"Come back, Gowlithe! You've done more than enough!"
Julian's voice cut through the heavy, humid air of the gymnasium. He didn't wait for the dragon to strike again; his thumb was already jammed down on the recall button of his Poké Ball. A beam of crimson light lanced across the churning water, striking the orange-and-black blur just as it breached the surface.
Gowlithe vanished into the capsule just a fraction of a second before Gyarados's massive jaws snapped shut on the empty air where he had been paddling. The dragon's teeth slammed together with a sound like a closing trap, and it let out a frustrated hiss, its predatory gaze darting around for the prey that had suddenly turned into light.
"Phew... that was way too close for comfort," Julian muttered, wiping a thick bead of cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He looked down at the Poké Ball in his palm, which was vibrating with a rhythmic, indignant pulse. "I'm sorry, buddy. That was my bad. I underestimated just how much of a tank that big guy is. You really held the line."
The ball wobbled one last time, a clear message of 'You're lucky I'm so fast, or I'd be a wet rug right now,' before settling into a quiet hum. Julian smiled weakly, tucking the ball into the inner pocket of his jacket, close to his chest. "I know, I know. Massive gourmet steak dinner tonight. My treat."
Across the water, Crasher Wake let out a rumble of laughter that shook his barrel chest. "Hah! Not bad, Julian! Not bad at all! To pull off a Reversal in the dark, under the pressure of the deep, and actually make it back to the surface... that's some top-tier synchronicity right there!"
Wake adjusted his blue mask, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of the fight. "I've seen plenty of trainers crumble the moment their Pokémon hits the water, but you? You used the crisis as a battery. That Reversal hit my Gyarados like a freight train, even with the resistance! But let's be honest—your Growlithe is out for the count, isn't he? He's spent his last spark escaping the abyss."
"He did his job," Julian replied, his voice regaining its steady, cool edge. "He established the rhythm. Now, it's time to change the tempo."
Reversal was a fickle, dangerous move—a Fighting-type technique that traded safety for raw, desperate power. The closer a Pokémon was to fainting, the more devastating the impact. Julian had sensed Gowlithe reaching his absolute limit underwater; the move had allowed the little fire pup to punch significantly above his weight class, even forcing an Elite-level Gyarados to loosen its grip.
"Since you're so eager to see what's next," Julian said, pulling a second ball from his belt. "Let's keep the pressure on! Togetic, it's your turn to take the stage!"
"Togekiss-jia! (Finally! My wings were starting to fall asleep!)"
Togetic materialized in a burst of white light, hovering gracefully a few meters above the water. Unlike Gowlithe, who had looked like a cornered fox on the islands, Togetic looked perfectly at home in the vast, open airspace of the gym.
"A flyer, eh? Good choice, but the sky isn't as safe as you think!" Wake roared. "Gyarados, show them that our reach spans from the floor to the clouds! Brine, once more!"
Gyarados, despite the faint purple embers of the Will-O-Wisp still licking at its scales and the bruises on its jaw, lunged upward. It opened its mouth wide, unleashing a massive, spiraling pillar of high-pressure salt water aimed directly at the small, hovering fairy.
"Togetic, show them the fruits of our late-night sessions!" Julian commanded, a sharp glint in his eye. "Use Psychic!"
"Jia-gei! (Watch this!)"
Togetic didn't move. He didn't fly left or right. Instead, his eyes began to glow with a deep, ethereal blue radiance. As the Brine roared toward him, the water column didn't shatter—it bent. Under the invisible weight of Togetic's mental grip, the salt water slowed, groaned, and then whipped around in a 180-degree arc.
CRASH!
The Brine slammed back into Gyarados's own chest, the force of its own momentum amplified by Togetic's psychic shove. The dragon let out a gargling roar of pain, its massive body thrashing as the psychic-infused water battered its scales.
"He's still standing?" Julian blinked, genuinely surprised.
Between the Intimidate, the burn damage from the Will-O-Wisp, the maximum-power Reversal, and now a redirected Brine combined with a Psychic hit, that Gyarados should have been floating belly-up. But as the spray cleared, the serpent remained upright, though it was breathing heavily, its head swaying.
Gyarados was clearly an Elite-level tank. While it didn't have the highest defenses in the world, Wake's specific "water-pressure" training had hardened its hide to an absurd degree.
"Hahahaha! Did you think a little splash-back would finish us?" Wake shouted, crossing his massive arms. "I told you, boy! My team and I have swam through the fiercest whirlpools in Sinnoh! We don't break just because things get a little salty! If you want to bring down the Great Mask's Gyarados, you need to bring a hammer, not a feather!"
"Defense-focused training, huh?" Julian murmured, observing the way Gyarados was recovering its posture. "That explains why it could tank a Reversal like that. Fine then. If a hammer is what you want, a hammer is what you'll get. Togetic, use Nasty Plot!"
"Jia... (Oh, I have some very bad ideas forming...)"
Togetic's expression shifted. The gentle, helpful look he usually wore vanished, replaced by a mischievous, almost sinister glint in his eyes. He began to rub his small hands together, dark energy swirling around his head like a crown of wicked thoughts.
"I'm not letting you set up shop in my gym!" Wake yelled. "If we can't reach you with water, we'll take a bite out of you! Gyarados, close the distance! Use Bite!"
Nasty Plot was a gamble. It sharply rose the user's Special Attack, but it left them wide open during the concentration phase. Most Pokémon who learned it weren't exactly known for their durability.
"Togetic, don't move!" Julian's voice was like ice. "Focus on the plot! Take the hit!"
"Are you crazy?" Wake's eyes widened behind his mask. "Gyarados, crunch him!"
The sea serpent lunged, its massive body coiling like a spring as it launched itself toward the tiny flyer. Togetic looked like a speck of dust compared to the dragon's maw. Gyarados's jaws clamped shut around Togetic, dragging the small fairy out of the air.
Wake expected a cry of pain. He expected the match to be over. But Togetic didn't scream.
Inside the dark, damp cavern of Gyarados's mouth, Togetic made a disgusted face. Jia-gei-jia! (Ugh! Seriously? Do you even know what a toothbrush is? This breath is a crime against humanity!)
The dark energy of the Nasty Plot finished its cycle, sinking into Togetic's body and surging through his veins. His Special Attack hadn't just doubled; it was overflowing.
"Now! Ancient Power! Drown him in the earth!" Julian's command was a roar that rivaled Wake's.
"What?! Gyarados, spit him out! Dive, now!" Wake realized the trap a second too late.
Gyarados tried to loosen its grip, its eyes widening as it felt a sudden, terrifying heat building inside its own mouth. But Togetic was already moving. He pressed his palms against the dragon's palate, and a prehistoric, stony light erupted. Massive, jagged boulders manifested out of pure energy, slamming directly into Gyarados's throat and teeth from the inside out.
BOOM!
The impact was cataclysmic. Gyarados's head was snapped back with enough force to send a shockwave through the water below. The dragon let out a muffled, agonizing shriek as the Ancient Power exploded in its face, sending it crashing backward into the pool.
A massive plume of water erupted, raining down across the entire arena like a localized monsoon. As the mist slowly settled, the giant serpent was seen floating on its side. Its eyes were swirling, and its jaw was hanging open, smoke rising from its bruised snout.
The referee didn't even need to check. He snapped his flag toward Julian. "Gyarados is unable to battle! The winner is Togetic!"