Nidorino stomped the ground fiercely as if to pump itself up, overcoming the fear in its heart and once again staring at Pidgeot in the sky with fighting spirit.
(This little guy isn't bad!)
Pidgeot gave Nidorino an approving glance. At last, there was a somewhat decent opponent.
"It seems Nidorino has earned Pidgeot's recognition!" Gary said with a raised corner of his mouth. He had just witnessed how Pidgeot had looked down on Gabite and Golem, and he felt happy for Nidorino's talent.
"Don't lose focus during battle!" Red's eyes instantly turned sharp. "Pidgeot, use Hurricane!"
Pidgeot let out a commanding eagle cry and flapped its wings, creating a raging storm that swept across the beach. Some of the lighter spectators were forced flat onto the ground, afraid they might be blown away.
"What a powerful Hurricane! As expected of Red's Pidgeot!" Gary exclaimed. Feeling the psychic power protecting him, he shot Red a grateful look. He knew it was Red's psychic ability at work, preventing Pidgeot's attack from affecting him.
The others were likewise shielded by psychic power. Red didn't want an ordinary Pokémon battle to injure innocent people for no reason. That would benefit no one.
(I absolutely won't give up like this! For the sake of…)
Nidorino pressed hard against the ground, refusing to let its body be blown away.
"Only mastering close-combat moves isn't enough. If you encounter an opponent like Pidgeot, your Nidorino won't have any way to counterattack!" Red kindly reminded him. "It would be best to let Nidorino learn a long-range move like Thunderbolt!"
"I didn't think it through carefully enough!" Gary said shamefully. He had overlooked something so obvious—his own failure.
"This child Gary only listens when Red speaks!" Professor Oak said with relief. But then he suddenly wondered, why were the words of a same-aged friend more effective than those of his own grandfather?!
"I'm sorry, Nidorino!" Gary said apologetically as he took out the Poké Ball. "If this continues, it'll be meaningless. I don't want you to fight a battle that leads nowhere. Forgive me!"
Nidorino, still wanting to fight, froze when it saw the tears at the corner of Gary's eyes. In the end, it willingly returned to the Poké Ball.
"Red, do you think I have the talent to become a Pokémon Trainer?" Gary took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"You do—and you're exceptionally talented. The fact that you chose to recall Nidorino just now proves you can become a powerful Pokémon Trainer!" Red said seriously, his tone lacking its usual calmness.
"Understanding your Pokémon's feelings, not blindly forcing them into pointless efforts, knowing when to retreat yet growing braver with every setback—you're only ten years old, and already far more outstanding than many others!"
"Red, I didn't expect you…" Gary said, deeply moved. To be recognized like this by his rival—any lingering hesitation in his heart completely vanished.
"This is the deep bond between friends, the mutual respect between rivals…" Professor Oak wiped away his flowing tears, completely unaware that no one was paying attention to him at all. He was simply entertaining himself.
"Then I'll leave the last one to you, my sweetheart!"
To forget the awkward moment earlier, Gary playfully kissed the Poké Ball before throwing it into the air. A well-developed Arcanine appeared on the field.
"What Pokémon is this?" Leaf took out her Pokédex. "Arcanine, the Legendary Pokémon. Since ancient times, it has captivated many people with its beauty. It can run as lightly as if it were flying."
"It's specifically targeting Pidgeot's speed!" Giselle analyzed.
"You should just enjoy watching Red and Gary's match. After all, this is a very rare sight!" Delia said with a smile.
"Not a bad opponent. Don't underestimate it either!" Red looked up at Pidgeot in warning. Consecutive victories could easily give Pidgeot a bit of arrogance. A reminder now and then was necessary.
Arcanine was a Pokémon with excellent base stat distribution. Its three different Abilities could all produce good effects depending on the situation.
Upon hearing Red's warning, Pidgeot hurriedly nodded and bowed, signaling it absolutely wouldn't mess up. Everyone present was stunned—was this the same golden Pidgeot that had just been so spirited and proud?!
"The match begins!" Professor Oak waved both flags, eagerly anticipating the duel.
"Use Flamethrower!"
"Agility!"
