Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy
---------------------------------
Liam and Delia followed Ginko through the forest, each with a slight trace of doubt in their eyes, wondering where exactly this guy was leading them.
Just as Liam was about to ask, Ginko suddenly came to a stop, stepped aside, and extended an arm to point forward, his voice calm and steady:
"Welcome to my battlefield. I hope this will be a memorable battle."
Following Ginko's gesture, Liam and Delia looked ahead—and there, just beyond a few trees, a sunny clearing appeared amidst the forest. It was here that the battlefield for this challenge had been set.
"Wow… it's beautiful..."
Delia stepped out from the forest and into the clearing. She realized she and Liam were now standing at the very heart of the Bug-type Gym. Above them was the gym's domed glass ceiling, through which warm sunlight streamed down, casting a peaceful glow over the field.
"Since you're here for a Gym Challenge, let me first explain the rules of our Azalea Gym."
Ginko, eyes half-lidded as always, walked to the Gym Leader's command spot, then turned to Delia and continued.
"Today's an off-day, so none of the gym staff are around. That means we won't be needing a referee this time. Not that it matters—it'll be over soon enough anyway..."
"Each side will use three Pokémon. The challenger is free to switch Pokémon, but I'm not. The match continues until one side has no Pokémon left able to battle or surrenders."
"That's it—no extra rules. Since I'm the Gym Leader, I'll send out my Pokémon first. So… go, Shuckle."
After explaining the rules, Ginko tossed a PokeBall into the air. With a flash of light, a Shuckle with a red shell and yellow body appeared on the field.
Liam had originally considered stepping in as the temporary referee when he noticed there were no other staff around, but since the Gym Leader himself had waved that off, he was happy to take a backseat.
Delia, meanwhile, saw that Ginko had already sent out his Pokémon—and it was one she didn't recognize. She hesitated, unsure of what to do next. Instinctively, she turned to Liam for help, her eyes pleading.
"Heh. That little guy is called Shuckle. It's a Bug and Rock-type Pokémon, known for its insanely tough body. Normal attacks don't bother it much. But... Ginko, Shuckle's attack stat is also legendarily bad. If you want a proper fight, this one's going to take forever, isn't it?"
Liam had raised an eyebrow too when he saw Ginko send out a Shuckle. It was well-known in trainer circles: incredibly durable, but offensively terrible. This might turn into a drawn-out slugfest.
"Hm? Looks like you know a bit about Shuckle. But clearly not everything. Shuckle has plenty of battle strategies. You'll see them soon."
Ginko gave Liam a brief look of surprise, but then smiled faintly, not elaborating any further.
"Hmph! So this little guy has no attack power? Nothing to be scared of, then. And it's part Rock-type too? In that case—go, my sweetie! Bring us another win!"
Now reassured, Delia relaxed and quickly handed her belongings to Liam for safekeeping. Then, gripping a PokeBall in her hand, she ran up to the challenger's spot on the field and threw it with confidence.
"Wartortle!"
A flash of white light burst from the PokeBall. Wartortle landed on the battlefield with a serious expression, immediately dropping into a battle stance.
"Oh? A Water-type Wartortle. Nice choice. Now that both Pokémon are on the field, let's not waste time. Battle begins now! Shuckle, use Rollout!"
Seeing that Delia had sent out a Wartortle, Ginko chuckled softly before announcing the start of the match and launching his attack.
"Shuuuckle!"
Shuckle let out a call, then suddenly braced itself. With a forceful hop, it retracted all its limbs and head into its red shell. The shell started spinning rapidly mid-air before slamming into the ground and rolling forward like a wheel—headed straight for Wartortle. But the speed...
"Hah! You really think that sluggish thing can hit my Wartortle? You're underestimating us! Wartortle, dodge and counter with Water Gun!"
Delia's face twisted in disbelief at how slow Shuckle was moving. She didn't even bother showing much emotion, just called out lazily to her Pokémon.
"Wartortle!"
Wartortle nodded slightly, barely glancing at the slowly approaching Shuckle. Just before impact, he casually stepped to the side, easily avoiding the hit. Then, puffing out his cheeks, he blasted a powerful stream of water straight at Shuckle's spinning shell, sending it flying and crashing into the grass nearby with a loud thud.
The battlefield went silent. Shuckle wasn't moving.
"Hey! Are you even taking this seriously? How dare you throw such a weak Pokémon at me! Are you mocking me or what? Hurry up and switch it out for something that can actually fight!"
Delia glared at the unmoving Shuckle, clearly annoyed. She felt insulted.
"Heh. You young folks are so impatient. My Shuckle isn't down yet. No need to switch it. Shuckle! Now's the time! Use Rock Tomb!"
Ginko smiled faintly at Delia's outburst, then suddenly shouted out his next command, his expression turning sharp.
"Shuuuuckle~!"
Just as Ginko's voice echoed across the field, the supposedly unconscious shell suddenly twitched. Shuckle's yellow head and limbs shot out from the shell's holes.
"Shuckle!!"
With a deep growl, a glowing ring of small rocks formed above Shuckle's head. The rocks then rained down in arcs of white light, crashing hard into Wartortle's body.
"Whoa… That's a lot of rocks! But… the damage…"
Liam, standing not far behind Delia, blinked in surprise at the sheer number of falling stones—but the impact itself made him sigh in resignation.
"Wartortle! Wartle!"
Wartortle raised his arms to shield his head, letting the rocks pelt his body. The hits echoed with thuds, but they were clearly weak. He winced here and there, but none of the rocks were doing serious damage.
"Wartortle! Hang in there! Counter with Bubble Beam!"
"Wartortle!"
Responding instantly, Wartortle lowered his arms and opened his mouth. A brilliant stream of shimmering bubbles surged forward, crashing into the falling rocks mid-air. Bursts of steam and dust exploded where they collided, blanketing the field in mist and debris, cutting off both sides' vision.
"That's what I was waiting for! Shuckle—use Power Split! Now!"
But right then, as the fog and dust obscured the view, Ginko—who had been listless the whole time—suddenly snapped to attention. His eyes sharpened, and he shouted a new command with a rare intensity.
"Shuuuckle!"
Shuckle immediately halted its previous attack. It raised its head and let out a strange, muffled cry. A surge of purple energy burst from its body, piercing through the mist and enveloping Wartortle.
"Wartortle?"
Engulfed in the mysterious purple glow, Wartortle stared down at his glowing body in confusion, unsure what was happening…