Pelipper's altitude continued to drop, lower and lower, until it was practically skimming along the ground.
At the exact moment Raichu's Thunderbolt shot forward, Pelipper's left wing suddenly gleamed with a silvery white sheen as the Steel Wing move activated instantly. With a forceful motion, it drove its left wing straight into the ground, choosing to take the incoming Thunderbolt head on.
"Zzzt—!"
The golden electricity slammed violently into Pelipper's body, arcs of lightning exploding across its form. The sight drew gasps from many spectators at the edge of the field.
"It hit!"
The Kanto trainer clenched his fist in excitement, already imagining victory in his grasp and even beginning to consider how he would deal with Winona's final Pokémon.
But in the very next second, the smile on his face froze completely.
Amid the flashing electric light, Pelipper stood there completely unharmed, as if it had not suffered any damage at all, still full of energy and vigor.
"H-how is that possible?!"
The boy cried out in shock.
From the spectator stands, a local little girl could not help but shout, "Surprised, aren't you? That's Sister Winona's Pelipper's defensive counter tactic! Hmph, you trainer from Kanto came to Hoenn and immediately challenged Sister Winona, did you really think our Fortree Gym was easy to bully?"
Her companion beside her nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! So what if it's Electric type? We're not afraid at all! Sister Winona is the strongest!"
The reason Winona's Pelipper was not afraid of Electric type moves was due to years of specialized training, allowing it to master a unique combat technique.
It had perfectly developed a special application of Steel Wing, using it to channel incoming electricity directly into the ground. By doing so, it could completely neutralize the otherwise devastating quadruple type disadvantage against Electric attacks.
Taking advantage of Raichu's moment of shock, Pelipper seized the opening. A surge of blue water energy gathered rapidly in its mouth, compressing into a massive sphere.
This time, Pelipper was truly serious. The opponent had dared to look down on it, claiming it was inferior to Skarmory. That had made it furious.
Now it was determined to show exactly who was stronger between itself and Skarmory. After all, Winona had already said it should demonstrate the majesty of the sky, so there was no need to hold back.
"Peli! Peli!"
With a sharp cry, the massive water sphere blasted forward, roaring through the air straight toward Raichu.
The Hydro Pump was packed with immense power, even causing the air itself to vibrate with a deep hum. Raichu had only just recovered from its shock when it was struck head on.
Its entire body was sent flying as if hit by a high speed train, crashing heavily onto the battlefield. Stars spun in its eyes as it lost the ability to fight.
"Raichu!"
The Kanto trainer rushed forward, but all he could do was watch helplessly as the referee raised his flag.
"Raichu is unable to battle. Pelipper wins! Therefore, the victor is Gym Leader Winona of the Fortree Gym!"
The spectator area erupted into loud applause and cheers.
Winona stepped forward and gently stroked Pelipper's neck. Pelipper responded by rubbing its beak affectionately against her hand, clearly satisfied with its performance.
The Kanto boy recalled Raichu with a dazed expression, his face filled with disbelief.
"I clearly… I clearly used a type advantage…"
"Type advantages are not absolute."
Winona walked over to him, her tone calm and gentle.
"Every Pokémon has limitless potential. What matters is whether a trainer can discover and guide that potential. Your Raichu is excellent, but you relied too much on type advantage and overlooked the true essence of battle."
The boy froze for a moment before lowering his head, his voice slightly hoarse. "I understand… thank you, Gym Leader Winona. I will train properly when I return."
"Don't be so down."
Winona placed her hands on her hips and puffed her cheeks slightly, deliberately putting on a mildly displeased expression.
"You came to Hoenn and treated my Fortree Gym as an easy target, choosing it as your very first challenge. Honestly, that did make me a little unhappy."
Though she said this, the expression on her face looked more like playful teasing than genuine anger.
"However, you did defeat my Skarmory, and Fortree City is your first stop in Hoenn. So, I will give you this Feather Badge."
She extended the badge toward him with a gentle smile.
"I wish you all the best on your journey through the Hoenn region. Work hard to collect all eight badges and aim for the Ever Grande Conference. Good luck!"
The boy's cheeks flushed red as he accepted the Feather Badge. Lowering his head, he spoke somewhat awkwardly, "Earlier… what I said was arrogant. I hope you don't mind."
Winona shook her head lightly, a faint smile on her lips.
"It's alright. Youthful confidence is not a bad thing. What matters is learning and growing from each battle."
Beside Theo, the little girl's eyes sparkled as she tugged on his sleeve excitedly.
"See? Isn't Sister Winona amazing? She might not smile much, but she's actually really gentle! Whenever she has time, she lets Skarmory take us flying, and she even tells us stories about Flying type Pokémon! When I grow up, I want to become a trainer as strong as her!"
Her friends nodded eagerly, chiming in one after another.
"Yeah, yeah! We also want to become best friends with Flying type Pokémon just like Sister Winona!"
During the short intermission, the Gym staff quickly tended to the Pokémon that had just battled, providing basic recovery while cleaning up the battlefield.
Soon, the referee's voice rang out again, signaling the next match.
It was now Theo's turn to challenge the Gym.
As Winona stepped out from the rest area, several familiar children immediately ran up to her, calling out sweetly, "Sister Winona!"
Most of them had come to watch the battles in the morning and were waiting for the flying experience in the afternoon, so they were especially close to her.
Winona smiled and waved at them, gently reminding them, "Be good and don't make too much noise. Whoever behaves the best will get to have Swellow take them for a private flight later."
The children cheered happily before reluctantly returning to the spectator stands.
When Winona's gaze finally shifted toward Theo, who was already standing on the battlefield, her expression paused ever so slightly, as if something had suddenly stirred within her.
At that moment, the referee stepped forward and loudly announced the rules.
"The match will now begin! Gym Leader Winona of the Fortree Gym versus challenger Theo from Dewford Town! Each side may use three Pokémon. The battle ends when all Pokémon on one side are unable to fight. Only the challenger is allowed to switch Pokémon during the match!"
"The battle begins! Please send out your first Pokémon!"
After finishing the announcement, the referee was about to step aside when he noticed that Winona was still standing in place, seemingly lost in thought.
He hesitated briefly before lowering his voice to remind her, "Gym Leader… the match has already started."
(End of Chapter)