Bang!!
Blastoise's spinning water blade slammed into Gengar, and the ghost reeled from the impact. The pain forced Gengar's eyes shut, and for a moment, both Pokémon collapsed onto the wet battlefield.
A burst of mist exploded from the clash, swallowing their silhouettes and plunging the stadium into uncertainty.
"Is it over?" Ash asked nervously, his fists pressed against the railing as he tried to peer through the haze.
The mist gradually thinned. Both figures came into focus again—Blastoise and Gengar were still standing. Though separated by only a few meters, neither showed any sign of retreat. Their gazes locked, filled with pure fighting spirit.
But Blastoise's condition was visibly deteriorating. Its face had taken on a sickly purple tint, its breath came in heavy rasps, and its limbs trembled. The poisoning was beginning to take its toll.
Agatha's eyes narrowed. "You are young and formidable," she admitted. "I didn't expect you to hold out this long… but your Blastoise is nearly finished."
Gary's lips curled into a defiant grin. "Really? My Blastoise is far from its limit."
"Oh?" Agatha tilted her head slightly, her sharp gaze never leaving the battlefield. "Then show me that limit. Gengar—Thunderbolt!"
The command rang out like a whip crack.
"What?!" Ash gasped from the stands. "Thunderbolt—now? She's been saving it this whole time!"
"Hydro Pump!" Gary countered immediately.
Blastoise roared, "Blaaastoise!!" Its shoulder cannons whirred and fired, sending two torrents of high-pressure water crashing forward. One struck Gengar dead-on, but the other stream wavered wide, blasting into the drenched arena floor.
Gary's eyes tightened. The poison… it's messing with his aim.
He knew the truth. Poison wasn't just a slow drain on health. It muddled a Pokémon's focus, caused dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. Every second Blastoise fought under its effects made precision harder to maintain.
"Blaaastoise!!" Blastoise howled as golden lightning arced across its body. Gengar's Thunderbolt enveloped it completely, the crackling electricity dancing around its shell.
"Gen…gaaar!" Gengar staggered backward, panting heavily after taking the Hydro Pump. Still, it managed to grin smugly, watching Blastoise collapse to one knee under the weight of the Thunderbolt.
Agatha's lips pressed into a thin line. "You haven't fallen yet…" She had expected Thunderbolt to end it. The fact that Blastoise still clung to consciousness was surprising—even to her.
"Blastoise, don't give up!" Ash shouted desperately from the stands. "You have no limits!"
"Blastoise!!"
The call of its trainer broke through the haze of pain. Gary's voice carried across the battlefield, steady and commanding. In that instant, Blastoise's body began to glow faintly, a blue aura radiating outward. The air thickened with water vapor, the storm itself seeming to respond to Blastoise's rising spirit.
Agatha's eyes widened. "This aura… is that—Torrent?!"
She had seen Torrent before—the hidden power of Water-type starters unleashed when they were pushed to their absolute brink. But this… this was different. Stronger. Sharper.
"Oh wow, that's Torrent!" Ash gasped. His own Squirtle had never triggered the ability, so seeing Blastoise awaken it filled him with awe.
Scott adjusted his sunglasses, his usual smirk replaced with rare astonishment. "That's no ordinary Torrent… that's a monster's Torrent. This Blastoise is terrifying."
Gary thrust his hand forward. "Blastoise—Waterfall!"
"Blaaastoise!!"
Blastoise's entire body became enveloped in rippling blue energy. White streaks of light cut through the aura as if waterfalls themselves were cascading around it. With explosive speed, it charged forward, faster than the human eye could track.
Swoosh!!
A brilliant flash streaked across the field. In the blink of an eye, Blastoise slammed into Gengar with crushing force, sending the ghost flying like a rag doll.
Bang!!
The ground shook from the impact, and the crowd gasped.
"What speed…!" Ash breathed. Even Agatha looked stunned at the sudden acceleration.
But her instincts returned quickly. "Gengar, fight back—Thunderbolt again!"
"Gen…gar!!" Gengar hissed, forcing itself upright despite the pain. Sparks flared across its body as it prepared to strike.
