'm counting on you—Combusken!"
When Combusken appeared, Brawly immediately relaxed.
Torchic's evolution line was common in Hoenn—and this one hadn't even reached its final form yet.
So he wasn't lying after all.
Everything was going according to plan.
From the stands, a familiar voice rang out.
"Brawly! You've got this!"
On the upper level, Kinomi finally appeared, waving enthusiastically.
Seeing her support lifted Brawly's spirits even further. He smiled back at her, full of renewed confidence.
Watch this, he thought. I'll win—and make you proud.
Turning back to Kai, his expression sharpened.
"Hitmontop—close the distance and use Triple Kick!"
"Combusken, Detect!"
Combusken's eyes sharpened, the world seeming to slow as it focused.
Hitmontop spun like a top, kicking high with its spiked foot—
Combusken leapt back, dodging the strike, then countered with Double Kick.
The two Pokémon clashed, exchanging precise, technical blows rather than brute force.
After several exchanges, Brawly frowned.
This Combusken… isn't weak at all.
It wasn't overwhelming—but it wasn't outmatched either.
Why did every challenger today feel so troublesome?
Kick after kick. Retreat, counter, clash again.
Within minutes, they had exchanged blows more than a dozen times.
Both were breathing heavily now.
Hang in there… Brawly thought as Hitmontop began to wobble.
But Combusken stood firm, eyes locked onto its opponent, its fighting spirit burning hotter with every second.
Brawly's heart skipped.
That determination…
Suddenly, it hit him.
Had he… drifted away from the fighting spirit he once lived by?
Had his easy island life dulled the very resolve that made him a Gym Leader in the first place?
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!