"So that's the kid you and Lance keep talking about?"
"He doesn't look like much."
"Especially those skinny arms and legs. He doesn't look like a trainer at all!"
In the judges' section, Bruno, the Fighting-type Elite Four member, was dressed in a white martial arts uniform. His short-cropped hair made him look clean and sharp.
Like Brock, Bruno also possessed the trademark squinting eyes of a true powerhouse.
His exposed arms and calves bulged with thick, powerful muscles.
In fact, the aura radiating from Bruno was stronger than that of many Pokémon.
When it came to pure physical combat, Bruno stood in a league of his own among the Elite Four.
Hearing his words, Agatha leaned on her cane and replied in her usual venomous tone:
"Hmph! Do you think everyone is like you, wasting their time on meaningless physical training?"
"So what if you've trained those muscles to the extreme? Can they beat a Champion-level Pokémon?"
"In the end, it's still Pokémon that do the fighting."
Bruno laughed heartily, completely unbothered by the criticism.
"Haha! Granny Agatha, that's where you're wrong. Muscles aren't just a symbol of strength—they're also the best cosmetic enhancement a man can have!"
Agatha snorted disdainfully.
"Hmph. Empty rhetoric."
Faced with Agatha's contempt for muscles, Bruno awkwardly scratched his head.
If anyone else had said that, he would've slapped them and shown them firsthand how useful those muscles were.
But this was Agatha.
The oldest Elite Four member in the entire League.
Unlike many trainers who feared their Pokémon aging, Agatha's Ghost-type army wasn't restricted by lifespan. If anything, her Pokémon became more terrifying with age.
Within the Elite Four, she firmly occupied the second position beneath Lance.
"Alright, alright," Damaranch interrupted. "Agatha, you're not exactly young yourself. Go easy on the younger generation."
As he spoke, he pointed at his head.
The meaning was obvious:
The kid's brain is made of muscle. Cut him some slack.
Agatha snorted but said nothing further.
After all, there weren't many people in the League whose seniority exceeded hers.
Damaranch was one of them.
The League President stood up and addressed the twenty-plus Gym Leaders, including Red.
"Let me explain today's competition format."
"First comes the preliminary round. As a Gym Leader, one must possess the ability to endure prolonged battles."
Damaranch clapped his hands.
Ten Poké Balls were brought out and arranged in sequence.
"The first challenge is simple. Defeat all ten Pokémon in succession, and you'll pass."
"Furthermore, the League won't let anyone come here for nothing. For every Pokémon you defeat, you'll receive corresponding points."
"These points can be exchanged for rewards—Poké Dollars, resources, and even high-tier resources are available on the reward list."
"So, Gym Leaders, do your best!"
"And if anyone clears all ten Pokémon on their first attempt, there will be a special reward."
After hearing the challenge requirements, Red stroked his chin.
"Interesting format."
"But defeating ten Pokémon in a row isn't easy. I'll let someone else test the waters first."
After hearing the rules, the Gym Leaders all looked at one another.
Suddenly, everyone became remarkably humble.
Gone was the earlier atmosphere where they could barely stand each other.
Now they were all smiles and courtesy.
"Gym Leader Mu, why don't you go first?"
"No, no, you should have the honor."
After several minutes of polite deflection, everyone's eyes gradually shifted toward Red and Lt. Surge.
One was the rising new-generation Gym Leader who had recently become famous.
The other was the younger brother of Lt. Surge, one of the Eight Official Gym Leaders.
Among the ordinary Gym Leaders present, these two had the greatest reputations.
However, everyone soon discovered that Red had quietly retreated behind them.
Using the other Gym Leaders as a shield.
Red silently thought:
I'm not volunteering to be the guinea pig.
Several more minutes passed.
Finally, one Gym Leader could no longer hold back.
A Fighting-type specialist stepped forward.
"President Damaranch! Let my Fighting Gym be the first challenger!"
Damaranch nodded.
"Go ahead."
"Come forth, my ace!"
The Fighting-type Gym Leader dared not be careless.
He immediately sent out his strongest Pokémon.
A massive, heavily muscled Machamp.
Level 46.
Slightly higher than Lt. Surge's Electabuzz.
As he stepped up to challenge the trial, nearby Gym Leaders began discussing among themselves.
"Gym Leader Li has gotten even stronger."
"Yeah. With strength like that, he's still stuck running a Gym in a small city."
"Can't be helped. He happened to run into Sabrina. After losing Goldenrod—"
"No, Saffron City," another corrected.
"Right, Saffron City. He had no choice but to relocate elsewhere."
"His Fighting Gym used to be one of Kanto's most popular Gyms. What a shame."
Hearing their conversation, Red suddenly understood.
"So that's how it is. I didn't expect Sabrina's territory was actually taken from someone else. That's an interesting piece of history."
Meanwhile, the guardian of the first stage released his Pokémon.
A perfectly ordinary Persian.
Level 30.
"Power-Up Punch!"
The Fighting-type Gym Leader truly lived up to his reputation as someone who had once competed with Sabrina for a Gym Leader position.
His tactical judgment was excellent.
He immediately grasped the key to the challenge.
They had to defeat ten Pokémon consecutively.
A normal battle strategy obviously wouldn't work.
Therefore, a stat-boosting sweep strategy was one of the most common approaches.
And Power-Up Punch was practically tailor-made for that style.
Power-Up Punch: Power 50. After dealing damage, the user's Attack rises by one stage.
Machamp threw a punch.
Persian was heavily injured but barely survived.
Whether intentionally or by accident, the Gym Leader allowed this to happen.
Machamp used Power-Up Punch a second time.
Persian went down.
Machamp's Attack rose to +2.
After defeating Persian, Machamp proceeded to crush three more Pokémon in succession.
After all, those Pokémon ranged only from levels 30 to 38.
They stood no chance against a Machamp with boosted Attack.
"Heh. This challenge isn't that difficult after all."
"Let's finish this in one go!"
At this point, Machamp had reached +6 Attack.
It had already defeated six Pokémon consecutively.
Its stamina remained plentiful as well.
Maintaining a +6 Attack boost placed a considerable burden on the Pokémon.
But it also filled the Fighting Gym Leader with limitless confidence.
Then the seventh opponent appeared.
A Level 41 Xatu.
The moment he saw it, disgust immediately appeared on his face.
"What an obnoxious Psychic-type."
Unfortunately for him, things were about to get even worse.
The instant Xatu entered the battlefield, it flew into the air and flapped its wings.
It used a move that was uncommon—
A move with no damage at all—
Yet one that dealt devastating damage to Machamp's current situation.
"Haze?!"
Haze: Status move. Removes all stat changes affecting the target.
The +6 Attack that Machamp had painstakingly accumulated—
Vanished in an instant.
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✨ Bonus Chapter Goals ✨
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