A blazing column of fire shot toward Pidgeot, but Pidgeot dodged effortlessly at a speed almost impossible to track with the naked eye. Taking advantage of the blinding sunlight, it used Aerial Ace on Arcanine before the latter could react.
"So fast!" Gary exclaimed. Even though he had been staring at Pidgeot, it was useless.
"Tornado!"
Pidgeot swiftly surrounded Arcanine, creating a violent tornado. Onlookers could only glimpse flashes of golden lightning within the storm.
"Don't underestimate us! Arcanine, use Extreme Speed!"
When it came to speed, Arcanine was second to none. It vanished from its spot in an instant, breaking free from the tornado's restraint and crashing into Pidgeot.
"Now's our chance—use Flame Wheel!" Gary shouted excitedly, unwilling to let the opportunity slip away.
Arcanine engulfed itself in flames and charged straight toward Pidgeot like a blazing war chariot.
"Feather Dance!"
Pidgeot shook its wings in midair, scattering gorgeous golden feathers to disrupt Arcanine's vision, causing the attack to miss.
"Wing Attack!"
Seeing that Arcanine hadn't escaped Feather Dance's interference, Red decisively ordered an attack. Pidgeot's wings glowed white as they repeatedly struck Arcanine's body.
"Use Fire Fang to bite Pidgeot's wing!" Gary calmly commanded, not flustered by the situation.
Arcanine, irritated by Pidgeot's relentless assault, opened its flaming jaws and fiercely bit down on Pidgeot's wing.
"Damn it!" ("Pidgeot—!")
Pidgeot instinctively cried out, using its other wing to unleash consecutive Air Slashes in an attempt to force Arcanine to release its bite.
"Arcanine, hang in there! This is our chance to win—use Fire Spin on the spot!" Gary shouted excitedly, as if he could already see victory ahead.
Pidgeot hadn't expected Arcanine to be so stubborn. Even after taking multiple Air Slashes head-on, it refused to let go.
A scorching pillar of fire engulfed both Pidgeot and Arcanine. Yet Arcanine showed no signs of injury—instead, it actively absorbed the surrounding flames.
"Flash Fire Ability," Red said calmly. "I told you not to push your luck, but you still made a mistake."
If Pidgeot hadn't gotten carried away just now, Gary wouldn't have seized the chance to counterattack. It could only blame itself.
"My bad, my bad!"
Pidgeot hurriedly cried out, letting Red know it understood its mistake.
"Use Sand Attack!"
Pidgeot instantly understood Red's intent. It grabbed a handful of sand and flung it into Arcanine's eyes, blinding it and causing it to falter from the stinging pain.
"Close-range Brave Bird!"
Pidgeot's body erupted with astonishing blue aura flames as it slammed Arcanine several meters away, then flew back into the air to regain aerial advantage.
"It's okay, Arcanine!" Gary comforted it when he saw it lowering its head in frustration.
"Gary, let's finish this with one final clash!" Red's fighting spirit surged. Both Pidgeot and Arcanine were panting heavily, clearly reaching their limits.
"No problem! Arcanine, use Flare Blitz!"
"Can you handle it?" Red looked up at Pidgeot. Seeing it nod, he gave the command. "Final Brave Bird!"
Blue aura flames once again covered Pidgeot's body. To maximize the move's power, Pidgeot deliberately flew higher, intending to use gravity to increase the impact.
Arcanine was no less determined. High-temperature flames engulfed its body as it charged toward the descending Pidgeot.
The two Pokémon collided fiercely. Flames and aura clashed and devoured each other. Pidgeot and Arcanine locked eyes with fierce determination, each intent on defeating the other.
The collision of their techniques condensed into a mass of energy. Amid the crowd's cries of shock, it exploded violently, shattering everything around them. The once level beach turned into a massive crater. Thick smoke rose from the blast, concealing the result.
Red and Gary stared nervously at the crater. When a sound finally emerged, they fixed their gaze forward, eager to know which Pokémon had won.
The smoke was blown away by another gust of wind. Pidgeot slowly flapped its wings into view—its talons clutching the unconscious Arcanine.
"Arcanine has lost the ability to battle. Therefore, the winner of this match is Red!" Professor Oak lowered his flag, announcing the final result.
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