The battlefield was cloaked in smoke and dust. Slowly, the haze began to clear, revealing Omastar sprawled on the ground, his eyes swirling in defeat.
"Omastar is unable to battle! Torterra wins!" Hannah declared, raising her hand.
The referee's voice echoed through the gym, sharp and certain.
Gary silently recalled Omastar back into his Poké Ball. "Thank you for your hard work. Have a good rest," he murmured, slipping the ball onto his belt.
On the sidelines, Hannah kept glancing at Gary. Since he had taken over as the temporary Gym Leader of Viridian City, no challenger had ever forced him to send out his third Pokémon. This was the first time. Worse still, Gary had already lost two Pokémon in a row, while Paul had yet to lose even one.
A twinge of concern tugged at Hannah. Could this be Gary's first gym loss?
Paul, meanwhile, stood tall, his expression unreadable. He didn't gloat, but his eyes carried the sharp edge of confidence.
Gary smirked lightly. He wasn't shaken. Kabutops and Omastar weren't part of his true core team. They were strong, yes, but they weren't his ace. If Paul couldn't even defeat them, he wouldn't deserve to call himself Ash's rival.
"Paul, your strength isn't bad," Gary said evenly. "But next round, I'll be serious."
Paul scoffed. "Don't brag. If you wanted to be serious, you should've been serious from the start. You only have one Pokémon left now. Either way, this is my win."
Gary raised an eyebrow. Paul was known for his cold, calculated demeanor. But here, he sounded almost smug, as if he were already celebrating victory.
"Let's find out." Gary plucked a Poké Ball from his belt and smirked. "Aerodactyl, you've been sleeping for a while. Time to stretch your wings."
He tossed the Poké Ball high.
"Go!"
With a flash of light, a massive figure burst forth, radiating a savage, ancient aura.
[Lv. 62 Aerodactyl ♂ / Champion-Class Potential]
"Roooaaar!"
Aerodactyl unleashed a deafening roar, its wings spreading wide as the oppressive weight of its primal presence flooded the arena. The ground seemed to rumble beneath its wings.
Paul and Hannah both froze, stunned by the sight. Neither of them had ever seen an Aerodactyl up close, let alone one of this caliber.
Paul reacted first. His face hardened. "Torterra, return!" He quickly recalled his starter. Torterra's Special Attack had dropped after using Leaf Storm earlier. By withdrawing him, Paul negated the stat reduction—resetting the balance for when he needed him again.
Pulling out his Pokédex, Paul scanned the ancient predator before him.
Pokédex: "Aerodactyl, the Fossil Pokémon. A ferocious, prehistoric Pokémon that dominated the skies in ancient times. Its serrated wings allow it to glide swiftly and dive at prey with incredible force."
Paul pocketed the device, then calmly selected his next Poké Ball. "You'll deal with Aerodactyl."
He threw it.
With a burst of light, a towering sea serpent materialized—blue scales glistening, mouth gaping as it roared furiously.
[Lv. 49 Gyarados ♂ / Champion-Class Potential]
"GYARAAA-DOOOS!"
The entire arena trembled as Gyarados thrashed its massive body.
Gary's eyes widened slightly. "So you're the one with that Gyarados…"
He recognized it. Paul had used this very Pokémon in the Journeys series against Ash. Seeing it here, in person, only confirmed its immense potential. A Champion-class Gyarados—no wonder Paul had been so confident.
Still, Gary's grin returned. "Impressive. But it won't be enough."
"Aerodactyl, Stone Edge!" Gary snapped his fingers.
"Counter with Waterfall!" Paul barked.
"ROOAAAR!"
Aerodactyl's body glowed as jagged stones materialized around it, launching forward in a storm of blades.
"GYARAAA!"
Gyarados roared, cloaked in a torrent of rushing water as it propelled itself upward like a raging river. The two attacks collided mid-air.
Crack! Shatter!
The stone blades cut through the water veil, slamming into Gyarados's scales. The serpent bellowed in pain as the force broke through its defenses.
"Grrrrooooaaar!!"
The Waterfall collapsed, and Gyarados's massive body slammed hard into the battlefield floor. The ground quaked with the impact, dust billowing upward.
"Rock Slide!" Gary pressed the advantage.
"Roar!!"
Aerodactyl soared above, conjuring boulders that rained down mercilessly on Gyarados.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The arena shook violently, stones burying Gyarados beneath them.
When the dust settled, the sea serpent lay motionless, eyes spiraling.
"Gyarados is unable to battle! Aerodactyl wins!" Hannah cried, almost in disbelief.
Paul's lips pressed into a thin line. He had known Aerodactyl was powerful, but the sheer difference in strength had caught even him off guard. Two moves—just two—and his Gyarados was down.
Wordlessly, Paul recalled his Pokémon. Then, without pause, he hurled another Poké Ball.
"Torterra, it's up to you again."
The massive Continent Pokémon reemerged, stomping the ground with a deep growl.
"Torrr-terra!!"
"Energy Ball!" Paul commanded instantly.
Torterra inhaled, gathering bright green energy before firing it toward the airborne predator.
"Aerodactyl, dodge and use Fly!" Gary countered.
Aerodactyl twisted effortlessly, the Energy Ball whizzing past as it rocketed into the roof beams. With a powerful flap of its wings, Aerodactyl surged upward, wind currents whipping across the arena.
"Frenzy Plant!" Paul roared.
"Torrr!!"
Torterra stomped hard, and the ground erupted with thick, twisting vines. They lashed upward, writhing like serpents, trying to snare Aerodactyl mid-dive.
But the ancient dragon ripped through them. The violent gale surrounding Aerodactyl shredded the vines as it pierced straight through the storm of greenery.
"Roooaaar!!"
With unstoppable force, Aerodactyl smashed directly into Torterra, sending the massive Pokémon tumbling across the field.
"Not done! Wing Attack!" Gary followed up.
Aerodactyl glowed with white energy, both wings shimmering brightly as it struck down from above.
"Whummp!!"
The dual strike hammered into Torterra's side, throwing the hulking Pokémon back once more. This time, the Continent Pokémon collapsed heavily to the ground, dust scattering across the arena floor.
Its legs trembled as it tried to rise—but then stilled. Torterra lay motionless.
"Torterra is unable to battle! Aerodactyl wins again!" Hannah exclaimed.
The crowdless gym rang with her words.
Gary stood calmly, arms crossed. Aerodactyl hovered above him, fierce and unyielding.
Hannah's heart raced. She had truly thought Gary was on the verge of his first loss as Gym Leader. But in the span of just minutes, Aerodactyl had turned everything around, dismantling Paul's team with ruthless efficiency.
Paul's expression remained composed, though his eyes were sharp as blades. He had one Pokémon left—Primeape. But Primeape had already been badly injured in its earlier clash with Kabutops. Against Aerodactyl, it stood no chance.
Paul looked from his fainted Torterra back to Gary's Aerodactyl, wings beating steadily in the air.
Silence lingered for a moment. Then Paul raised his hand and recalled Torterra.
"This match… I concede," he said flatly.
The words carried no bitterness—just acceptance. Paul was a strict tactician, never one to waste a Pokémon's strength recklessly. Forcing Primeape to continue would only mean unnecessary suffering.
Hannah blinked, then quickly raised her voice. "Challenger Paul has surrendered! The winner of this Gym Battle is the Gym Leader, Gary Oak!"