Alex's first opponent was a middle-aged man with a shiny bald head, tanned skin, and deep-set eyes radiating an overblown sense of confidence. He wore a sleeveless dark gray hoodie, revealing rock-hard arms, the muscles sharply defined under the bright lights of the battlefield. Each of his heavy steps echoed across the dirt floor of the arena, giving the impression that even the ground trembled under his weight.
Standing before him was a massive Rhydon, its rough gray hide like slabs of stone fitted together. The spiral horn on its forehead gleamed under the light, while its cold yellow eyes locked onto Alex in a wordless challenge. Every breath it exhaled came out as hot, heavy air mixed with the earthy scent of Rock–Ground Pokémon.
The moment he saw Alex — a young man with a bright face who didn't look like someone hardened by countless battles — the corners of the man's mouth curled into a mocking smile.
— "Kid, it's really unfortunate for you to run into me."
His deep voice carried deliberately drawn-out words, as if to etch the gap in their abilities into the air.
— "If you'd faced someone else, maybe you would've been lucky enough to make it past the second stage. But too bad… your opponent is me!"
He puffed out his chest proudly, adding:
— "I once competed in the Quartz Conference and ranked 36th in the entire region. They call me Keita the 'Iron Man'! So… I'd advise you to walk off this stage before it's too late. It'd be awfully humiliating to lose so badly."
Keita's confidence was not baseless — he had already defeated three challengers in a row today, and his arrogance showed in every word.
Alex, instead of responding, simply glanced at Rhydon. Familiar data immediately surfaced in his mind:
[Type]: Rock, Ground[Ability]: Sturdy – A Pokémon with this ability will survive a would-be knockout hit with 1 HP, no matter how strong the attack.[Description]: Rhydon is a massive, muscular Pokémon seemingly carved from stone. Though it has short legs, it can tuck in its limbs and roll forward like a giant boulder tumbling down a mountainside.
Alex gave a small nod, as if confirming exactly what he needed.
— "Strong ability… so, two hits."
He raised an eyebrow, ignoring Keita's boasting, and turned to the referee.
— "Can we start now?"
The referee, a man in a crisp white uniform, nodded and waved his flag.
— "The battle begins!"
Alex took out a Poké Ball and pressed the button. A flash of red light burst out, and Gardevoir appeared on the field.
Her white gown-like form swayed lightly as she landed, her deep turquoise eyes gleaming and her soft mint-green hair fluttering as though caught in a breeze. The moment she appeared, the audience erupted in murmurs.
— "Beautiful! What kind of Pokémon is that?"— "That's Gardevoir, from the Hoenn region. A Psychic and Fairy type."— "I heard Gardevoir can sense human emotions… some can even see the future."
The whispers rippled through the crowd, with more than a few eyes brimming with admiration — and envy.
Keita smirked.
— "This is a Pokémon battle, not a beauty contest!"
He feigned disinterest, but the jealousy in his gaze was unmistakable.
Alex didn't bother trading words. His command was crisp:
— "Luna, Energy Ball."
Immediately, Gardevoir brought her slender hands to her chest. A green sphere of condensed energy swelled between them, glowing brighter before shooting forward like a bullet straight toward Rhydon.
Keita hadn't even had time to give an order. Thanks to the mental link between Alex and Gardevoir, there was no need for verbal commands — execution was instantaneous.
The Energy Ball struck Rhydon dead-on, the impact sending shards of rock and dust flying. As a Grass-type attack, it dealt quadruple damage to Rhydon's Rock–Ground typing. Even so, its Sturdy ability kept it barely standing with a sliver of HP.
Alex didn't hesitate.
— "Luna, Telekinesis."
Psychic waves surged through the air, wrapping around Rhydon and lifting it off the ground. The massive Pokémon struggled, but within seconds, its body crashed to the floor, unconscious.
The referee raised his flag.
— "The winner: Alex!"
Three seconds ago, Keita was still radiating arrogance. Three seconds later, that confidence had shattered completely.
Alex spoke only two words:
— "Next one."
Keita's face burned red as he left the stage in silence.
The next challenger was a man with a level 22 Sandslash. More cautious than Keita, he had Sandslash use Dig immediately to avoid Gardevoir's attack.
Alex stayed calm.
— "Luna, Teleport."
Gardevoir vanished in an instant, reappearing at another angle and firing an Energy Ball at Sandslash just as it emerged from underground. The battle ended in moments.
The crowd began to pay serious attention now. This wasn't just victory — it was effortless domination.
From the stands, some trainers whispered:
— "He might even beat Brock…"
On the other two battlefields, the matches had already ended. Off to the side, Brock — the Gym Leader, a muscular man with tanned skin — began warming up.
The most anticipated battle of the day… was about to begin.