Gary's voice roared above the storm. "Finish this—Hydro Cannon!!"
Blastoise steadied itself, cannons swiveling forward. "Blaaaastoise!!!"
From its twin cannons erupted a colossal beam of pure water energy, a laser-like torrent glowing with a blinding blue light.
"Gengaaaaar!!" With everything it had left, Gengar launched Thunderbolt, the golden lightning tearing forward to meet the Hydro Cannon.
Bang!!!
The two forces collided mid-air, exploding in a violent clash. Thunder and water fought for dominance, lighting the arena in flashes of gold and blue. For a moment, it seemed balanced.
Then, slowly, inevitably—Blastoise's Hydro Cannon pushed through. The torrent devoured the Thunderbolt and crashed straight into Gengar.
Kaa-BOOM!!
The explosion sent a wave of mist and spray erupting across half the battlefield. The ground trembled. The walls rattled. Visibility vanished under the storm of vapor.
When at last the smoke cleared, a gaping hole scarred the stadium wall. The crowd fell silent.
"…!"
Ash's jaw dropped. "The wall… the attack went straight through the wall!"
"Where's Gengar?" Scott muttered, straining to see through the haze.
Then silence. No figure stood.
Agatha lowered her eyes. "…I lost."
The referee blinked in disbelief. "Eh? Ms. Agatha…?"
She nodded firmly. "Gengar has fainted. The match is yours."
The referee raised his flag. "Gengar is unable to battle! Blastoise wins! The victor is Gary Oak!"
The stadium erupted in cheers, the sound echoing into the stormy skies above.
[Ding! Mission completed. Rewards have been distributed to the space backpack.]
Gary rushed to Blastoise's side. The giant turtle wavered, still poisoned, breathing heavily. "Blastoise, open your mouth," Gary said gently, pulling an antidote spray from his belt. He carefully administered the medicine, watching the color slowly return to his partner's face.
"Good job, partner," Gary whispered. "You really went beyond your limits today."
"Bla…stoise…" Blastoise rumbled weakly but proudly.
Agatha approached silently, retrieving Gengar from behind the broken wall where it had landed, unconscious but alive. She returned her partner to its Poké Ball with care. "Rest well, old friend."
Her eyes shifted to Gary. For the first time, her stern expression softened into genuine respect. "Gary Oak. You are strong. Viridian Gym… is in your hands."
From her cloak, she produced a silver key and extended it to him.
Gary accepted it with both hands, bowing his head slightly. "Ms. Agatha, I'm honored. But let's be honest—it was only a one-on-one match. In a full battle, I doubt I'd truly be your equal."
Although Gary won, he wasn't complacent enough to believe he could truly defeat Agatha. His victory came only because of EX Torrent—without it, the outcome would have been far less certain.
Agatha chuckled softly. "Haha… you speak like your grandfather. Humble, yet unyielding. That is a strength of its own."
She turned, gazing toward the rain outside the ruined gym. "I'm old, Gary. Too old to raise new partners, too old to sharpen my edge further. Gengar is powerful, but… it has already reached its peak. Time moves on, and so must I."
Her words carried the quiet resignation of one who had fought countless battles and knew her era was ending.
"Come," she said finally. "Let's make your position official."
Agatha led Gary, Ash, and Scott to the Pokémon Center to record his new role. As a Gym Leader, Gary would need to decide the rules and type focus of Viridian Gym.
He considered carefully. Most of his Pokémon were already trained beyond typical Gym Leader standards. The only ones suited for balanced matches were his revived fossil Pokémon. At last, he chose:
"Rock-type. Viridian Gym will specialize in Rock-types."
The paperwork was completed swiftly. Gary Oak was officially registered as the new Gym Leader of Viridian City.
Returning to the gym, Agatha began gathering her few belongings. She handed Gary a slip of paper with a number written on it.
"This is the maintenance department's contact. If the gym is damaged, call them."
Agatha clearly didn't wish to linger. She returned, packed her things, handed Gary a maintenance contact number, and quietly slipped away.