As Volkner's words fell, a boy in blue sportswear walked out from the edge of the battlefield. Around fifteen or sixteen. He nodded toward Ash and the others as a greeting.
Volkner continued. "If you can't beat Jay, you aren't qualified to face me. Of course, defeating Jay earns you the Gym Badge on its own. Trainers who still want to challenge me after that will receive an extra reward if they win: a held item that boosts move power by twenty percent. You'll find out what it is once you beat me."
His gaze swept lightly over Ash, looking at him like any other challenger, not lingering for even a second.
In fairness, the system Volkner had set up wasn't technically against the rules. Defeating the student was equivalent to obtaining the Badge, which actually lowered the difficulty for Trainers who were only here for the Badge. And Trainers who wanted to fight Volkner specifically still had that option, with a reward attached. By the book, it was clean.
But standing from a Trainer's perspective, it was something else entirely.
Ash didn't respond immediately. He just locked gazes with Volkner.
"I heard you were the strongest Gym Leader in Sinnoh. That's why I came to challenge the Sunyshore Gym." Ash's voice was plain. "Before coming, I was wondering what kind of Trainer the strongest in Sinnoh would be. Ended up a bit disappointed."
Volkner's gaze finally shifted. Ripples stirred in his blue eyes. Ever since coming to Johto, no Trainer had ever spoken to him like this.
Ash didn't stop there.
"I've battled Cynthia. Even though she's the Sinnoh Champion, she doesn't pull this kind of thing in front of challengers. Her strength is greater than yours, her reputation is louder than yours, and she's never once had students turn people away for her. As long as she has time, she takes the fight herself." He paused. "She told me it's because she enjoys Pokémon battles."
His voice stayed level. "What I'm more curious about is, between you and Cynthia, who's stronger? And have you ever properly enjoyed a Pokémon battle?"
The Gym fell silent.
Jay's breathing noticeably tightened, his gaze drifting involuntarily toward his master.
Volkner's expression changed. That lazy detachment was slowly peeled off his face, and his gaze sharpened.
"You've battled Cynthia?"
Ash shrugged and didn't answer. He just stepped onto the Trainer's podium.
The action said everything. Whether he'd battled Cynthia or not, whether he had the strength to back it up, Volkner could find out by watching.
Volkner was silent for a few seconds, and then he suddenly laughed. Within the laugh was an emotion that hadn't surfaced in a long time. Excitement.
"Interesting." He turned around and walked toward the referee's stand, waving at Jay at the same time. "Jay, get ready. Let me see this." He stood firmly on the referee's stand, turned back, and his gaze landed on Ash. "What's your name?"
"Ash. From Pallet Town."
Volkner paused. Why did that sound familiar?
He hadn't read the news in ages and was deaf to outside rumors, so his impression of Ash was practically nonexistent. If Ash's fame hadn't been as ridiculously huge as it was, Volkner wouldn't even have this vague sense of recognition. Even so, he still couldn't place where he'd heard the name. But a Trainer who'd battled Cynthia wasn't going to be a nobody. He'd probably heard it somewhere.
Battles didn't rely on reputation anyway. A loud name was useless without the skill to back it up.
"Let's see what you've got, Ash from Pallet Town."
Jay took a deep breath, walked to the command position opposite Ash, and took a Poké Ball from his waist.
Volkner stood on the referee's stand and raised his arm.
"Three-on-three. The Gym side sends first. The challenger is free to switch. Begin!"
Jay threw his Poké Ball first. A flash of light, and a yellow-and-black figure landed steadily in the center of the battlefield. Electabuzz, an Electric-type Pokémon. Robust build, bright yellow fur with black stripes, two conductive horn-like protrusions on top of its head, and fine electric arcs coiling around its fists.
"Electabuzz, let's go!" Jay's voice was clear and focused. He'd already entered battle mode.
Even as a student, he wasn't an ordinary Trainer. Being sent onto the field by Volkner meant he already possessed the strength of a standard Gym Leader. He was being groomed as Volkner's successor, after all. When facing ordinary challengers, he would always ask about their Badge count and travel experience beforehand to decide which Pokémon to use.
But the challenger he was facing this time had personally stated that he'd battled Cynthia. That alone was enough for Jay to go all out. Holding back would be an insult.
