"Yes, my name is Gary, and I came here to challenge the Gym," Gary responded.
"Hello, Gary. My name is Fantina, and I'm the Gym Leader of the Hearthome Gym," Fantina introduced herself. "You look quite young, so you must not have been a Trainer for very long."
"No," Gary shook his head. "I've been a Trainer for three years, and I've won the League Conference Championship three times. I hope you'll bring out your strongest Pokémon to battle me, Ms. Fantina. It's no problem even if their levels exceed the standard Gym battle rules."
Fantina was stunned for a moment. She hadn't expected Gary to make such a request.
But thinking back on what he'd just said—a three-time League Conference Champion—his strength had to be considerable.
"It seems today will be a tough battle. Thomas, go be the referee," Fantina said.
"Yes!"
The young man nodded and walked quickly to the referee's area.
Thomas?
Gary was a little puzzled. A man nearly seven feet tall with such a gentle-sounding name—though looking at his polished appearance, he did have the air of a natural charmer.
Thomas took his position and announced, "The Gym battle between challenger Gary and Hearthome Gym Leader Fantina will now begin. Three Pokémon may be used in this Gym battle. In addition, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon. Now, Gym Leader Fantina, please send out your Pokémon first."
[Ding! Task issued: 1. Obtain the Hearthome Gym Badge / Reward: Intermediate Rare Candy ×6, Shadow Punch Permanent TM, Top-grade Spell Tag ×1!]
[2. Use Sinnoh-region Pokémon to obtain the Hearthome Gym Badge / Reward: Intermediate Rare Candy ×6, Ghost-type Self-Selected Permanent TM, Random Pokémon Item ×1.]
The task had been issued, and the rewarded Rare Candies were intermediate-grade—which confirmed that Fantina's three Pokémon were all at Gym level.
"My opening act—Gengar, go!" Fantina threw her Poké Ball with a graceful contest-style flourish. The motion was smooth and highly entertaining. As a well-known Coordinator, she had woven contest flair into even the way she released her Pokémon.
A ball of white light dropped onto the field, and as it dissipated, a plump Gengar appeared.
[LV40 Gengar / Gym]
"Weavile, your first Gym battle—go!" Gary threw his Poké Ball.
In a flash of light, Weavile appeared.
[LV57 Weavile / Champion]
"Wea!"
Weavile looked around, realizing it had actually been sent out, and its face filled with disbelief.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Fantina also noticed something was off with Weavile. Why did it look so... moved?
Naturally, Fantina had no way of knowing that ever since Weavile had been caught by Gary, it had never once been used in battle. Its appearance rate had been exactly zero.
The worst part was that Gary regularly promised Weavile that he'd train it up and send it out in the next battle—only to break that promise every single time. By now, Weavile had stopped trusting Gary altogether.
But today, it had actually been sent out. It was genuinely touched.
"Gary, is your Weavile alright?" Fantina asked.
"It's fine." Gary felt a little embarrassed and quickly ordered, "Weavile, we're battling!"
"Wea!"
At Gary's reminder, Weavile immediately snapped into battle mode.
"The battle begins!"
The moment the words were spoken, Fantina launched her attack. "Gengar, use Night Shade."
"Gengar!"
Gengar's eyes shot out two streaking black beams.
"Icy Wind!"
Weavile exhaled a blast of freezing wind. The two attacks collided—and the Icy Wind overpowered the Night Shade, pushing through to strike Gengar.
"What!"
Fantina was shocked. She hadn't expected her Gengar to lose in a contest of special attacks. Gengar's Special Attack stat was far higher than Weavile's, yet it had still lost the exchange—which meant Weavile's level had to be very high.
"Weavile, use Nasty Plot!" Gary ordered.
Weavile tapped its forehead lightly with a sharp claw, and dark energy seeped into its head, stimulating its mind and forcibly raising its Special Attack.
"Gengar, use Mean Look, then follow with Curse!" Fantina ordered.
"Taunt!" Gary countered instantly.
The moment Gengar finished its Mean Look, Weavile taunted it, making it impossible for Gengar to use Curse.
Gary had anticipated that Fantina might try this. That was the nasty thing about Gengar—if it couldn't beat you, it would try to drag you down with it. Fortunately, this Gengar was low-leveled and didn't know Destiny Bond; otherwise, there was no telling when it might suddenly spring that move.
Fantina was very surprised as well. She hadn't expected Gary to shut down that tactic so cleanly.
"Dark Pulse!" Gary ordered.
"Gengar, use Shadow Ball!" With Taunt in effect, Fantina could only have Gengar fight back with its strongest attacking move.
Weavile grinned wickedly, a thread of black light seeping out from between its teeth. As it opened its mouth, a beam of black energy surged forth.
Across the field, Gengar condensed a Shadow Ball and hurled it. The Shadow Ball struck the Dark Pulse head-on—and was knocked aside by the sheer force of the attack.
Boom!!
With an explosive blast, Gengar's body was slammed into the ground, unable to rise again.
"Gengar is unable to battle! Weavile wins!" Thomas announced.
"NOOO...!"
Fantina cried out, unable to believe her Gengar had been defeated so quickly.
Gary just pressed his lips together, thinking that Fantina really was a lively character—elegant one moment, theatrical the next.
"Very well. Gengar, come back and rest."
Fantina recalled Gengar and remarked, "You truly live up to your name—a handsome young man who's won the League Conference Championship three times. But levels alone don't decide everything."
"Allow me to show you my next Pokémon. Battle formation—Mismagius!"
Fantina threw the Poké Ball with another contest flourish.
In a burst of light, Mismagius appeared, looking every bit like a witch out of a fairy tale.
[LV49 Mismagius ♀ / Gym]
Mismagius was one of Fantina's ace Pokémon, its level sitting at the very cap for Gym battles. It was clearly a Pokémon Fantina had been raising for a long time—even if its level hadn't climbed much further, it had undoubtedly mastered a wide range of moves.
"Weavile, Dark Pulse!" Gary ordered.
"Wea!!"
Weavile fired a black beam toward Mismagius.
"Double Team."
Mismagius immediately used Double Team, and in an instant, dozens of Mismagius copies filled the air. The Dark Pulse tore through one of them—and the Mismagius it struck simply vanished. It had hit a fake.
Gary looked up at the sky full of Mismagius, and without a word, took out his Poké Ball and pointed it at Weavile.
"Weavile, come back and rest."
Weavile: "Wea!? (QAQ)!?"
Weavile didn't understand. It had just defeated one of Fantina's Pokémon—why was it suddenly being recalled? It hadn't even gotten the chance to score a one-versus-three sweep yet.