"His command is pretty solid."
Red was quite impressed with Paul's battle control.
Even in the anime—
Paul had always been one of his favorite true rivals.
Especially when Compared to someone like Goh—
Paul's character stood out even more.
Hearing Red praise his younger brother—
Reis couldn't help but smile.
"Yeah, my brother's talent surpasses mine."
"This is his first region challenge, but I believe he'll achieve even more than I ever did."
Red raised an eyebrow.
"So Paul is also planning to compete in this League Conference?"
"Yes. I'm just accompanying him this time."
"I happened to pass by Songzao Gym, so I came to take a look."
"I plan to build up my strength… and then challenge the Battle Frontier in the Hoenn region."
"Battle Frontier?"
Red paused briefly—
Then patted Reis on the shoulder.
"As a Gym Leader, let me give you one piece of advice."
"A trainer should never lose the will to keep going."
"Of course I won't!"
Reis replied firmly.
"I have to set an example for my brother."
"No matter what, I won't give up on my journey as a trainer."
Red wasn't entirely convinced.
If Reis truly had that unwavering will—
He wouldn't have given up after losing badly to Brandon.
And perhaps—
Paul's extreme, results-driven mindset—
Was influenced by that very defeat.
Still—
Even though Red appreciated Paul—
He smiled and said:
"This battle…"
"Gary will win."
Just as Red and Reis were talking—
The battlefield suddenly shifted dramatically.
"Eevee, don't panic—use Dig!"
Eevee rapidly dug into the ground, disappearing into a tunnel.
At that moment—
Skorupi had just broken through the explosion of Swift.
Seeing Eevee vanish—
It froze in confusion.
Paul frowned slightly—
Then gave a decisive command.
"Instead of waiting above ground—go in after it!"
"Skorupi, go!"
Without hesitation—
Skorupi leapt toward the dark tunnel.
Paul smirked confidently.
"Hey, Gary."
"Dig was a good move."
"But Skorupi can detect vibrations using its fine body hairs and six legs."
"Even in total darkness—it can track its opponent."
"This battle is mine."
What Paul didn't know—
Was that someone else also felt certain of victory.
Watching Skorupi jump into the tunnel—
Gary calmly gave his command.
"Eevee—Dig!"
"Hah! Too late!"
Paul scoffed.
But in the next moment—
Something unexpected happened.
Eevee didn't escape elsewhere—
Instead—
The instant Skorupi entered the tunnel—
Eevee burst out from the original entrance!
Direct hit!
Dig landed perfectly on Skorupi.
Skorupi cried out in pain—
Reflexively firing Poison Sting in retaliation.
But Gary didn't miss the opportunity.
"Swift!"
Another barrage struck.
At this level—
Pokémon had limited stamina.
Once a weakness was exposed—
A full combo often meant the end.
"Skorupi is unable to battle!"
"The winner is Gary!"
Ash watched the match, fired up.
"Wow! That was an amazing battle!"
Unlike Ash's excitement—
Paul stared at his fallen Skorupi, silent for a few seconds.
Then asked:
"How did you know I'd have Skorupi chase into the tunnel?"
Gary lifted his chin proudly.
"My Master taught me that."
"He said after using Dig, don't leave the entrance immediately."
"There's a high chance the opponent will follow."
"If you counterattack at that moment—you can catch them off guard."
As he spoke—
Gary glanced at Red .
I may not have Ash's instincts…
But planning step by step—
That's my style.
Paul shook his head.
"I lost."
Reis also sighed in admiration.
"Gym Leader Red … that strategy was brilliant."
"My brother didn't lose unfairly."
He stood up, ready to leave.
A loss was a loss.
Nothing more to say.
But—
He underestimated Paul's competitiveness.
"I lost!"
"But I didn't even use my strongest Pokémon!"
"I want a rematch!"
Gary yawned lazily.
"I'm not interested in fighting someone I already beat."
"And who said Eevee is my strongest?"
With that—
He walked off to continue training.
Leaving Paul frustrated.
Just as Paul was regretting his choice—
Ash stepped forward and extended his hand.
"How about battling me?"
Paul's eyes lit up.
He turned to Gary.
"If I beat him, you'll fight me again!"
Gary waved dismissively.
Ash stepped onto the field, grinning.
"Looks like I'm being underestimated."
"Right, Pikachu?"
Pikachu sparked with electricity on his shoulder.
"I want to change the battlefield," Paul said.
James and Meowth quickly adjusted the field.
This time—
Paul chose…
Swamp Terrain.
"A swamp field?!" Ash's eyes lit up.
Paul took a deep breath and threw his Poké Ball.
"Go—my partner!"
A large turtle Pokémon appeared in the swamp.
"What Pokémon is that?"
Meowth, James, and Jessie were all confused.
Ash stepped forward confidently.
"That's Grotle!"
"It's the evolved form of one of Sinnoh's starter Pokémon!"
Gary was stunned.
"Ash actually recognizes Pokémon from another region?!"
"That's a miracle!"
"Hey! I can hear you!"
Ash pulled down his cap.
Then shouted:
"Pikachu, I'm counting on you!"
Seeing Pikachu—
Misty and Brock both facepalmed.
"This guy hasn't changed at all…"
"Did he eat the type chart we made him memorize?!"
Reis looked at Red seriously.
"Gym Leader Red … is this also part of your strategy?"
Red 's mouth twitched slightly.
His training methods for Ash and Gary—
Were completely different.
Gary—
Focused on planning, control, and calculated victories.
Ash—
Was the opposite.
After filling in his knowledge gaps—
Red stopped teaching Ash specific tactics altogether.
He let him fight freely.
Refining fundamentals—
And trusting his instincts.
To Gary, this approach made no sense.
But—
Ash's strength was clearly improving at an incredible rate.
Sometimes—
Even Red was surprised by Ash's unp Red ictable battle style.
"…This must be what they call a natural battle genius."
◇ You can read 60+ chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/ElaraVance1
✨ Bonus Chapter Goals ✨
10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter