"Beldum, use Take Down!"
Beldum charged with all its strength, slamming into the opposing Beedrill and knocking it out cold.
"So strong…" the boy on the other side sighed. This was Mark's sixth victory today. Ever since leaving Cerulean City yesterday, Mark had been locked in a constant cycle of traveling and battling. His battles mostly relied on Feebas and Beldum to attack, while Grovyle and Scyther, now at the peak of the Elite stage, found little opportunity to improve through these lower-level fights. What they needed was a breakthrough—a challenge that would push them to the next level. Only by advancing to Gym-Level would they truly begin their journey toward becoming top-tier trainers.
Surprisingly, it was Beldum and Feebas that were improving the fastest. Feebas had gained confidence from victories, and with Mark's specially prepared daily meals, it seemed to have already developed a remarkable beauty. Beldum's progress was even more astonishing—within just a few days, it had advanced from Regular Low Stage to Regular High Stage, inching close to Elite level. Bottlenecks seemed nonexistent for it. Truly deserving of the system's gift of Supreme aptitude and infinite potential!
"Not bad at all! Pretty impressive," a boy passing by commented with genuine interest.
"Hello, I'm A.J—The Beast Tamer," the boy introduced himself as he approached.
"Hello! I'm Mark. I'm traveling to compete in the Pokémon League tournament," Mark replied.
"Hmm, I saw your battle just now—it was really impressive! But with your current strength alone, you won't be enough to stand out in the League. Not far from here, I run a private gym. Would you be interested in stopping by? I'll even treat you to lunch," A.J invited.
"Sure!" Mark agreed immediately. He already recognized him—wasn't this the undefeated A.J from the original story?
Upon arriving at A.J's private gym, Mark saw the number "93 consecutive wins" proudly displayed outside. So he was just a few steps away from reaching 98 wins, having arrived earlier than Ash!
"Ninety-three wins… You must be a powerful trainer. Suddenly inviting me here—this isn't just for lunch, right? Do you want to battle?" Mark asked with a smile.
"Of course! Defeating strong opponents is my greatest passion. Once I hit a hundred victories, I'll head to challenge the League. For a true trainer, the moment eyes meet, it's already a signal to battle! What's this, are you trying to back down?" A.J teased.
"Not at all! But… can I first check out your gym?" Mark asked.
"It's my honor! Please come in!" A.J welcomed him warmly.
Inside the gym, many Pokémon were training hard, wearing various growth-enhancing items like Power Belts and Power Bracers. These accessories slowed their speed but boosted specific stats like Attack or Defense, accelerating their growth.
"Nice gear! I didn't expect you to have collected so many training tools," Mark remarked.
"Of course! To become the strongest, you need total preparation. The best training equipment, the best nutrition—I give them everything! And that's not all—I have items that help their evolution and more. Look!" A.J opened a cabinet filled with evolution stones, even power engines and magma amplifiers!
"What do you think, Dr. Mark?" A.J asked.
Hearing "Dr. Mark," Mark knew that A.J hadn't randomly invited him but had recognized him from the start.
"To become the strongest, knowledge is indispensable. I've read both of your great works—On Pokémon That Evolve in Special Ways and Speculations on Hidden Abilities in Pokémon! Your photo was even on the cover when they were published," A.J explained.
"I'm honored that my work has been appreciated," Mark humbly replied. He moved closer, inspecting the treasures carefully—and was suddenly captivated by a beautiful object.
"This… a Prism Scale? A.J, you actually have this?" Mark asked, holding the scale.
"Ah, I got it by chance—it's of no real use to me. But Dr. Mark seems very interested. If you want it, I can give it to you—but on one condition: in our battle this afternoon, you must use your strongest Pokémon."
Mark's eyes lit up with excitement. This could be the item that helps Feebas evolve! Although he wanted Feebas to reach max beauty through training, having this as a backup would ensure success. "All right! No problem!" Mark agreed at once.
After lunch, Mark and A.J stood on the battle field.
"All right, a bit of exercise after eating is good! Go, Grovyle! This is your first battle since healing—no slacking off!" Mark ordered.
"Grass-type Pokémon… a worthy opponent! Go, Sandslash!" A.J sent out his Sandslash.
Mark frowned upon seeing Sandslash. He vividly remembered how, when playing the original game, he'd been drawn to this Pokémon—and had caught one, only to have it instantly defeated by a single Vine Whip from Oddish. He couldn't lose this time.