Pikachu stood up from beside Ash's feet, a crackle of electricity flashing across his cheeks. He looked up at Ash and swished his tail. The meaning was obvious. Let me go.
Ash looked down at him and shook his head. "You rest this match."
Pikachu let out a dissatisfied growl.
"There's a more suitable candidate." Ash took a Poké Ball from his waist and felt the slight warmth coming from within. The partner inside was eager.
"I choose you, Gardevoir!"
The Poké Ball was tossed high, popping open mid-air. White light surged and fell to the ground, outlining a slender and elegant figure. Gardevoir stood quietly in the center of the field, pristine white dress, short blue hair shimmering under the Gym's lights.
In the spectator seats, Brock's eyebrows lifted sharply. "Gardevoir? To deal with a student, Ash brought out one of the big three."
Misty held Togepi, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. "He's making a point."
"Not just out of frustration, either." Brock rubbed his chin. "That student Jay swept the previous challenger three-zero. Anyone holding down the fort for Volkner won't be weak. Ash wants the most direct way to show Volkner exactly how strong he is."
Serena didn't speak, only quietly watching the boy on the field.
From the moment Gardevoir appeared, Volkner's gaze locked onto her. As an experienced Trainer, some things didn't need a clash to be read. Just by standing there, the aura coming off that Gardevoir was completely different from an ordinary one. d countless close calls.
The corners of Volkner's mouth curved slightly. Interesting. It seemed this Ash kid wasn't just bragging.
Jay was briefly stunned by the Shiny Gardevoir, but recovered in a heartbeat. "Electabuzz, Thunderbolt!"
No probing. Full-power STAB from the start.
The two horns on Electabuzz's head erupted with dazzling golden lightning. A thick pillar of thunder burst forth, crackling with electric arcs as it slashed straight toward Gardevoir.
Gardevoir stood in place. She simply raised her right hand, her slender arm waving gently in front of her chest as if brushing away a fallen leaf.
The approaching thunder pillar hadn't even reached halfway before it was torn apart from the middle by an invisible hand. Before the lightning could crash down, it dissipated into nothing.
Jay's eyes went wide. The opponent didn't even use a move. She just waved her hand and erased it. This wasn't blocking. This was causing the attack to simply cease to exist. This wasn't a gap that could be described as "strong." This was two completely different planes.
"Gardevoir, Psychic." Ash said casually.
Gardevoir raised her hand, and a vast wave of psychic power surged outward.
Electabuzz let out a sharp cry, rolled its eyes back, and collapsed onto the ground.
One move. One-hit KO.
Jay had no time to process the shock. He recalled Electabuzz, gritted his teeth, and pulled his next Poké Ball. "Manectric, go!"
A flash of light, and a blue-and-yellow quadrupedal Pokémon appeared on the field.
"Volt Tackle!" Jay didn't hesitate.
Manectric roared, its entire body enveloped in dense golden lightning, and sprinted toward Gardevoir. Its speed left a golden afterimage in the air. The ground where it stepped left scorched black claw prints.
"Confusion." Ash said.
Gardevoir's eyes lit up slightly, and an invisible force diffused from her body. The high-speed Manectric crashed as if into a transparent wall, its entire body freezing midway. It maintained its charging posture, limbs still locked in the running motion, but couldn't move a single claw.
"Manectric, break free!"
Before Jay could finish, Gardevoir lifted a finger slightly, and Manectric's body was tossed high into the air, tracing an arc before being grabbed by an invisible force and violently slammed into the ground.
The Gym's floor shook. Manectric lay in a shallow crater, its limbs twitching twice before going completely still. The psychic force combined with the impact of being slammed down stacked together for a clean knockout. Another one-hit KO.
Jay's hand was trembling slightly on the Poké Ball.
His two Pokémon, couldn't last a single move in front of her. This gap was like a mountain pressing down on him.
Jay took a deep breath, recalled Manectric, and removed the final Poké Ball from his waist.
This was the very end. Even if he couldn't win, he had to show the spirit of the Sunyshore Gym.
"Luxray, let's go!"
A flash of light, and a quadrupedal Pokémon even more robust than Manectric landed on the field. Luxray, the final evolution of Shinx. Dense blue-black fur, a thick flowing mane, powerful limbs, and a golden four-pointed star at the tip of its tail.
This was Jay's strongest Pokémon.