"Go! Sandslash! Use Rollout!" A.J chose to boost defense first against the grass-type Pokémon that countered it.
"Increased defense, huh? Then we'll respond with a special attack! Grovyle, use Mega Drain!" Mark ordered.
"Sandslash, use Poison Jab!" Sandslash's claws shimmered with venom as it charged at Grovyle. The two moves collided in the center—Mega Drain being larger, but Poison Jab countering Grass-type attacks. The fight was neck-and-neck!
"Grovyle, use Leaf Blade!" Grovyle's speed far surpassed Sandslash's, allowing it to quickly adjust its stance and continue attacking. Mark wasn't holding anything back this time—he was giving it everything from the start.
Sandslash struggled to keep up, hit twice despite its boosted defense. Though Ground-type attacks are strong, they were being severely pressured by Grass moves.
"Can't keep up with the speed? But I have a trick! Sandslash, use Sandstorm!" Sandslash unleashed a sandstorm, filling the field with swirling grains. Grovyle was hit and took damage.
Sandstorm? This Sandslash wasn't weak! But was it using its ability to boost evasion? Mark frowned. "It won't help my Grovyle much," he thought. "Grovyle, use Leaf Blade again!"
Grovyle's Leaf Blade had already reached mastery—it could quickly launch a second strike if the first missed, increasing its chances to hit.
"Sandslash, dodge quickly!" A.J commanded, and Sandslash instantly obeyed, dodging two Leaf Blades in a row with astonishing speed.
"No way! How did its evasion increase so much? It's not that its evasion is better—it's like its speed has skyrocketed! Could it be that this Sandslash is—!" Mark's eyes widened in surprise.
"It seems, Dr. Mark, that you've figured it out! Yes, my Sandslash's ability isn't Sand Veil—it has the Dream Ability you wrote about!" A.J grinned.
Mark immediately scanned Sandslash's profile using the system.
Sandslash, Mole Pokémon, Ground-type, Ability: Sand Rush, Height: 0.6m, Weight: 12kg, Mythic Aptitude, Potential: Elite Four, Current Strength: Elite High Stage.
It truly was a Dream Ability Pokémon—and Mark's first encounter with one!
"The battle is just getting started! Go, Sandslash!" A.J cheered.
"Interesting… let's accept the challenge, Grovyle!" Mark shouted.
The battle ignited again! Claws and Poison Jab against Leaf Blade and Mega Drain. Sandslash, able to keep pace with Grovyle, battled back fiercely, neither side backing down.
"So interesting! This is so exciting! There are countless genius trainers out here—I'm so glad to be in this world! Becoming a Pokémon trainer is amazing!" Mark shouted in exhilaration. From Ash and Gary to Kage and A.J, every trainer had shown their strength. He refused to lose—he wanted to reach the top!
"Speed up, Grovyle! I believe you won't lose in terms of speed!" Mark yelled.
Grovyle seemed to feel Mark's determination and surged forward again, faster and faster! It had learned a new move—Agility—responding to Mark's will.
With its newfound speed, Grovyle dominated the battle, employing hit-and-run tactics that continuously wore Sandslash down. Before long, the sandstorm dissipated. Without its speed boost, Sandslash's advantage vanished. Overwhelmed, it was sent flying by a powerful Leaf Blade. Grovyle, ready to finish with another attack, suddenly heard Mark shout:
"Stop, Grovyle! A.J, let's end here for today. How about calling it a draw?"
"What?! You were about to win! How can you call it a draw? Do you look down on me?" A.J snapped.
"Of course not! Didn't you say you'd go challenge the League once you hit 100 wins? If you stop now, you'll have to start over—what if it delays you from getting badges? A.J, you're a great opponent—I'd be sad if I couldn't see you in the League. If you're unhappy, just win it there!" Mark calmly replied.
A.J thought for a moment and nodded. "Fine! I'll accept your kindness this time. But next time, I'll train harder and challenge you again!"
"Here, take this Prism Scale I promised you! Keep growing stronger—and I'll be waiting to defeat you!" A.J grinned.
"Ha! I'll only promise the first part! Thanks for the Prism Scale—see you!" Mark laughed.
Mark bid farewell and continued toward Bills's lighthouse.
A few days later, when Ash and his group arrived, the record on the gym's entrance screen proudly displayed: 98 wins, 1 draw.
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